Species in Wastewater Final Effluents and Receiving Watershed in South Africa: Implications for Public Health.

Wastewater treatment facilities in South Africa are obliged to make provision for wastewater effluent quality management, with the aim of securing the integrity of the surrounding watersheds and environments. The Department of Water Affairs has documented regulatory parameters that have, over the years, served as a guideline for quality monitoring/management purposes. However, these guidelines have not been regularly updated and this may have contributed to some of the water quality anomalies.

Molecular Characterization and Antimicrobial Resistance Pattern of Recovered from Wastewater Treatment Plants in Eastern Cape South Africa.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are designed to eliminate organic matter and pathogens but most WWTPs discharges antimicrobial resistance pathogens into aquatic milieu. The study aimed to examine the antibiotics resistant patterns and the presence of some resistance genes among isolates from WWTPs effluents. Water were collected from WWTPs final effluents, filtered through nitrocellulose membrane and the filter papers were placed on chromogenic agar plates, incubated for 24 h at 37 °C.

Safety Evaluation and Colonisation Abilities of Four Lactic Acid Bacteria as Future Probiotics.

The study evaluated the safety and colonisation properties of four lactic acid bacteria (LAB), by determining their cell hydrophobicity and aggregation abilities. In addition, the presence of virulence and resistance genes was assayed in these probiotic candidates. Lactobacillus reuteri ZJ625, Lactobacillus reuteri VB4, Lactobacillus salivarius ZJ614 and Streptococcus salivarius NBRC13956 were tested for cell surface hydrophobicity abilities against xylene, chloroform and ethyl acetate.

Diversity of Complex from Cattle Lymph Nodes in Eastern Cape Province.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major health challenge in South Africa and the condition in humans has been well researched and documented. However, investigations on the circulating complex (MTBC) strains from cattle in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa are insufficient. This study delineated the diversity of MTBC isolates from cows' lymph nodes.

Phthalates removal efficiency in different wastewater treatment technology in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

The removal capacity of different wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) technologies adopted in rural areas for phthalate was investigated in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Wastewater samples collected from three selected WWTPs which use activated sludge (AS), trickling filter (TF), and oxidation pond (OP) technology were extracted using the solid-phase extraction method followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The six selected phthalate esters (PAEs) dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), di(2-ethyl hexyl) phthalate (DEHP), and di-n-octyl phthalate (DOP) were detected in all the samples collected from the WWTPs.

Fate and impact of phthalates in activated sludge treated municipal wastewater on the water bodies in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

The concentration and fates of six priority phthalate esters (PAEs); dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), di (2-ethyl hexyl) phthalate (DEHP), and di-n-octyl phthalate (DOP) in wastewaters from the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) which adopted the activated sludge technology in the Amathole Municipality, Eastern Cape, South Africa were investigated. The six PAEs were detected in all the influents and in almost all the WWTP effluent of which DBP was the most abundant in the influent followed by DEHP. Influent concentration of DBP in the three WWTPs ranged between 2.

Antibiotic Use in Agriculture and Its Consequential Resistance in Environmental Sources: Potential Public Health Implications.

Due to the increased demand of animal protein in developing countries, intensive farming is instigated, which results in antibiotic residues in animal-derived products, and eventually, antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance is of great public health concern because the antibiotic-resistant bacteria associated with the animals may be pathogenic to humans, easily transmitted to humans via food chains, and widely disseminated in the environment via animal wastes. These may cause complicated, untreatable, and prolonged infections in humans, leading to higher healthcare cost and sometimes death.

as an Emerging Ubiquitous Pathogen: Looking Beyond Contemporary Antibiotic Therapy.

is a commensal and an emerging pathogen earlier noted in broad-spectrum life threatening infections among the vulnerable, but more recently as a pathogen in immunocompetent individuals. The bacteria are consistently being implicated in necrotizing otitis, cutaneous infections including soft tissue infection and keratitis, endocarditis, meningitis, acute respiratory tract infection (RTI), bacteraemia (with/without hematological malignancies), tropical pyomyositis, cystic fibrosis, septic arthritis, among others. is also an environmental bacteria occurring in water, rhizospheres, as part of the animals' microflora, in foods, and several other microbiota.

Low serum ferritin and G6PD deficiency as potential predictors of anaemia in pregnant women visiting Prime Care Hospital Enugu Nigeria.

Objectives: Though iron deficiency is known to be a major risk factor of anaemia, the association of G6PD deficiency and malaria with anaemia still remains unclear. Hence, a cross-sectional study involving 95 pregnant women visiting Prime Care Hospital in Trans-Ekulu region of Enugu Nigeria was conducted to determine possible predictors of anaemia in pregnancy.

Results: The prevalence of anaemia, malaria and G6PD deficiency were 53.

Congenital Absence of Left Circumflex Artery: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Congenital absence of the left circumflex artery is a rare coronary anomaly with few reported cases in the literature. These patients are usually diagnosed incidentally when they undergo coronary angiography or coronary CT to rule out underlying coronary artery disease. In this article, we report a case of a 46-year-old man who was incidentally found to have a congenitally absent left circumflex artery with a superdominant right coronary artery after a workup was initiated for frequent premature ventricular contractions and regional wall motion on echocardiogram.

Bioactive Constituents, Radical Scavenging, and Antibacterial Properties of the Leaves and Stem Essential Oils from (L.) Kunth.

