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Background: Research from developing countries, such as Nigeria, on Lactobacillus species in the female urogenital tract and their role as a barrier to vaginal infection is limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the clinical biotherapeutic potential of indigenous Lactobacillus species. Methods: Antimicrobial metabolites production were characterised using simple and easily reproducible qualitative and quantitative methods. The in vitro inhibitory effect of Lactobacillus antimicrobials on vulvovaginal candidiasis-associated Candida species was investigated using modified agar spot and agar well-diffusion methods. Results: The maximum levels of lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and diacetyl from 20 vaginal Lactobacillus strains from diseased subjects were 1.46 mg/L, 1.36 mmol/L, and 1.72 mg/L respectively. From the 4 healthy subjects, the maximum level of lactic acid was 1.08 mg/L; hydrogen peroxide, 1.36 mmol/L; and diacetyl, 0.86 mg/L. The maximum productions of these substances occurred between 72 and 120 hours of incubation. The in vitro antagonistic activities of vaginal L. acidophilus, L. fermentum, L. brevis, L. plantarum, L. casei, L. delbrueckii, and L. jensenii from diseased subjects inhibited a maximum of 5.71% of the 35 Candida species tested, while vaginal L. acidophilus and L. plantarum from healthy subjects inhibited between 57.1% and 68.6% of Candida species in vitro. Conclusion: Antimicrobial-producing lactobacilli can be considered as adjunct biotherapeutic candidates for the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed at evaluating the in vitro efficacy and health implications of inconsistencies in different production batches of antimycotic drugs. Materials and Methods: In vitro susceptibility profiles of 36 Candida spp. - C. albicans (19.4%), C. glabrata (30.6%), C. tropicalis (33.3%), and C. pseudotropicalis (16.7%) - obtained from human endocervical and high vaginal swabs (ECS/HVS) to two different batches (B1 and B2) of six antimycotic drugs (clotrimazole, doxycycline, iconazole, itraconazole, metronidazole and nystatin) was determined using modified agar well-diffusion method. Results: None of the Candida strains had entirely the same (100%) susceptibility / resistance profiles in both batches of corresponding antimycotic drugs; while, different multiple antifungal susceptibility (MAS) rates were also recorded in batches 1 and 2 for corresponding antifungals. Only 14.3%, 27.3%, 16.7-33.3%, and 8.3-25.0% of C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. pseudotropicalis, and C. tropicalis strains, respectively, had similar susceptibility/resistance profiles toward coressponding antifungal agents in both batches; while up to 57.1% of C. albicans, 45.5% of C. glabrata, 66.7% of C. pseudotropicalis, and 50.0% of C. tropicalis strains were susceptible to one batch of antifungals but resistant to corresponding antifungals in the second batch. As high as 71.4% (C. albicans), 73.0% (C. glabrata), 50.0% (C. pseudotropicalis), and 66.74% (C. tropicalis) strains had differences of ≥10.0 mm among corresponding antimycotic agents. Conclusions: Candida strains exhibited different in vitro susceptibility / resistance patterns toward two batches of corresponding antimycotic agents, which has clinical implications on the efficacy of the drugs and treatment of patients. The findings of the present study will be of benefit in providing additional information in support of submission of drugs for registration to appropriate regulatory agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cultural means of pediatric treatment during ill health is a mainstay in Africa, and though urine has been known to contain enteric pathogens, urine therapy is still culturally applicable in some health conditions and also advocated as alternative therapy. The study therefore, is to evaluate the microbial contents and safety of urine. Methods: Urinary bacteria from cows and healthy children aged 5-11 years were identified by conventional phenotypic methods and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using modified agar disc and well-diffusion methods. Results: A total of 116 bacterial isolates (n = 77 children; n = 39 cows) were identified as Bacillus (10.4%; 5.1%)), Staphylococcus (2.6%; 2.6%), Citrobacter (3.9%; 12.8%), Escherichia coli (36.4%; 23.1%), Klebsiella (7.8%; 12.8%), Proteus (18.2%; 23.1%), Pseudomonas (9.1%; 2.6%), Salmonella (3.9%; 5.1%) and Shigella (7.8%; 12.8%) spp. Antibiotic resistance rates of the Gram-positive bacteria were high (50.0- 100%), except in Bacillus strains against chloramphenicol, gentamicin and tetracycline (14.3%), while higher resistance rates were recorded among the Gram-negative bacteria except in Citrobacter (0.0%) and Proteus (8.5%) spp. against gentamicin and tetracycline respectively. The Gram-negative bacteria from ito malu (cow urine) were more resistant bacteria except in Citrobacter (20.0%) and Shigella spp. (0.0%) against tetracycline and Proteus spp. (11.1%), (22.2%) against amoxicillin and tetracycline respectively. Multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) rates recorded in children urinal bacterial species were 37.5-100% (Gram-positive) and 12.5-100% (Gram-negative), while MAR among the cow urinal bacteria was 12.5-75.0% (Gram-positive) and 25.0-100% (Gram-negative). Similar higher resistance rates were also recorded among the Gram-negative bacterial species from urine specimens against the pediatric antibiotic suspensions. Conclusion: The study reported presence of multiple antibiotic-resistant indicator bacteria in human urine and ito malu used as alternative remedy in pediatric health conditions like febrile convulsion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present study was carried out to determine the most potent available antimicrobials in the treatment of pathogens of reproductive health importance in Nigeria. Material and methods: Using the agar disc-diffusion and modified agar well-diffusion methods, bacterial and fungal pathogens obtained from clinical specimens of female patients presenting at the University College Hospital, Nigeria were screened in vitro against the most commonly-available routine antibiotics and antifungals in Nigeria. Results: The Gram-negative bacterial pathogens were mostly susceptible to azthromycin, fortum, ceftriazone, ofloxacin, perfloxacin, rocephine and zinnat. The Gram-positive bacterial pathogens were mostly susceptible to ceftriazone, perfloxacin, rocephine, ciprofloxacin, azthromycin, zinnat and erythromycin. High overall phenotypic antibiotic resistance was displayed towards ampicillin, septrin, gentamicin, penicillin, streptomycin and tetracycline. The Gram-positive bacterial pathogens were mostly resistant to ampicillin (66.7 - 94.4%); streptomycin (53.8 - 100%); chloramphenicol (77.8 - 100%), penicillin (72.2 - 100%) and septrin (50.0 - 91.4%). The most generally resisted antibiotics among the Gram-negative bacteria were gentamicin (40.0 - 75.0%); tetracycline (57.1 - 100%); ampicillin (75.5 - 100%); streptomycin (79.4 - 100%); penicillin (91.4 - 100%) and septrin (76.5 - 91.4%). The Candida species were mostly resistant to all the test antifungals except Candida albicans. Conclusion: The findings of this study reported that the old-generation antibiotics were mostly resisted by the bacterial pathogens implicated in RHI, indicating their non-suitability as regimen for treatment of reproductive health infections. However, these antibiotics are the most abused in Nigeria, especially through self-medications because they are the most available and affordable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The lack of adequate recognition of health importance of non-HIV reproductive health infections (RHIs) in Nigeria has led into this study, which was to determine clinical pathogens in non-HIV RHI in Nigeria using a tertiary health facility as case study. Materials and Methods: A nine-year investigation was carried out between 1997 and 2005 on 4047 (n = 1626 males; n = 2421 females) patients presenting at Special Treatment Clinic (STC) of University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, Nigeria. Routine laboratory procedures using appropriate culture media, culture conditions, and current phenotypic taxonomic tools for classification of isolated pathogens were employed. Results: Age (p = 0.019) and gender (p<0.0001) were related to the recovery rates of pathogens Candida species (55.6 %), Neisseria gonorrhoae (11.1%), Gardenella vaginalis (10.3%), Escherichia coli (9.2 %), Klebsiella sp. (4.2%), streptococci (4.0%), Staphylococcus aureus (2.3%), Proteus sp., (1.8%), Haemophilus ducreyi (0.5%), Trichomonas vaginalis (0.44%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (0.18%). Candida