An approach to effective disinfection of salon items [clippers, combs and scissors]

Antibacterial susceptibility patterns of some bacteria isolated from selected barbing salons in parts of Northern Nigeria was studied for the purpose of developing a disinfectant system suitable for use in salons. The K-values for selected cells ranged from 0.0072 to 0.0399 (benzalkonium chloride), and from 0.0062 to 0.1338 (propylene glycol) as against a range of 0.0147 to 0.1343 when the two chemicals were combined. The observed D-value range of 64.5 to 99 (benzalkonium chloride), 31.5 to 105 (Propylene glycol) and 21 to 24 (admixture of the two chemicals) were exploited in the development of “SALONSEFE” – a salon disinfectant that was able to eliminate 105 cfu/ ml (of the most resistant bacterial isolated in these studies) completely in 60 seconds. Keywords: salonsafe, antibacterial, disinfectant, salon, K-value, D-value The East and Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Vol. 7(3) 2004: 47-5

Microbiological studies of blood specimen from presumptively diagnosed Typhoid Fever patients in Zaria, northern Nigeria.

Three hundred and fifteen blood samples were obtained from presumptively diagnosed typhoid patients who were referred for Widal Serological test at four diagnostic centres. The blood samples were subjected to bacteriological investigations. Salmonella and non-Salmonella organisms isolated were identified according to standard identification schemes. The Salmonella serological O - and H - antigen titre values of the patients whose blood samples were cultured, were also collated and compared with the bacteriological findings. There was generally low correlation between the antigenic (O and H) titre value and cultural isolation of the causative organisms of typhoid fever. However, as the O-antigen titre value increased from 1:20 to 1:160, the percentage of samples in which Salmonella spp. Were isolated, rose from 5.6% to 50%. There was also significant variation in the percentage values among the four diagnostic centers (varying from 46% to 83% at O-tire value of 1:160). Beside Salmonella spp. Other organisms comprising mostly members of the Enterobacteriaceae Family, Psuedmonas spp. and Streptococcus were isolated from the blood of patients presenting high O-antigen titre values. Keywords: Typhoid Fever Diagnosis African Journal of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology Vol. 9 (3) 2008: pp. 129-13

Physico-chemical characteristics and Heavy metal levels in Drinking Water sources in Sokoto metropolis in North-western Nigeria

This study investigated the physico-chemical characteristics of drinking waters collected from tap, well and sachet in Sokoto metropolis in North Western Nigeria. Conductivity and pH values were determined by standard methods while elemental composition was analysed using X-ray Fluorescence spectroscopy. Majority of the water samples had neutral pH (6.80 – 7.20) few were slightly alkaline and one was acidic. Tap water samples had similar conductivity values (180 -190μS/m), sachet water samples had conductivity values ranging from 80μS/m to 260μS/m while well water samples had highest conductivity values with a sample having value above standard limit of 1,500μS/m. Heavy metals (copper and lead), rare earth metals (gallium, rubidium, strontium and vanadium) and other elements (potassium, calcium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, zinc, arsenic, selenium, bromine and molybdenum) were detected. Result of elemental analysis showed the presence of 18 compounds in the differentwater samples, of which seven, namely: As, Cr, Mn, Pb, Ni, Se and Br had levels above WHO recommended permissible limits, with their attendant health implications. Generally, all the sampled waters analysed in this study failed chemical tests and therefore not suitable for drinking

Preliminary Phytochemical Screening and Antimicrobial Activities of Some Medicinal Plants Used In Ebiraland

Dried leaves of Abrus precatorius, Desmodium ramosissimum, Scoparia dulcis and aerial parts of Phyllanthus amarus used in folkloric medicine of Ebiraland were extracted with hexane, methanol and water sequentially using soxhlet apparatus. The extracts were screened for antimicrobial activities against Bacillus subtilis, E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans using the agar-cup diffusion protocol. All the extracts except the hexane extract of Abrus precatorius were active against at least two of the test microorganisms at the highest concentration of 100 mg/ml used in this study. The aqueous and methanolic extracts of Phyllanthus amarus were active against all the test microorganisms. The methanolic extract of Phyllanthus amarus also showed a broad spectrum of activity with a minimum inhibitory concentration (M.I.C.) of 1.56 mg/ml against all the test microorganisms. The extracts were also screened for secondary metabolites and the result indicated the presence of alkaloids, saponins, tannins and terpenoids. The results of this investigation, appears to justify the ethnomedicinal uses of these plants for the traditional treatment of infectious diseases. However, further investigation is required to obtain more information on their antimicrobial potentials and also to isolate their bioactive compounds. Keywords: Medicinal plants, antimicrobial activity, minimum inhibitory concentration, phytochemical screening

