Hospital environment needs more attention because of the influx of people into the environment for medical checkup and other services. This study unveils the incidence of bacteria isolated from air and selected surfaces in three referral hospitals (City hospital, Federal Medical Centre, Wadata and Saint Theresa Hospital) in Makurdi Middle Belt Nigeria. Fifty (50) bacteria were isolated; hospital air (26%), bed rails (16%), door knobs (2%), floor (4%), nurse table top (10%), operation table (4%), sink (18%), stretchers (2%) and toilet seat (12%). In City Hospital, the bacteria isolated include Escherichia coli (6%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (2%), Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus spp (2%), from Federal Medical Centre, bacteria isolated were Klebsiella spp (10%), Staphylococcus aureus (4%), Staphylococcus spp (8%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12%) and E. coli (6%). In STH, bacteria isolated include E. coli (8%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4%), Staphylococcus spp (8%) and Staphylococcus aureus (14%). The invitro antibiotics susceptibility pattern shows that Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed highest resistant to the antibiotics while Klebsiella spp was susceptible to majority of the antibiotics but resistant to cloxacillin and erythromycin. The study reveals Klebsiella spp, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, S. aureus and other Staphylococcus spp as bacteria commonly associated with hospital environment. This study affirms the presence of resistant bacteria strains and highlighted world-wide problem of hospital borne infections as it concerns the study area and population. This report will create awareness and be a good guide to health care workers, patients and the public about the likeliness of contracting nosocomial infection and how to treat such infection. Major recommendations offered suggests that, healthcare workers should be more careful in carrying out their duty to avoid chance of being infected in the course of their work. Also, the in-vitro antibiotics susceptibility testing on the bacterial pathogens in the study will assist the clinicians in making improvement on the management of nosocomial infections.

A large number of medicinal plants and their purified constituents have been shown to have beneficial therapeutic potentials. In this study, ethanolic extract of Bidens pilosa was evaluated for its invivo activity on haematological parameters in Swiss albino rats orogastrically dosed with Escherichia coli O157:H7. Fifteen Swiss albino rats were used for the study. The animals were divided into five groups of three rats each. The first, second and third group of rats were orogastically dosed with 9.1 × 104 cfu/ml of E. coli O157: H7 to induce infection. The first group was treated with 800 mg/kg Body weight (Bw) of the ethanolic extract of B. pilosa, the second group was treated with Ofloxacin (16mg/kg Bw), while the third group was not treated. The fourth group was given only the plant extract, while the fifth group was given sterile distilled water. The results of the haematological assay indicated that: the infected-untreated rats showed lowest mean values of PCV (34.00±2.50a), RBC (6.54±0.45a) and HB (11.50±0.83a); and highest ESR (4.50±0.50c). In the infected-extract-treated group, a significant increase in the PCV (45.00±1.00b) and HB (15.00±0.33b) was observed. The group fed with extract alone had the highest mean values of PCV (51.00±1.00b), RBC (11.10±0.95c) and HB (17.00±0.33b). Similar pattern was observed for the results obtained for the white blood cell differential count. The infected-extract-treated group, and the group to which only extract was administered without infection showed significant increase in lymphocyte count (61.00±1.00ab) and (73.50±2.50c) respectively. Conversely, the infected-untreated group showed a decline in lymphocyte count (54.50±3.50a). The results obtained from this study revealed that ethanolic leaf extract of Bidens pilosa exhibited haematopoietic potential and tends to modulate the values of White Blood Cell differential count in Swiss albino rats.

Aim: This research was designed to assess the molecular identities and antibiotic sensitivity pattern of the bacteria isolated from decomposed domestic food wastes in Akure metropolis. Methodology: Fifteen bacteria were obtained from the Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Technology Akure. The DNA molecules of the bacterial isolates were extracted using bacterial DNA Mini-Prep Kit. The DNA extracted was amplified and sequenced using universal bacterial primers and ABI Prism DNA sequencer respectively prior their nucleotides blast. The antibiotic sensitivity test of the bacterial isolates was carried out using plate assay.

