Osun State Nigeria Research Articles

Correlates of Intention to Utilize HIV Screening Services Among Adolescents In Selected Secondary Schools In Osogbo, Osun State Nigeria

Background The spread of HIV/AIDS among the productive age group particularly young adults is a major public health concern in Nigeria. HIV screening services are affordable interventions that offer chances to raise knowledge about HIV and preventive measures. They are crucial parts of HIV prevention initiatives. This study investigated the level of knowledge, and attitude as correlates of intention to Utilize HIV Screening Services Among Adolescents in Selected Secondary Schools in Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. Methods Data were collected from 120 respondents who were conveniently selected from two senior secondary school at the two Local government areas in Osogbo, Osun state with semi-structured questionnaire (83% reliability). Data were analyzed using appropriate statistical tools. Results Most of the students were in the middle adolescence (14 – 16 years) age group. The Knowledge responses were grouped on a scale and the results showed that most of the adolescents had a moderate level of knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS and HIV Screening Services. Further results showed a fairly high and positive attitude for the participants (76.66%). There were significant correlations (at p < 0.05) between knowledge level (R = 0.348), attitude (R = 0.432), and Intention to Utilize HIV Screening Services. These factors are still quite modest, though. Additionally, knowledge level indicated that most participants were unaware of any importance of the utilization of HIV Screening services. Conclusions The report suggested launching vigorous campaigns of public health education and awareness that highlight the importance of utilizing HIV Screening services.

Evaluation of Fire Disaster Preparedness in Selected Universities in Osun State Nigeria: A Qualitative Study

Evaluation of Fire Disaster Preparedness in Selected Universities in Osun State Nigeria: A Qualitative Study

Consumers’ Preference for Agricultural Products in Nigeria Supermarket in Osogbo Metropolis Osun State Nigeria

The study assessed the consumers’ preference for agricultural products in Nigeria supermarket in Osogbo metropolis, Osun state, Nigeria. Data was collected from sixty respondents with the aid of a structured questionnaire. The data collected were described using frequencies counts, percentages and means, while Pearson’s correlation was used to test the hypothesis. Most (65%) of the respondents were married. The mean age of the respondents was 42.80 years. The study further indicated that most (65%) of the respondents completed tertiary education and therefore highly literate. The study also revealed that quality of farm produce and packaging were considered benefits of buying agricultural products from supermarkets. There is significant relationship between age (r=0.039*, p=0.016), income (r=0.264*, p=0.042), years of patronage (r=0.293*, p=0.023) and consumers’ preference for agricultural products. It was concluded that respondents preferred to buy agricultural products like green pea, apple, cassava flakes, ginger, fish, chicken and oats from supermarkets. The study recommended that supermarkets should design their packaging in such a way to cater for low-income earners to encourage more people patronize them.

Assessment of health consequences of fossil fuel energy use in Osun state, Nigeria: burden and implications

The use of fossil fuel energy persists in all the continents of the world, especially in Africa. This study examined fossil fuel energy usage and its health implications in residents of Osun State, Nigeria. This was a cross-sectional study done across Osun State Nigeria. The study took place between January and June 2020. 1044 participants were recruited by multi-stage random sampling. Structured questionnaires were used to obtain necessary information from the study participants. The study data shows there were 534 females (51.1%). 601 (57.6%) relied solely on fossil fuel energy compared to 443 (42.4%) who use non-traditional energy sources. The proportion of people whose annual income is less than 56.6 USD (fifty thousand Naira based on the current official exchange rate as of Jan 2024) is far higher among those who use fossil fuel energy (88.0%) compared to those who use modern energy (59.1%). Electricity consumption accessibility was also more likely among those who used modern energy (91.9%) compared to 52.4% of those who use fossil fuel energy for daily energy needs. Reports of ill-health were significantly commoner among those who used fossil fuel than modern energy in the population including asthma illness (15.3% vs. 11.3%), cough (21.1% vs. 16.7%), catarrh (19.3% vs. 10.8%) and difficulty in breathing (9.3% vs. 6.3%) respectively. This study showed that fossil fuel energy use is very prevalent among residents of Osun State, Nigeria. And may be linked with many indices of poverty. It is associated with significant health impacts including respiratory diseases and poor quality of life. There is a need to encourage and implement policies toward effective and efficient energy use among residents in Osun State to reduce the associated long-term health impact.