and Gardenella vaginalis species were mostly recovered from female patients, while N.gonorrhoeae were mostly isolated from male patients. Age brackets for the recovery of pathogens were Neisseria gonorrhoeae (16-30 years); Gardenella vaginalis (21-25 and 31-35 years) and C.albicans (21-30 years). Conclusion: Candida, Neisseria gonorrhoea and Gadrenella vaginalis were the most recovered pathogens from patients presenting at Special Treatment Clinic of a tertiary health institution in Nigeria, and the relationship between age, gender and the aetiological agents was statistically significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the COVID-19 vaccination acceptance rate and its determinants among healthcare workers in a multicenter study. This was a cross-sectional multi-center survey conducted from February 5 to April 29, 2021. The questionnaire consisted of 26 items in 6 subscales. The English version of the questionnaire was translated into seven languages and distributed through Google Forms using snowball sampling; a colleague in each country was responsible for the forward and backward translation, and also the distribution of the questionnaire. A forward stepwise logistic regression was utilized to explore the variables and questionnaire factors tied to the intention to COVID-19 vaccination. 4630 participants from 91 countries completed the questionnaire. According to the United Nations Development Program 2020, 43.6 % of participants were from low Human Development Index (HDI) regions, 48.3 % high and very high, and 8.1 % from medium. The overall vaccination hesitancy rate was 37 %. Three out of six factors of the questionnaire were significantly related to intention to the vaccination. While 'Perceived benefits of the COVID-19 vaccination' (OR: 3.82, p-value<0.001) and 'Prosocial norms' (OR: 5.18, p-value<0.001) were associated with vaccination acceptance, 'The vaccine safety/cost concerns' with OR: 3.52, p-value<0.001 was tied to vaccination hesitancy. Medical doctors and pharmacists were more willing to take the vaccine in comparison to others. Importantly, HDI with OR: 12.28, 95 % CI: 6.10-24.72 was a strong positive determinant of COVID-19 vaccination acceptance. This study highlighted the vaccination hesitancy rate of 37 % in our sample among HCWs. Increasing awareness regarding vaccination benefits, confronting the misinformation, and strengthening the prosocial norms would be the primary domains for maximizing the vaccination coverage. The study also showed that the HDI is strongly associated with the vaccination acceptance/hesitancy, in a way that those living in low HDI contexts are more hesitant to receive the vaccine., (Copyright © 2022 Askarian et al.)

Fifty-four potential probiotic candidates were assayed for their phenotypic susceptibility to two batches of antibiotics manufactured by the same company, using the agar disc diffusion method on de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe (MRS) agar. Cloxacillin was generally resisted (40.0-100%), while gentamicin (3.85-20.0%) was the least resisted antibiotic. The overall percentage differences among the potential probiotics in both batches of antibiotics were 76.5% in fermented foods, 67.3% in fermented beverages, and 53.9% in infantile fecal samples, respectively. There was slightly more overall resistance in batch 1 (46.1% and 46.7%) than in batch 2 (38.4% and 40.0%) of the test antibiotics except in the multiresistance of infantile probiotic candidates (53.8% and 61.5%, respectively). Six of the probiotic candidates did not have any corresponding matching similarity profile, while none of the 54 potential probiotics had 100% antibiogram similarity profiles in both batches of the test antibiotics, despite the fact that they met some other selection criteria such as inhibition of pathogenic bacteria and survival in simulated gastric and intestinal juices and bile. It is therefore suggested that, though routine antibiotic susceptibility testing has been advocated as an essential selection criterion for potential probiotic candidates, more than one batch of antibiotic discs be used in the phenotypic antibiotic screening in developing countries like Nigeria, in order not to lose the most promising indigenous probiotic candidates, since most of the antibiotics used for antibiotic susceptibility studies are imported into the country and their origin cannot be currently fully ascertained.