Effect of Wrapping Materials on the Microbial Quality of some Street Vended Ready- to - Eat Rice

In many parts of Africa especially in Nigeria, ready-to-eat rice is commonly sold in several locations within the big cities and villages. In this study, one hundred samples of ready-to-eat rice were analyzed in some selected areas in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. The effects of wrapping materials on the microbial quality of the rice samples were determined from seven different locations. The total bacterial counts ranged from 5.66 to 7.30 log10 cfu/g ,total coliform counts ranged from 5.07 to 7.33 log10 cfu/g and total fungal counts ranged from 5.19 to 6.03 log10 cfu/g. The b acterial species isolated from these samples were Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella pneumonia and Staphylococcus aureus while the fungal species isolated include Aspergillus fumigatus, Mucor spp., and Penicillium sp. Factors such as improper storage as well as handling of the wrapping-materials of the food coupled with the attitude and practices of the vendors are likely to be responsible for the growth of these microorganisms. It was also discovered that improper cooking may contribute to microbial growth. Provision and enforcement of strict hygienic practices would go a long way in improving the quality of the ready-to-eat foods

Molecular Detection of Virulence Genes and Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Isolated from Raw Beef Sold in Abeokuta, South-West Nigeria

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is an important food-borne pathogen that can cause diarrhea, haemorrhagic colitis and haemolytic uremic syndrome. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence, virulence genes and antibiotic resistance patterns of E. coli O157:H7 in raw beef meat sold in Abeokuta, South west Nigeria. One hundred and twenty samples of raw beef meat were collected from four abattoirs and examined for the presence of E. coli O157:H7. The virulence genes (stx1, stx2, eaeA and hlyA) were detected in E. coli O157:H7 isolates by polymerase chain reactions. The antibiotic resistance patterns of the isolates were determined using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Of 120 samples analyzed, 8 (6.67%) were contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, with highest prevalence rate (2.5%) found in beef samples collected from Rounder abattoir. The virulence genes (stx 1 and stx 2 genes) were detected in 7 (87.5%) of E. coli O157:H7 isolates while no eaeA and hlyA genes were found. All the E. coli O157:H7 isolates were highly resistant to tetracycline, ampicillin, erythromycin and chloramphenicol and sensitive to ciprofloxacin and streptomycin. The results of this study revealed that raw beef meat could be potential vehicles of transmitting multi-drug resistant, shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 to humans.Keywords: Pathogen, E. coli O157:H7, virulence genes, antibiotic-resistance, beef mea

Effects of preservatives on the proximate and sensory analysis of smoked-dried Clarias gariepinus during ambient storage

The effect of food grade chemical and natural preservatives on the proximate and sensory analysis of smoked catfish Clarias gariepinus during six weeks ambient storage were determined. Eleven pre-smoking treatments were applied: 25% sodium chloride (NaCl) and 1% ascorbic acid for Iht 25% NaCI and 1% ascorbic acid for 30mins; 3% sodium lactate for 30mins; 3% sodium lactate and ginger (Zingiber officinale) extract for 30mins; 5% sorbic acid for 3Omins; 5% sorbic acid for 1h; 3% sodium lactate and Tetrapleura tetraptera extract for 30mins; 3% sodium lactate and Ethiopian pepper (Xylopia aethiopica) extract for 30mins; Z. officinale extract for 30mins; X aethiopica extract for 30mins and T. tetraptera extract for 30mins. The samples were smoked, cooled and packed for analysis at 0, 2, 4 and 6 weeks of ambient storage. The values of the proximate analysis ranged between 13.0-19.5%, 3.5-5.5%, 12.3-17.6% and 58.4-68.7% for moisture, ash, lipid and protein respectively. There were no significant change of proximate composition and sensory evaluation (p< 0.05) within each treatment groups during the 6 weeks storage without refrigeratio

Design and construction of a shrimp hatchery for the breeding of the black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon

A shrimp hatchery for the breeding of the black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon was constructed by the Nigeria Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research in 2008 by the reconstruction of an existing old shrimp hatchery. The new shrimp hatchery comprises of the following: water treatment, water storage, broodstock maturation, spawning/incubation, nursery and micro-algae units. The design included the construction of a concrete sump for the collection and treatment of wastewater before disposal, in addition to an aeration unit equipped with root blower for adequate supply of dissolved oxygen. The reconstructed NIOMR shrimp hatchery has been successfully used for the production of post larvae, which are presently being reared to adult shrimp in concrete tanks. The successful completion of the shrimp hatchery and breeding of P. monodon has confirmed that the species can be spawned and reared to adult size in Nigeria for local and export markets

The ASOS Surgical Risk Calculator: development and validation of a tool for identifying African surgical patients at risk of severe postoperative complications

Background: The African Surgical Outcomes Study (ASOS) showed that surgical patients in Africa have a mortality twice the global average. Existing risk assessment tools are not valid for use in this population because the pattern of risk for poor outcomes differs from high-income countries. The objective of this study was to derive and validate a simple, preoperative risk stratification tool to identify African surgical patients at risk for in-hospital postoperative mortality and severe complications. Methods: ASOS was a 7-day prospective cohort study of adult patients undergoing surgery in Africa. The ASOS Surgical Risk Calculator was constructed with a multivariable logistic regression model for the outcome of in-hospital mortality and severe postoperative complications. The following preoperative risk factors were entered into the model; age, sex, smoking status, ASA physical status, preoperative chronic comorbid conditions, indication for surgery, urgency, severity, and type of surgery. Results: The model was derived from 8799 patients from 168 African hospitals. The composite outcome of severe postoperative complications and death occurred in 423/8799 (4.8%) patients. The ASOS Surgical Risk Calculator includes the following risk factors: age, ASA physical status, indication for surgery, urgency, severity, and type of surgery. The model showed good discrimination with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.805 and good calibration with c-statistic corrected for optimism of 0.784. Conclusions: This simple preoperative risk calculator could be used to identify high-risk surgical patients in African hospitals and facilitate increased postoperative surveillance. © 2018 British Journal of Anaesthesia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Medical Research Council of South Africa gran