Campylobacteriosis is a collective description for infectious diseases caused by members of the bacterial genus Campylobacter. The only form of campylobacteriosis of major public health importance is Campylobacter enteritis due to C. jejuni and C. coli. Research and control efforts on the disease have been conducted more often in developed countries than developing countries. However, because of the increasing incidence, expanding spectrum of infections, potential of HIV-related deaths due to Campylobacter, and the availability of the complete genome sequence of C. jejuni NCTC 11168, interest in campylobacteriosis research and control in developing countries is growing. We present the distinguishing epidemiologic and clinical features of Campylobacter enteritis in developing countries relative to developed countries. National surveillance programs and international collaborations are needed to address the substantial gaps in the knowledge about the epidemiology of campylobacteriosis in developing countries.

Staphylococcus aureus infections are growing problems worldwide with important implications in hospitals. The organism is normally present in the nasal vestibule of about 35% of apparently healthy individuals and its carriage varies between different ethnic and age groups. Staphylococcal nasal carriage among health workers is particularly important to establish new clones and track origin of infections during outbreak situations. To determine the carriage rate and compare the pulsed field gel patterns of the strains, nasal swabs were collected from 185 medical students in a teaching hospital in Lagos, Nigeria. Isolates of S. aureus were tested for heamolysin production, methicillin sensitivity and Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) was performed. The results showed S.aureus nasal carrier rate of 14% with significant rate among males compared to females. All the isolates produced heamolysin. Antibiotic susceptibility pattern revealed that majority of the isolates was susceptible. Five strains (19%) harboured resistant determinants to penicillin and tetracycline. None of the strains was resistant to methicillin. 44% of the isolates typed by PFGE had type B, the most predominant pulsotype. PFGE A clone exhibited a single resistance phenotype suggesting a strong clonal relationship that could punctual an outbreak in the hospital. The results speculate that nasal carriage among medical personnel could be a function of various risk factors. Personal hygiene and behaviour may however be the means to reducing colonization and spread of S.aureus in our hospitals.

Objective:To investigate the prevalence, species distribution and genetic diversity of zoonotic Arcobacter species. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Drainage system of a cosmopolitan chicken abattoir in Lagos, Nigeria. Methods : One hundred and fifity drainage water samples were enriched in a minimal antibiotics-containing medium at room temperature and bacteria then isolated by use of a membrane filtration method. Results: Twenty six (14%) of samples were positive for Arcobacter spp. Of these, 20 were examined by a comprehensive probabilistic identification scheme for Epsilobacteria and all strains identified as A. butzleri. AFLP analysis of these strains revealed considerable genetic diversity among the strains, with 12 genotypes defined at the 90% similarity level. Conclusion:The prevalence of A. butzleri in Nigerian poultry abattoir effluent indicates this species may constitute a public health problem in this country. AFLP profiling could be a useful tool for molecular epidemiological and population genetic studies of this organism. This is the first known report of A. butzleri in Nigeria, and first application of AFLP analysis for genotyping the species.

Salmonella infections remain a global challenge. The culture method is the gold standard for the detection of genus Salmonella. Application of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) has become an effective tool for the detection of virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes. This study investigated the prevalence of Salmonella by culture and detection of invA gene and blaCTX-M and blaCTX-M-3 gene markers by PCR. A total of 612 blood samples were collected from hospitalized febrile patients between March 2020 and April 2021. The samples were cultured, isolates identified by standard method with Analytical Profile Index (API 20-E) kits and were subjected to in-vitro antimicrobial susceptibility test (AST) using disk diffusion method. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) detection was carried out by double-disc synergy test. Detection of invA gene and antibiotic-resistant genes makers was done by qPCR. A total of 24 Salmonella isolates were identified given a prevalence of 3.9% Salmonella-associated bacteraemia. Children within 1-10 years with persistent pyrexia of unknown origin (PUO) accounted for 50% of the Salmonella isolated with a mean age of 5.299 years. Specifically, 75% (18/24) Salmonella isolates and their corresponding samples of positive Salmonella culture were positive for the invA gene. The AST results indicated 100% Salmonella isolates developed resistance to ceftazidime, cefotaxime , augmentin, ampicillin, ertapenem, and doripenem. None of drug resistant-Salmonella isolates expressed ESBL enzyme phenotypically. Seven resistance patterns were observed, and the pattern CAZ-CTX-OFL-AUG-NIT-AMP-ETR-DOR was the most encountered pattern. Twelve (50%) Salmonella isolates harbored the blaCTX-M and blaCTX-M-3 genes and were mostly from children. The study has added to the growing knowledge on the suitability of the invA gene primer set as a PCR target for the detection of Salmonella. It also revealed a paradigm shift in the occurrence of invasive Salmonella harboring blaCTX-M and blaCTX-M-3 genes in PUO cases. There is a need for judicious use of cephalosporin and carbapenem antibiotics to preserve their efficacies.

Aims: To investigate the potential of amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) profiling for genotyping Arcobacter butzleri and to obtain further data on the genetic diversity of this organism. Methods and Results: Seventy-three isolates of Danish, British, Turkish, Swedish, Nigerian and North American origin from human infections, chickens, turkeys, ducks, sheep and poultry abbatoir effluent were studied by use of a protocol that involved stringent PCR amplification of fragments derived from digestion of genomic DNA with restriction enzymes BglII and Csp6I. The mean similarity value of duplicate profiles of 10 isolates was 91AE15%, indicating the method to be reproducible. Numerical analysis of all 73 isolates distinguished 51 subtypes at the 91% similarity level, of which 39 comprised single strains. The remaining 34 isolates were distributed among 12 subtypes, each of which contained strains homogeneous with respect to their respective source of isolation. However, contemporaneous strains from the same source could also be distinguished. Conclusions: AFLP profiling is an effective method for typing the genetically diverse organism A. butzleri. Significance and Impact of the Study: The study represents a comprehensive analysis of the genetic diversity of A. butzleri by use of isolates from six countries spanning three continents and also shows that several distinct A. butzleri genotypes may be found in a given environment. AFLP profiling appears to have considerable potential for molecular epidemiological studies of this ubiquitous emerging pathogen that is implicated as a causative agent of both human and animal disease.