Prevalence and the risk factors for the carriage of beta-haemolytic streptococci among women visiting a tertiary care hospital in South India

Streptococci are gram positive cocci arranged in chains and are part of normal flora of humans and animals. The present study is carried out to determine the prevalence and risk factors for the carriage of beta-haemolytic streptococci (BHS) among women visiting Dr. VRK Women’s Teaching Hospital & Research Centre, Hyderabad. Vaginal swabs were collected from 250 patients attending outpatient department (OPD) of Dr. VRK Women’s Teaching hospital. Swabs were inoculated onto 5% sheep blood agar plates and incubated for 24 h at 37°C in a candle jar. BHS isolates were phenotypically identified by standard microbiological techniques, all the isolates presumptively identified as BHS were tested for Bacitracin susceptibility. Sensitive isolates were presumptively identified as GAS and resistant isolates were identified as non-group A BHS (NGABHS). Presumptively identified GAS & NGABHS isolates were serogrouped by Lancefield grouping using a commercially available latex agglutination test. BHS were isolated from 12.4% of samples. As many as 12 BHS isolates were identified as GAS and 19 were identified as NGABHS. Ten of nineteen were identified as group B (GBS), 4 (12.9%) were identified as group C (GCS) and 5 (16.12%) were identified as group G (GGS). Among six clinical groups, the prevalence of GAS is highest i.e. 7.5% in female patients visiting Gynaecology OPD with history of white discharge. Prevalence of NGABHS was more among post insertion (18%) IUCD group compared to pre insertion (8%) IUCD group. GBS were isolated from 7% of samples from IUCD group and 4% of samples from prostitutes.This study reports the prevalence of BHS among women visiting a tertiary care hospital in Hyderabad. This study also identified certain risk factors such as IUCD usage and working as a FSW are associated with the increased prevalence of NGABHS especially GBS.

Toxicological Activity of the Methanolic Leaf Extract of Some Medicinal Plants Used in Sokoto Township and Environs

Inspite of the availability of different antiseptic and antibiotics in most localities in some parts of the world, there is still a number of information on the usage of some local plants in various kinds of treatments of different ill-health conditions. Leaves of Ocimum basilicum, Leptadania hastata and Momordica balsamina are locally used by traditional birth attendants at pre and post-partum periods. The present study investigates the phytochemical compositions and toxicity of the leaf extracts of the plants against isolates of Listeria monocytogenes. Standard microbiological techniques and polymerase chain reaction was used to isolate and identify the bacteria. Phytochemical analysis was done and cytotoxicity of the extracts at different concentrations (MBC, OBC and LHC) were determined using human erythrocytes. Results of the phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of tannins, flavonoids, carbohydrates, alkaloids, terpinoids and glycosides in the studied extracts. Toxicity to erythrocytes, expressed as percentage hemolysis of only 17.27% (MBC1) was seen in one of the plants; M. balsamina. Similarly, the other extracts exhibited minimal toxicity to human erythrocytes (LHC1= 15.45%; OBC1= 7.6%). It was concluded that all the plant leaf extracts are safe for human consumption. Studies on the preparation, effective doses and side effects of these extracts in vivo are hereby recommended.

Fungal Population and Physicochemical Characteristics of Abattoir-Impacted Soil in Iwofe, Rivers State

