Prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus on the Hands of Health-Care Workers and the Environment of a Nigerian University Health Centre

Hospital-acquired infections continue to be an important public health issue with unacceptable levels of morbidity and mortality. Staphylococcus aureus is a frequent cause of infections in the hospital. This research aimed at giving a better understanding of the prevalence of S. aureus in a hospital setting in order to adequately account for its potential threat. A total of 115 samples comprising 65 environmental samples obtained from trays, bed railings, doorknobs, and other surfaces of patient wards and 50 hand swabs of health-care workers were screened for S. aureus using established microbiological techniques. Twenty-eight isolates each represented positive cultures from environmental and hand samples, respectively. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was determined for the S. aureus isolates using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion assay. The anti-biotic resistance pattern for the hand and environmental isolates respectively gave the following results: Ciprofloxacin (32.14%, 21.43%), Trimethoprim/ Sulphamethoxazole (60.71%, 67.86%), Oxacillin (28.57%, 35.71%), Erythromycin (21.42%, 17.86%), Gentamicin (42.86%, 28.57%), Tetracycline (17.86%, 21.42%), Penicillin (42.86%, 42.85%). Twelve resistant phenotypes were identified, of which Ciprofloxacin-Gentamicin- Trimethoprim/ Sulphamethoxazole (CIP-CN-SXT) was predominant. This study shows that the hands of health-care workers and the hospital environment could serve as potential vehicles of transmission of S. aureus infections, thus high-lighting the need for effective infection control measures

Functional Foods and the Gut Microbiome

The diversity of microorganisms that inhabits the gut play vital roles as determinants of human health. Among other factors, diet has a significant impact on gut microbial composition and function. This is as a result of the biotransformation of food components and the production of metabolites by the microorganisms. Examples of gut microbiota include Bifidobacterium, Lac-tobacillus, Streptococcus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The interplay between the diet, gut micro-biota, and the host occurs as the diet changes the gut microbiota composition and function, which in turn affects the host biochemical processes. Thus, diet is currently considered one of the most critical factors that control microbiota structure and metabolism. Functional foods such as probiotic products, prebiotics, symbiotic and dietary polyphenols can modulate the microbio-ta. This is a result of the health benefits associated with these foods. More knowledge of the interactions between functional foods and specific intestinal bacteria could contribute to a better understanding of both positive and negative interactions in vivo and the identification of new microorganisms inhabiting the gut