Bacterial aetiology of septicaemia in children of post-neonatal age at the Institute of Child Health, Banzazzau, Zaria, Nigeria

Introduction: Septicaemia is a clinical syndrome characterized by systemic inflammatory response. It is has been reported to be one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality among children in developing countries of the world.Objectives: the aims of the study were to determine the prevalence of septicaemia in children brought to the Institute of Child Health Banzazzau, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, (ABUTH) Zaria and to isolate the aetiologic agents responsible for septicaemia in these children.Methods: Blood samples of children (aged one month – 12 years) with clinical symptoms of suspected septicaemia was taken under strict aseptic condition and inoculated into thioglycolate broth then incubated for 24hrs Subcultures were made after the first 24 hrs onto blood, chocolate and MacConkey agar plates and also when there were signs of bacterial growth shown by turbidity of the samples. Identification of isolates was based on their morphology on agar plates, Gram stain reaction and biochemical properties.Results: The mean age was three years with a peak in the first year of life. The male: female ratio was 1:1.3. Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella species were the commonest isolates accounting for 24 (43.64%) and 13 (23.64%) respectively. Other bacterial isolates included Coagulase negative staphyloc occi(CoNS) (7.27%), Citrobacter specie (10.94%), Pseudomonas specie (7.24%), Proteus species (3.64%) and Klebsiella species (3.64%).Conclusion: Results show both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria to be implicated with septicaemia with Staph aureus and Salmonella being the most frequent aetiologic agents, children less than or equal to five years were mostly affected, there is a need for routine monitoring of bacterial isolates and the age group at risk.Keywords: Bacterial isolates, children, septicaemia

Interaction of Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella enteritidis with polystyrene does not correlate with virulence in young chickens

Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella enteritidis are the most frequently isolated serotypes in human and animal Salmonella infections. The in vitro surface colonization characteristics of S.typhimurium L1388 and S. enteritidis L1225 on hydrophobic surfaces were assessed with a view tounderstanding their surface preference in relation to in vivo virulence. Although both S. typhimurium and S. enteritidis preferentially colonized polystyrene under normal nutrient-rich growth medium, S.typhimurium formed significantly (P < 0.05: P = 0.000008) smaller amounts of biofilm than S.enteritidis. The biofilm formed on polystyrene was optimum at different times, 200 min and 400 min for S. enteritidis and S. typhimurium, respectively. S. typhimurium also formed significantly (P < 0.05)less biofilm than S. enteritidis when the growth medium was supplemented with 100 mM each ofeither D-(+)-mannose (P = 0.0001), D-(+)-glucose (P = 0.0005), D-(-)-mannitol (P = 0.00002) or xylose (P= 00009). Biofilms formed by S. enteritidis following growth in sugar-supplemented medium were not significantly different from that following growth in non-supplemented medium; but significant (

Evaluation of Antibacterial Properties, Acute Toxicity and Immuno-stimulatory Potential of Scoparia dulcis

Traditional herbal medicines still remain the basic health care means for a large majority of rural and urban dwellers in Nigeria. Scoparia dulcis is a medicinal plant widely used for the traditional remedy of upper respiratory tract infections including pneumonia. Methanolic extract of the plant was assessed for antibacterial activity against Haemophilus influenzae and Klebsiella pneumonia by agar-cup diffusion method. The extract was active against both pathogens with zones of inhibition measuring 23.0 and 20.5 mm for H. influenzae and K. pneumonia respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the extract against the test organisms were 6.25 and 12.5 mg/ml respectively. The minimum bactericidal concentration was 25 mg/ml for both organisms. The extract was found to be non toxic with LD50 of 3807(mg//kg body weight). The plant extract also showed a good immunostimulatory activity with a significant increase (p&lt;0.05) in white blood cell proliferation when administered into mice at doses of 100 and 1000mg/ml. The result of this investigation supports the popular use of this plant for the traditional remedy of pneumonia possibly caused by these test organisms and as blood tonic.Key words: Scoparia dulcis, Methanolic extract, antibacterial activity, immune-stimulator