Aim: To determine the fungal population and physicochemistry of abattoir impacted soil in Iwofe, Rivers State. Study Design: This study focused on Abattoir impacted soil. Statistical analysis of data and interpretation was carried out. Place and Duration of Study: Abattoir impacted soil was collected from three points in an abattoir located in Iwofe, Rivers State while the unpolluted soil which served as control was collected from the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt in January, 2021. Methodology: Standard microbiological techniques were used: the fungal population was determined by inoculating aliquots of an appropriate dilution resulting from a ten-fold serial dilution on prepared Sabouraud dextrose agar plates in duplicates. Plates were later incubated for 3-5 days after which colonies were enumerated and used in obtaining the fungal population in the soil samples while distinct colonies were subcultured for macroscopic and microscopic identification of fungi. The physicochemical parameters and heavy metals were analyzed using standard methods. Results: Fungal load in the control and abattoir impacted soil were 1.09×105 and 3.9×104 CFU/g, respectively. The fungal load of the control soil was significantly higher (P˂0.05) than the abattoir impacted soil. The fungal isolates identified in the abattoir impacted soil were Microsporium sp, Aspergillus niger and Candida sp while Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium sp, Penicillium sp, Mucor sp and Rhizopus sp were identified from the control soil. The pH, temperature, nitrate and phosphate of the abattoir soil were 6.7, 28.33℃, 27.83(mgKg-1) and 1055(mgKg-1), respectively. The concentrations of Cadmium, Iron and Lead in the abattoir Impacted soil and control soil were 0.81, 563.35 and 7.12 mgKg-1, 0.51, 582.0 and 3.18 mgKg-1, respectively. The physico chemistry and heavy metals in the abattoir soil were within acceptable limits. Discussion and Conclusion: The findings from this study showed that heavy metals in abattoir impacted soil had an impact in the fungal population which led to the isolation of only three fungal isolates belonging to Microsporium sp, Candida sp and Aspergillus niger. More so, despite the presence of heavy metals in the abattoir impacted soil, the metals were all within permissible limits. Thus, the abattoir impacted soil was not heavily polluted.

Microbiological and Radiological Perspective of Fungal Rhinosinusitis during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Prospective Observational Study in A Tertiary Care Centre in Northern India

Radiological investigations are essential for the diagnosis and classification of fungal rhinosinusitis; however, radiological findings might occasionally be misleading. Computed tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) complement each other, facilitating clinicians to arrive at a diagnosis. Hence, even with the best radiological modalities, correlation between clinical and microbiological findings is crucial for the accurate diagnosis of fungal rhinosinusitis. In addition, the role of traditional methods such as KOH microscopy and culture should be accurately evaluated. To this end, we aimed to diagnose rhinosinusitis with a fungal etiology based on radiological findings and subsequently correlate these findings with those of microbiological techniques, namely culture and KOH microscopy. A total of 57 clinically suspected fungal rhinosinusitis cases were included in the study. Radiological investigations were performed using either CT or MRI. Tissues samples were processed and analyzed using KOH microscopy and culture. The results of the study suggest that using a single method for the diagnosis of fungal rhinosinusitis is inadequate. Rather, the diagnosis should be based on radiological as well as microbiological findings, especially for cases that are clinically ambiguous.

Determination of the prevalence of blaoxa-like gene and ISAba1 elements among extensiveــdrug resistant (XDR) Acinetobacter boumannii isolates

The capacity of Multiـdrug resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii to survive in any state of affairs concerning the gaining of various gene types of virulence and antimicrobial agent resistance are the main anxiety in the hospital’s environments. So, it is very crucial to determine the prevalence of insertion sequences in A. baumannii. In the hospitals. Detecting the blaoxa-51 gene through the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to confirm Acinetobacter baumannii and the search for ISAba1 element. Between October 2020 and February 2021, 540 distinct clinical specimens were gathered from five hospitals in Baghdad. Thirty-eight A. baumannii isolates were obtained from various clinical specimens. The isolates were initially identified phenotypically using standard microbiological techniques and by the Vitek2 compact automated machine. Isolates of A. baumannii were identified genotypically by amplification of the blaoxa-51-like gene. Antimicrobials are studied by Kirby-Bauer (disc diffusion) technique on Muller-Hinton agar as specified by the recent clinical and laboratory standard institute (CLSI) guidelines (2020). The actual results of the current study indicated that from total isolated (38) A.baumannii isolates, 23 isolates (61%) were resistant to meropenem and 25 isolates (66%) were resistant to imipenem. The blaoxa-51 gene was identified in all strains examined, ISAba1 was also present in all A. baumannii isolates. ISAba1 has a high predominance between drug-resistant A. baumannii. Identifying these parameters can assist in the control of infection and decreasing the microorganism’s prevalence rate.