Aims: This study was designed to investigate the plasmid bearing multiple antibiotic resistant bacteria from different aquatic sources. Place and Duration of Study: This research work was carried out in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo state, Nigeria between January and June, 2018. Methodology: The pathogenic bacteria associated with water samples collected from different sources in Akure, Nigeria were isolated and characterized. A total of 521 water samples were collected from sources such as wells, taps, streams, rivers, boreholes and rain. All the samples were subjected to presumptive, confirmed and completed tests to evaluate their microbiological quality. The microbial types in the samples were determined using standard microbiological techniques. All isolates obtained in this study were subjected to antibiotic sensitivity analysis and screened for Beta-lactamase production (ESBL). Plasmid profile analysis of the resistance isolates was carried out using standard method. Furthermore, post-curing of the plasmid mediated antibiotic resistance isolates was performed and data obtained were analyzed and presented using analysis of variance. Results: Bacterial isolates such as Acinetobacter baumanni, Citrobacter freundii, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella typhimurum, Salmonella paratyphi, Shigella dysenteriae, Serratia marcescens, Proteus vulgaris and Vibrio cholerae were identified from the water samples. The isolate E. coli had the highest percentage distribution of 24.10% in well water and 26.19% in stream water while Salmonella species had the highest occurrence of 53.85% in rain water. The Beta-lactamase producing (ESBL) isolates were resistant to multiple antibiotics except Ciprofloxacin, Gentamycin and Pefloxacin that conferred antibacterial effect. Plasmid-gene profile analysis of the isolates revealed that S. typhimurium, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa and P. vulgaris possess single plasmid each while only E. coli contain two plasmid bands. The post plasmid-curing antibiotic sensitivity test of the isolates revealed that the initial antibiotic resistance of the bacterial isolates were plasmid mediated. Conclusion: Findings from this study suggest the purification of water from these sources before consumption is important as most microbes found in these samples are potential pathogens that are capable of causing infectious diseases with multiple antibiotic resistant features.

Aims:This research was designed to evaluate the phytochemicals present in the leaf extracts of Chromolaena odorata L. and their antimicrobial activities. Methodology: Dried leaves of C. odorata were pulverized and subjected to ethanolic and aqueous extraction. The extracts were qualitatively and quantitatively screened for phytochemicals using standard methods. The inhibitory activity of the leaf extracts were evaluated against clinical pathogens; Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis and Candida albicans using agar well diffusion technique at 100 mg/mL and 200 mg/mL concentrations. Egbunu et al.; MRJI, 27(6): 1-9, 2019; Article no.MRJI.48779 2 Results: The ethanolic extract of C. odorata had a better percentage yield of 5.49 g, followed by aqueous extract (3.5 g). The phytochemical screening conducted on the extracts revealed the presence of flavonoid, alkaloid, saponin, cardiac glycoside, steroids, tannins and terpenoids. The ethanolic extract exhibited better antimicrobial activity on S. typhi, S. aureus, E. coli, Ps. aeruginosa and C. albicans compared to the aqueous extract. This could be as a result of the higher extraction capability of the ethanol to penetrate easily into the cellular membrane and dissolve the intracellular inclusions from the plant materials than the aqueous solvent. The zones of inhibition of ethanolic extract at 100 mg/mL ranges from 2.33±0.33 mm to 9.50±0.36 mm with the lowest efficacy observed on P. mirabilis and highest on S. aureus. S. typhi was susceptible to the aqueous extract of the plant at this concentration with inhibitory zone of 4.00±0.00 mm. The ethanolic extract of the plant was also effective against C. albicans with inhibitory zone of 4.17±0.17 mm at 100 mg/mL. Chloramphenicol inhibited all the test bacteria with the highest efficacy on E. coli (16.33±0.03 mm) and ketoconazole at 25 mg/mL had a better antifungal activity on C. albicans compared to the observed antifungal activities of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of C. odorata at 100 mg/mL. Furthermore, the test organisms were more susceptible to the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of C. odorata at 200 mg/mL with zones of inhibition ranging from 3.23±0.15 mm to 12.33±0.33 mm. The lowest being observed on E.coli and highest on S. typhi (ethanolic extract). K. Pneumoniae and P. mirabilis were resistant to the aqueous extract of C. odorata. All the test bacteria were susceptible to the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of C. odorata at 200 mg/mL extracts concentration. Moreover, C. albicans was susceptible to the inhibitory effect of C. odorata at this concentration with inhibitory zones of 3.00±0.00 mm and 5.33±0.33 mm on aqueous and ethanolic extracts respectively. Conclusion: The findings from this study revealed the antimicrobial activities of C. odorata on the test pathogens which are in close proximity in comparison with the synthetic antimicrobial agents and thus upon purification, can be harnessed as a lead for the developme...