The analysis of bacterial diversity in aquatic systems particularly in rivers, lakes, and streams can provide useful data on the effect of anthropogenic activities on such water bodies to humans and fishes. Idah River, the focal point of this study, is an offshoot of the two major Nigerian rivers characterized by observed human activities and pollution sources. Water samples were collected from four designated sites and assessed for their bacterial assemblages and structure, using PacBio Single-Molecule Real-Time (SMRT) sequencing technology. The full length of the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced, and Amplicon Sequence Variants were generated using the DADA2 workflow optimised for PacBio long-read amplicons in Rstudio. A total of 8751 high-quality reads obtained were taxonomically classified as 24 phyla, 42 classes, 84 orders, 125 families, 156 genera, and 106 species. Taxonomical composition revealed Proteobacteria as the most abundant phyla across all sample sites. At the genera level, Azospira (57.03%) was the most dominant ASV in Docking Point A, while Acinetobacter (66.67%) was the most abundant ASV in Docking Point B. In Idah Axis Confluence, hgcl clade (65.66%) was the most prevalent ASV, whereas Holophaga (42.86%) was the most common ASV in Idah Axis Midstream. Genera analysis also revealed that 12.9% of the total ASVs were discovered across all sample sites. Among these were pathogenic bacteria, reducers, and degraders of domestic and animal wastes. Observed results provide evidence that sampled sites of Idah River are contaminated, most likely through constant human activities and thus, could have an impact on resident fishes as well. This study, therefore, agrees with a previous report from the river, which used standard microbial procedures. However, next-generation se-

This study was carried out to investigate the mycoflora and nutritional composition of smoked dried crayfish Penaeus monodon (prawns) during storage for twenty-four weeks. The mycoflora were isolated at four weeks interval using direct plating and dilution methods on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA), Saboraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) and Malt Extract Agar (MEA). The fungi isolated using direct plating methods and dilution methods were Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigates, Rhizopus sp., Phytophthora siskiyouensis, Penicillum sp. and Mucor sp. The result of proximate analysis (g/100 g) of smoked dried crayfish Penaeus monodon (prawns) showed a decrease in ash content (12.53-10.86), fat (14.95-12.30), crude fibre (1.60-1.29) while moisture content (3.10-3.71), crude protein (66.34-66.84) and carbohydrate (1.66-5.00) increased respectively. The result of mineral analysis (mg/100 g) of smoked dried crayfish Penaeus monodon (prawns) showed a decrease in Sodium (110.90-104.9), Potassium (107.30-94.96), Calcium (120.61-98.66), Magnesium (137.50-120.22), Zinc (2.15-1.87), Iron (12.33-10.17), Copper (0.16-0.22), Manganese (0.40-0.25), cadmium (0.42-0.13) and Phosphorous (485.00-460.76) respectively. This study showed that the smoked dried crayfish products were invaded by fungi which could be due to display of the products in open trays without coverage for sale, most of the times which were not hygienic. This, in turn, allows the dust and fungal spores to settle on the products leading to fungal contamination, production of toxins and spoilage. Stored smoked dried crayfish (prawns) sellers should be enlightened on good hygienic practices.

The Covid-19 pandemic is currently ravaging the globe with enormous morbidity and mortality. This pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 started from China and has spread across the globe. Initial reports indicated that the SARS-CoV-2 initially emerged among animals from where they transfer to humans. Different strategies deployed to curtail the pandemic have yielded little result. Therefore, the One-Health concept may compliment existing strategies. The One Health places emphasis on the between the animal-human-ecosystem interface and how this can be used to tackle public health problems, including the COVID-19 pandemic. One Health Surveillance will involve tracking viral pathogens in animals to access risk of transfer to humans. It will also stimulate targeted approaches for prevention and treatment of viral zoonotic infections. There should be an integrated and interdisciplinary One-Health surveillance that should incorporate veterinary, medical or public health and environmental scientists to synergise surveillance effort to track emergence of infectious diseases in the future.

This study was carried out to assess the changes in proximate composition, mineral content and mycoflora associated with smoked dried crayfish Penaeus natialis (shrimps) stored for twenty weeks. Smoked dried crayfish Penaeus natialis (shrimps) were purchased at Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Market, Ondo State, Nigeria. They were studied under storage for twenty weeks (6 months) and the proximate, mineral and mycofloral analyses were carried out at four weeks interval. The mycoflora were isolated using direct plating and dilution methods on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA), Saboraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) and Malt Extract Agar (MEA) and identified using their cultural and morphological features with reference to standard procedures accordingly. The fungi isolated using direct plating methods and dilution methods were Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigates, Rhizopus sp., Phytophthora siskiyouensis, Penicillum sp. and Mucor sp. The proximate analysis result showed a decrease in Ash, fat, and crude fibre content while moisture, crude protein and carbohydrate content increased respectively during the twenty four weeks storage. The mineral analysis result of the smoked dried crayfish Penaeus natialis (shrimps) showed a decrease in Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Iron, Copper, Manganese, Cadmium and Phosphorous respectively. This study showed that the smoked dried crayfish Penaeus natialis (shrimps) were contaminated by fungi; which is an indication that the market places where these products were displayed for sale were not hygienic coupled with leaving the products in open air without coverage which could allow products contamination with fungal spores leading to fungal spores germination, deterioration and spoilage of products during storage.  Good hygiene, constant product checking and sensitization of the products processors, handlers and sellers will minimize exposure to fungal spores’ contamination while mitigating deterioration and spoilage of the products during storage.

Antibiotic therapy has been the mainstay of treatment of bacterial infections and the initial successes of the earlier generations of antibiotics for treatment and prevention of bacterial infections spurred further efforts to discover newer antibiotics. Antibiotic Susceptibility Test (AST) is a standardized procedure usually carried out on cultivable bacterial pathogens to determine their sensitivity to specific antibiotics, and to guide physicians on the best antibiotic treatment regimens for specific infections. The quality assurance and control for antibiotic susceptibility tests should be prioritized in deliberate efforts to reduce the burden of antibiotic resistant bacterial infections in developing countries.