Risk management practices and financial performance nexus: Evidence from MSMEs in Osun State, Nigeria

This study assessed the effect of enterprise risk management on the firm financial performance of Micro, Small and Medium-scale Enterprises in Osun state Nigeria. Precisely, the risk encountered, the adoption of risk management practices, the implementation of Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) practices, and the financial performance of micro, small and medium scale enterprises in Osun state Nigeria. Primary data was used for this study; a well-structured questionnaire was used to elicit data from 273 respondents. The study population consists of owners and managers of small and medium businesses in Osun state, Nigeria. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and was the inferential statistic used to test the hypotheses. The results showed that market (33.7%), strategic (57%), financial (46.9%), operational (34.2%), management (47.6%), and technological (45.4%) are risks prevalent to micro and small businesses, but most of the respondents disagreed that the relationship of their staff to the customer is poor. Risk acceptance with a mean score of (2.27 ± 1.21) is the most utilized risk management practice adopted by the MSMEs. The implementation of ERM practices shows that MSMEs more utilized setting of objectives (43.6%), risk identification (38.3%), risk assessment (36.2%), and control activities (31.2%) and the financial performance of the businesses was moderate (69.7%). The correlation analysis shows no significant relationship between the scale of business and the adoption of risk management practices. Also, the regression analysis shows that Risk identification (? = 0.388, p ?0.01) and Control activities (? = 1.096, p ?0.01) are the only ERM variables that significantly affect financial performance. The study concluded that the implementation of enterprise risk management practices has a significant effect on the financial performance of Micro, Small and Medium enterprises in Osun State, Nigeria.

Heavy Metal Pollution in Soils near Ilesha Gold Mining Area, Nigeria

Background The discovery of extensive gold deposits has raised concerns about potential heavy metal contamination in waterways and adjacent soils, particularly in developing nations like Nigeria where environmental regulations may not be stringent enough. Objective A research study was conducted to assess the levels of heavy metals in surface soils (0 to 25 cm deep) across 30 sites within three selected areas (Epe, Igun, and Ijana) located in the gold mining region of Ilesha, Osun State Nigeria. Methods The study employed an atomic absorption spectrophotometer to measure the total concentrations of heavy metals, specifically arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn). Furthermore, the research encompassed an examination of various physicochemical properties of the soil samples, including organic matter content, pH levels, organic carbon content, calcium content, phosphorus levels, cation exchange capacity, and particle size distribution. Results Results showed a range mean concentration with standard deviation of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn of 1.0 – 7.1 ± 1.77 mg kg-1, 0.9 – 4.2 ± 0.84 mg kg-1, 1.0 – 6.0 ± 1.29 mg kg-1, 1.1 – 6.4 ± 1.57 mg kg-1, 2.90 – 20.9± 4.00 mg kg-1, 1.1 – 6.4 ±1.56 mg kg-1, 0.7 – 6.7 ±1.26 mg kg-1 and 11.7 – 70.7± 17.75 mg kg-1, respectively. The investigation of soils in three specific locations revealed significant contamination by heavy metals. However, it is worth noting that the concentrations of these metals fell below the established intervention levels outlined by environmental protection agencies such as the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization. The distribution of heavy metals and their availability exhibited a direct correlation with the distance from the mining sites, spanning from 0 to 900 meters. Two critical factors influencing the concentration of heavy metals in these areas were identified as soil particle size, specifically the clay percentage, and pH levels. Conclusion Despite the presence of heavy metal pollution in the soils of Epe, Igun, and Ijana, they managed to maintain metal levels below the intervention thresholds set by environmental protection agencies, with the exception of cadmium (Cd).

Influence of health information management practices on the quality of healthcare service delivery in OAUTHC Ile-Ife, Osun State Nigeri

Introduction: Medical records are crucial and vital in the continuity of patient care because physicians needs them to attend to patients each day and it is impossible for them to recall the details of each separate case at the same time. This study is therefore necessitated by the need to have a change of orientation about health records management practice and the profession and to have better work productivity and improved quality of care. The study aims at assessing the influence of health information management practices on the quality of health information management service delivery in OAUTHC Ile-Ife, Osun State Nigeria. Methods and Materials: A descriptive survey research design was conducted. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select 317 respondents for the study. The respondents includes; Health information managers, Doctors, Nurses, Medical laboratory scientists and Pharmacists. Results: Findings from the study shows that majority of the respondents assented that the quality of health information management practice in this institution is satisfactory (28.43%) and very satisfactory (68.30%). Study also shows that the greatest HIM service quality the patients and other services seekers enjoyed in the hospital is service reliability with the average response rate of mean 2.69. Conclusion: It is concluded from the study that health information management (HIM) practices have a great influence on the overall quality of healthcare services.