Background: is an annual herbaceous ethnomedicinal plant used in the treatment of a variety of communicable and noncommunicable diseases in the Amazon region.

Objective: The study aimed at profiling the bioactive constituents of the leaves and stem essential oils (LEO and SEO) of , their antibacterial and radical scavenging properties as probable lead constituents in the management of oxidative stress and infectious diseases. Materials and.

Occurrences of Organochlorine Pesticides along the Course of the Buffalo River in the Eastern Cape of South Africa and Its Health Implications.

Most organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) which are increasingly used in agriculture and industry are not biodegradable and thereby persist in the environment for a very long period of time. They are capable of negatively impacting the health of humans and biota when present in a higher concentration than recommended. This study evaluated the concentrations of 17 OCPs in surface water samples collected from six sampling sites along the course of the Buffalo River in Eastern Cape, South Africa, between December 2015 and May 2016.

Molecular detection of Porcine circovirus type 2 in swine herds of Eastern Cape Province South Africa.

Background: Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) remains the main causative viral pathogen of porcine circovirus-associated diseases (PCVAD) of great economic importance in pig industry globally. This present study aims at determining the occurrence of the viral pathogen in swine herds of the Province.

Results: The data obtained revealed that 15.

Peroxidase production and ligninolytic potentials of fresh water bacteria and .

Interest in novel ligninolytic bacteria has remained topical due to, in part, the maneuverability of the bacterial genome. Conversely, the fungal genome lacks the dexterity for similar maneuverability thus, posing challenges in the fungal enzyme yield optimization process. Some impact of this situation includes the inability to commercialize the bio-catalytic process of lignin degradation by fungi.

Petroleum Hydrocarbon Profiles of Water and Sediment of Algoa Bay, Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Petroleum hydrocarbon profiles of water and sediment samples of Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa were assessed using standard analytical procedures. Water (from surface and bottom levels) and sediment samples were collected from five locations in the bay from February to June 2016. Extraction of the petroleum hydrocarbons from the water and sediment samples collected was achieved using liquid-liquid and Soxhlet extraction techniques, respectively, followed by column clean up.

Vibrio Pathogens: A Public Health Concern in Rural Water Resources in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Members of the Vibrio genus are autochthonous inhabitants of aquatic environments and play vital roles in sustaining the aquatic milieu. The genus comprises about 100 species, which are mostly of marine or freshwater origin, and their classification is frequently updated due to the continuous discovery of novel species. The main route of transmission of Vibrio pathogens to man is through drinking of contaminated water and consumption inadequately cooked aquatic food products.

The Effect of Continuous-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device Duration on Postoperative Outcomes.

Background: This study evaluated the effect of continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (CF-LVAD) duration on postoperative outcomes in heart transplant patients.

Methods: United Network of Organ Sharing heart transplant follow-up data from 2005 to 2015 were obtained. Patients supported by CF-LVADs who subsequently underwent cardiac transplantation were studied.

A Marine Bacterium, Bacillus sp. Isolated from the Sediment Samples of Algoa Bay in South Africa Produces a Polysaccharide-Bioflocculant.

Bioflocculants mediate the removal of suspended particles from solution and the efficiency of flocculation is dependent on the characteristics of the flocculant. Apart from the merits of biodegradability and harmlessness, bioflocculants could be viable as industrially relevant flocculants as they are a renewable resource. Additionally, the shortcomings associated with the conventionally used flocculants such as aluminium salts and acrylamide polymers, which include dementia and cancer, highlight more the need to use bioflocculants as an alternative.

Impact of Left-Ventricular Assist Device-Related Complications on Posttransplant Graft Survival.

Background: This study describes the impact of continuous-flow left-ventricular-assist device (CF-LVAD)-related complications on postoperative outcomes.

Methods: The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) heart transplant follow-up data from 2005 to 2015 were obtained. CF-LVAD patients who were bridged to transplant were studied.

The current status of robotic transaxillary thyroidectomy in the United States: an experience from two centers.

Background: Few studies exist regarding the state of robotic transaxillary thyroidectomy (RT) and its outcomes at high-volume institutions.

Methods: Eighty-nine patients underwent RT between January 2009 and September 2015 at two tertiary centers. Data were collected from prospectively-maintained IRB-approved databases.

Chemical constituents, antibacterial and antioxidant properties of the essential oil flower of Tagetes minuta grown in Cala community Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Background: Tagetes minuta has a long record of human use for the treatment of stomach and intestinal diseases. Most drugs used for diseases treatment are less efficacious with side effects and this brought the search for new treatment regimens mainly from medicinal plants.

Method: The essential oil (EO) was extracted by Clevenger's-type apparatus and its chemical composition, antioxidant and antibacterial properties were determined by GC-MS, spectrophotometric and broth dilution methods respectively.

Petroleum Hydrocarbon Fingerprints of Water and Sediment Samples of Buffalo River Estuary in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.

Petroleum hydrocarbon status of the Buffalo River Estuary in East London, South Africa, was evaluated from January to May, 2016. Surface water and sediment samples were collected from five points in the estuary and extracted using standard methods. The extracts were subsequently analyzed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection.

Antibacterial activity of crude extracts of some South African medicinal plants against multidrug resistant etiological agents of diarrhoea.

Background: This study evaluated the antibacterial activity of some plants used in folklore medicine to treat diarrhoea in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.

Methods: The acetone extracts of Acacia mearnsii De Wild., Aloe arborescens Mill.