A STUDY OF SKIN SEPSIS AMONGST ABATTOIR WORKERS IN MONIYA, IBADAN, OYO STATE, NIGERIA.

Background: Skin sepsis is a pyodermal infection caused by Lancefield's group streptococci and Staphylococcus aureus . It is characterized by discolored and mottled skin, cellulitis, impetigo and multi-systemic collagen muscularitis and can be transmitted from person to person. Objective: This study sampled the skin of consented abattoir workers in Moniya Ibadan, for clinical sepsis, with a view to establishing a causal relationship between the infection obtained and the abattoir workers examined. Methodology: A total of 100 meat handlers' hands and forearms were examined. Swabs were taken from lesions which appeared clinically to be infected and then propagated on selective culture media designed for staphylococci and streptococci. Conventional biochemical tests and Lancefield determination were carried out as considered appropriate. Results: Of the 100 swabs from the categories of abattoir workers examined, 43 streptococci (35 from lesion 8 from wound) and 36 Staphylococcus aureus (20 from lesion and16 from wound) were obtained. The regression analysis from the grouping of gender, causative agents and specific infection as a predictor of infection were recorded to be significant (b = 0.18; t = 1.74; p < 0.05) for the nature of but non-significant (b = -0.067; t = -0.649; p > 0.05) for the gender.In-vitro antigen antibody reaction on StreptexM kit elicited varied reactions to Lancefield's serological grouping (A (56%), B (9%) C (7%) G (22%) and L (7%). Resistance of Staphylococcus aureus in varying percentages (Tetracycline and gentamicin 62%, meropenem and ceftriaxone 100%, amikacin, 10%, and vancomycin 80%) to conventional antibiotics were observed. Conclusion: From this study point of view, the causal relationship between the infection and the infected has been established, from the pathogens of pyodermal origin contacted from cows, that causes sepsis across all the category of abattoir workers studied. There is a need to provide an ideal functioning abattoir fully equipped with required facilities for safety and ease of execution of duties.

Antibiotic Resistance Profile and Phenotypic Detection of Beta-Lactamase-producers among Gram-negative Bacteria Isolated from the Gut of Household Cockroaches in and around University of Ibadan

Background: Cockroaches are carriers of numerous microorganisms. However, there is paucity of information on their role as potential reservoir for beta-lactamase producers.Objectives: This research determined the antibiotics susceptibility profile of Beta-lactamase producing Gram-negative bacteria isolated from the gut of household cockroaches in selected locations in and around University of Ibadan, Oyo state.Materials and Methods: Thirty Cockroaches from different locations in and around University of Ibadan were collected between June 2015 and March, 2016, and their intestinal homogenates cultured on different selective media for the isolation of bacteria. The isolates were identified using a combination of biochemical tests and 16S rRNA sequencing. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was done using the disc-diffusion technique and phenotypic detection of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL), AmpC-beta-lactamase (AmpC) and Metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) production was done using double-disc synergy, cefoxitin/cloxacillin and imipenem/EDTA double-disc methods respectively.Results: A total number of 58 bacteria belonging to nine genera; Pseudomonas, Proteus, Klebsiella, Salmonella, Enterobacter, Escherichia, Serratia, Shigella and Raoultella were isolated. Higher percentage of the isolates exhibited resistance to erythromycin (90%), azithromycin (87.5%), amoxicillin (84.5%), ampicillin (74.1%), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (74.1%), cefoxitin (67.2%) and chloramphenicol (54%), while lower percentage showed resistance to aztreonam (25%), ertapenem (13%), cefotaxime (8.6%), ceftazidime (10.3%), cefepime (5.2%), ciprofloxacin (3.5%), gentamicin (5.2%) and imipenem (0%). MDR phenotype was recorded among 82% of the isolates, 17.2% were positive for ESBL, 12% for AmpC and 13.8% for MBL production.Conclusion: This study identified household cockroaches Periplaneta americana, as a potential reservoir for MDR and beta-lactamase-producing isolates

Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern and Beta-lactamase Production in Isolates of Staphylococcus aureus from Recurrent Furunculosis in Southwestern; Nigeria

