Sweet oranges are prone to spoilage by filamentous fungi as a result of their high levels of sugars and low P H values. These fungi are known to produce toxins which are deleterious to human health. This study was therefore conducted to isolate, characterize and identify the filamentous fungi associated with the spoilage of sweet oranges sold in major Awka Markets, Nigeria. Thirty sweet orange fruits purchased from Eke-Awka, Temporary Site, Nodu, Ifite and Amaenyi Markets were used for the study. The average filamentous fungal count of the spoilt sweet orange fruits was 2.0 x10 3 cfu/ml, 1.3 x 10 3 cfu/ml, 2.1 x 10 3 cfu/ml, 1.6x 10 3 cfu/ml and 1.8 x 10 3 cfu/ml for the samples from Eke-Awka, Temporary Site, Nodu, Ifite and Amaenyi Markets respectively. The fungi were identified as Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus stolonifer, Mucor mucedo, Penicillium digitatum, Fusarium oxysporum and Aspergillus flavus. The percentage distribution of the fungi was 27.5%, 22.5%, 15.0%, 10.0%, 7.5 and 17.5% for Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus stolonifer, Mucor mucedo, Penicillium digitatum, Fusarium oxysporum and Aspergillus flavus respectively. Aspergillus niger caused the highest degree of spoilage. Good agricultural practices, adequate storage facilities and good handling practices must be put in place to reduce the incidence of these fungi in sweet oranges thereby minimizing their spoilage.

Vaginitis is the fungal infection of the vulva and or vagina caused mostly by Candida albicans. Itching, abortion, irritation of the vulva and vagina and white discharges from the vagina are the common symptoms. Thirty vaginitis symptomatic pregnant women attending antenatal clinic of Anambra State University Teaching Hospital Awka, Nigeria were sampled. They were aged between twenty and forty-five years. The Candida species were isolated, characterized and identified by standard biochemical and microbiological methods. The women aged 26-30 years had the highest percentage distribution of Candida species (63.3%) while those in their third trimester of pregnancy were mostly infected, with a percentage distribution of 63.3%. The vaginal candida species isolated from the women were Candida albicans (66.7%), Candida grabrata (23.3%), Candida tropicalis (6.7%) and Candida krusei (3.3%). Candida albicans occurred in all the age groups and trimesters of pregnancy. The pregnant women at great risk of vaginitis are those aged between 26 and 30 years as well as those in their third trimester of pregnancy. This calls for commitment to routine medical examination and appropriate treatment of the infected pregnant women.

Onion bulbs rots are caused by microorganisms especially fungi leading to economic loss. These fungi have been known to produce toxins which are injurious to human and animal health, therefore in this study, the fungi associated with the spoilage of onions bulbs purchased from Umuike, Amaikwo, Amaudo, Okpuno and Permanent site markets were isolated, characterized and identified. The average fungal counts ranged between 1.2 x 10 3 CfU/ml and 2.0 x 10 3 CfU/ml. The fungi isolated from the spoilt onion bulbs were Penicillum digitatum, Fusarium oxysporum, Rhizopus stolonifer, Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus niger and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The samples from Amaudo market had the highest percentage distribution of fungi of 34.2% while those from permanent site had the least percentage distribution of 8.6%. Aspergillus niger had the highest percentage distribution of 34.29% in the spoilt onion bulbs while Saccharomyces cerevisiae had the least percentage distribution of 5.71%. Aspergillus niger also had the highest rot diameter of 40mm while Saccharomyces cerevisiae had the least rot diameter of 16mm. Adequate mycological knowledge, storage facilities and handling practices would therefore minimize the deterioration of onion bulbs thereby ensuring its availability to the society all year round.

The primary function of aviation fuel is to provide propulsive energy to the aircraft. Microorganisms may contribute to aging instability in the fuel, induce corrosion of the storage tanks and pipeworks, form mats which can block filters and pipelines and increase wear in fuel pumps eventually leading to engine failure, therefore, in this study, the microbial contaminants in the commercial aviation fuel obtained from Benin City Airport, Nigeria were isolated, characterized, identified and their hydrocarbon-utilizing potentials determined using standard methods. The microbial contaminants were Micrococcus luteus, Serratia marcescens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Citrobacter freundii, Klebsiella aerogenes, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium italicum, Rhizopus stolonifer, Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida tropicalis. Serratia marcescens had the highest percentage distribution (16%) in the fuel. Serratia marcescens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Rhizopus stolonifer and Aspergillus fumigatus were the best utilizers of the fuel among the organisms isolated. There was a drop in the initial pH of the mineral salts oil medium inoculated with the isolates indicating hydrocarbon utilization. The result of this work showed that the fuel examined was contaminated with bacteria and fungi, therefore the incorporation of effective biocides, frequent inspection and drainage of water from fuel tanks and pipeworks are recommended.

The prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria among the pregnant women receiving antenatal care at Federal Medical Centre Owerri, Nigeria was studied using one hundred and forty urine samples from the pregnant women in the in-patient and outpatient departments. Thirty-five of the women had significant bacteriuria, with a prevalence rate of 25%. The bacteria in the samples were Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus mirabilis. Escherichia coli occurred most frequently (40%) while Pseudomonas aeruginosa had the lowest frequency of occurrence (14%) in the samples. The infection was most prevalent among the women aged between 21 and 30 years (38.1%) and lowest among those between 41 and 50 years of age (9.4%). The prevalence was highest among the pregnant farmers and lowest among the pregnant civil servants in both the in-patient and outpatient departments. Pregnant women in the outpatient department had a higher prevalence than the women in the in-patient department. Pregnancy promotes the progression of asymptomatic to symptomatic bacteriuria with its consequences such as pyelonephritis, urinary tract infections and increased foetal mortality, therefore regular urine analysis of all pregnant women by certified health authorities is recommended.