Bacteriological evaluation of instant noodles stored under sub-optimal conditions from selected markets in Sagamu- Ibafo axis of Ogun State, Nigeria

This study evaluated 8 brands of 5 packets each of instant noodles for bacterial load, clinical status, and resistance of the isolates to conventional antibiotics, in addition to pH. These brands were cultured on plate count agar for bacterial enumeration while isolates were challenged on selective media for bacteria of clinical status. The antibiogram was determined using standard methods. The pH varied from acidic (4.92) as shown in GPJ 3 to closely neutral (6.94) as recorded in HWJ 2. TTJ1 had the lowest average bacteria count of 1.6 x 103 while BFJ5 with 6.3 x 105 counts was the highest. Prevalence of isolates of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa varied in the ratio 40:30:30. Of the 40 samples, 8 of the 16 Escherichia coli were resistant to gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, and Augmentin, 7 of the 12 Staphylococcus aureus elicited resistance to ampicillin and cotrimoxazole while 8 of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa were resistant to meropenem, cotrimoxazole, Augmentin, and cephalexin. Presence of bacteria of clinical status, in counts that exceeded recommended safe limits for ready-to-eat noodles and higher numbers of resistant isolates to the antibiotics appropriated, could be attributed to product storage under sub-optimal conditions which portend a public health risk

Preliminary study on temporal variations in biting activity of Simulium damnosum s.l. in Abeokuta North LGA, Ogun State Nigeria

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Simulum damnosum </it>Theobald <it>sensu lato </it>(<it>s.l</it>.) is the vector of the parasitic filarial worm <it>Onchocerca volvulus </it>Leuckart which causes onchocerciasis. In order to understand the vector population dynamics, a preliminary 12 months entomological evaluation was carried out at Abeokuta, the Southwest Zone of Nigeria, an onchocerciasis endemic area, where vector control has not been previously initiated. <it>S.damnosum s.l</it>. flies were caught on human attractants between 700 to1800 hours each day, for 4 days each month, from August 2007 to July 2008. The flies caught were classified as either forest-dwelling or savanna-dwelling groups based on the colour of certain morphological characters. Climatic data such as rainfall, humidity and temperature were also collected monthly during the period of survey.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 1,139 flies were caught, 596 (52.33%) were forest-dwelling group while 543 (47.67%) were savanna-dwelling group of <it>S. damnosum s.l</it>. The highest percentage of forest-dwelling group was caught in the month of August 2007 (78.06%) and the least percentage of forest-dwelling groups was caught in November 2007 (8.14%). The highest percentage of savannah-dwelling group was caught in the month of November 2007 (91.86%) and the least percentage of savannah-dwelling group was caught in August 2007 (21.94%). There was no significant difference between the population of forest and savannah-dwelling groups of the fly when the means of the fly population were compared (<it>P </it>= 0.830). Spearman correlation analysis showed a significant relationship between monthly fly population with monthly average rainfall (<it>r </it>= 0.550, n = 12, <it>P </it>= 0.033), but no significant relationship with monthly average temperature (<it>r </it>= 0.291, <it>n </it>= 12, <it>P </it>= 0.179). There was also a significant relationship between monthly fly population and monthly average relative humidity (<it>r </it>= 0.783, <it>n </it>= 12 <it>P </it>= 0.001). There was no significant correlation between the population of forest-dwelling group of <it>S. damnosum s.l</it>. and monthly average rainfall (<it>r </it>= 0.466, <it>n </it>= 12, <it>P </it>= 0.064) and monthly average temperature (<it>r </it>= 0.375, n = 12, <it>P </it>= 0.115) but there was significant correlation with monthly average relative humidity (<it>r </it>= 0.69, <it>n </it>= 12, <it>P </it>= 0.006). There was significant correlation between savannah-dwelling group and monthly average rainfall (<it>r </it>= 0.547, <it>n </it>= 12, <it>P </it>= 0.033), and monthly average relative humidity (<it>r </it>= 0.504, <it>n </it>= 12, <it>P </it>= 0.047) but there was no significant correlation with monthly average temperature (<it>r </it>= 0.142, <it>n </it>= 12, <it>P </it>= 0.329)</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results from this study showed that both the forest and the savannah dwelling groups of <it>S. damnosum s.l</it>. were caught biting in the study area. This could have implications on the transmission and epidemiology of human onchocerciasis if not monitored.</p

The Use of Waste Management Techniques to Enhance Household Income and Reduce Urban Water Pollution

Appropriate waste management options are major concerns in the developing world. Current methods include incineration in the open and accumulation of wastes in designated places where they constitute nuisance to the environment. Apart from air pollution from the incinerators, leachates from decomposed wastes are either washed off where they serve as source of pollutants to the adjourning streams and rivers or contaminate groundwater through deep percolation. We present viable options for managing agricultural wastes in this chapter. The options presented are so simple and sustainable such that it can be managed by individuals. Hence, they are independent of the government bureaucratic bottlenecks that have been the bane of the previous government interventions. If embraced, it will also serve as sources of income for the concerned household, hence enhance their livelihood

