Microorganisms are present on all surfaces, to which they were carried by many direct and indirect methods of transmission. Bacteria and Parasites contaminating office door handles in Nnamdi Azikiwe University were assessed between June and November, 2019. The buildings and the door handles were randomly selected. Sterile swabs moistened in sterile normal saline were used to swab the door handles in a tri-directional manner. The swabs were cultured and subcultured onto nutrient, MacConkey and Salmonella-Shigella agar plates for bacterial growth. The specimens were then examined for parasites using Zinc Sulphate floatation and formol-ether sedimentation techniques. Of the 432 door handles examined, 136 (30.8%) were contaminated. The highest number of contaminated doors were found in Medical Centre 41 (30.1%) and the least in Faculty of Social Sciences Complex 10 (7.4%). E. histolytica 52 (38.2%) was the highest parasite encountered while E. vermicularis 2 (1.5%) was the least. The proportion of infected doors as well as the distribution of different species parasites in the door handles of different complexes examined was significant (P<0.05). Of 432 office door handles examined, 263 (60.9%) yielded bacterial growth. Female hostel 72 (27.4%) had more bacterial contamination while Faculty of Social Sciences 25 (9.5%) had the least. Staphylococcus spp 54 (20.5%) was the highest bacteria isolated, followed by Escherichia 53 (20.2%) while Klebsiella 53 (20.2%) was the least. The distribution of different species of bacteria in the door handles in different complexes was significant (P<0.05). Infectious diseases from microbial contaminated door handles are a potential threat to public health and safety therefore certain measures should be taken such as aggressive and frequent cleaning methods and good hand washing to reduce the incidence of bacterial and parasite transmission and contamination.

Three different types of disinfectants that are frequently employed in regular laboratories include ethanol, bleach, and phenols. This study used the agar hole diffusion method to examine the effectiveness of these three disinfectants against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Different bleach, ethanol, and phenolic concentrations were utilized. There were variations in the measured concentrations because the disinfectants' initial concentrations varied. The results after 24 hours of incubation at 37°C demonstrated that all the disinfectants in their concentrated forms prevented the development of the test organism. When different quantities of the inhibitors were used, their efficacy varied, and the width of the zone of inhibitions around each well was determined in millimeters. The findings revealed that bleach had a stronger impact on Staphylococcus aureus than Escherichia coli, while ethanol showed the least susceptibility. Phenolics had the highest efficiency against both test species.

Wastes from cassava processing mills are usually discharged uncontrollably into the environment where they cause serious environmental challenges. This research work was undertaken to investigate the effects of cassava mill effluent on the microbiological quality of soils and to determine the effects of the polluted soils on the growth of plants. Fresh cassava mill effluent and unpolluted soil samples were collected and analyzed microbiologically. The soil sample was polluted with the cassava mill effluent and the polluted soil was also subjected to microbiological analyses for 31days. Germination and growth of pumpkin plants were also investigated using soil samples polluted with different concentrations of the cassava mill effluent. The microbial population of the effluent showed presence of Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus spp, Streptococcus spp, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aspergillus spp, and Candida spp. The bacterial count was 1.4x104cfu/ml while the fungal count was 1.1x103cfu/ml. The results of the analyses of the unpolluted soil and the effluent polluted soil samples showed that the effluent had noticeable effects on the physicochemical and microbiological properties of the soil. The total microbial count increased from 2.2x105 cfu/g to 4.6x105cfu/g for bacteria and 1.6x104cfu/g to 3.3x105cfu/g for fungi. The polluted soil showed higher diversity of micro-organisms. The isolated organisms were: Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus spp, Streptococcus spp, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Micrococcus spp, Proteus spp, Enterobacter spp, Aspergillus spp, Candida spp, Penicillium spp, and Rhizopus spp. The polluted soil also, at higher concentrations of the effluent  inhibited the germination of plants. This research revealed that effluents from cassava processing mills have significant effects on the microbiological properties of the surrounding soils and also affected the growth of plants on these soils negatively. It therefore suggested that this effluent should be treated properly before disposal to the environment.

The report of pathogenic potentials of Cladosphialophora biatiana in humans, majorly among the farmers is now posing threat to the populace, and the need to search for a preventive measure from readily available, cost-effective, eco-friendly, and natural sources will be an ultimate success to be attained. This study was carried out to evaluate the prophylactic potential of essential cream produced from Chromolaena odorata leaves extract against Cladosphialophora biatiana dermatological infection. Soil samples were randomly collected from different farmlands and screened for the presence of Cladosphialophora biatiana using appropriate microbiological techniques. The pathological profile of the organism and prophylactic potential of essential cream were assessed by topically exposing them to albino Wistar rats for a period of one month. The study revealed the pathological features of the test isolates; alopecia, discoloration. Scaly, swelling, erythema, patches, macule and erosion were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced to 0.1% / 0% among those rats initially exposed to the studied essential cream. This study has shown that the studied essential cream protected the rats from Cladosphialophora biatiana infection and could be used as an alternative prophylactic measure to dermatological infection caused by the studied organism.

This study's objective is to separate and identify harmful fungus from spoiled avocado pears. Healthy avocado pear fruits were delivered to the lab and left to rot on a lab bench after being purchased from Awka, Nnewi, and Ihiala. Potato dextrose agar (PDA) and SDA agar were used to test the fruits for the presence of fungal infections that cause deterioration. According to the findings, PDA media exhibit greater growth than SDA, and ther45 x 102 CFU/g).e was no statistically significp > 0.005ference (p>0.005) between the fungal counts of the avocado and pear samples collected from the three different sites, with the Eke Awka market sample showing the highes48 x 102 CFUcount (48x102cfu/g), followed by the Total Market47 x 102 CFUample (47x102cfu/g), and the Nnewi market sample showing the lowest fungal count (45x102cf Based on their colonial and physical traits, the fungus responsible for the fruit deterioration was identified. The investigation also revealed that a total of 5 isolates of fungus from fruits, including Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp., Rhizopus sp., Fusarium spp., and Candida spp., were collected. Of        them, isolates of Aspergillus niger species were found most commonly (36%). Rhizopus species and Candida were next, each with an infection incidence of 18%, while Fusarium solani and Penicillium digitatum were the least common (141%). Aspergillus niger, one of the identified fungi, was the least harmful and produced the least amount of fruit rot. R. stolonifer, Fusarium solani, Candida tropicalis, and Penicillium digitatum were the least pathogenic and caused the most fast disintegration of treated fruits in 3-5 days. This study has demonstrated that fungus is to blame for fruit rotting. This study has demonstrated that fungus is to blame for fruit rotting. Producing, preparing, and preserving foods like fruit salads must be done as quickly and hygienically as possible using high-quality tools, products, and materials since fruits are typically infested by harmful fungus.