Department of Biotechnology and Biological Sciences

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http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11837/156
The Department of Biotechnology and Biological Sciences collection in DSpace at the University of Fort Hare provides access to the scholarly and research outputs of staff and students. This collection includes research articles, conference papers, and examination question papers. The Department integrates a broad range of disciplines, including Biochemistry and Microbiology, Botany, Zoology, Entomology, Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, and Genetics, to provide comprehensive teaching and research in the life sciences. Its programmes and research activities address critical challenges in health, agriculture, biodiversity conservation, food security, industry, and the environment, while promoting both fundamental and applied scientific inquiry. By preserving and disseminating these resources, the collection supports teaching, learning, and research, while contributing to scientific advancement and sustainable solutions for local and global communities.

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Browsing Department of Biotechnology and Biological Sciences by Author "Abioye, Oluwatayo E."

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    Antibiotic resistance and virulence genes profiling of Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio mimicus isolates from some seafood collected at the aquatic environment and wet markets in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
    (Public Library of Science, 2023-08-24) Abioye, Oluwatayo E.; Nontongana, Nolonwabo; Osunla, Charles A.; Okoh, Anthony Ifeanyi; Venkitanarayanan, K.
    The current study determines the density of Vibrio spp. and isolates V. cholerae and Vibrio mimicus from fish-anatomical-sites, prawn, crab and mussel samples recovered from fish markets, freshwater and brackish water. Virulence and antibiotic resistance profiling of isolates were carried out using standard molecular and microbiology techniques. Vibrio spp. was detected in more than 90% of samples [134/144] and its density was significantly more in fish than in other samples. Vibrio. cholerae and V. mimicus were isolated in at least one sample of each sample type with higher isolation frequency in fish samples. All the V. cholerae isolates belong to non-O1/non-O139 serogroup. One or more V. cholerae isolates exhibited intermediate or resistance against each of the eighteen panels of antibiotics used but 100% of the V. mimicus were susceptible to amikacin, gentamycin and chloramphenicol. Vibrio cholerae exhibited relatively high resistance against polymyxin, ampicillin and amoxicillin/clavulanate while V. mimicus isolates exhibited relatively high resistance against nitrofurantoin, ampicillin and polymixin. The multiple-antibiotic-resistance-index [MARI] for isolates ranges between 0 and 0.67 and 48% of the isolates have MARI that is >0.2 while 55% of the isolates exhibit MultiDrug Resistance Phenotypes. The percentage detection of acc, ant, drf18, sul1, mcr-1, blasvh, blaoxa, blatem, blaoxa48, gyrA, gyrB and parC resistance-associated genes were 2%, 9%, 14%, 7%, 2%, 25%, 7%, 2%, 2%, 32%, 25% and 27% respectively while that for virulence-associated genes in increasing other was ace [2%], tcp [11%], vpi [16%], ompU [34%], toxR [43%], rtxC [70%], rtxA [73%] and hyla [77%]. The study confirmed the potential of environmental non-O1/non-O139 V. cholerae and V. mimicus to cause cholera-like infection and other vibriosis which could be difficult to manage with commonly recommended antibiotics. Thus, regular monitoring of the environment to create necessary awareness for this kind of pathogens is important in the interest of public health.
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    Occurrence of virulence determinants in vibrio cholerae, vibrio mimicus, vibrio alginolyticus, and vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates from important water resources of Eastern Cape, South Africa
    (BioMed Central, 2023-10-23) Abioye, Oluwatayo E.; Osunla, Charles A.; Nontongana, Nolonwabo; Okoh, Anthony Ifeanyi
    Background: Virulence determinants are crucial to the risk assessment of pathogens in an environment. This study investigated the presence of eleven key virulence-associated genes in Vibrio cholerae (n=111) and Vibrio mimicus (n=22) and eight virulence determinants in Vibrio alginolyticus (n=65) and Vibrio parahaemolyticus (n=17) isolated from six important water resources in Eastern Cape, South Africa, using PCR techniques. The multiple virulence gene indexes (MVGI) for sampling sites and isolates as well as hotspots for potential vibriosis outbreaks among sampling sites were determined statistically based on the comparison of MVGI. Result: The PCR assay showed that all the V. cholerae isolates belong to non-O1/non-O139 serogroups. Of the isolates, Vibrio Cholera (84%), V. mimicus (73%), V. alginolyticus (91%) and V. parahaemolyticus (100%) isolates harboured at least one of the virulence-associated genes investigated. The virulence gene combinations detected in isolates varied at sampling site and across sites. Typical virulence-associated determinants of V. cholerae were detected in V. mimicus while that of V. parahaemolyticus were detected in V. alginolyticus. The isolates with the highest MVGI were recovered from three estuaries (Sunday river, Swartkopps river, buffalo river) and a freshwater resource (Lashinton river). The cumulative MVGI for V. cholerae, V. mimicus, V. alginolyticus and V. parahaemolyticus isolates were 0.34, 0.20, 0.45, and 0.40 respectively. The targeted Vibrio spp. in increasing order of the public health risk posed in our study areas based on the MVGI is V. alginolyticus>V. parahaemolyticus>V. cholerae>V. mimicus. Five (sites SR, PA5, PA6, EL4 and EL6) out of the seventeen sampling sites were detected as the hotspots for potential cholera-like infection and vibriosis outbreaks. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that humans having contact with water resources in our study areas are exposed to potential public health risks owing to the detection of virulent determinants in human pathogenic Vibrio spp. recovered from the water resources. The study affirms the relevancy of environmental Vibrio species to the epidemiology of vibriosis, cholera and cholera-like infections. Hence we suggest a monitoring program for human pathogenic Vibrio spp. in the environment most especially surface water that humans have contact with regularly