Natural occurrence of aflatoxin residues in fresh and sun-dried meat in Nigeria

No Abstract

Comparative susceptibility of vero and baby hamster kidney cell lines to PPR virus

This study was undertaken to assess the comparative susceptibility of the different cell lines to PPRV using virus isolation by Vero and BHK cell lines from field samples. The inoculated BHK and Vero cells supported the growth of the virus with syncytia formation more commonly observed in the BHK cells while vacuolation and cell disintegration were more marked in Vero cells. When the virus was passaged from Vero cells to Vero cells, the CPE occurred on the fourth day while passaging from Vero cells to BHK cells, revealed CPE in three days. The onset of CPE and its pattern was earlier and more prominent in BHK than in Vero cells. This could be due to species difference in the origin of the two cell lines and the receptors for attachment and replication. As BHK cell line was not routinely used for primary isolation, results obtained in this study showed that the virus titres obtained are usually higher, the CPE produced clearer, and the onset ofCPE development shorter hence it can the be good for primary isolation of PPRV

Dirty money: an investigation into the hygiene status of some of the world's currencies as obtained from food outlets

A total of 1280 banknotes were obtained from food outlets in 10 different countries (Australia, Burkina Faso, China, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States), and their bacterial content was enumerated. The presence of bacteria on banknotes was found to be influenced by the material of the notes, and there was a strong correlation between the number of bacteria per square centimeter and a series of indicators of economic prosperity of the various countries. The strongest correlation was found with the “index of economic freedom,” indicating that the lower the index value, the higher the typical bacterial content on the banknotes in circulation. Other factors that appear to influence the number of bacteria on banknotes were the age of the banknotes and the material used to produce the notes (polymer-based vs. cotton-based). The banknotes were also screened for the presence of a range of pathogens. It was found that pathogens could only be isolated after enrichment and their mere presence does not appear to be alarming. In light of our international findings, it is recommended that current guidelines as they apply in most countries with regard to the concurrent hygienic handling of foods and money should be universally adopted. This includes that, in some instances, the handling of food and money have to be physically separated by employing separate individuals to carry out one task each; whereas in other instances, it could be advantageous to handle food only with a gloved hand and money with the other hand. If neither of these precautions can be effectively implemented, it is highly recommended that food service personnel practice proper hand washing procedures after handling money and before handling food