Furuculosis is a skin infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus. It is characterised by honey crusted 'cropped' latent boil with potential to recur in a susceptible host. Isolates of S.aureus obtained from both hospitalised and non-hospitalised patients with furuncles in Southwest; Nigeria were characterised in relation to their resistance to commonly used antimicrobial agents. Exudates of 'cropped-boils' from one hundred and forty (140) individuals consisting of forty (40) hospitalised and one hundred (100) non-hospitalised cases of recurrent furunculosis were screened for S. aureus. One hundred and two (102) were positive for the organism by conventional biochemical tests. Detection of ?-Iactamase was determined by cell-suspension iodometric method. Of the 102 isolates; 30(29.4) strains possessed ?-lactamase and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of selected antibiotics was in the range of 3.95- 250?g/ml. The multiple drug resistance as evident in high MICs of the antibiotics tested could probably be due to abuse/misuse of antibiotics resulting in recurrence of furuncles in the patients

Detection of a gentamicin-resistant burn wound strain of pseudomonas aeruginosa but sensitive to honey and garcinia kola (heckel) seed extract.

Studies on Staphylococcusaureus and Staphylococcusintermedius from dog and cat, and also on Staphylococcusaureus from wound and pyoderma infections, have shown a correlation between the site of microbial infection and antimicrobial susceptibility. Both the methanolic extract concentrate of Garcinia kola (Heckel) seeds and natural honey have been associated with activity on bacterial isolates from respiratory tract infections. In this study, selected bacteria belonging to genera from burn wound infection sites were treated with natural honey and methanolic extract concentrate of Garcinia kola in antimicrobial susceptibility tests separately and in combined form, and also with gentamicin and methanol as controls. The two natural products were found to be active on the bacterial isolates, excluding Klebsiellapneumoniae strains, all of which showed resistance to honey. Combination forms of the two natural products were active only on the strains of Pseudomonasaeruginosa. At 4 and 8 µg/ml, gentamicin was ineffective on the three strains of Klebsiellapneumoniae while 8 µg/ml was moderately active on only two strains of Pseudomonasaeruginosa. One strain of Pseudomonasaeruginosa, UCH002, was resistant to gentamicin beyond 1,000 µ/ml. Gentamicin at 4 µ/ml was inhibitory to one strain of Escherichiacoli and two strains of Staphylococcusaureus. Though the antimicrobial activity of the two natural products tested had been previously reported against microbial agents of respiratory tract infection, it was also recorded in this study. The lack of activity of each of the three honey types used in this study against the Klebsiellapneumoniae strains tested underscores the need to exclude this organism from burn wound infections before embarking on treatment with honey. The sensitivity of one high-level gentamicin-resistant strain of Pseudomonasaeruginosa to honey and Garcinia kola seed extract was noteworthy considering the therapeutic failures of gentamicin and other antibiotics against Pseudomonasaeruginosa.

In vitro anti-staphylococcal activity of honey and two standard antibiotics (cloxacillin and ampicillin).

Fifty bacterial isolates comprising Staphylococcus aureusand Staphylococcus albusfrom six pathological sources were exposed to honey and its fractional dilutions as also as to two standard antibiotics - cloxacillin (5 mg/ml) and ampicillin (10 mg/ml) - in an agar-cup diffusion sensitivity test. The undiluted honey showed antibacterial activity against almost 100% of the bacterial isolates while its 1:2 to 1:10 fractional dilutions also had antibacterial property against the isolates in decreasing order of activity. Cloxacillin recorded higher antibacterial activity than ampicillin but both exerted less antibacterial activity than honey. The therapeutic application of honey, following clinical trials, should be of relevance in treating bacterial infections and, in particular, those due to the two Staphylococcusspecies tested.

Self medication amongst general outpatients in a nigerian community hospital.

AIM: This study was designed to determine the proportion of general out patients who practice self medication, the drugs employed and the reasons for resorting to self medication. METHODOLOGY: This study was conducted between June and December, 2007 at the General Outpatient Clinic of the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria. Two hundred consenting respondents were selected by simple random sampling and interviewed with the aid of semi structured questionnaire by the authors with three assistants. Information regarding their bio-data, history of self medication, drugs used and the reasons for resorting to self medication were obtained. RESULTS: Majority of the respondents (85%) admitted to self medication while the remaining proportion (15%) did not practice it. Drugs utilized could be single, usually analgesics (26.5%) and anti-malaria (15.9%) or in combinations, usually antimalaria-analgesics (22.4%), antimalariaanalgesic- antibiotic (15.3%) and antibiotic-analgesic (10.0%). The reasons cited by respondents for self medication were their perception of their complaints been minor enough to be amenable to self medication (54.7%) and financial constraint (22.4%). CONCLUSION: Majority of the respondents practiced self medication using an array of drugs like analgesics, anti-malaria and antibiotics used either singly or in combination. The main reasons identified for self medication were that the ailments were minor and financial constraint.

