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Draft genome sequence of multi-drug resistant Klebsiella quasipneumoniae subsp. similipneumoniae isolated from a teaching hospital wastewater in South West, Nigeria.
(American Society for Microbiology, 2024-01-24) Akinola, Omowumi T.; Dahunsi, Samuel O.; Okoh, Anthony Ifeanyi
This broadcast is about the whole genome sequence of Klebsiella quasipneumoniae subsp. similipneumoniae (ST 1422) isolated from a teaching hospital wastewater in South West, Nigeria, in May 2022. This data set compiles information on the DNA size (5,332,183 bp) and GC content (57.91%) in its genome.
Knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of young adolescents regarding traditional male circumcision: An investigation at Clarkebury High School, Eastern Cape Province.
(University of Fort Hare, 2025-05) Salityi, Tabo; Mashau, F.; Ndawule, L.
Background
Traditional Male Circumcision (TMC) can be traced back to the 24th Century (2345 BC) through depictions on Egyptian tombs and is probably one of the oldest surgical procedures known (El-Hout & Khauli, 2007). Male circumcision is performed chiefly for religious, cultural, or prophylactic health reasons, with a global prevalence of 38.7% (Morris et al., 2016) and for that reason is culturally referred as initiation schools. The study aimed to explore grade eight male learners’ knowledge, attitude, and perceptions regarding traditional male circumcision.
Methodology
The study used a qualitative approach, an exploratory design, to explore the knowledge, attitude, and perceptions regarding traditional male circumcision among grade eight learners in Clarkebury High School in Engcobo, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Open-ended questions and focus group discussions were used to collect the data. Descriptive statistics have been presented.
Results and discussion
The findings of this study showed that most participants had positive attitude towards the traditional male circumcision. Only 33% participants were aware of the morbidity and mortality associated with traditional initiation schools. Most were aware of the stigma associated with a failed traditional initiation and medical male circumcision with 67%.
Conclusion
There are benefits of Traditional Male Circumcision. Lack of knowledge among the teenagers and the complications associated with the TMC is worth to look at by the relevant stakeholders in a form of School Health Promotion Programme.
Effect of some Moringa oleifera Lam. leaf extracts against bacterial meat pathogens infecting chicken meat
(University of Fort Hare, 2024) Dubeni, Zimasa Busisiwe; Buwa-Komereng, L.V.
Poultry meat consumption has increased drastically over the last two decades in many countries. Among muscle foods, poultry and its products are more susceptible to microbial spoilage because of the diversity in nutrient composition. The cell-to-cell communication or quorum sensing (QS) leads to biofilm formation and causing other virulence factors which are extreme problems for food safety, biofilm related infectious diseases etc. Quorum sensing (QS) controls several functions between bacterial colonies and is regulated via signaling molecules called “autoinducers”. As the pathogens evolve and acquire resistance to a higher concentration of the drugs, the dosage of the drug may be increased to suppress the infection which on the other hand may cause undesirable side effects in the host. With the difficulty in treating recalcitrant infections and the growing resistance to antibiotics, new therapeutic modalities are becoming increasingly necessary. The interruption of bacterial quorum sensing (QS), or cell-cell communication is known to attenuate virulence, while limiting selective pressure toward resistance.
Chemical preservatives used to increase the shelf-life of food are reported to have health issues associated with them. The misuse of antibiotics to treat infectious diseases in healthcare, animal husbandry, and agriculture has resulted in a vast increase in antibiotic resistance, hence the growing need for antibacterial compounds. With the difficulty in treating recalcitrant infections
and the growing resistance to antibiotics, new therapeutic modalities are becoming increasingly necessary. Subsequently, interest in the application of naturally occurring preservatives in muscle foods has amplified. One possible source for the isolation of antibiotics is (medicinal) plants. Natural products are still a potential source of drug leads since they contain a wide array of
structurally diverse compounds. This study was, therefore, aimed at evaluating the phytochemicals, antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-biofilm, anti quorum sensing activity and cytotoxicity potential of Moringa oleifera leaf extracts. Various phytochemicals were also characterized using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS respectively. This work evaluated qualitatively
and qualitatively the phytochemicals present in Moringa oleifera leaf extracts (methanol, acetone, ethanol, aqueous) using various methods. The different concentrations (1, 0.75, 0.50, 0.25 mg/ml) of M. oleifera leaf extracts were evaluated for their antioxidants activity and various phytochemicals were also characterized using the 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) Radical Scavenging, Ferric Reducing/Antioxidant Power (FRAP), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) Free Radical Scavenging methods and Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS), respectively.
