Abstract: The possibility of adaptation to host resistance by field strains of R. appendiculatus was investigated by comparing the feeding and breeding performance of two field strains with a laboratory strain (Muguga) which has been bred and maintained for about 30 years on susceptible rabbits. Results have shown that the laboratory strain has smaller eggs and smaller unfed larvae, nymphs and adults than the field strains. When fed on susceptible rabbits the laboratory strain females laid e...
The presence of Staphylococcus aureus in drinking water is a concern because of its potential to cause human infection and also because of their potential of acquiring resistant genes. In this study, the prevalence of Multi-Drug Resistant Staphylococcus aureus from potable water in Ekiti State was evaluated. Twenty (20) water samples were aseptically collected for this research from different houses within Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State with the aid of the GPS coordinates. The physiochemical paramete...
ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to characterize avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) and extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli strains isolated from chicken in Enugu State, Nigeria. Dead and moribund chickens collected from twenty four farms in 6 LGAs of the state and organ samples from chicken submitted to our departmental necropsy unit were used for the study. A total of 182 samples comprising of 100 broiler and 82 layers diagnosed of colibacillosis were ...
ABSTRACT Bacteremia is one of the most significant public health concerns and is a challenge in critical care of a patient. Early diagnosis of bacteremia could be vital step in estimating appropriate treatment as well as beginning of it. The current study aims to discover the pervasiveness of different bacterial species responsible for causing bacteremia around the population of various gender and age group and enabling the doctors for choosing the verifiable antimicrobials through...
East Coast Fever is a disease of cattle which results in high animal mortality with corresponding economic losses to farmers and to the nation. The disease is caused by a protozoan agent whose vector is Rhipicephalus appendiculatus (Brown Ear Tick). The tick feeds dominantly inside the cattle ear. Studies have shown that the adults of R. appendiculatus exhibit „pull-push‟ effect that guides them to their preferred feeding site. This is linked to the presence of ear volatiles which attrac...
Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) is referred to as the golden crop of the future. There is a concern in Kenya on its production due to the fact that the country remains a net importer of this vital food to the tune of 100,000 tons annually yet the country has the potential to produce that capacity locally. The major impediments in local production are singled out as: Expensive farm inputs in form of fertilizers and use of inferior soybean varieties in terms of effective nodulation. The nodu...
Kenya is the eighth highest producer of common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) worldwide with a production of 529,265 tons annually. Climbing beans are highly productive, and can produce yields 2 to 3 times higher than bush beans and is therefore a promising option to increase bean yields in Kenya. However, climbing bean production is greatly affected by the decline in soil fertility, particularly low nitrogen levels in the soil. Replenishment of soil nitrogen using effective rhizobia inoculant...
Highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) has been known to cause hepatotoxicity despite its benefit to improve the morbidity and mortality associated with HIV infections. However, the impact of HAART on HIV subtypes, drug resistance mutations and cytokine profiles, is not yet fully elucidated especially in the Northwest Region (NWR) of Cameroon. Therefore, this study was carried out with aim of determining the effect of HIV-1 subtypes, drug resistance mutations, cytokine profiles and ris...
In recent years concerns over dwindling reserves of ground and surface water resources coupled with an overloaded or costly sewage treatment plants has generated much interest in the reuse or recycling of greywater. Greywater is untreated household wastewater which includes water from; showers, laundry, dishwashers and washing machines. Re-use of greywater offers several advantages that include a reduction in the water bill, reduced wastewater discharge, as well as reduction in the demand on ...
Limited access to safe drinking water and information on water quality in sparsely populated arid and semi-arid regions has contributed to frequent outbreaks of diarheal disease. There is therefore urgent need to determine the bacteriological and physico-chemical quality of water in various sources in these regions. This study was undertaken in order to determine water quality in Wamba Division of Samburu District and to asses the efficacy of plan extracts in purifying water. Bacteriolog...
ABSTRACT In Kenya, aquaculture continues to expand as a source of food production and livelihood in all the counties. Mortality of Nile Tilapia and African Catfish fingerlings constitute the biggest loss in extensive and intensive fish farms. The main objective of this study was to determine contamination by bacteria and fungi in Nile Tilapia and African Catfish fingerlings. The study was carried out from March 2014 to July 2014 in fish farms with different water sources, hatchery systems an...
ABSTRACT A study was carried out to determine the heavy metal concentrations in the wetlands of Lake Victoria basin and their effect on bacterial resistance to ten commonly used antibiotics. Water and sediment samples for heavy metal analysis and microbiological assays were randomly collected from sewage outfalls and points bordering heavy metal activity settlements. Heavy metal analysis was done using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (F-AAS). The microbiological assays targeted heterotr...
ABSTRACT Water is the most critical resource in the Samburu District of Northern Kenya. The region has one permanent river, the Uaso Ng’iro. Use pressure by man, domestic and wild animals is high in all water sources, which include dams, laggas, and dry river bed wells. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the bacteriological and physicchemical quality of water from these sources, so as to shed some light on the causes of perpetual diarrheal diseases and their likely resp...
ABSTRACT Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims) is an important fruit crop in Kenya for both local and export market. Production of the crop is constrained by many diseases. Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. passiflorae is one of the major disease of purple passion fruit. Yield losses due to wilt have been estimated up to 80 %. Farmers lack appropriate management strategies for the disease and the use of bio-control agents to manage the disease has not been explored. The objec...
ABSTRACT Cowpea is a multipurpose legume crop that serves as human food, livestock fodder, and income source and is widely produced in sub-Saharan Africa. Soil fertility and attack by insect pests and diseases are significant limitations to its production. Although farm inputs such as phosphate-rich fertilizers and pesticides can solve the mentioned constraints, they are costly for resource-poor farmers. This study aimed at determining the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation ...