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Background: Histoplasma capsulatum is the causative agent of histoplasmosis, a dimorphic fungal disease. The study aimed at determining prevalence and susceptibility pattern of Histoplasma capsulatum among patients with pulmonary infection in Northern Nigeria. Material and Methods: This is a cross sectional and hospital-based study. Samples were collected from patients and questionnaires were administered. Three hundred and twenty-two sputum samples were collected and analysed with standard microbiological methods. The use of lactophenol cotton blue dye, revealed the presence of yeast like cells. Varieties differentiation was done by urease test. Sociodemographic and risk factors associated with histoplasmosis were determined by administering questionnaires to participants. Antifungal E-test strips were used to determine the susceptibility and data analysed by Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20 at 5% significance level. Results: Histoplasma var. duboisii was isolated with 18(5.59 %) prevalence. Geriatric age (12.5 %), had the highest prevalence among the age groups in the study. Males (8.07 %), having high prevalence than females (3.10 %). The married and Civil servants had 6.25 %, and 8.69 % prevalence respectively and statistically associated with histoplasmosis. The immunocompromised and traders among the risk factors considered in the study, has an odd ratio of 1.026 and 1.060. Amphotericin B was most effective in this study. Conclusion: Histoplasmosis mimics tuberculosis in clinical presentations, hence, should be diagnosed alongside tuberculosis infection before commencement of therapy, awareness campaign, public policy should be made by the government on its presence and how to tackle the disease alongside AIDS and Tuberculosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Histoplasmosis is a fungus disease caused by a dimorphic organism called Histoplasma capsulatum, it is endemic in United States, Asia, and Africa. Inoculation is through inhalation of infectious spores. Histoplasmosis is missed in diagnosis because it mimics tuberculosis in clinical presentations and not all patients suffering from tuberculosis are tuberculosis patients. The aim is to determine the prevalence of disseminated histoplasmosis among patients with pulmonary infections. Method: This is cross sectional and hospital based. Samples were collected from patients and questionnaires were administered. Three hundred and twenty-two (322) urine samples were aseptically collected in urine tubes and analyzed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay to detect the presence of galactomannan in the urine samples. Results: Out of 322 samples analyzed, 12 (3.74 %) were positive for the presence of galactomannan while 310 (96.27 %) were negative. Participants of the geriatric age group had the highest prevalence of 12.5 %. Male 8.07 % were more prone to histoplasmosis disease than their female 3.10 % counterpart. The married displayed a high prevalence value of 6.25 % than singles 2.25 % and the divorced 3.57 % and framer were demonstrated a high value of 7.69 % prevalence. Among the risk factors trader had an odd ratio of 3.800 and chest discomfort 1.037 % is a disease symptom associated with histoplasmosis. Conclusion: Disseminated histoplasmosis occur among the study participants through low in prevalence, awareness of its presence should be known to the general public and clinician, diagnosis of histoplasmosis is be done along that of Tuberculosis because it can be co-infection with Tuberculosis for proper treatment regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reports of increasing occurrence of multidrugresistant (MDR) Staphylococcus aureus from milk and milk products across Nigeria constitute a significant public health threat. This study systematically reviewed the prevalence of MDR S. aureus in milk and milk products from all the geopolitical zones in Nigeria. Extensive literature search through African Journal Online, Google Scholar, Google, Semantic Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus was conducted. Articles published between August 8, 2007 and May 4, 2020 were included in the study and evaluated according to geopolitical zones where such studies were conducted. Of the 46 articles gathered, 28 were selected. The highest and lowest prevalence of MDR S. aureus recorded were 100% and 3.21% respectively. The phenotypic patterns of antibiotic resistance as evaluated from the studies examined consisted of different antibiotics combinations with multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) indices =0.2. Furthermore, antibiotic resistance gene mecA was the dominant antibiotic resistance gene detected from S. aureus isolates exhibiting phenotypic resistance to the antibiotics tested. The high occurrence of MDR S. aureus in milk and milk products in Nigeria is worrisome, however, there was under-reporting or unavailable reports from some geopolitical zones. The MAR index > 2.0 recorded from the majority of the studies depicts the over use and/or misuse of antibiotics in Nigeria. The fight against MDR S. aureus should be holistic, involving the relevant authorities and stakeholders through the one health perspective which would ensure food safety and improve public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Introduction and objective. Infections due to multidrug-resistant (MDR) Enterobacteriaceae are an ongoing global threat in their management. The aim of the study was to investigate the antiimicrobial resistance (AMR) and virulence gene profiles of MDR Gram-negative isolates in Sokoto, north-west Nigeria. Materials and method. A total of 578 clinical samples were collected from