SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV -2 cross-reactive antibodies in domestic animals and wildlife in Nigeria suggest circulation of sarbecoviruses.

Anthropogenic exposure of domestic animals, as well as wildlife, can result in zoonotic transmission events with known and unknown pathogens including sarbecoviruses. During the COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 infections in animals, most likely resulting from spill-over from humans, have been documented worldwide. However, only limited information is available for Africa. The anthropozoonotic transmission from humans to animals, followed by further inter- and intraspecies propagation may contribute to viral evolution, and thereby subsequently alter the epidemiological patterns of transmission. To shed light on the possible role of domestic animals and wildlife in the ecology and epidemiology of sarbecoviruses in Nigeria, and to analyze the possible circulation of other, undiscovered, but potentially zoonotic sarbecoviruses in animals, we tested 504 serum samples from dogs, rabbits, bats, and pangolins collected between December 2020 and April 2022. The samples were analyzed using an indirect multi-species enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on the receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV -2, respectively. ELISA reactive sera were further analyzed by highly specific virus neutralization test and indirect immunofluorescence assay for confirmation of the presence of antibodies. In this study, we found SARS-CoV reactive antibodies in 16 (11.5%) dogs, 7 (2.97%) rabbits, 2 (7.7%) pangolins and SARS-CoV-2 reactive antibodies in 20 (13.4%) dogs, 6 (2.5%) rabbits and 2 (7.7%) pangolins, respectively. Interestingly, 2 (2.3%) bat samples were positive only for SARS-CoV RBD reactive antibodies. These serological findings of SARS-CoV and/or SARS-CoV-2 infections in both domestic animals and wildlife indicates exposure to sarbecoviruses and requires further One Health-oriented research on the potential reservoir role that different species might play in the ecology and epidemiology of coronaviruses at the human-animal interface.

Awareness, adoption readiness and challenges of railway 4.0 technologies in a developing economy.

The railway industry has witnessed increasing adoption of digital technologies, known as Railway 4.0, that is revolutionizing operations, infrastructure, and transportation systems. However, developing countries face challenges in keeping pace with these technological advancements. With limited research on Railway 4.0 adoption in developing countries, this study was motivated to investigate the awareness, readiness, and challenges faced by railway professionals towards implementing Railway 4.0 technologies. The aim was to assess the level of awareness and preparedness and identify the key challenges influencing Railway 4.0 adoption in Nigeria's railway construction industry. A questionnaire survey (was distributed to professionals in the railway construction sector to gather their perspectives on awareness of, preparation for, and challenges associated with the use of Railway 4.0 technologies. The results revealed that awareness of Railway 4.0 technologies was moderate, while readiness was low among the professionals. Using exploratory factor analysis, 10 underlying challenge constructs were identified including lack of technical know-how, resistance to change, infrastructure limitations, and uncertainty about benefits, amongst others. Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) confirmed these constructs, with reliability and availability, lack of technical know-how, lack of training and resources, and uncertainties in benefit and gains having significant influence on awareness and readiness. The study concludes that focused efforts in training, infrastructure improvement, supportive policies, and communicating the advantages of Railway 4.0 are critical to drive adoption in Nigeria and other developing economies. The findings provide insights into tailoring Railway 4.0 implementation strategies for developing contexts.

Epidemiology of influenza in Nigeria: A secondary analysis of the sentinel surveillance data in Nigeria from 2010 - 2020.

