Acinetobacter are a major concern because of their rapid development of resistance to a wide range of antimicrobials, and rapid profundity in transformation, surviving desiccation and persistinge in the environment for a very long time. The organisms are associated with bacteraemia, pulmonary infections, meningitis, diarrhea and notorious nosocomial infections with mortality rates of 20 to 60%. Transmission is via person-to-person contact, water and food contamination, and contaminated hospital equipment. The increasing virulence and rapid development of multidrug resistance by these organisms highlights the need to search for alternatives for chemotherapy. A poor understanding of the organisms and dearth of information about their occurrence especially in developing countries informed the need for this review paper.
Orientation: The environmental health graduates are required to complete community service before they could be registered as independent practitioners by the Health Professions Council of South Africa. Community service programme serves as the mechanism to recruit healthcare professionals who will improve the provision of equitable and quality healthcare.Research purpose: The study aimed to explore, identify and describe the factors that had an influence on the effective selection, placement and utilisation of environmental health graduates as well as an evaluation of the effectiveness of community service.Research approach/design and method: A quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted using self-administered questionnaires. The study included 24 environmental health practitioners who completed their community service and 10 environmental health practitioners responsible for coordinating community service in the municipal, provincial and national spheres of government in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa during 2013–2016. Purposive sample was drawn from each population. T-test and chi-square test were used to determine the statistical significant differences. The open-ended question responses from the structured questionnaire were qualitatively analysed by an independent coder.Main findings: The findings revealed major problems regarding the effective implementation of community service that included decreasing number of community service posts, inadequate material resources, lack of induction, inconsistent supervision, and a lack of evaluation of the community service.Contribution: The study findings suggest important inequalities that should deserve urgent attention. Study concludes by presenting recommendations for the improvement of the community service in the environmental health.
The association of verotoxic E. coli and Acinetobacter spp. with various antibiotic-resistant, diarrhogenic, and nosocomial infections has been a cause for concern worldwide. E. coli and A. haemolyticus isolated on a number of selective media were screened for virulence factors, antibiotic resistance, and transformation of resistance genes. Out of 69 E. coli isolates obtained, 25 (35.23%), 14 (20.30%), and 28 (40.58%) were positive for Vtx1&2, Vtx1, and Vtx2, respectively, 49 (71.015%) for extendedspectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs), 34 (49.28%) for serum resistance, 57 (82.61%) for cell surface hydrophobicity, 48 (69.57%) for gelatinase production, and 37 (53.62%) for hemolysin production. For the 14 A. haemolyticus isolates, only 2 (14.29%) in each case from all the samples investigated were positive for Vtx1, Vtx2 and Vtx1&2 respectively, 8 (57.14%) for ESBLs, 7 (50.00%) for serum resistance, 11 (78.57%) for cell surface hydrophobicity, 4 (28.57%) for gelatinase production, and 8 (57.14%) for hemolysin production. Although transformation occurred among the E. coli and Acinetobacter isolates (transformation frequency: 13.3 × 10-7-53.4-7), there was poor curing of the plasmid genes, a confirmation of the presence of stable antibiotic-resistant genes (DNA concentration between 42.7 and 123.8 µg) and intragenetic transfer of multidrugresistant genes among the isolates. The isolates were potentially virulent and contained potentially transferable antibiotic resistance genes. Detection of virulence factors, antibiotic resistance genes, and transformation among these isolates is a very significant outcome that will influence approaches to proactive preventive and control measures and future investigations. However, continued surveillance for drug resistance among these bacteria and further investigation of the mechanism of action of their virulence factors are a necessity.
Forty eight samples (30 wastewater and 18 river water) were collected between July and November, 2010, from different sources in Cape Town, South Africa in order to characterize verotoxic non O157: H7 Escherichia coli strains. Samples (1 ml) were inoculated into MacConkey broth (MB, 9 ml) and incubated at 37°C for 24 h, after which a loopful of the MB was then spread onto Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) and further incubated for 24 h at 37°C in order to isolate E. coli. The identification of isolates was done using standard biochemical procedures; and confirmed serologically using E. coli polyvalent antisera (Bioweb, SA). Isolates were also characterized for virulence factors such as verotoxin, haemolysin, gelatinase, extended spectrum beta lactamases (ESBLs), cell surface hydrophobicity and bacterial serum resistance, as well as susceptibility (using disc diffusion method) to stem bark extracts of Curtisia dentata. Results showed the presence of different serotypes of E. coli (69 isolates in all) including 026: H11, 055, O111: NM, O126, O44, O124, O96:H9, O103:H2, O145: NM and O145:H2. Over 60% of the isolates exhibited serum resistance, haemolysin and gelatinase production, 81% exhibited cell surface hydrophobicity and over 52% produced ESBLs. Results also showed that while 60% of the isolates showed various levels of resistance to different antibiotics [ampicillin (10 µg), cefuroxime, cephalexin, ceftazidime and tetracycline (30 µg in each case) (multidrug resistance index (MDRI) values 4.20 to 5.60%)], only 28% were resistant to ethanol stem bark extracts of C. dentata (MIC, 70 to 150 mg/ml). The presence of pathogenic verotoxic antibiotic resistant E. coli in these water sources is a threat to water quality and food security and C. dentata has a potential for sourcing novel antibiotic substances for chemotherapy against these resistant pathogenic strains of E. coli.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.