IDENTIFICATION OF FUNGI ISOLATED FROM BATHROOMS IN FEMALE STUDENTS’ HOSTEL, UNIVERSITY OF BENIN, BENIN CITY

Fungi are specifically dangerous as they exhibit a significant tolerance to environmental changes and can proliferate under low relative humidity, unlike bacteria. They produce spores that are easily dispersed by air hence they are ubiquitous. The study aimed at identifying the fungal isolates present in the bathrooms located on the three floors of the hostel, University of Benin, Benin City. Samples were collected from the walls of the bathrooms using sterile swab sticks and were identified using standard microbiological techniques. The isolated fungi were Aspergillus nidulans, A. niger, A. tamarii, A. flavus, Candida albicans, Penicillium cyclopium, P. oxalicum, Mucor mucedo, Trichophyton rubrum and Rhodotorula species. From the ground floor bathrooms, Candida albicans (23.40%) were most frequently isolated, Aspergillus nidulans (55.56%) were mostly isolated from the first floor and Mucor mucedo (56.00%) were the most isolated from the second floor. After washing the bathrooms, Mucor mucedo was scarcely isolated from the walls of the bathrooms. The findings were processed statistically using the two-tailed test to detect the significant difference between the groups of means for the fungal counts from each floor. A significant difference (p<0.05) in the fungi isolated before and after washing was found. Isolated fungi from this study are known to be of public health importance hence, strict hygiene practices should be observed by those using the bathrooms.

Effects of different steeping methods on the microbial quality of ‘ogi’ produced from Sorghum bicolor (Linn)

In this study, the effects of different steeping methods on the microbial quality of ‘ogi’ produced from Sorghum bicolor (Linn.) grains were carried out. The sorghum grains were divided into four parts; the first part (Sample A) was steeped with cold water at 30+ 2oC for 72 h and washed with water before milling, the second part (Sample B) was steeped with cold water at 30+2oC for 72 h but was not washed before milling, the third part (Sample C) was steeped with hot water at 30+2oC for 24 h and washed before milling, while the fourth part (Sample D) was steeped with hot water at 30+2oC for 24 h and was not washed before milling. The processed raw ‘ogi’ samples were subjected to standard microbiological techniques to enumerate the microorganisms present. The highest bacterial count of 3.5 x 103cfu/ml was observed in sample B, the highest fungal count of 2.5 x 104 sfu/ml was observed in sample B, while sample C yields the lowest bacterial count of 8.0 x 102 cfu/ml and fungal count of 4.0 x102 sfu/ml. Good hygienic conditions during the processing of the ‘ogi’ must also be employed to reduce the chances of microbial contamination.

Helicobacter cyclurae sp. Nov., Isolated From Endangered Blue Iguanas (Cyclura lewisi)

Blue iguanas (Cyclura lewisi) are endangered reptiles found only on Grand Cayman. Previously, DNA for a novel Helicobacter species GCBI1 was detected in sick and dead iguanas. In the current study, fecal and cloacal swab samples were obtained from 25 iguanas. Through molecular and microbiological techniques, a novel Helicobacter species was cultured from feces and characterized, for whom we propose the name Helicobacter cyclurae. This novel helicobacter had a prevalence of 56% by PCR and 20% by culture in samples analyzed. The type strain MIT 16-1353 was catalase, oxidase, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase positive. By electron microscopy, H. cyclurae has a curved rod morphology and a single sheathed polar flagellum. Phylogenetic analysis using 16S rRNA, gyrB, and hsp60 indicated that these strains were most closely related to Helicobacter sp. 12502256-12 previously isolated from lizards. H. cyclurae has a 1.91-Mb genome with a GC content of 33.37%. There were 1,969 genes with four notable virulence genes: high temperature requirement-A protein-secreted serine protease, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, fibronectin/fibrinogen binding protein, and neutrophil-activating protein. Whole-genome phylogeny, average nucleotide identity, and digital DNA–DNA hybridization analysis confirmed that H. cyclurae is a novel species, and the first helicobacter cultured and characterized from blue iguanas.