BACKGROUND: Influenza is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Little is known of the true burden and epidemiology of influenza in Africa. Nigeria has a sentinel surveillance system for influenza virus (IFV). This study seeks to describe the epidemiological characteristics of influenza cases in Nigeria through secondary data analysis of the sentinel surveillance data from 2010 to 2020. METHODOLOGY: A retrospective secondary data analysis of data collected from patients with influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) in the four Nigeria Influenza Sentinel Surveillance sites from January 2010 to December 2020. Data was cleaned and analyzed using Microsoft Excel and Epi info 7.2 for frequencies and proportions. The results of the analysis were summarized in tables and charts. RESULTS: A total of 13,828 suspected cases of influenza were recorded at the sentinel sites during the study period. About 10.3% (1421/13,828) of these tested positive for IFV of which 1243 (87.5%) were ILI patients, 175 (12.3%) SARI patients, and 3 (0.2%) novel H1N1 patients. Males accounted for 54.2% (770/1421) of the confirmed cases. The median age of confirmed cases was 3 years (range: <1month-97 years). Children 0-4 years accounted for 69.3% (985/1421) of all cases. The predominant subtypes were B lineage not determined (32.3%), A/H1N1 pdm09 (28.8%) and A/H3 (23.0%). There were periods of sustained transmission in most years with 2011 having the highest number of cases. Overall, there were more cases around January to March and August to November. Heart disease and chronic shortness of breath were the most common co-morbidities identified among confirmed cases. CONCLUSION: Influenza remains a significant cause of respiratory illness, especially among children aged less than 4 years. Influenza cases occur all year round with irregular seasonality in Nigeria. Children less than 4 years and those with co-morbidities should be prioritized for vaccination. Vaccine composition in the country should take cognizance of the prevailing strains which are type B (lineage not determined), A/H1N1 pdm09 and A/H3.

Impact of exposure to rational career reflective training on work-related ethics among student-philosophers.

BACKGROUND: Teaching individuals at the early-career stage what and how to respect organizational codes of conduct is a good step in creating a democratic working environment. As a result, it is important to coach students in sustaining organizational well-being by seeking the truth, teaching the truth and upholding the truth. Currently, how these are taught in institutions of higher learning lacks structure. In fact, some graduate students are displaying work-deviant behaviors showing that they have poor perceptions of work-related ethics. Using this reason, we tested the impact of exposure to rational career reflective training on work-related ethics among student-philosophers. METHODS: This is a pretest, posttest with a follow-up pure experimental design was used. A total of 105 student-philosophers were recruited, assessed 3 times using Ethics and irrational beliefs measures, and coached by therapists. The participants were exposed to 12-session rational career reflective training. The data collected were subjected to a multivariate statistical analysis to test how effective the intervention was in changing negative perceptions about ethics. RESULTS: It was found that rational career reflective training changes negative perceptions about work-related ethics among student-philosophers. The effectiveness of rational career reflective training is not statistically influenced by gender and group interaction. Gender does not moderate the impact of the intervention. CONCLUSION: This study finally suggests that rational career reflective training effectively changes negative perceptions about ethics among student-philosophers. Thus, recommends the advancement of Ellis principles in other workplaces and across populations.

Intervention for burnout and irrational beliefs in parents of couples seeking a divorce: A critical reflection of Igbo-African marital discord.

BACKGROUND: Looking at the sociocultural dimension of marriage in the sub-region of Nigeria like Igbo, parents allow their sons and daughters to marry so that they can have homes. The expectation is for them to have permanent homes. If there is anything contrary to that such as divorce, parents usually frown at it. To some extent, the psychological effects of it may be deeply rooted in parents who hear that their children are seeking a divorce. Given this reason, this study investigated the effect of rational emotive family health therapy (REFHT) on burnout and irrational beliefs in parents of couples seeking a divorce. METHODS: This is a pretest-posttest randomized control group research. Two instruments were used to measure 73 participants who were assigned to treatment and control arms. the intervention group received 12 sessions of counseling that aimed to decrease the level of burnout and irrational beliefs. At the end of the sessions and assessments, the data were analyzed using repeated measures, cross-tabulation, and univariate statistics. RESULTS: the finding indicated that REFHT was highly effective in decreasing the high parental burnout orchestrated by irrational belief. Comparing the mean scores of the participants exposed to the intervention and those in the control group after time 1 and 2 assessments, the mean reduction of burnout and irrational beliefs further showed a positive treatment outcome. There was no significant influence of gender, time, and group. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that REFHT is significant in improving the psycho-emotional wellness of parents of couples seeking a divorce. Thus, additional research is required to validate the impact of REFHT in decreasing burnout in other populations.