Clinical profile, dietary zinc content, and lifestyle habits of adult male and female hbss and hbsc patients

Objective: Males and females have been reported to show significant variation with respect to clinical profile of sickle cell disease (SCD) (e.g. cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and chronic end-organ complications). Clinical features of SCD are also influenced by lifestyle and dietary habits. Thus, the study was conducted to examine whether the distributions of other manifestations (e.g. priapism, pain frequency, leg ulcers rates) and habits (lifestyle, dietary) of SCD patients in Osun state, Nigeria are influenced by gender or genotype.
 Material and methods: Questionnaires were administered to obtain information on age, gender, concoction/herbal preparations, and fruit/vegetable consumption, as well as zinc contents of 24-hour meal recall, physical exercise, lifestyle parameters and clinical profile of SCD. Descriptive (relative frequency) and inferential (Chi-square (χ2) test of independence) statistics were employed. Statistical significant was set at p<0.05.
 Results and discussion: HbSS rather than HbSC showed higher distributions of pain frequency and more frequent hospitalization rates at p= .001 and p=.001 respectively. There was no significant relationship between hemoglobin genotype and the following variables: leg ulcers, priapism, fruit intake, herb/concoction consumption, 24-hour dietary zinc content. Moreover, all the variables were not influenced by gender not only among HbSS but also HbSC patients.
 Conclusion: There are indications from data obtained that clinical profile of SCD such as priapism, leg ulcers, high hospitalization rates and pain episodes are present among HbSS and HbSC SCD patients in Osun state Nigeria. Although only pain episodes and hospitalization rates were significantly higher among HbSS than HbSC, for either variable though there was no gender bias in its distribution. Similarly the distributions of other variables (such as exercise, dietary, etc) for each of SCD (HbSS, HbSC) categories were not influenced by gender.
 Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol. 23 No. 01 January’24 Page : 74-82

An assessment of municipal solid waste management system in Oshogbo, Osun State Nigeria: Challenges and prospects

The study empirically assessed the challenges and prospects of municipal solid waste management system in Oshogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. The study specifically looked into the current - status, the performance of municipal solid waste social control system of the city, and the households solid waste social control practice. Primary data were used and sourced through a well-design survey questionnaire, field observation, reviewing published and unpublished documents, and on spot access. Descriptive statistics was used for the data analysis. The main factors aggravating the present poor state of municipal solid waste social control of Oshogbo were revealed in the study. The results further showed that Osun state waste management agency is not leaving up to its responsibility and delay in collection of wastes, the activity of municipal solid waste social control of the town is majorly executed by micro and macro scale enterprises with very limited contribution of the agency saddled with such responsibilities. Besides this, there is no involvement of non- governmental organization and private sectors as the government of the day portrayed it. Inadequate solid waste social control pattern of the households. The first inadequacy of households is poor handling of short-lived storage material of various houses. That is, trash disposal around the waste container. Likewise, they are uncovering in the rain, light and heat, they do not take cognizance of sustainable solid social control actions for instance, reprocessing, reclaim and composting. Except, for the prohibited solid waste disposal. In addition, they are less motivated to clean their immediate environment. Thus, the study recommends that government waste management agency in conjunction with non-governmental organization should commence training on waste social control practices, with focus on women as agent of change in a community, while the institutions should leave up to their responsibilities.

ASSESSMENT OF ACTIVITIES OF TAX PRACTITIONERS, FORENSIC ACCOUNTANTS AND ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION AT CURBING CORRUPTION IN OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

This study sought to assess the activities of Tax Practitioners, Forensic Accountants and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission at curbing corruption in Osun State Nigeria. Survey research design was adopted. The population of this study consists of two hundred (200) members of staff (management, senior and junior) of the Office of the Accountant General, Osun State Ministry of Finance, Osun State Internal Revenue Service and other relevant Agencies in Osun State. Stratified and simple random sampling methods were adopted while Taro Yamane was used to determine the sample size of 133 and out this, one hundred and twenty-five (125) respondents filled and returned the questionnaire. Primary data were gathered via administration of questionnaire to respondents. Both descriptive and Correlation analysis were presented in the study. The findings revealed that there is a positive relationship between the activities of Forensic Accountants and activities of Tax Practitioners at curbing corruption in Osun State. It was also found out that proper financial management will help to reduce financial crime rate in Osun State, Nigeria. The study came to the conclusion that the abilities of accountants and the work of tax practitioners significantly contribute to identifying and minimizing fraud in Osun State, Nigeria. Finally, the study made the suggestion that forensic accounting courses be offered in Nigerian universities in order to improve the caliber of accounting graduates from these institutions, among other things.

Prevalence and associated factors of hypertension among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in Lautech teaching hospital, Osogbo, Nigeria.

