BackgroundThe aim of this study was to assess public and private medical diagnostic laboratories in Nigeria for the presence of biosafety equipment, devices, and measures.MethodsA total of 80 diagnostic laboratories in biosafety level 3 were assessed for the presence of biosafety equipment, devices, and compliance rate with biosafety practices. A detailed questionnaire and checklist was used to obtain the relevant information from enlisted laboratories.ResultsThe results showed the presence of an isolated unit for microbiological work, leak-proof working benches, self-closing doors, emergency exits, fire extinguisher(s), autoclaves, and hand washing sinks in 21.3%, 71.3%, 15.0%, 1.3%, 11.3%, 82.5%, and 67.5%, respectively, of all laboratories surveyed. It was observed that public diagnostic laboratories were significantly more likely to have an isolated unit for microbiological work (p = 0.001), hand washing sink (p = 0.003), and an autoclave (p ≤ 0.001) than private ones. Routine use of hand gloves, biosafety cabinet, and a first aid box was observed in 35.0%, 20.0%, and 2.5%, respectively, of all laboratories examined. Written standard operating procedures, biosafety manuals, and biohazard signs on door entrances were observed in 6.3%, 1.3%, and 3.8%, respectively, of all audited laboratories. No biosafety officer(s) or records of previous spills, or injuries and accidents, were observed in all diagnostic laboratories studied.ConclusionIn all laboratories (public and private) surveyed, marked deficiencies were observed in the area of administrative control responsible for implementing biosafety. Increased emphasis on provision of biosafety devices and compliance with standard codes of practices issued by relevant authorities is strongly advocated.

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Our study provided empirical evidence that revealed the misuse/abuse of antibiotics during pisciculture operations in Nigeria; thus, constituting these pisciculture systems into reservoirs of multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Aim: Public health promotion of fruit and vegetables as healthier sources of nutrition in Nigeria has led to an increase in consumption of fruit and vegetables, particularly in the form of ready-to-eat (RTE) salads. However, the continual association of drug-resistant bacteria with fruit and vegetables creates an additional challenge for consumer safety. Hence this study was carried out to determine the prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacteria (MRB) in, and characterization of MRB isolated from, RTE salads. Methods and Results: RTE vegetable salad samples were randomly selected for bacterial analysis with Wei's Urn iterative randomization technique and a One Way Analysis of Variance performed with Kruskal-Wallis test. Total viable bacteria count (TVC) was performed with pour-plate technique. Bacterial colonies from Petri plates were tested for multidrug resistance with Kirby Bauer disc diffusion test and prevalence/counts of MRB, as well as multiple antibiotic resistance indices (MAR), was/were subsequently deduced. Mean prevalence of MRB in all RTE salad samples was estimated at 54Á38% while mean counts of MRB were estimated at 6Á83 AE 6Á42 log 10 CFU per g. Prevalence of bacterial resistance to all antibiotics tested ranged from 5Á92 to 100Á00%. Mean MAR obtained for all RTE salad samples was estimated at 0Á51 (recommended limit = 0Á20) indicating that RTE salads were a potential source of MRB, with significant health risk. MRB isolated from RTE salads included Proteus vulgaris strain ATU 243, Bacillus thuringiensis strain AND 236, Citrobacter freundii strain ABC 2 and Serratia marcescens strain ADJ 212. Conclusion: This study showed that MRB constitute a significant proportion of the bacterial community present in RTE salads served in Nigerian restaurants. Significance and Impact of the Study: Our study provided empirical evidence which showed that RTE salads served in Nigerian restaurants were a potential source of MRB, with significant health risk.