Lake Erie ice is a repository of organisms.

Organism abundance and diversity were assessed in Lake Erie ice samples using sequences derived from a combined metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analysis. The 68,417 unique sequences were from Bacteria (77.5%), Eukarya (22.3%), and Archaea (0.2%) and indicated diverse species of organisms from 32 bacterial, 8 eukaryotic, and 2 archaeal taxonomic groups.

Can Clean Delivery Kits Prevent Infections? Lessons from Traditional Birth Attendants in Nigeria.

Background: In resource-poor settings, perinatal infections contribute significantly to maternal and neonatal deaths, and the use of clean delivery kits (CDKs) has been proposed as a tool to reduce the risk of infection-related deaths. This study aims to assess the acceptability and effectiveness of CDKs in preventing infections in deliveries attended by traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in Abeokuta, Nigeria. Methods: The study was a cluster-randomized trial with 67 birth centres/clusters, 453 births/mothers, and 457 babies randomized to intervention or control arms; intervention involved supplementation of delivery with JANMA CDKs. Interviews were conducted at the birth homes, and the primary outcomes were neonatal infection and puerperal fever. The association between infection and perinatal risk factors was tested using the Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. Results: CDKs were well accepted by TBAs. The incidence of puerperal fever and neonatal infection was 1.1% and 11.2%, respectively. Concurrent infection was found in 1 (0.22%) of the mother-neonate pair. There was no significant association between any of the sociodemographic factors and infection for both mothers and neonates. PROM and prolonged labour were significantly associated with puerperal infection. All mothers with puerperal fever were from the control group. Compared to the control group, the relative risk of puerperal infection and neonatal infection in the intervention group was 0.08 (0.004 -1.35, p = 0.079) and 0.64 (0.37 to 1.1, p = 0.10), respectively. Conclusion: CDKs hold promising results in attenuating maternal infections in resource-poor settings. Larger studies with greater statistical power are required to establish statistically reliable information.

The effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances on environmental and human microorganisms and their potential for bioremediation.

Utilised in a variety of consumer products, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are major environmental contaminants that accumulate in living organisms due to their highly hydrophobic, lipophobic, heat-resistant, and non-biodegradable properties. This review summarizes their effects on microbial populations in soils, aquatic and biogeochemical systems, and the human microbiome. Specific microbes are insensitive to and even thrive with PFAS contamination, such as Escherichia coli and the Proteobacteria in soil and aquatic environments, while some bacterial species, such as Actinobacteria and Chloroflexi, are sensitive and drop in population. Some bacterial species, in turn, have shown success in PFAS bioremediation, such as Acidimicrobium sp. and Pseudomonas parafulva.

Water safety, antifungal-resistant aflatoxigenic aspergillus flavus and other pathogenic fungi in a community hand-dug wells.

AIM: To investigate hand-dug well water used for drinking and domestic purposes in a rural community in Southwest Nigeria for water safety and fungal presence as well as to determine the antifungal resistance and aflatoxigenic potentials of isolated fungi. METHODS AND RESULTS: Water samples were analysed for risk of contamination, bacteriological and mycological parameters using a standard sanitary survey checklist and microbiological culturing. Isolates were identified and subjected to antifungal resistance profiling using the diffusion method for susceptibility testing of filamentous fungi. Multidrug-resistant strains were confirmed with DNA barcoding identification. Fungal isolates were screened for aflatoxigenic potentials by culture methods and confirmed by densitometric analysis. From the 23 hand-dug wells assessed, 56.52% had a high risk of contamination (ROC) score, nitrate >50 mg/L (73.9%), and the presence of total coliforms (100%), Escherichia coli (43.48%) and fungi (91.3%). Spearman rank correlation coefficient gave a positive and strong correlation between Total Fungi and Faecal Coliform (r = 0.701; p = 0.016; n = 23) at 0.05 significance level (2-tailed). Aspergillus sp. (34%), Penicillium sp. (18%) and Rhizopus sp. (17%) were the most dominant fungal genera. Isolates were resistant to fluconazole (76.19%), ketoconazole (73.80%), clotrimazole (92.86%), griseofulvin (88.09%) and nystatin (100%). Penicillium and Aspergillus (50%) were positive for cultural mycotoxin screening. A strain of antifungal-resistant A. flavus produced aflatoxin B1 (752 ppb) and B2 (15 ppb). SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY: The existence of antifungal-resistant and aflatoxigenic fungi in water used for drinking and domestic purposes shows that filamentous fungi constitute greater threats than previously recognized and this call for a paradigm shift from the perceived safety of untreated hand-dug well-water.

Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities and infection control/prevention practices in traditional birth homes in Southwest Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Poor environmental conditions and hygiene practices at the time of childbirth is linked to life-threatening infections and death in mothers and babies. Improvements in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) have been identified as a means through which the lives of mothers and babies could be saved. This study was carried out to explore WASH conditions and infection prevention and control (IPC) practices in traditional birth homes/centers in Abeokuta, Southwest Nigeria. A total of 50 traditional birth centers and attendants (TBAs) were enrolled in the study. Sociodemographic characteristics of the TBAs and features of the birth centers were obtained using a semi-structured questionnaire. Assessment of WASH conditions and IPC practices was based on established protocols. RESULTS: Findings revealed that majority of the centers operated under poor WASH conditions and IPC practices; none met with the WHO minimum standards for environmental health. CONCLUSIONS: Adequate WASH facilities and IPC practices remain a critical component of maternal and child health even in non-facility birth. As the transition to facility births continues in many countries, the large number of non-facility births demands their inclusion in WASH-related strategies, if global goals of reducing deaths of newborns and women deaths will be achieved.