The gar, broth dilution method, and plate count method were used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal (MBC) and time kill kinetics of M. oleifera leaf extracts against bacterial strains (Vibrio cholerae, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 4352, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATTC 19, E. coli ATCC 8739 and S. aureus), respectively. While the antibiofilm and antiquorum inhibitory activity of the M. oleifera leaf extracts using two Salmonella enteritidis and the biomonitoring strain, Chromobacterium violaceum. The cytotoxicity potential of various concentrations of M. oleifera leaf extracts was also evaluated using Vero cells. The potential application of 1, 0.75, 0.50, 0.25% methanolic extract of M. oleifera extracts as natural preservatives of chicken meat was also evaluated using standardized methods (ISO methods) for the detection and enumeration of microorganisms studied. This was done by evaluating the survival and growth of Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, and aerobic count (APC) in raw ground chicken meat stored under 4 degrees Celsius and 25 degrees Celsius for four days.
Our findings revealed the presence of phenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, tannins, and steroids in all extracts investigated. The total phenolic content ranged from 34.1 to 68.67 mg/g of the dry weight of extract expressed as gallic acid equivalents. The MIC value of the methanol and
acetone extracts was the same for all the test organisms in the pool, 6.25mg/ml and 100 mg/ml respectively, whereas ethanol and water extracts displayed no antagonistic activity. The methanolic extract was found to be bactericidal with complete elimination of most of the test organisms within 2 hours of incubation. Average log reductions for the extract ranged between
0.7782 - 1.4771 log10 CFU at a 1X MIC concentration. A correlation was observed between the killing curves and the MIC of the leaf extract against the test organisms.
The anti-biofilm activity results of the various M. oleifera leaf extracts tested, varied, with the water extracts having a good ABF activity (> 50% Inhibition) compared to the positive controls through the 24 hours. The Hexane extracts showed good activity at the end of the experiment whereas dichloromethane showed good activity on the T0 of the experiment. Other test extracts on
the other hand (Methanol, Ethanol, and Acetone) showed no anti-biofilm activity ABF activity (0 % or less) against S. enteritidis throughout the experiment (T0-T24). With regards to the ant quorum sensing activity, the test text extracts exhibited varying levels of pigment inhibition at the tested
concentrations and the quantitative estimation of violacein inhibition in the presence of test M. oleifera leaf extracts was also performed). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the test extracts followed this trend; methanol, ethanol, dichloromethane, acetone, hexane, and aqueous ranging between (0.16-1.25 mg/ml). The minimum quorum-sensing inhibitory concentration (MQSIC), the lowest concentration indicated by bacterial growth and lack of violacein pigmentation followed this trend methanol, dichloromethane, hexane, ethanol, acetone, and aqueous, ranging between (0.04-0.16 mg/ml).
The results regarding the antibacterial effects of the plant extracts on meat showed significant reductions. All treatments were efficient (P < 0.05) in suppressing and slowing the growth of test bacteria in meat at all temperatures (4 degrees Celsius and 25 degrees Celsius) tested. The concentration of 0.50% treatment showed the strongest (P < 0.05) antibacterial effect by eliminating E. coli in raw chicken breast meat during storage at 25 degrees Celsius of the storage period as compared to other treatments. Of all the treatments tested, 0.25% MOME treatment also showed the strongest antimicrobial effects against Listeria monocytogenes, in raw meat during storage at 4 degrees Celsius resulting in complete elimination whereas other treatments showed regrowth on the last day of incubation. This study demonstrates that M. oleifera could be a good natural antimicrobial treatment to suppress natural bacterial flora and foodborne pathogens in raw chicken meat. This study further demonstrates the potential of M. oleifera leaf as a promising source for the isolation of new antibiotic compounds.
