Assessment Of Ultrasound Equipment As A Possible Source Of Nosocomial Infection

Background: Nosocomial infections have become an increasingly recognized problem in health facilities and ultrasound equipment can be one of the sources for the spread of these infections. This research is aimed at assessing the role of ultrasound equipment as a possible source of nosocomial infections in radiodiagnostics centers in Anambra state and to identify the type of micro-organism found on the equipment.Method: This research involved swabbing of ultrasound probes (transabdominal and transvaginal probes), ultrasound couches and ultrasound gel, of five radiodiagnosticcentres in Anambra state. A total of thirty-six swab samples were collected aseptically from the surfaces of ultrasound equipment before and after scanning and were taken to the laboratory for culture to isolate any pathogens.Results: The results from this study demonstrated that a number of organisms were found on the ultrasound probes, couches and ultrasound gel. Organisms isolated include aerobic spore formers, staphylococcus aurens, staphycoccocus epidermidis, coliform and a host of other bacteria.Conclusion: Ultrasound equipment is a possible source of nosocomial infection. Although a wide spectrum of micro-organisms are found, the most common micro-organisms found on the ultrasound equipment in this region include; S. aureus, S. epidemidis and pseudomonas aeruginosa

Microbial Assessment of Yoghurts Sold in Amawbia, Nigeria

Abstract Five brands yoghurts designated A, B, C, D and E were obtained and used for assessing their microbial quality. A ten-fold serial dilution was carried out and appropriate dilution used to inoculate duplicate plates of SDA, Eosin methylene blue, MacConkey and Nutreint agars. Discrete colonies that developed were purified and stored on agar slant at 4 o C. The pH of the samples ranged from 5.6 to 6.0. In the total coliform count, sample A recorded no count while others had count from 2.0 to 5.0 x 10 2 cfu/ml. The total viable bacterial and fungal counts were 6.0 to 18.0 x 10 4 and 1.0 to 6.0 x 10 3 cfc/ml, respectively. Five fungal genera were obtained as Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Mucor, Geotricum, Neurospora and Absidia. Mucor species occurred in all the samples while Fusarium species occurred only in sample B. Among the samples, yoghurt sample B harbored a greater percentage of the fungal isolates. Samples C and D had the least number of fungal of thre