A promising role of Insecticide Treated Bed-Nets (ITNs) against Malaria: A Way Forward

Malaria is both preventable and treatable yet the disease has continued to cause high death tolls annually. This picture is eminent in low income countries of the world where the disease is endemic although close to half of the world’s population is at risk. To date, malaria is still one of the most serious global health threats, exerting grave misery upon mankind. Africa is worst hit. The surest tool with proven potential of yielding low transmission rates of close to zero from very high is vector control. The protective benefits of vector control are principally protecting people from infective mosquito bites. Insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) are the most widely used vector control tool used since World War II. In the recent past, treated bed nets have been widely scaled-up.  Despite the obvious proven benefits, the initiatives have not been without challenges; the community which is the major stake-holder seems left out in this battle of more than a century. Keywords: Malaria, Vector control, Insecticide-Treated Bed Net

A promising role of Insecticide Treated Bed-Nets (ITNs) against Malaria: A Way Forward

Malaria is both preventable and treatable yet the disease has continued to cause high death tolls annually. This picture is eminent in low income countries of the world where the disease is endemic although close to half of the world’s population is at risk. To date, malaria is still one of the most serious global health threats, exerting grave misery upon mankind. Africa is worst hit. The surest tool with proven potential of yielding low transmission rates of close to zero from very high is vector control. The protective benefits of vector control are principally protecting people from infective mosquito bites. Insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) are the most widely used vector control tool used since World War II. In the recent past, treated bed nets have been widely scaled-up.  Despite the obvious proven benefits, the initiatives have not been without challenges; the community which is the major stake-holder seems left out in this battle of more than a century. Keywords: Malaria, Vector control, Insecticide-Treated Bed Net

A promising role of Insecticide Treated Bed-Nets (ITNs) against Malaria: A way forward.

Malaria is both preventable and treatable yet the disease has continued to cause high death tolls annually. This picture is eminent in low income countries of the world where the disease is endemic although close to half of the world’s population is at risk. To date, malaria is still one of the most serious global health threats, exerting grave misery upon mankind. Africa is worst hit. The surest tool with proven potential of yielding low transmission rates of close to zero from very high is vector control. The protective benefits of vector control are principally protecting people from infective mosquito bites. Insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) are the most widely used vector control tool used since World War II. In the recent past, treated bed nets have been widely scaled-up. Despite the obvious proven benefits, the initiatives have not been without challenges; the community which is the major stake-holder seems left out in this battle of more than a century

Exposure to microbial contaminants in metalworking fluids (MWF) and the fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels among machining industry workers

Introduction: Water based Metalworking fluids (MWF) are commonly used in machining industries and are excellent media for microorganism growth. The study aimed at determining the relationship between the airway inflammation as indicated by fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) with the microbial contaminants of MWF in aerosol and bulk sample as well as the workers’ reported respiratory health symptoms. Methods: This cross sectional study was carried out on 138 machining workers. Their FeNO were measured using NIOX-MINO instrumentation. The microbial assessments of bacteria and fungus were carried out on the MWF bulk samples and the aerosol using a sampler DUO SAS SUPER 360TM. Results: Findings showed significant difference in the FeNO levels in workers from various job sections (p=0.01). Significant relationships found between high FeNO levels with their closeness to the machines (p=0.03), high number of machines in the workplaces (p=0.02), high environmental bacteria colonies (p=0.04), longer employment years (p<0.001) and more frequent cough reported (p=0.03). Conclusion: Risk factors in the work-place which contributed to higher airway inflammation include their short distance and high number of machines, high environmental bacteria colonies in aerosol and bulk samples as well as longer employment years. Exposures to MWF had also resulted in significantly increased coughing among the respondents

Iron and virulence in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia: all we know so far

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a multi-drug-resistant global opportunistic nosocomial pathogen, which possesses a huge number of virulence factors and antibiotics resistance characteristics. Iron has a crucial contribution toward growth and development, cell growth and proliferation, and pathogenicity. The bacterium found to acquire iron for its cellular process through the expression of two iron acquisition systems. Two distinct pathways for iron acquisition are encoded by the S. maltophilia genome-a siderophore-and heme-mediated iron uptake system. The entAFDBEC operon directs the production of the enterobactin siderophore of catecholate in nature, while heme uptake relies on hgbBC and potentially hmuRSTUV operon. Fur and sigma factors are regulators of S. maltophilia under iron-limited condition. Iron potentially act as a signal which plays an important role in biofilm formation, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), extracellular enzymes production, oxidative stress response, diffusible signal factor (DSF) and siderophore production in S. maltophilia. This review summarizes the current knowledge of iron acquisition in S. maltophilia and the critical role of iron in relation to its pathogenicity

Microbial contamination of drinking water from water coolers in Universiti Putra Malaysia residential colleges

