X-ray Equipments and Accessories as possible Vectors of Nosocomial Bacteria in Anambra State, Nigeria.

Background of Study: Nosocomial infections have become a major challenge in health institutions, as they affect the quality of health care delivered. The radiology department is one of the mainstays of modern medicine. It is therefore necessary to assess its role in the spread of nosocomial infections.Aim: To assess the presence and specie of nosocomial bacteria on x-ray equipments and accessories as well as their prevalence in public and private hospitals in Anambra state.Method: Sterile swab sticks were used daily to swab the surfaces of selected x-ray equipments and accessories, at the close of work in public and private hospitals in Anambra State. MacConkey and Blood agar media were used to prepare the culture media. The prepared media were put in petri dishes andswab samples were inoculated onto the culture plates. Culture plates were then incubated for 24 hours, at a temperature of 37oc. Bacterial identification was done microscopically under bright light based on their colonial characteristics.Results: Bacteria were isolated in 43/50 (86%) samples collected. Bacteria isolated were; Staphylococcus aureus (36.1%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (22.7%), Proteus spp (7. 2%), Streptococcus (13. 4%), and Coliform spp. (20.6%). X-ray cassettes had the highest bacterial load followed by X-ray tube handles and couch.Conclusion: Radiology equipment and accessories in Anambra State have high bacterial load and therefore are potential sources of nosocomial infection

Tobacco Induced Renal Function Alterations in Wistar Rats: An 8 Weeks Study

This study investigates the effect of tobacco snuff on renal function using Wistar rat as a model. It involved adult rats (n=42) weighing 150-300g. They were assigned into a control group (A; n=6) and test groups B (n=12), C (n=12) and D (n=12). The groups were further divided into subgroups (1, 2, 3 and 4) representing durations of 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks respectively. The test groups were fed varying doses of tobacco snuff  (tobacco plus potash).  At  the  end of every 2 weeks, three  randomly  selected rats were prepared for blood sample collection into lithium  heparin containers for laboratory analysis of creatinine, urea and uric acid. Results showed that creatinine levels of the  testrats were higher than the control, but the recorded values were however, duration dependent. Interestingly, a similar but irregular pattern was observed for urea and uric acid levels. Over all, the significant increase (P<0.05) in renal function parameters of the test rats (as compared to the control values), suggests that the ingestion of tobacco snuff has harmful effects on kidney functions.Keywords: Tobacco, Snuff, Kidney function, Nicotine substitute

The changing global distribution and prevalence of canine transmissible venereal tumour.

BACKGROUND: The canine transmissible venereal tumour (CTVT) is a contagious cancer that is naturally transmitted between dogs by the allogeneic transfer of living cancer cells during coitus. CTVT first arose several thousand years ago and has been reported in dog populations worldwide; however, its precise distribution patterns and prevalence remain unclear. RESULTS: We analysed historical literature and obtained CTVT prevalence information from 645 veterinarians and animal health workers in 109 countries in order to estimate CTVT's former and current global distribution and prevalence. This analysis confirmed that CTVT is endemic in at least 90 countries worldwide across all inhabited continents. CTVT is estimated to be present at a prevalence of one percent or more in dogs in at least 13 countries in South and Central America as well as in at least 11 countries in Africa and 8 countries in Asia. In the United States and Australia, CTVT was reported to be endemic only in remote indigenous communities. Comparison of current and historical reports of CTVT indicated that its prevalence has declined in Northern Europe, possibly due to changes in dog control laws during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Analysis of factors influencing CTVT prevalence showed that presence of free-roaming dogs was associated with increased CTVT prevalence, while dog spaying and neutering were associated with reduced CTVT prevalence. Our analysis indicated no gender bias for CTVT and we found no evidence that animals with CTVT frequently harbour concurrent infectious diseases. Vincristine was widely reported to be the most effective therapy for CTVT. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide a survey of the current global distribution of CTVT, confirming that CTVT is endemic in at least 90 countries worldwide. Additionally, our analysis highlights factors that continue to modify CTVT's prevalence around the world and implicates free-roaming dogs as a reservoir for the disease. Our analysis also documents the disappearance of the disease from the United Kingdom during the twentieth century, which appears to have been an unintentional result of the introduction of dog control policies.This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final version of this article has been published by BioMed Central: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1746-6148/10/168

Microbiological profile of commonly available cosmetics and toiletries in Nsukka, Nigeria

No Abstract. Global Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences Vol. 12 (4) 2006: 471-47