Metagenomic survey of agricultural water using long read sequencing: considerations for a successful analysis

Background Leafy greens are responsible for nearly half of the produce-related Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) outbreaks in the United States and recent investigations have implicated agricultural water as a potential source. Current FDA detection protocols require extensive analysis time. Development of methods for rapid detection of STECs in the field are imperative to maintain food safety. We aimed to use Oxford Nanopore rapid sequencing kits for an in-field determination of agricultural water microbiome and possible detection and characterization of STECs strain(s) in these samples. Results We tested the performance of the nanopore rapid sequencing kit (RAD004) for fast microbiome determination using the well characterized ZymoBIOMICS mock microbial community and the number of reads for each identified species was present in the expected proportion. Rapid sequencing kit (LRK001 and RAD004) library preparation of DNA extracted from agricultural water resulted in poor nanopore sequencing reactions, with low output (0.3–1.7 M reads), a high proportion of failed reads (50–60%), and highly sheared DNA before and after a magnetic bead clean up. To improve performance, we prepared a DNA library with the ligation kit (LSK109), which includes multiple cleaning steps, reducing inherent inhibitors and producing a better outcome (2.2 M reads, 15% failed reads). Metagenomic composition of four sample sites determined using the ligation kit, showed a highly diverse bacterial community for each site, with 11 total genera identified, including Synechococcus and Cyanobium. No definitive presence of STEC could be confirmed in any of the sites. Approximately 100 reads from each site (0.02% of total reads) were identified as Escherichia coli, but the specific strain or their virulence genes could not be detected. Sites 9, 10, and 12 were found to be positive for STEC presence by microbiological techniques after enrichment. Conclusions The rapid sequencing kits can be appropriate for genus or species level microbial identification, but we recommend the use of the ligation kit for increased sequencing depth and removal of contaminants in agricultural water. However, we were not able to identify any STEC strains in these nanopore microbiome samples, due to low initial concentrations. The results from this pilot study provide preliminary evidence that MinION sequencing of agricultural water using the ligation kit has the potential to be used for rapid microbiome determination in the field with optimal results for water quality surveillance.

Sero-prevalence of Hepatitis B virus and plasmodium co-infection profile among patients in Wukari and Environs, North East Nigeria

Hepatitis B virus and plasmodium co-infection is of an increase in developing countries as a result of lack of proper diagnosis leading to increased morbidity. This study was to determine the sero-prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus and Plasmodium co-infection profile among patients in Wukari and environs. Seventy (70) subjects’ with the age range of between 0 to 80 years participated and standard microbiological techniques were observed in this study. The results obtained showed 34 (48.6%) were males and 36 (51.4%) were females. Four (5.7%) participants were sero-positive for HBsAg. HBsAb, HBcAb, HBeAg and HBeAb while 66 were not detected positive. The Male with 5.9% participants were sero-positive while 5.6% of the female participants were sero-positive. 20 (28.6%) of the participants were sero-positive for malaria. This comprises of 7 males and 13 females. 20.6% of the males were sero-positive while 36.1% of the females were sero-positive. The distribution of parasitaemia by gender across the participants showed that 24 (34.3%) had plasmodium parasitaemia, out of which 9 were males and 15 were females. 26.5% of the males and 41.7% of the females had plasmodium parasitaemia. There was no co-infection of Hepatitis B virus and malaria, despite both having prevalence of 5.7% and 34.3% respectively. The research on its own has shown that in order to reduce HBV and plasmodium co-infection, mass immunization of adults and antiviral drugs should be provided for those that are infected, while HBV and plasmodium co-infections screening programs should be instituted in all levels of institutions in the country to reduce the prevalence rate and level of transmission of the hepatitis virus. This study also has added to the puddle of knowledge already available in this area of research.