Introduction: Water coolers are popular in office buildings and commercial stores. This source of drinking water has the potential to cause waterborne outbreaks, especially in sensitive and immuno-compromised subjects. The main reason for this research was because the majority of students preferred to consume water from water coolers due to factors such as convenience and accessibility. Methodology: Two water samples from water coolers from all fourteen residential colleges in Universiti Putra Malaysia were collected and analysed using USEPA 8367 filtration membrane method in order to detect the presence of E. coli and total coliform. Results: Total coliform were detected in 93.0% of the samples collected. Only samples from one college had E. coli (0.14%). The types of filters used in water coolers did not influence the presence of bacteria because total coliform was detected in all samples using either sediment filters or stage filters. Only samples from one college using sediment filter was present with E. coli. Total number of respondents was 375. For frequency of consumption and the experience of getting diseases, there were no significant relationship because 74 respondents who drank less than three times a day also contracted diseases related to E. coli or total coliform, and there were 99 respondents who did not developed any disease even though they drank more than three times a day. There were no significant relationship between the presence of total coliform and the number of respondents experienced getting diseases. Conclusion: Total coliform were detected in nearly all samples. Residential colleges must ensure the recommended periodic maintenance of water coolers so as to safeguard the health of students using this facility

The 'checkmate' for iron between human host and invading bacteria: chess game analogy

Iron is an essential nutrient for all living organisms with critical roles in many biological processes. The mammalian host maintains the iron requirements by dietary intake, while the invading pathogenic bacteria compete with the host to obtain those absorbed irons. In order to limit the iron uptake by the bacteria, the human host employs numerous iron binding proteins and withholding defense mechanisms that capture iron from the microbial invaders. To counteract, the bacteria cope with the iron limitation imposed by the host by expressing various iron acquisition systems, allowing them to achieve effective iron homeostasis. The armamentarium used by the human host and invading bacteria, leads to the dilemma of who wins the ultimate war for iron

IgG antibodies levels in blood serum of workers exposed to microbial contaminants of metal working fluids

Introduction: Water-based metalworking fluid (MWF) provides a suitable environment for microbes to grow. This study aimed at identifying the level and species of microbial contamination of MWF in a metal machining factory and to determine the corresponding Immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels in the workers’ blood samples. Methods: Total of 298 workers in the production section of a metal machining factory, the production section using MWF as coolant fluid, were involved in this study. The Analytical Profile Index system was used to identify the species of microbes isolated from MWF bulk and air samples. Tryptone soya agar was used to incubate unknown bacteria, and sabouraud dextrose agar was used for unknown fungi. The level of IgG antibodies in workers’ blood were measured as an indicator of the exposure to the microbes isolated from MWF, corresponded to the microbial species isolated from MWF. Results: The most dominant microbes isolated from the channels were Candida albicans, Klebsiella pneumoniae, E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A total of 21 (34.4%) workers were positively exposed to E. coli, 30 (42.2%) to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and 45(75%) exposed to Candida albicans. Also, the mean level of optic density of IgG to Klebsiella pneumoniae was 0.415 (0.02). Conclusion: Water-based metalworking fluid in this metal machining factory was contaminated with bacteria and fungi. The workers in the production section were exposed to MWF as well as the microbes present in MWF. The level of IgG in blood was the biomarkers for occupational exposure to microbial contaminant MWF

The exoproteomes of clonally related Staphylococcus aureus strains are diverse

Several studies have shown that protein expression patterns vary in unrelated bacterial strains due to genomic plasticity and gene regulation, resulting in enhanced heterogeneity in the infection potential. However, exoprotein expression patterns of closely related clonal strains have not been well characterized. Here, we used medium-range (pH 4–7) immobilized pH gradient–two-dimensional gel electrophoresis to investigate the exoproteome from closely related Staphylococcus aureus clonal isolates. Interestingly, we found that, under identical in vitro experimental conditions, a number of protein spots were uniquely present in samples from each clonal isolate irregardless of the similarity of the genotype and the same virulence gene profile. Only a few abundant invariant proteins were found among identical genotypic isolates. Our results clearly shown that heterogeneity in the exoproteome was present even among clonally related strains. We suggest that this heterogeneity may contribute to the degree of virulence even within one clonal genotype. The heterogeneity in the exoproteome of closely related S. aureus strains observed in the current study postulates that pre-existing antibodies are not very protective during recurrent infection with the same strain. Therefore, our findings underscore the importance of taking all clonally related strains into account during proteome analyses

Simple, time saving pulsed-field gel electrophoresis protocol for the typing of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia

We developed a time-saving and cost-efficient Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) method for the typing of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia by modifying the conventional procedures. Our modifications related to the cell suspension preparation, lysis of bacterial cells in plugs, washing steps, and consumption of restriction enzyme. Although few rapid PFGE protocols on Gram-negative bacteria are available, the use of comparatively large amounts of costly reagents prompted us to look for other alternative. Hence, by considering the speed, simplicity, and relatively low cost, the modified protocol may be of more practical value than other established protocols in investigating S. maltophilia nosocomial outbreaks