International Journal of Biomedical and Clinical Analysis

Microbial Carriage of Shuttle Door Handles and Campus Bank’s Automated Teller Machines

Oludare Temitope Osuntokun — 2024-02-05

Microorganisms are ubiquitous organisms that can cause microbial contamination in both indoor and outdoor settings, with frequently touched surfaces acting as environmental reservoirs that increase the ability of pathogens to be transferred from host to host. This study was aimed at isolating, identifying and characterizing bacteria and fungi present on frequently used Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and campus shuttle bus handles at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State. Swab samples were obtained from the keypads of ATMs and door handles of campus shuttle buses. Enumeration of total microbial counts was carried out using the pour plating technique. The bacterial isolates were identified using Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology based on the results obtained from microscopic examination, cultural and morphological examination and biochemical tests. Meanwhile, the fungal isolates were identified using the Atlas and Compendium of Soil Fungi, based on the results obtained from cultural and morphological examination, as well as microscopic examination. The antibiotic and antifungal susceptibility pattern of the isolated microorganisms was also determined. Results showed that the ATM keypads and shuttle door handles contained Staphylococcus aureus (8.82%), Bacillus spp. (32.35%), Proteus mirabilis (8.82%), Escherichia coli (5.88), Salmonella spp. (5.88%), Enterobacter cloacae (5.88%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (2.94%), Citrobacter freundii (2.94%), Vibrio cholerae (2.94%), Serratia marcescens (2.94%), Aspergillus spp. (5.88%), Cladosporium sp. (2.94%), Geomyces sp. (2.94%), Oidiodendron griseum robak (2.94%), Penicillium paneum (2.94%) and Fusarium culmorum (2.94%). The zone of inhibition for the bacteria and fungi isolates ranged from 4mm to 36 mm, with ciprofloxacin being the most effective antibiotic. This study shows that campus shuttles and ATMs, aside from their primary functions, could also serve as a means of transmitting both pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms, which pose public health risks. Personal hygiene and sanitation, such as hand washing and the use of hand sanitizer to clean hands, could serve as a means of reducing the incidence of microbial transmission.

Does Dolutegravir-Based Treatment in HIV-Infected Diabetic Individuals Require More Intensive Cardiovascular Health Monitoring: A Point of Concern for Developing Nations

Dipankar Pal — 2024-04-05

We are all aware that obesity is a growing health problem globally. An estimated 600 million adults are affected with some form of obesity-related metabolic complications worldwide. It increases cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and cancer in the long run. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a common occurrence throughout the World. Developed countries can access early diagnosis, standardized treatment protocols, and close monitoring. It not only prevents incidences of opportunistic infections but also takes care of non-infective complications. On the contrary, lack of education, awareness, and access to good healthcare facilities are often responsible for delayed diagnosis and advanced disease at presentation. Even those who are initiated on therapy also have persistent modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular events. The Importance of regular exercise, a healthy diet, and tight control of blood sugar, hypertension, and dyslipidemia are often under-practiced and must be stressed.

Advancing Vaccine Strategies for Combatting Placental Malaria: A Path to Effective Implementation

Flavia Dalessio — 2024-05-08

Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to malaria infection, especially during their first and second pregnancy, despite pre-existing immunity to malaria acquired during childhood. When the parasite-infected red blood cells sequester in the intervillous spaces of the placenta, it leads to various adverse pregnancy outcomes such as maternal anaemia, hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, premature delivery, and infant low birth weight (LBW), which are associated with a higher risk of maternal and foetal/neonate mortality. Anaemia, undernutrition, and HIV infection increase the risk of malaria-associated adverse pregnancy outcomes. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that in 2022, there were approximately 35.4 million pregnancies in the WHO African region of which 36% were exposed to malaria infection, with an estimated 393,000 neonates with low birthweight as a result.

Identification of Bacterial Endophytes Isolated from Different Medicinal Plants

Kasim Muhtari — 2024-06-28

Plants have very potential compounds to live on earth as they supply 90% of human calorie intake, 80% of protein intake directly, and perhaps the most vital sources of medicine with a vast diversity of microorganisms. As such it’s important to know those microorganisms, their kinds, the features they possess, and the significant compounds/metabolites they can produce. So, this study is based on identifying such microorganisms. To achieve this aim, isolation of endophytes has been done to know their biochemical activities and properties. Various identification procedures have been followed to get pure endophytic strains without any contamination. Surface sterilization of the plant tissue is a must in this progress, various surface sterilization techniques have been tried and finally, for 4/5 plant tissues, sodium hypochlorite and ethanol were given the best result and for 1/5 with the addition of mercuric chloride were the standardized method for surface sterilization. About 30 different bacterial endophytes have been isolated from five kinds of medicinal plants. 4% sodium hypochlorite and 75% ethanol were found effective in sterilizing the surface of Psidium guajava, Cassia occidentalis, Calotropis procera, and Hibiscus rosa-sinensa. While Mangifera indica required an addition of 0.1% mercuric chloride. 19 strains isolated were Gram-positive, 11 Gram-negative (5 were Lactose fermenters and 6 were not), and most of which were bacilli. All isolates have shown different biochemical results, 25 showed a positive result for oxidase, and 28 gave a positive result for catalase. Most of the endophytes identified in this work are Bacillus spp. However, this study highlighted the significance of surface sterilisation and most importantly the presence of potential endophytes capable of producing novel bioactive compounds usable in pharmaceutical/medicinal application.

Philosophy and Morality of the Era of Antibiotics using the Example of Acute Pneumonia

Igor Klepikov — 2024-06-28

The widespread and uncontrolled use of antibiotics for more than eighty years, including not only medicine, but also the food industry, has had a significant impact on the usual relationships between representatives of the microbiosphere that accompanies our body. For a long time, the possibility of side effects remained without due attention, giving way to attempts to maintain the original antimicrobial effect of these drugs. Currently, evidence of the consequences of antibiotic therapy has received official recognition only in the form of resistant microflora. Phenomena such as the constant change of AP pathogens and the gradual loss of antibiotics for their purpose remain unstudied. The selective nature of specialists' attention to the side effects of antibiotics is due to a decrease in their effectiveness and the desire to restore the successes of previous therapy. The latter circumstance is a consequence of the negative didactic influence of antibiotics on professional views that determine the strategy for solving the problem and require, first of all, changes in accordance with the fundamental canons of medical science and numerous facts.