Prevalence of Vaginal Pathogens Associated with Genital Tract Infections in Ogun State, Nigeria

Staff PublicationAims: The occurrence of vaginal pathogens associated with genital tract infections [GTIs] was investigated in this study. Study Design: Over a three-month period, 106 High Vaginal Swab [HVS] samples were obtained from women with genital tract infections [GTIs] within the ages of 15 – 50 years attending In- and Out- patients clinic at General Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria and percentage frequencies of isolates were determined comparatively. Place and Duration of Study: Collections of samples were made at General Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State while microbiological analyses on samples were carried out at the Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital [OOUTH], Sagamu, Ogun State, between August and November, 2011. Methodology: Samples were screened for the presence of vaginal pathogens using conventional microbiological techniques. Potato dextrose agar [PDA] was employed to isolate and enumerate Candida species. Chocolate agar was used for the isolation of Neisseria gonorrheae, while Columbia agar base in 10% CO2-enriched atmosphere was employed for the isolation of Gardnerella vaginalis. Microscopic examinations of smears were carried out to determine the presence of Trichomonas vaginalis. Paired sample t-test was employed to analyze results statistically. Results: Candida species recorded the highest prevalence of 58 [54.7%], followed by Trichomonas vaginalis 27 [25.5%], Gardneralla vaginalis 12 [11.3%], while Neisseria gonorrhea recorded the least prevalence of 09 [8.5%]. Among the Candida isolates obtained, Candida albicans had the highest prevalence of 39 [67.2%], followed by 11 [19%] Candida tropicalis, 6 [10.3%] Candida parapsilosis while the least occurred was Candida krusei with 2 [3.5%]. Results also showed that the incidence of Candida species was highest within the age group of between 21 and 30 years except Candida tropicalis which recorded highest incidence within the age range of 15 – 20 years. Statistical analyses established that there was no significant difference between the incidence of Candida sp and other vaginal pathogens. Conclusion: Vaginal pathogens are directly associated with genital tract infections and this is on the high side among women in the developing world like Nigeria. This calls for commitment to routine evaluation and appropriate intervention in antenatal clinics

Intestinal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus: How does its frequency compare with that of nasal carriage and what is its clinical impact?

The bacterial species Staphylococcus aureus, including its methicillin-resistant variant (MRSA), finds its primary ecological niche in the human nose, but is also able to colonize the intestines and the perineal region. Intestinal carriage has not been widely investigated despite its potential clinical impact. This review summarizes literature on the topic and sketches the current state of affairs from a microbiological and infectious diseases' perspective. Major findings are that the average reported detection rate of intestinal carriage in healthy individuals and patients is 20% for S. aureus and 9% for MRSA, which is approximately half of that for nasal carriage. Nasal carriage seems to predispose to intestinal carriage, but sole intestinal carriage occurs relatively frequently and is observed in 1 out of 3 intestinal carriers, which provides a rationale to include intestinal screening for surveillance or in outbreak settings. Colonization of the intestinal tract with S. aureus at a young age occurs at a high frequency and may affect the host's immune system. The frequency of intestinal carriage is generally underestimated and may significantly contribute to bacterial dissemination and subsequent risk of infections. Whether intestinal rather than nasal S. aureus carriage is a primary predictor for infections is still ill-defined

2012): Bacterial flora from Healthy Clarias gariepinus and their Antimicrobial resistance pattern. Advance Journal of food science and technology 4(3):121

Abstract: The antibiotic resistance of bacteria isolated from Clarias gariepinus from 3 farms in Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria was investigated. Morphological and biochemical characteristics of isolates revealed that majority of the bacteria belonged to the family Enterobacteriaceae. Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were also recovered. E. coli strains were highly resistant to ampicillin, chloramphenicol and oxytetracycline (82.4%). Majority of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa were resistant to ampicillin (63.6%), amoxycillin (54.5%), nalidixic acid (63.6%) and oxytetracycline (72.7%), whereas most of the Salmonella spp. were resistant to erythromycin (85.7%), gentamycin (71.4%), amoxicillin (57.1%), chloramphenicol (57.1%) and sulphamethoxazole (57.1%). All isolates were highly sensitive to ciprofloxacin, novobiocin and ofloxacin. While the presence of potentially pathogenic bacterial species as observed in the study may not present a serious human health hazard because of heat treatment accorded fish before consumption, the presence of antibiotic resistant strains should not be ignored because of the potential for horizontal gene transfer in the food chain

Ecotoxicological Assessment Using Clarias Gariepinus and Microbial Characterization of Leachate from Municipal Solid Waste Landfill

Among the environmental problems in Nigeria is the lack of proper management of municipal solid wastes (MSW), which is capable of releasing hazardous chemicals via leachate to the surrounding environment. In this study, the potential toxic effects of raw leachate obtained from Aba-Eku landfill (AERL) on Clarias Gariepinus ; and the microorganisms that may be present in the leachate were investigated. Physico-chemical analysis showed that the leachate contained toxic constituents. The 96 h LC50 obtained was 36.6%. Haematocrit %, erythrocyte number, haemoglobin concentration, leukocyte and lymphocyte number increased with increasing leachate concentration. Histopathological lesions were marked in the gills, kidney and liver of exposed fishes and were concentration dependent. A total of 112 bacterial isolates belonging to 17 genera were recorded from samples of AERL. Potential pathogens and toxin producing microorganism were identified. These observations are of prime health concern because there is no known containment or treatment system for the leachate generated from the study site. Our findings would be of assistance in the assessment of hazardous effects of chemicals from waste landfills discharged into the aquatic environment and in making policy on environmental waste management

Burnout among Nigerian Doctors: A Systematic Review

Burnout among physicians is a global phenomenon which has been under-reported in middle and low-income economies. The importance of burn-out on the physicians' well-being, patient care and overall health care system cannot be overemphasized. In Nigeria, few studies are specific to burnout, with most of the available studies exploring psychosocial issues at physicians' workplace stress and job dissatisfaction. This present review of literature is assessing burnout among Nigerian Physicians. This review is designed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The review identified observational, review, longitudinal and experimental studies on Nigerian physicians between 1970- 2017, which have the full text in the English language. The articles were searched from online databases such as PUBMED, Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), African Journals Online (AJOL) and Google Scholar by researchers. The keywords used include “Physician”, “Nigeria”, “burn-out” syndrome. The prevalence of 23.6% to 51.7% burnout was reported among physicians in the selected studies, with young age being a strong predictor for burnout. High burden of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment were reported in the study carried out among resident doctors who are early career doctors. The prevalence of burnout reported from these studies in Nigeria is very high, although they are within the globally reported range of physician burnout. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of information on the subject matter among Nigerian Physicians. There is a need to carry out more studies on burnout among Nigerian Physicians.Keywords: Burnout, Doctors, Nigeria, Physician