Assessment of Microbiological Quality of Fura Da Nono Produced in Kebbi State, Nigeria

Fura da Nono is a nutritious and refreshing drink made from fermented milk and ground millet grains. In this study, the microbiology of traditional and small-scale industrial production of Fura da Nono in Birnin Kebbi and Jega was investigated. Samples of Fura da Nono were collected from Birnin Kebbi emir’s palace, Mini Factory JEGA and a local hawker in Jega. Food borne and spoilage pathogens were identified based on their colonial morphology, gram staining reaction and series of biochemical tests. Viable colony counts, coliform test, fungal analysis and pH test were also conducted. The results revealed the highest average count of 1.25×108 cfu/ml in the samples  collected from local hawker while Birnin Kebbi emir’s palace had the lowest average count of 8.3×105 cfu/ml. The bacteria identified in Fura da Nono were Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp, Lactobacillus plantarum and Escherichia coli. The fungi isolated were  Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The highest pH (6.8) was recorded in the sample obtained from local hawker and the lowest (3.1) from the Birnin Kebbi emir’s palace. The study showed the presence of food borne and spoilage pathogens in Fura da Nono which indicates poor hygienic practices during production. Therefore, in order to produce commercial Furada Nono either at large or small-scale quantity, it is necessary to improve the acceptability, microbiological stability and hygiene of the product

Prevalence of Snoring among Stroke Patients and Associated Factors: Case Study of Ilorin Metropolis

Snoring is a hoarse or harsh sound from nose or mouth that occurs when breathing is partially obstructed during sleep, and it has been implicated as a predisposing factor to stroke in some individuals. Unfortunately, the association between snoring and stroke have not been fully explored in Nigeria, hence the need for this study. This study involves 182 stroke patients from two public hospitals in Ilorin Metropolis. Patients were interviewed with the aid of questionnaire to determine the percentage of some specific parameters associated with snoring, which include; stroke patients that snore, stroke onset, sleeping position and snore severity. The result revealed that out of 182 stroke patients, 131 (72%) snores while 51 (28%) do not snore. Consequently, out of this 131 stroke patients that snore, 27 patients (20.6%) were mild, 92 patients (70.2%) were moderate, 12 patients (9.2%) were severe. Thirty eight patients (29%) experienced stroke while sleeping, 93 patients (71%) experienced stroke while awake. Sleeping position enquiry revealed that 58 patients (44.3%) often sleep supine (back), 65 patients (49.6%) often sleep on their side and 8 patients (6.1%) often sleep prone (chest) before the onset of their stroke. This study revealed that snoring is highly prevalent among stroke patients in Ilorin metropolis which indicates possibility of an association between snoring and stroke. Key words: stroke, snoring, prevalence, epidemiology