Impact of occupational health coaching on irrational career beliefs and workplace deviant behaviors among school employees: Implications for Educational administrative policy.

BACKGROUND: Workplace-disruptive behavior is an important public and organizational health issue that calls for public discourse. The high rates in Nigeria and its associated career illogical assumptions among teachers brought about this study to investigate the impact of rational emotive occupational health coaching (REOHC) on irrational career beliefs and workplace deviant behaviors in a sample of Nigerian primary school teachers. METHODS: A sample of 128 primary school teachers in Nigeria was recruited as participants. They were assigned to REOHC and control groups. Work deviance behavior scale and teacher irrational belief scale were used to assess the participants at 3 points. A pretest-post-test and follow-up design was used in this study. RESULTS: The findings indicated that the REOHC program significantly reduced work-deviant behaviors and irrational career beliefs among primary school teachers. The outcome also demonstrates the connection between groups and gender. CONCLUSION: This study concluded that primary school teachers' work-related deviant behaviors and illogical beliefs were reduced as a result of the REOHC treatment. Therefore, occupational therapists should help teachers with deviant behaviors and irrational beliefs to change using rational emotive behavioral techniques.

Soil organic carbon, total nitrogen stocks and CO2 emissions in top- and subsoils with contrasting management regimes in semi-arid environments.

This study aims to investigate soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents and stocks, CO2 emissions and selected soil properties in croplands, grazing lands, exclosures and forest lands of semi-arid Ethiopia. Sampling was done at 0-30, 30-60 and 60-90 cm soil depths and concentration and stocks of SOC, TN and selected soil properties were determined using standard routine laboratory procedures. There were variations in distribution of SOC and TN stock over 90 cm depth across land use types and locations, decreasing from topsoils to subsoil, with average values ranging from 48.68 Mg C ha-1 and 4.80 Mg N ha-1 in Hugumburda cropland to 303.53 Mg C ha-1 and 24.99 Mg N ha-1 in Desa'a forest respectively. Forest sequestered significant higher SOC and TN stock, decreasing with depth, compared with other land use types. In Desa'a and Hugumburda, the conversion of forest to cropland resulted in a total loss of SOC stock of 9.04 Mg C ha-1 and 2.05 Mg C ha-1, respectively, and an increase in CO2 emission of 33.16 Mg C ha-1 and 7.52 Mg C ha-1 yr-1, respectively. The establishment of 10 years (Geregera) and 6 years (Haikihelet) exclosures on degraded grazing land increased SOC stock by 13% and 37% respectively.

SARS-CoV-2 at the Human-Animal Interface: Implication for Global Public Health from an African Perspective.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become the most far-reaching public health crisis of modern times. Several efforts are underway to unravel its root cause as well as to proffer adequate preventive or inhibitive measures. Zoonotic spillover of the causative virus from an animal reservoir to the human population is being studied as the most likely event leading to the pandemic. Consequently, it is important to consider viral evolution and the process of spread within zoonotic anthropogenic transmission cycles as a global public health impact. The diverse routes of interspecies transmission of SARS-CoV-2 offer great potential for a future reservoir of pandemic viruses evolving from the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic circulation. To mitigate possible future infectious disease outbreaks in Africa and elsewhere, there is an urgent need for adequate global surveillance, prevention, and control measures that must include a focus on known and novel emerging zoonotic pathogens through a one health approach. Human immunization efforts should be approached equally through the transfer of cutting-edge technology for vaccine manufacturing throughout the world to ensure global public health and one health.

Draft genome sequences of extensively drug resistant and pandrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strains isolated from hospital wastewater in South Africa.