The effect of water-off events on the growth, survival, and biochemical stress indicators of the South African abalone Haliotis midae.
(University of Fort Hare, 2025-03-18) Mngqushu, Bongi Langa; Vine, N.
South African abalone farms are dependent on seawater from the surrounding environment which occasionally may experience the occurrence of harmful algal blooms (HABs). To avoid HABs entering the abalone tanks, the farm may implement water-off events, resulting in ammonia accumulation which potentially stresses the abalone, influencing the metabolism, growth, and survival. This study aimed to better understand how long the water-off interruptions might be implemented before they have a negative impact on the survival, growth, and health of the abalone, Haliotis midae.
The study involved placing baskets of abalone in different raceway tanks (control and experimental) where the water was switched off for 24, 48, and 96 hours. Prior to, during and after the exposure to the different water-off periods, haemolymph and muscle tissue were taken from abalone and were used to assess haemolymph glucose, muscle glycogen, dopamine, superoxide dismutase, and total haemolymph protein content, as indicators of abalone health. There were differences in the water quality parameters over the sampling period period. Four months after the start of the experiment there was a 100% survival for the abalone across all the treatments with no differences in their growth. There was no difference in the concentration of glycogen, glucose, dopamine, and superoxide dismutase over time in any of the treatments. Total protein concentration in the treatment tanks showed differences
between 6h and 84h fluctuations, however, it did not show any differences between the treatments.
Despite fluctuations in the water quality parameters over the 96-hour time period, the water quality parameters remained within a safe range for H. midae. The results of this study therefore show that it is safe for farm managers to turn the incoming seawater off for up to 96-hours without any negative effect on the health, growth, and survival of H. midae.
Professional nurses’ perceptions of the dispensing of chronic medicines through the Central Chronic Medicines Dispensing and Distribution (CCMDD) program in the Amatole Health District, Eastern Cape
(University of Fort Hare, 2021-11-03) Mjekula, Vatiswa Monica; Pinkoane, M.G.
Central Chronic Medicine Dispensing and Distribution is an outsourced, public dispensing service that has been operating in the Eastern Cape Province since 2014. The program was created for stable chronic patients with the goal of reducing waiting times, decongesting Primary Health Care facilities in the sector and increasing chronic medicine accessibility to all South Africans. It is designed to operate in three models, the Fast Lane, Adherence Clubs and External Pick-Up Points. This research study aims to explore perceptions of professional nurses of the dispensing of chronic medicines through the CCMDD program in the Amatole Health District, to establish what the contributory factors are around its effectiveness or its ineffectiveness.
The researcher has employed a mixed method approach, using both qualitative and quantitative designs. Creswell (2013) describes mixed methods research as both a method and methodology for conducting research. It involves collecting, analyzing and integrating quantitative and qualitative research in a single study or in a process of inquiry. In combination, it provides a better understanding of a research problem.
According to Polit and Beck (2017: 15), explorative studies are undertaken when a new area is being investigated or when little is known about the area of interest. The purpose of this approach is to give full understanding of research problem. Participants were identified by means of non-probability purposive convenience sampling method. Participants were selected based on the fact that they have knowledge of the phenomenon and were already implementing CCMDD program in their facilities. Study population is the group of 62 in total and only 50 professional nurses working in Primary Health Care facilities of Amatole, Eastern Cape that are implementing CCMDD program were interviewed. Data was collected by means a semi structure interview guide with open ended questions for participants to respond in writing, as well as a tape recorder for quality assurance. This was complemented by writing field notes
Data analysis was achieved by translation and transcription of both the interview schedule and the tape-recorded information. Content analysis was carried out using the combined methods of content analysis described by Tesch (in Creswell, 2013). A method of content analysis was employed where the researcher analysed the data independently of the co-coder, who was employed to validate the analysed the transcriptions. After independent analysis, the researcher and the co-coder met to compare their findings and to reach consensus. A demographic data was analysed quantitatively and this was going to help the managers in terms of anticipating how many that need to trained in computer and in program management.
The results and findings of the study show that the CCMDD program reduces the clinical workload in the congested health care facilities. It also reduces the waiting time for patients before receiving their medication and, furthermore, it encourages adherence to treatment.