Aims:Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that still develops life threatening infections in patients with immunological system defects like burns. The major problem with this organism is the ability to persist during infections due to its high rate of resistance to many drugs. This study was designed to evaluate the prevalence and drug susceptibility profile of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in patients admitted to a burn unit in a tertiary health facility. Methodology and Result: From 80 selected patients, appropriate clinical specimens from burn sites were collected and processed for the isolation and identification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.. Also, 78 surveillance samples from various environmental sites and hands impressions of nursing staff in the burn unit were cultured for the isolation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Drug susceptibility profile showed high resistance for ceftazidime (40.7%) ciprofloxacin (13.1%) and piperacillin (34.6%); furthermore, low resistance for some antibiotics like imipenem (17.5%) pipereracillin/tazobactam (12.3%) and aztreonam (16%) were obtained. In addition, 8 multiresistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MRPA) isolates were recovered from clinical specimens and from environmental samples. Conclusion, significance and impact of study: Evidence of high prevalence of clinical and environmental MRPA reported in this study provides the rationale for strict enforcement of infection prevention protocol to minimize cross transmission of bacterial pathogens in hospital burn units and consequent disease burden arising from MRPA.

The influence of cassava mill effluent on the microbial community of the soil was determined using viable counts method. Soil samples were collected from different sites (Locations A, B, C and D) impacted with cassava mill effluent, and also from sites unimpacted with cassava mill effluent, which served as control. The result of analysis of the impacted soil showed that the counts of Total Heterotrophic Bacteria, Total Coliforms and Total Fungi ranged from 2.0x103 CFU/ml to 2.3x104 CFU/ml, 1.9x102 CFU/ml to 1.5x104 CFU/ml and 1.4x102 CFU/ml to 2.2x102 CFU/ml respectively. These values were lower compared to the values (3.4x105 CFU/g to 3.6x106 CFU/g, 2.1x106  CFU/g to 3.3x106 CFU/g and 2.1x104 CFU/g to 3.0x104 CFU/g respectively) obtained from the unimpacted soils (control). The identification process of the isolates revealed the presence of the following bacteria; Bacillus spp., Micrococcus spp., Klebsiella spp., Pseudomonas spp., Staphylococcus spp., Salmonella spp. The fungal isolates from the effluents were identified to be Aspergillus spp., Rhizopus spp. and Mucor spp. The results obtained indicates that effluents from cassava mill effluent have a great impact on the microbial population of the soil. Since its application causes change that affects the microbial population and diversity, its continuous disposal could lead to decreased soil fertility and consequent low crop yield. Therefore, cassava mill effluents should be subjected to treatments that reduces their harmful substance content before disposal.

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