OBJECTIVES: Acinetobacter baumannii is a significant opportunistic pathogen causing nosocomial infections. Infections caused by A. baumannii are often difficult to treat because this bacterium is often multidrug-resistant and shows high environmental adaptability. Here, we report on the analysis of three A. baumannii strains isolated from hospital effluents in South Africa. METHODS: Strains were isolated on Leeds Acinetobacter agar and were identified using VITEK®2 platform. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed using the Kirby-Bauer Disk diffusion method. Whole-genome sequencing was performed. The assembled contigs were annotated. Multilocus sequence type, antimicrobial resistance, and virulence genes were identified. RESULTS: The strains showed two multilocus sequence types, ST231 (FA34) and ST1552 (PL448, FG116). Based on their antibiotic susceptibility profiles, PL448 and FG116 were classified as extensively drug-resistant and FA34 as pandrug-resistant. FA34 harbored mutations in LpxA, LpxC, and PmrB, conferring resistance to colistin, but not mcr genes. All three strains encoded virulence genes for immune evasion (capsule, lipopolysaccharide [LPS]), iron uptake, and biofilm formation. FA34 was related to human strains from South Africa; PL448 and FG116 were related to a strain isolated in the United States from a human wound. CONCLUSIONS: The detection of extensively drug- and pandrug-resistant A. baumannii strains in hospital effluents is of particular concern. It indicates that wastewater might play a role in the spread of these bacteria. Our data provide insight into the molecular epidemiology, resistance, pathogenicity, and distribution of A. baumannii in South Africa.

Predictors of drought-induced crop yield/losses in two agroecologies of southern Tigray, Northern Ethiopia.

The consequences of prolonged precipitation-deficient periods are primarily substantial water deficit. The spatial characteristics of drylands and various socioeconomic factors worsen droughts' impacts and deepen poverty among agrarian communities, with attendant food security (stability dimension) implications. This study utilizes a combination of climate, remote sensing and field survey data to obtain first-hand information on the impacts of recent (2015 and 2017) droughts on crop yield in southern Tigray, northern Ethiopia. Annual and seasonal rainfall, annual and seasonal Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Deviation of NDVI (Dev-NDVI), and monthly Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) (SPI-1, SPI-3 and SPI-12) for June to October, were considered as likely factors that could relate with yield and yield loss in the area. Correlation and multiple linear stepwise regression statistical techniques were used to determine drought-yield relationships, and identify more accurate predictors of yield and yield losses in each of the drought years. The area witnessed a more widespread precipitation deficit in 2015 than in 2017, where the lowland area recorded entire crop (sorghum) losses. Also, droughts manifested spatiotemporal variations and impacts across the two different agroecologies-primarily reduction in vegetation amounts, coinciding with the planting and maturing stages of barley and sorghum. Crop failures, therefore, translated to food shortages and reduced income of smallholder farmers, which denotes food insecurity in the time of droughts. Seasonal rainfall and June Dev-NDVI predicted 66.9% of 2015 barley and sorghum yield-loss, while NDVI predicted 2017 sorghum yield by 96%. Spate irrigation should be further popularized in the low-lying areas of Raya Azebo to augment for future deficiencies in the kiremt rainfall.

Genome plasticity in Candida albicans: A cutting-edge strategy for evolution, adaptation, and survival.

Candida albicans is the most implicated fungal species that grows as a commensal or opportunistic pathogen in the human host. It is associated with many life-threatening infections, especially in immunocompromised persons. The genome of Candida albicans is very flexible and can withstand a wide assortment of variations in a continuously changing environment. Thus, genome plasticity is central to its adaptation and has long been of considerable interest. C. albicans has a diploid heterozygous genome that is highly dynamic and can display variation from small to large scale chromosomal rearrangement and aneuploidy, which have implications in drug resistance, virulence, and pathogenicity. This review presents an up-to-date overview of recent genomic studies involving C. albicans. It discusses the accumulating evidence that shows how mitotic recombination events, ploidy dynamics, aneuploidy, and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) influence evolution, adaptation, and survival in C. albicans. Understanding the factors that affect the genome is crucial for a proper understanding of species and rapid development and adjustment of therapeutic strategies to mitigate their spread.

