Characterization of Autochthonous Bacterial Isolates with The Potentiality to Degrade Spent Engine Oil from Contaminated Soil Area Enriched with Glycine max

This study was conducted to identify and characterize bacteria capable of degrading spent oil contaminated soil. The physicochemical parameters of used engine oil were analyzed according to existing standards, while the total heterotrophic plate counts (HBC) and hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria counts were ascertained with the pour plate methods using nutrient agar and minimal salt agar (MSA) media respectively. The results indicated a mean total HBC ranging from 2.86 ± 0.08 to 5.76 log10 CFU/g and mean hydrocarbon utilizing bacterial counts from 1.32 ± 0.09 to 3.82 ± 0.25 log10 CFU/g, with samples enriched with Glycine max (Soybean) recorded to have the highest bacterial counts. The phenotypic identification of the hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria as sources of carbon and energy showed the presence of two primary bacterial genera: Bacillus and Micrococcus.However, from the overall 50 counted colonies, the frequency of occurrence for Bacillus was 41 (82 %) whereas, the Micrococcus was (9) 18%. The obtained data, confirmed the breakdown capacity of autochthonous (indigenous) organisms notably; Bacillus in the reduction of pollutants linked with oil spillage. This provides for reliable and promising approach of ameliorating crude oil pollutants and its inherent threats. Keywords: Soil, spent oil, Glycine max, degrading bacteria, isolation and bioremediatio

Medical cost of Lassa fever treatment in Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Nigeria

This cross-sectional study sought to estimate the direct medical cost of Lassa fever treatment on patients in South-South  Nigeria. All the 73 confirmed Lassa fever cases admitted in the isolation ward of the Institute Of Lassa Fever Research and  Control, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) Irrua, in Edo State, Nigeria, between May 2015 and May 2016 were  studied. A checklist was used to collect data on the socio-demographic characteristics and medical cost incurred by the  patients. Data entry and analysis was done using SPSS version 20. The average total direct cost for Lassa fever treatment  was N86,802.63 per patient for the subsidized treatment and N205,558.99 per patient for the unsubsidized treatment.  Medications accounted for the highest unsubsidized payments (N86,929.55; 42.10%) while hospital care accounted for the  highest cost component of he subsidized payments (N19,756.51; 22.76%). Up to 84.28% of medication and 70.8% of  investigations was subsidized making a total of 57.77% subsidy in the average total payments per patient. For an average  Nigerian, direct cost of treatment of Lassa fever is still expensive despite subsidy in medications and investigations.  Therefore efforts geared towards reducing the economic burden of Lassa fever on patients and their families are advocated.Keywords: Lassa fever, medical cost, poverty-reduction, South-South Nigeri

Characterization of Autochthonous Bacterial Isolates with The Potentiality to Degrade Spent Engine Oil from Contaminated Soil Area Enriched with Glycine max

This study was conducted to identify and characterize bacteria capable of degrading spent oil contaminated soil. The physicochemical parameters of used engine oil were analyzed according to existing standards, while the total heterotrophic plate counts (HBC) and hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria counts were ascertained with the pour plate methods using nutrient agar and minimal salt agar (MSA) media respectively. The results indicated a mean total HBC ranging from 2.86 \ub1 0.08 to 5.76 log10 CFU/g and mean hydrocarbon utilizing bacterial counts from 1.32 \ub1 0.09 to 3.82 \ub1 0.25 log10 CFU/g, with samples enriched with Glycine max (Soybean) recorded to have the highest bacterial counts. The phenotypic identification of the hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria as sources of carbon and energy showed the presence of two primary bacterial genera: Bacillus and Micrococcus . However, from the overall 50 counted colonies, the frequency of occurrence for Bacillus was 41 (82 %) whereas, the Micrococcus was (9) 18%. The obtained data, confirmed the breakdown capacity of autochthonous (indigenous) organisms notably; Bacillus in the reduction of pollutants linked with oil spillage. This provides for reliable and promising approach of ameliorating crude oil pollutants and its inherent threats