Profiles of sugar fermenting bacteria of the oral cavity among children with dental caries attending stomatology services at Ruhengeri referral hospital in Musanze District, Northern Rwanda

Background: Dental caries remains a public health threat of concern among children. About 2.3 billion people are affected by dental caries, of which 530 million are children globally. Objective: This study was carried out to identify sugar fermenting bacteria in the oral cavity and their antibiotic susceptibility pattern, assess the association with sugar fermenter bacteria and dental caries and evaluate dental caries outcomes among children. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted between October 2021 and February 2022 at Ruhengeri Referral Hospital. About 136 oral swab samples were collected from children with and without dental caries at 1:1 ratio. The samples were put in Stuart sterile container and transported to INES-clinical microbiology laboratory for microbial identification. Logistic regression analysis of demographic characteristics was performed to study the relationship between demographic variables and dental caries. Chi-square test was performed for the association between variables. Results: About 67.6% were male, while children of age 7­9 years (64.7%) dominated the age groups. Lactobacilli spp (15.29%) and Streptococcus mutans (12.94%) were the most predominant microorganisms observed in the oral cavity among children with dental caries. The S. mutans (x2 = 27.03, P < 0.00001, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.2901­0.5785), S. aureus (x2 = 34.59, P < 0.00001, 95% CI = 0.3541­0.6292), Enterobacter aerogenes (x2 = 13.5, P = 0.000239, 95% CI = 0.151­0.4622), Serratia marcescens (x2 = 11.64, P = 0.00645, 95% CI = 0.1275­0.4418) and Klebsiella pneumonia (x2 = 13.51, P = 0.000237, 95% CI = 0.1511­0.4623) were significantly associated with dental caries. Teeth loss (x2 = 51.04, P < 0.00001, 95% CI = 0.4757­0.7205), teeth pain (x2 = 5.05, P = 0.0246, 95% CI = 0.0249­0.33499), and infection (x2 = 4.73, P = 0.02964, 95% CI = 0.0186­0.3441) were dental outcomes associated with tooth decay. Ciprofloxacin, clindamycin, and amoxicillin were the most sensitive antibiotics, while vancomycin and chloramphenicol were the most resistant. Conclusion: Sugar consumption favours the growth of sugar fermenter bacteria that cause dental caries among children. Dental caries is associated with adverse oral health outcomes among children. Oral health education is recommended for children. Parents are advised to reduce the consumption of sugary food for their children for oral health safety.

Biodiversity of Predominant Bacillus Isolated from Afitin; Iru and Sonru at Different Fermentation Time

Two hundred (200) presumptive isolates of Bacillus collected at different fermentation time from spontaneous fermented samples of afitin; iru and sonru produced in three different regions of Benin were identified at species and strains levels. ITS-PCR-RFLP revealed that 79of the isolates were really identified as Bacillus; 5as Staphylococcus and 16as unidentified bacteria. The 16S rDNA sequencing showed that 74.7of the Bacillus belonged to the B. subtilis group and 25.3to the B. cereus group. Additional biochemical tests and API 50 CHB system applied to 50 isolates randomly selected from the B. subtilis group divided the latter into 80typical B. subtilis and 20typical B. licheniformis; which showed different PFGE-RFLP band patterns. Strains belonging to the B. cereus group were differentiated by PCR with specific primers BCW1F and BCW1R and specific enzymes EcoRI; Sau3AI and RsaI. All strains of the B. cereus group; except one; were found to be typical B. cereus. This work showed the predominance of B. subtilis in afitin; iru and sonru along the fermentation process

The use of fermented and germinated cereals and tubers for improved feeding of infants and children in Uganda

Interviews with mothers in 4 ecologically separate regions of Uganda (Arua; Mukono; Kabale and Mbarara) revealed considerable differences in patterns of infant and child feeding in health and during diarrhoea. There was considerable enthusiasm for the use of fermentation and germination of cereals and tubers in some areas (Arua 87pc and Kabale 90pc). These household food processes were especially recommended for improving dietary intake during diarrhoea. However; these techniques were not used by mothers in Mukono or Mbarara. The advantages of these procedures and possible reasons for differences in their popularity are discussed