patients. Suspected Gram-negative bacteria were isolated from these clinical samples: vaginal swab, pus, stool, blood, wound swab and urine, using Gram-staining and conventional biochemical reactions. These isolates were further identified with an identification kit (Microgen-GN-A), and tested against a panel of 11 antibiotics. A single polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting 13 virulence gene related to adhesion (fimH, papC, and sfaS), iron chelation (iutA, and fyuA), toxins (astA, stx1, stx2, and eaeA), biofilm (bssS), and serum resistance (traT, iss, and kapsMTII) encoding genes were evaluated. Results. A total of 276 Gram-negative isolates were identified using the Gram stain and biochemical reactions. These organisms were further confirmed with identification kit. Of the 276 isolates, 36 organisms of interest (23 Escherichia coli, 4 Klebsiella pneumoniae and 9 Proteus mirabilis) were identified. Other Gram-negative isolates accounted for the remaining 86.9%. The majority of the isolates were resistant to cefixime (100%) and partially resistant to amikacin (19.4%).The virulence genes bssS (58.3%), fimH (44.4%), and iutA (44.4%) were the most prevalent, whereas kapsMTII (5.6%) and stx2 (2.8%) were least detected, while astA was not detected in any of the isolates. Conclusion. The study elucidated the prevalence of antibiotic resistance and virulence genes in Gram-negative bacteria from clinical isolates in Sokoto, north-western Nigeria. The majority of the isolates were MDR, thereby posing a public health risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most frequent complications of surgical interventions. Several factors have been identified as major determinants of occurrence of SSIs. The present study determined the occurrence and possible risk factors associated with SSIs at a tertiary healthcare facility in Abuja, Nigeria. All patients scheduled for operation in the hospital during the study period and who consented to participate willingly in the study were observed prospectively for the occurrence of SSI based on criteria stipulated by the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Data on sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, surgical procedure and co-morbidity were collected into a pre-tested data collection tool and analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics software v.24. Predictors of SSIs were identified using multivariate logistic regression model and p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Of the 127 surgical patients that met the inclusion criteria comprising 65 (51.2%) females and 62 (48.8%) males between 1 and 83 years with mean age of 25.64 ± 1.66 years, 35 (27.56%; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.205–0.360) developed SSIs. Prolonged post-operative hospital stays (p < 0.05), class of wound (p < 0.0001) and some comorbid conditions were found to be significantly associated with higher SSI rate. The SSI rate was highest among patients that had Kirschner-wire insertion (75.0%), followed by an unexpectedly high infection rate among patients that had mastectomy (42.9%), while lower percentages (33.3%) were recorded among patients that had exploratory laparotomy and appendicectomy. The overall magnitude of SSIs in this facility is high (27.6%; 95% CI: 0.205–0.360). Several factors were found to be independent predictors of occurrence of SSI. The findings thus highlight the need for improved surveillance of SSIs and review of infection control policies of the hospital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The increasing resistance of clinical Enterobacteriaceae isolates to commonly prescribed antibiotics has been reported around the world. Data are generally lacking on the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility profile of clinical Enterobacteriaceae isolates from Kaduna, northwest Nigeria. This study thus aimed to determine the diversity and antibiotic resistance profile of clinical Enterobacteriaceae isolates recovered from clinical specimens from patients admitted to two selected healthcare institutions in Kaduna. Methods. This was a prospective cross-sectional study conducted between September and December 2021. Non-duplicate clinical bacterial isolates recovered from various specimens were collected and identified using rapid biochemical identification kits. The susceptibility of identified Enterobacteriaceae to various antibiotics and phenotypic detection of carbapenemase enzymes were thereafter determined. The data were analysed and visualized using R software version 4.3.1. Results. Of the 500 bacterial isolates recovered from specimens collected for the purpose of clinical bacteriology diagnostics, 108 (21.6 %) were identified as Enterobacteriaceae , with Pantoea agglomerans (52, 48.1 %) and Klebsiella oxytoca (19, 17.6 %) being the most prevalent. The isolates exhibited high resistance to azithromycin (69 %) and ceftazidime (42 %), while exhibiting low resistance to amikacin (7 %) and imipenem (10 %). Among the carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) isolates, a significant proportion (12/17, 70.6 %) tested positive for carbapenemase activity. Conclusion. This study reports a high prevalence of multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in Kaduna, northwest Nigeria. The emergence of pathogenic P. agglomerans and an alarmingly high prevalence of carbapenemase-producing CRE were also observed. The presence of carbapenemase producers in an area with low carbapenem usage and resistance rates raises significant concerns. Continuous surveillance and robust antibiotic stewardship policies are imperative to preserve the efficacy of carbapenems in this region., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors.)

