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We evaluated the antibiogram profile of Escherichia coli (n = 300) isolated from selected rivers in Osun State, Nigeria. The identities of the E. coli isolates were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. Susceptibility of the isolates to 20 antibiotics conventionally used in clinical cases was assessed in vitro by the standardized agar disc-diffusion method. All the isolates were susceptible to imipenem, meropenem, amikacin and gatilofloxacin. The isolates were variously susceptible to the other antibiotics as follows: ciprofloxacin (96 %), kanamycin (95 %), neomycin (92 %), streptomycin (84 %), chloramphenicol (73 %), nalidixic acid (66 %), nitrofurantoin (64 %), gentamycin (63 %), doxycycline (58 %), cefepime (57 %), tetracycline (49 %) and cephalothin (42 %). The multiple antibiotic resistance indexing ranged from 0.50 to 0.80 for all the sampling locations and exceeded the threshold value of 0.2, suggesting the origin of the isolates to be of high antimicrobial usage. Our findings signify an increase in the incidence of antimicrobial resistance of E. coli towards conventionally used antibiotics necessitating proper surveillance programmes towards the monitoring of antimicrobial resistance determinants in water bodies.

BackgroundDiarrhoeal diseases are attributable to unsafe water stemming from improper sanitation and hygiene and are reportedly responsible for extensive morbidity and mortality particularly among children in developed and developing countries.MethodsWater samples from selected rivers in Osun State, South-Western Nigeria were collected and analyzed using standard procedures. Escherichia coli isolates (n=300) were screened for 10 virulence genes using polymerase chain reaction for pathotyping.ResultsWhile the virulence gene (VG) lt for enterotoxigenic E. coli had the highest prevalence of 45 %, the enteropathogenic E. coli genes eae and bfp were detected in 6 and 4 % of the isolates respectively. The VGs stx1 and stx2 specific for the enterohemorrhagic E. coli pathotypes were detected in 7 and 1 % of the isolates respectively. Also, the VG eagg harboured by enteroaggregative pathotype and diffusely-adherent E. coli VG daaE were detected in 2 and 4 % of the isolates respectively and enteroinvasive E. coli VG ipaH was not detected. In addition, the VGs papC for uropathogenic and ibeA for neonatal meningitis were frequently detected in 19 and 3 % of isolates respectively.ConclusionsThese findings reveal the presence of diarrhoeagenic and non-diarrhoeagenic E. coli in the selected rivers and a potential public health risk as the rivers are important resources for domestic, recreational and livelihood usage by their host communities.

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Identification of fungal species based on morphological characteristics is tedious, complex, prone to errors, and thus cannot be completely relied upon. In this study, internal transcribed spacers (ITS 1 and 4)—polymerase chain reaction was employed to amplify DNA of 19 mushroom isolates collected at Environmental Pollution Science and Technology farm, Ilesa, Southwest Nigeria. The PCR amplification of ITS1 and 4 of the mushrooms isolates yielded approximately 850 bp. Amplicons obtained were sequenced and identified using BLASTn in the NCBI. The BLASTn results revealed that Termitomyces aurantiacus (3), Tricholoma matsutake (8), Tricholoma robustum (2), P. ostreatus (4), Schizophyllum commune (1) and Pleurotus pulmonarius (1) were fully represented. Only Tricholoma matsutake (KT273371), Pleurotus pulmonarius (KY962469) and Tricholoma matsutake (AF438605) had 100% similarity with reference strain. However, the phylogenetic analysis of the isolates showed low genetic relatedness with reference strains. This study revealed the novelty of the mushroom strains and thus advocating the need for strict conservation measures and further investigations on their potential benefits to mankind.