Genome sequence of a carbapenemase-encoding Acinetobacter baumannii isolate of the sequence type 231 isolated from hospital wastewater in South Africa.

OBJECTIVES: The resistome, virulome, mobilome and phylogenetic relationship of the Acinetobacter baumannii isolate FG121 depicting the multilocus sequence type (ST) 231 isolated from hospital effluent water in South Africa was determined using whole-genome sequence analysis. METHOD: A. baumannii FG121 was isolated on Leed Acinetobacter Medium (LAM) agar and the bacterial isolate was identified using the VITEK®2 platform. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed using Kirby-Bauer Disk diffusion method. A whole genome sequencing library was constructed from DNA extracted from the isolate using the Illumina Nextera XT library preparation kit and was sequenced using the Illumina NextSeq500 platform. Generated reads were de novo assembled using SpAdes v.3.9. The assembled contigs were annotated, and multilocus sequence type, antimicrobial resistance, and virulence genes were identified. RESULTS: The resistome was consistent with the resistance phenotype of the isolate with resistance determinants for beta-lactams, aminoglycosides, and tetracycline (blaADC-25, blaOXA-23, blaOXA-51, blaNDM-1, aph[3']-VIa and tet[B]). Global phylogenomic analysis using BacWGSTdb revealed that the isolate belonged to the multilocus sequence type ST-231, similar to previously reported isolates from South Africa, the United States, and related to the invasive KR3831 isolate identified from Oman in 2012, suggesting the isolate might be imported from abroad. Virulome analysis predicted both virulence and biofilm-determinants of A. baumannii, which may help to establish infections in adverse conditions. CONCLUSION: This is the first report on a carbapenemase-encoding A. baumannii ST-231 isolated from hospital effluent water. Our data will offer insight into the global phylogenetic, pathogenicity and distribution of A. baumannii in South Africa.

Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activity of Different Extracts of Some Wild Medicinal Mushrooms from Nigeria.

This study assessed the antioxidant properties and antibacterial effects of hot water, cold water, and ethanol extracts of Agaricomycetes mushrooms Trametes betulina, Pleurotus ostreatus, Agaricus bisporus var. albidus, and A. bisporus var. avellaneus against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The mushroom extracts were assessed for total phenolic content as well as 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activities. The multiantibiotic resistance index (MARI) of the bacterial isolates was assessed and the antimicrobial activity of the mushroom extracts was assayed with the agar disc diffusion method. The agar well diffusion assay was performed to determine their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). The test bacteria were multidrug resistant against antibiotics, with P. aeruginosa having the highest MARI followed by K. pneumoniae and E. coli. Cold water extracts showed a better antibacterial effect compared to the others and a concentration/effect correlation was observed (from 5 to 500 mg/mL). Ethanol extracts from P. ostreatus and hot water extracts from T. betulina were the most effective in inhibiting and lysing E. coli and K. pneumoniae, respectively, at a MIC and MBC of 3.90 mg/mL. The tested extracts, especially P. ostreatus extract, showed high DPPH and hydrogen peroxide scavenging potential as well as high total phenolic content compared to standard antioxidants. This study showed that the screened agaricomycetous mushrooms possess antibacterial activity against bacterial pathogens as well as antioxidant activity due to their high phenolic content.

Antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation of Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from high-risk effluent water in tertiary hospitals in South Africa.