Empedobacter falsenii is an emerging opportunistic pathogen that has been occasionally implicated in various human infections. In this study, we described the genomic features of a multidrug resistant E. falsenii Q1655 obtained from a patient attending a public hospital in Sokoto, northwest Nigeria. The isolate, E. falsenii Q1655, was isolated from the stool sample of a patient in Sokoto, Nigeria. The identity of the isolate was confirmed by MALDITOF-MS. The disc diffusion test and modified Carba-NP test were used for phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility test and carbapenemase enzyme production test, respectively. The whole genome of the strain was sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq technique. Resistome analysis was done by annotation of the WGS against the ARG-ANNOT database. The isolate was resistant to all β-lactam antibiotics with the exception of cefepime. The MICs of imipenem and ertapenem as determined by E-test were 12 μg/ml and 2 μg/ml, respectively. Modified Carba NP test showed that the strain was carbapenemase producing. Resistome analysis revealed the presence of a novel metallo-β-lactamase, a chromosomal bla EBR-4 , which exhibited 94.92% and 97.02% nucleotide and protein sequence identities respectively with bla EBR-3 gene of E. falsenii 174,820. Seven and eight amino-acid substitutions were observed with the bla EBR-1 and bla EBR-2 , respectively. We reported the first isolation and genomic description of an extensively drug resistant isolate of Empedobacter falsenii in Nigeria. This report broadens our knowledge of carbapenem resistance in E. falsenii and it will serve as a useful guide in the development of antibiotic use policy., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Carbapenemase-producing Alcaligenes species has been described in only few studies, with none so far from the African continent. Here, we report the whole genome sequence of Peanalcaligenes suwonensis bearing bla VIM-5 metallo-β-lactamase and first detection of carbapenemase producing Alcaligenes faecalis isolated from patients attending tertiary healthcare facilities in Nigeria. The isolates were identified by MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry. Antibiotic susceptibility assay, modified Carba NP test and genomic investigation revealed that two isolates of Alcaligenes faecalis and an isolate of Paenalcaligenes suwonensis harboured bla VIM-5 gene. The genome sequence analysis of the P. suwonensis 191B isolate, responsible for acute gastroenteritis, reveal the presence of 18 antibiotic resistance genes coding for resistance to five different classes of antibiotics. Three of the genes (bla OXA-368 , bla CARB-4 and bla VIM-5 ) codes for resistance to β-lactam antibiotics. To our best knowledge, we describe here the first genome sequence of P. suwonensis species and the first detection of class B carbapenemase bla VIM-5 in a clinical isolate of P. suwonensis species and Alcaligenes faecalis in Nigeria. The finding of this study is of concern, as lateral dissemination of the genes into clinically important Gram-negative pathogens is highly likely., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Surgical site infection (SSI) is a major patient safety concern in hospitals. Unlike most developed countries, Nigeria does not yet have an established national system to monitor the occurrence of this infection. This meta-analysis was thus designed to determine the pooled cumulative incidence of SSIs and various determinants of its occurrence in Nigeria., Methods: The electronic databases were systematically searched for articles reporting the occurrence and risk factors associated with SSIs in Nigeria from January 2000 to December 2018. The eligible articles were evaluated using a set of pre-defined criteria. The extracted data were analysed using the comprehensive meta-analysis software. The Begg and Egger's regression tests were used to assess the risk of bias of the included publications., Results: Thirty-two articles emanating from the six geopolitical regions of Nigeria were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled cumulative incidence of SSIs was 14.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.113-0.184) with the highest incidence reported in the north-eastern region (27.3%, 95% CI: 0.132-0.481) of the country. It was also found to occur more predominantly following colorectal and abdominal surgeries, among elderly patients and in patients with co-morbid conditions. The most frequently reported was the superficial incisional SSIs occurring in 62.5% (95% CI: 0.333-0.848). Higher preponderance was also observed among patients with dirty wounds (52.7%, 95% CI: 0.367-0.682)., Conclusion: This meta-analysis documents for the first time the national burden of SSIs in Nigeria. Control measures geared towards its reduction should be strengthened and a national policy on SSI surveillance, prevention and control developed., Competing Interests: None