ABSTRACT Neisseria gonorrhoea has progressively developed resistance to previously used drugs and recently to fluoroquinolones. Currently, there have been reports of emergency of N. gonorrhoea strains with reduced susceptibility and some exhibiting extensive multidrug resistant to the cephalosporin class of antibiotics that remains to be the remaining option for management of gonorrhoea. In Kenya, published reports regarding the drug susceptibility of N. gonorrhoea is scanty because of lack o...
ABSTRACT Crickets are drawing interest as sustainable source of protein for food and feed worldwide. However, there is little information on microbial quality of edible crickets thus the need for a profound insight into their safety. The objective of the study was to determine the microbial load of two edible cricket species Scapsipedus marginatus and Gryllus bimaculatus and to evaluate the efficiency of different processing methods (boiling, sun-drying, freeze-drying, snap freezing and deep...
ABSTRACT HIV infection continues to be among the leading causes of global mortality. Genital ulcer disease increases the risk of HIV infection. Ulcerative STDs such as Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) and syphilis cause breaks in the skin or mucous membranes, disrupt barriers that provide protection againstHIV-1 infections. It has been shown that HSV-2 is the single most important sexually transmitted infection that is fueling the HIV epidemic in Africa.. There is also an estimated two to ...
ABSTRACT Diarrhoea is one of the leading causes of illness and death among children in developing countries, where an estimated 1.3 billion episodes and 4 to 10 million deaths occur each year in children less than 5 years of age. The study envisioned to determine the genetic basis of extended spectrum β-lactam (ESBL) resistance in E. coli isolated from children aged below 5 years attending Thika Level 5 Hospital Kiambu County in Kenya. Faecal samples were obtained from 384 children present...
ABSTRACT Plant extracts with medicinal value have been used to treat many diseases that can either be bacterial, fungal or parasitic among many others. Plants with medicinal value produce certain chemical elements known as phytochemicals that have antimicrobial activity. Enteric bacterial pathogens are disease-causing microorganisms that are usually located in the intestinal tracts of either animal or human beings. The pathogenic members are usually associated with infections that are charact...
ABSTRACT Animal African Trypanosomiasis (AAT) is a major constraint to livestock health and production. The disease has for years continued to contribute towards economic and developmental setback in the sub-Saharan Africa. Tsestse flies belonging to Glossina species are the main vectors for transmission. They are attracted to livestock and wildlife hosts where they feed on blood meal contaminated by trypanosomes, the disease causing parasites. Host ageing urine has been shown to be the sourc...
ABSTRACT A green house study was conducted to investigate the ability of an isolate of Trichoderma harzianum (P52) and Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in enhancing growth in tea cuttings, tomato seedlings and napier grass cuttings. Trichoderma harzianum is a saprophytic fungus that enhances plant growth through solubilization of nutrients and is antagonistic to many soil pathogens. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi forms symbiotic associations with plant roots promoting phosphorous absorption a...
ABSTRACT The consequence of intense permanent cultivation of land has been severe loss of soil nutrients through removal of harvested produce, removal of crop residue, leaching and gaseous losses. Experiments were designed to investigate the effect of soil amendment with cow manure, chicken manure and fertilizer on nodulation and nitrogen fixation in climbing beans (MAC 64) and soybeans (Gazelle). Isolation and characterization of isolates together with greenhouse experiments were carried out...
ABSTRACT Because of the prevalence of antibiotic resistant pathogenic bacteria, infectious diseases are becoming more difficult and expensive to treat. In Kenya, high levels of flouroquinone resistance of a bacterium, Neisseria gonorrhea have been widely reported. Antimicrobial resistance may be coded on plasmids, mutational events or on transposons. A growing body of evidence indicates that metal tolerance and antibiotic resistance are often found together in many clinical isolates and that ...
ABSTRACT Urinary tract infections (UTI) are bacterial infections encountered in the hospital and community and is preventable. It is among bacterial infection encountered with increasing antibiotic resistance to uropathogens, although there is availability of antibiotics. Despite the wide spread of antibiotics, it remains the common bacterial infections. Antibiotic susceptibility testing therefore provides information that allows clinicians to select the most appropriate antimicrobial drugs. ...
ABSTRACT Aflatoxin contamination of maize in Africa poses a major threat to food security and the health of many African people. In Kenya, aflatoxin contamination of maize is high due to the environmental, agricultural and socio-economic factors. Many studies have been conducted to understand the scope of the problem especially at pre-harvest level, but few of them have been concentrated to the post-harvest level. This research was carried out to gather scientific information on the fungi pop...
ABSTRACT Diarrheal diseases are the commonest manifestation of food poisoning, which are fatal. Knowledge, attitude and practice of food handlers influence the occurrence of food poisoning. Staphylococcus aureus is considered the third most important cause of food-borne diseases in the world after Salmonella species and C. perfringens. Antimicrobial resistance and enterotoxigenic properties of S. aureus in food of animal origin in many parts of Kenya are scanty. The aim of the study was to in...
ABSTRACT Urinary Tract infection (UTI) is a serious infection causing illness in infants and children. It represents one of the most common diseases encountered in medical practice today. Despite the widespread availability of antibiotics, it remains the most common bacterial infection. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing therefore provides information that allows physicians to select the most appropriate antimicrobial agents for treating these infections and give the most effective antibiot...
ABSTRACT Background: The pneumococcus is carried as a normal flora of the upper respiratory tract and carriage is the precursor for development of pneumococcal disease, and is also responsible for pneumococcal transmission from person-to-person. HIV positive children have about forty times greater risk of invasive pneumococcal disease compared to healthy children. In Africa, little is known about the pneumococcus in relation to people with HIV infection. Aim: The aim of the study was to inv...
ABSTRACT Background: Data on the transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) within correctional facilities is limited in Ghana, even though the prevalence suggests intra-prison transmission. Aim: This study determined the level of transmissibility, new infections, and intraprison transmission of HBV among inmates in Ghana Methodology: Immunoglobulin M antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc IgM) and Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) were determined for 323 archived plasma samples obtaine...