OBJECTIVES: Discharge of drug-resistant, biofilm-forming pathogens from hospital effluent water into municipal wastewater treatment plants poses a public health concern. This study examined the relationship between antibiotic resistance levels and biofilm formation of Acinetobacter baumannii strains isolated from hospital effluents. METHODS: Antibiotic susceptibility of 71 A. baumannii isolates was evaluated by the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined by the agar dilution method, while the minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) was determined by the broth dilution method. Genotyping was performed for plasmid DNA. Biofilm formation was evaluated by the microtitre plate method and was quantified using crystal violet. A P-value of <0.05 was regarded as statistically significant in all tests. RESULTS: Extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains made up 58% of the isolates, while multidrug-resistant (MDR) and pandrug-resistant (PDR) strains made up 50% of the isolates from final effluent. The MBEC of ciprofloxacin increased by 255-fold, while that of ceftazidime was as high as 63-1310-fold compared with their respective MICs. Isolates were classified into four plasmid pattern groups with no association between biofilm formation and plasmid type (P = 0.0921). The degree of biofilm formation was independent of the level of antibiotic resistance, although MDR, XDR and PDR isolates produced significant biofilm biomass (P = 0.2580). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that hospital effluent is a potential source of MDR biofilm-forming A. baumannii strains. Appropriate treatment and disposal of effluents are essential to prevent the presence of drug-resistant pathogens in wastewater.

Potentials of marine natural products against malaria, leishmaniasis, and trypanosomiasis parasites: a review of recent articles.

BACKGROUND: Malaria and neglected communicable protozoa parasitic diseases, such as leishmaniasis, and trypanosomiasis, are among the otherwise called diseases for neglected communities, which are habitual in underprivileged populations in developing tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Some of the currently available therapeutic drugs have some limitations such as toxicity and questionable efficacy and long treatment period, which have encouraged resistance. These have prompted many researchers to focus on finding new drugs that are safe, effective, and affordable from marine environments. The aim of this review was to show the diversity, structural scaffolds, in-vitro or in-vivo efficacy, and recent progress made in the discovery/isolation of marine natural products (MNPs) with potent bioactivity against malaria, leishmaniasis, and trypanosomiasis. MAIN TEXT: We searched PubMed and Google scholar using Boolean Operators (AND, OR, and NOT) and the combination of related terms for articles on marine natural products (MNPs) discovery published only in English language from January 2016 to June 2020. Twenty nine articles reported the isolation, identification and antiparasitic activity of the isolated compounds from marine environment. A total of 125 compounds were reported to have been isolated, out of which 45 were newly isolated compounds. These compounds were all isolated from bacteria, a fungus, sponges, algae, a bryozoan, cnidarians and soft corals. In recent years, great progress is being made on anti-malarial drug discovery from marine organisms with the isolation of these potent compounds. Comparably, some of these promising antikinetoplastid MNPs have potency better or similar to conventional drugs and could be developed as both antileishmanial and antitrypanosomal drugs. However, very few of these MNPs have a pharmaceutical destiny due to lack of the following: sustainable production of the bioactive compounds, standard efficient screening methods, knowledge of the mechanism of action, partnerships between researchers and pharmaceutical industries. CONCLUSIONS: It is crystal clear that marine organisms are a rich source of antiparasitic compounds, such as alkaloids, terpenoids, peptides, polyketides, terpene, coumarins, steroids, fatty acid derivatives, and lactones. The current and future technological innovation in natural products drug discovery will bolster the drug armamentarium for malaria and neglected tropical diseases.

Are we on the same page? Exploring stakeholders' shared mental models of mobile health in rural Nigeria.

Despite the benefits promised by mobile health, the introduction of these solutions is often met with resistance from various stakeholders. This article adopts a shared mental model approach to unearth the current perceptions, concerns, and mentalities of key stakeholders engaged in the provision of healthcare in Nigeria. These include policy makers, academics, healthcare professionals, and health information systems developers. Interviews and focus groups were used to examine stakeholders' views across three mental models: (1) the technology, (2) processes, and (3) the team. Our investigations reveal disparities in stakeholders' existing mental models and their perceptions of the proposed mobile health solution. We argue that fostering a common understanding of mobile health, as well as elucidating an improved understanding of processes and team behaviours, will mitigate the risk of resistance among stakeholders involved in the design and delivery of community healthcare services and culminate in a positive attitude towards new mobile health solutions among these stakeholders. We highlight the need to enhance communication and training from national to rural levels to promote complementary mental models and positively influence team performance.

Combined Effects Of Low Incubation Temperature, Minimal Growth Medium, And Low Hydrodynamics Optimize Acinetobacter baumannii Biofilm Formation.

BACKGROUND: Biofilm formation is an important virulence factor expressed by Acinetobacter baumannii. It shields and protects microbial cells from host immune responses, antibiotics, and other anti-infectives. Its effects on Acinetobacter baumannii infection treatments notwithstanding, important environmental factors that influence its formation have not been fully investigated. METHODS: Biofilm formation was assessed using the qualitative modified Congo red assay and quantitative microtiter plate methods. The combined effect of temperature, medium and shear force was determined by measuring adherence (OD570 nm) in microtiter plate after incubation at 26°C, 30°C, and 37°C when biofilm-grown cells were cultured in the presence of minimal nutrient medium (EAOB) and nutrient-rich medium (TSB) without or with agitation at 50 rpm. Antibiotics susceptibility of meropenem, imipenem, and ciprofloxacin were tested with Kirby-Bauer disc method. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant in all the tests. RESULTS: A noticeable variation in adherence was observed among the isolates cultured with both media. Biofilm forming capacity of the isolates range from 0.09-0.33. The majority of the isolates had their relative biofilm-forming capacity significantly (p<0.05) higher than the positive control, Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC 19606. The biofilm biomass during growth in nutrient-rich medium (TSB) without shaking was significantly different (p<0.05; Tukey's test) among the three temperatures tested compared with when it was cultured in EAOB without shaking. A positive correlation was observed between biofilm formation and resistance to imipenem (r=0.2889; p=0.05). There was a statistically significant difference among the median of the three source groups (p<0.05) compared with the median between the source groups. CONCLUSION: This observation extended further the view that A. baumannii biofilm formation is enhanced when nutrient-poor medium is used at room temperature (26°C) with or without agitation compared to growth at 37°C.

Acinetobacter baumannii biofilms: effects of physicochemical factors, virulence, antibiotic resistance determinants, gene regulation, and future antimicrobial treatments.

Acinetobacter baumannii is a leading cause of nosocomial infections due to its increased antibiotic resistance and virulence. The ability of A. baumannii to form biofilms contributes to its survival in adverse environmental conditions including hospital environments and medical devices. A. baumannii has undoubtedly propelled the interest of biomedical researchers due to its broad range of associated infections especially in hospital intensive care units. The interplay among microbial physicochemistry, alterations in the phenotype and genotypic determinants, and the impact of existing ecological niche and the chemistry of antimicrobial agents has led to enhanced biofilm formation resulting in limited access of drugs to their specific targets. Understanding the triggers to biofilm formation is a step towards limiting and containing biofilm-associated infections and development of biofilm-specific countermeasures. The present review therefore focused on explaining the impact of environmental factors, antimicrobial resistance, gene alteration and regulation, and the prevailing microbial ecology in A. baumannii biofilm formation and gives insights into prospective anti-infective treatments.

Mobile health solutions in developing countries: a stakeholder perspective.

Infrastructural deficiencies, limited access to medical care, and shortage of health care workers are just a few of the barriers to health care in developing countries. mHealth has the potential to overcome at least some of these challenges. To address this, a stakeholder perspective is adopted and an analysis of existing research is undertaken to look at mHealth delivery in developing countries. This study focuses on four key stakeholder groups i.e., health care workers, patients, system developers, and facilitators. A systematic review identifies 108 peer-reviewed articles, which are analysed to determine the extent these articles investigate the different types of stakeholder interactions, and to identify high-level themes emerging within these interactions. This analysis illustrates two key gaps. First, while interactions involving health care workers and/or patients have received significant attention, little research has looked at the role of patient-to-patient interactions. Second, the interactions between system developers and the other stakeholder groups are strikingly under-represented.