Helicobacter pylori patient isolates from South Africa and Nigeria differ in virulence factor pathogenicity profile and associated gastric disease outcome

Helicobacter pylori is a gram-negative, spiral-shaped bacterial pathogen and the causative agent for gastritis, peptic ulcer disease and classified as a WHO class I carcinogen. While the prevalence of H. pylori infections in Africa is among the highest in the world, the incidence of gastric cancer is comparably low. Little is known about other symptoms related to the H. pylori infection in Africa and the association with certain phenotypes of bacterial virulence. We established a network of study sites in Nigeria (NG) and South Africa (ZA) to gain an overview on the epidemiological situation. In total 220 isolates from 114 patients were analyzed and 118 different patient isolates examined for the presence of the virulence factors cagA, vacA, dupA, their phylogenetic origin and their resistance against the commonly used antibiotics amoxicillin, clarithromycin, metronidazole and tetracycline. We report that H. pylori isolates from Nigeria and South Africa differ significantly in their phylogenetic profiles and in their expression of virulence factors. VacA mosaicism is intensive, resulting in m1-m2 vacA chimeras and frequent s1m1 and s1m2 vacA subtypes in hpAfrica2 strains. Gastric lesions were diagnosed more frequent in Nigerian versus South African patients and H. pylori isolates that are resistant against one or multiple antibiotics occur frequently in both countries

Haematological alteration and histopathology of vital organs of pups delivered by mice infected with Plasmodium berghei during the second and third stage of pregnancy

Pregnancy associated malaria (PAM) is a potentially life-threatening condition that affects the new-born. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of PAM on the haematological parameters and histopathology of some vital organs of pups delivered by mice infected with malaria in the second and third stages of pregnancy. Thirty female Swiss albino mice were randomly assigned into three groups, two groups of which were intraperitoneally infected with inoculums containing 3.97 x 10 6 Plasmodium berghei infected red blood cells at gestational days (GD 12 and 17), while the third group were uninfected (control). Pregnant females were allowed to deliver and progenies were monitored for three weeks. The red blood cell (RBC), white blood cell (WBC), packed cell volume (PCV) and haemoglobin (HB) concentration was significantly lower (p&lt;0.05) in pups of mice infected in the 2nd and 3rd stages of pregnancy as compared to the pups from non-infected mother. Histopathological alterations observed in the pup’s organs of mice infected in the 2nd and 3rd stages of pregnancy include fatty degeneration in the liver, interstitial pneumonia and oedema in the alveolar sac of the lungs, severe lymphoid depletion of the spleen, degeneration of tubular epithelial cells of the kidney and vacuolar degeneration in the brain. More severe damages were seen in pups from mice infected in the 2nd stage of pregnancy. This study showed that&nbsp; pregnancy associated malaria induce anaemia and damaging effects on vital organs of progeny of mice infected in the 2nd and 3rd stages of pregnancy. Keyword: Pregnancy associated malaria, Plasmodium berghei, Parasitaemia, Birth weight, Haematological profile, Organ histopatholog

The Use of Earthworm Cast as a Casing Material, Time of Application and Substrate size on Yield of Pleurotus tuberregium. (Fr.) Singer, a Nigerian Mushroom

Abstract: The possibility of using earth worn cast as casing material in the fructification of a popular edible mushroom (Pleurotus tuberregium) from Nigeria was investigated. Chemical characteristics of the earthworm cast was done. Time of casing application was varied from 1 st -6th week after spawning, and the effect of substrate size on sclerotia yield was also investigated. The result showed that all the cased substrates produced both sclerotia and fruit bodies except those cased at 3 rd week after spawning on which only fruit bodies were produced while the uncased produced only the sclerotia. The highest fruit body yield (118.00g) was obtained where casing was applied at 3 rd week after spawning. Biological efficiency (62.10%) and sclerotia yield (141.45g) were highest at 1 st week of casing application and least on the control. Mean fruit size (48.84g), pileus width (18.35cm), stipe length (16.90cm) and girth (4.75cm) were significantly highest (p&lt; 0.05) at 4 th week of casing layer application and least in others. Significant increase in sclerotia yield was also observed with increase in growth substrate size at p&lt;0.05. These findings suggest that for direct fruit body production of P. tuberregium, casing material should be applied preferably at 3 -4 weeks after spawning and that earth worm casts can be used as casing material as readymade casing materials such as peat moss and vermiculite are not available in Nigeria for now and that increase substrate size also results into increased sclerotia yield of these mushroom