Honey : a Reservoir for Microorganisms and an Inhibitory Agent for Microbes

Background: Honey is an ancient remedy for the treatment of infected wounds; which has recently been 'rediscovered' by the medical profession.The use to which honey is put in medical care is increasing daily with many authors pointing out its importance and role in wound care.There have been reports that honey contains many microorganisms including bacteria and fungi. Objective:The aim of this paper is to highlight the various uses; organisms commonly found in honey; how the organisms arrived in the honey and their effects on wounds and wound care.Would the presence of these organisms not constitute a limiting factor to the use of honey in wound management? This is what this review aims to answer Methods:A literature search was done on honey using pubmed; google; local books and journals. Relevant journals were extracted and discussed with emphasis on the antimicrobial properties as well as microbial content of honey and the implications of these. Results:The production of honey as well as the storing process account for the presence of microorganisims. Most of these organisms are said to be in inactive forms as they can hardly survive in honey because of its several properties including hygroscopicity; hyperosmolarity; acidity; peroxide content; antibiotic activities etc. However there is a need for caution in the use of honey in wound management. Con- clusion: We suggest that wounds to be treated with honey should be investigated i.e with a swab for the microorganisms present on the wound and their sensitivity to the honey before commencing honey treatment.This will help in carefully selecting wounds that might do well with honey treatment not withstanding other properties of honey that aid wound healing

The antipseudomonal property of honey and gentamicin.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa has a notorious characteristic of resistance to most antimicrobial compounds. This characteristic was subjected to verification in the present study, whereby 50 human isolates of the organism from different pathological sources were subjected to sensitivity tests against honey from three different sources by the agar-cup diffusion method. Gentamicin, an aminoglycoside antibiotic normally with activity against Gram-negative bacteria, was used alongside honey. The 50 isolates of P. aeruginosa showed 100% sensitivity to each of the three types of honey tested in their undiluted form. This was not the case with gentamicin used in 8 and 4 µg/ml concentrations, both of which varied in their antipseudomonal activity, like the 1:2 aqueous dilution of each honey which failed to appreciably inhibit a lower number of pseudomonal isolates than either of the two concentrations of gentamicin. Honey is suggested as an effective natural product in overcoming the widespread antibiotic resistance of P. aeruginosa.

Comparative antibacterial activity of honey and gentamicin against Escherichia coli and pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The clinical significance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli is a strong factor for regular monitoring of their sensitivity to both established and novel antimicrobial compounds. Human isolates of these organisms were collected from different pathological sources and tested for their sensitivity to gentamicin - an established aminoglycoside antibiotic - and to honey, a natural product that is generating renewed interest for its therapeutic application. In an agar-cup diffusion method, three undiluted different samples of honey and their 1:2 to 1:6 aq. dilutions showed activity on 100% and 96.4% respectively of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates compared with 95.4% of Escherichia coli using either of the undiluted or 1:2 aq. dilutions of the honey samples. Gentamicin used in concentrations of 8.0 and 4.0 µg/ml varied in its activity against both organisms but was generally lower than the antibacterial activity of each undiluted honey and its 1:2 aq. dilution. In the event of therapeutic failure with gentamicin or any other related antibiotics, honey offers a suitable and better alternative in managing infected burn wounds and other forms of infected wounds as well as prophylaxis in trauma wounds.

Plasmid profiles of multiple drug resistant local strains of Staphylococcus aureus.

In an attempt to determine the molecular basis for the degree of resistance among strains of S. aureus to Beta-lactam antibiotics, 50 clinical isolates of coagulase-positive strains of S. aureus were obtained. The strains and a control strain, Oxford NCTC 6571, were screened for the presence of Beta-lactamase, R-plasmid, and sensitivity to six Beta-lactam antibiotics. The molecular weight of the isolated R-plasmid DNA was determined by agarose gel electrophoresis. Forty-five of the 50 strains of S. aureus exhibited single or multiple drug-resistance. Plasmid DNA isolated from 13 of the resistant strains of S. aureus had the same molecular weight of 21 kb or 13.63 MDa, while one of the 13 strains and 3 others had R-plasmids with a higher molecular weight.