We assessed the prevalence and risk factors of hypertension among type-2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) patients attending Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Osun State Nigeria. A hospital-based retrospective study was conducted among 143 type-2 DM patients in LAUTECH Teaching Hospital. Hypertension was defined as systolic BP ≥140 and or diastolic BP ≥90. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square, and binary logistic regression. The mean age of the respondents was 56.2 ±15.79 years. Hypertension was common (32.1%) among type-2 DM participants. Respondents aged 45-64 years (OR= 5.96, 95%CI= 1.60 - 19.12) had the likelihood of being hypertensive. Type-2 DM patients who were not in union (AOR=6.64, 95%CI=1.79 - 24.52) were more likely to be hypertensive. The likelihood of hypertension was lower (AOR= 0.28, 95%CI=0.11 - 0.66) among participants who engaged in moderate physical activity compared to those who engaged in low physical activity. This study identified the age group 45-64 years, not being in a union and engagement in low physical activity as associated factors for hypertension among Diabetes Mellitus participants. Hypertension prevention/treatment should be considered in type-2 Diabetes Mellitus routine treatment.

Occurrence of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (Cre) Abhorring Bla Imp, Bla Kpc And Bla Oxa-48 Genes Recovered From Ready -To- Dispose Poultry Wastes In Osogbo, Osun State

The uncontrolled use of antimicrobials in animal husbandry such as poultry for prophylaxis reasons is to increase output for monetary gains which have led to several acquired community infections with high mortality and morbidity rates. This study is however aimed at investigating the occurrence, prevalence, and molecular detection of carbapenemase genes of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) bacteria isolated from poultry liters in Osogbo, Osun State Nigeria. Twenty ready-to-pack poultry waste samples were plated for the isolation of Enterobacteriaceae on MacConkey and Brilliance Escherichia coli agar. Disc diffusion method was employed for screening carbapenem resistant isolates while resistant genes were detected using carbapenem resistant gene primers. Forty-six Enterobacteriaeceae were isolated namely: Kluyvera ascorbate (28.3%), Klebsiella oxytoca (10.9%), Citrobacter koseri (8.7%), Klebsiella aereogenes, Raoultell (Klebsiella) planticola, Serratia nematodipila (6.5%), Trabulsiella laguamensis, Salmonella spp. (diarizonae), Proteus vulgaris, Citrobacter farmeri (4.3%), of which Edwardsiella tarda, Providencia rustigianii, Citrobacter freundii, Enterobacter cloacae, Cedecea lapagei, Serratia liquefaciens and Dickeyachry santhemi was (2.2%) respectively. 52.2% of the isolates were carbapenem resistant while 92% of the CRE had bla IMP genes. Only one CRE (Trabulsiella guamensis) was positive to bla KPC gene while four 16.6% of the isolates namely: Citrobacter koseri, Raoultell (Klebsiella) planticola, Serratia nematodipila, Citrobacter freundiu and Citrobacter koseri were positive to blaOXA-48 gene. Therefore, this study infers the high prevalence of CRE isolates in poultry litters as a public health concern for the indiscrimate use of carbapenem.
 Stamford Journal of Microbiology, 2023. Vol. 13, Issue 1, p. 15-20

IMPROVING INCOME GENERATION IN OSUN STATE, NIGERIA: THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING TAX PERSONNEL FOR REVENUE ENHANCEMENT

The aim of this study was to estimate the influence of training tax personnel on revenue generation, and also to determine the challenges of tax administration in Osun State, Nigeria. This study used a survey research design and collected data from 320 state tax officials using a structured questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using mean, chi-square, and path analysis. The results show that income generation is positively and significantly associated with tax officer training. This finding suggests that income generation is an indicator of tax officer training. The study also found that limited training programs, outdated manual systems, poor technical integration, lack of qualified personnel, lack of tax culture and taxpayer awareness, and lack of resources are the main challenges of tax administration in Osun State Nigeria. The findings of this study has significant policy implications, training tax personnel improves tax compliance, efficient tax administration, fair and equitable taxation, enhanced taxpayer services, increased revenue generation, and better stakeholder engagement. These implications can contribute to a more effective and trusted tax system, benefiting policymakers, taxpayers, and stakeholders alike. The study offers empirical evidence regarding the revenue structure within the state, serving as a basis for the establishment of effective tax policies. Additionally, this research is unique in its utilization of two theories, namely the diffusion theory of taxation and the human capital theory of taxation, to explore the education and motivation of tax collectors. It also highlights how various stakeholders, including tax administrators, policymakers, and civil society organizations, can benefit from the process of tax policy formulation and implementation.

Mapping and Modelling of Urban Landscape of Osogbo Metropolis, Osun State Nigeria, Using Artificial Neural Network

Mapping and Modelling of Urban Landscape of Osogbo Metropolis, Osun State Nigeria, Using Artificial Neural Network

Dietary Diversity, Health and Nutritional Status of Inmates in Ilesha and Ife Correctional centers of Osun state Nigeria

Dietary Diversity, Health and Nutritional Status of Inmates in Ilesha and Ife Correctional centers of Osun state Nigeria

Kinship as Panacea for Christian/Muslim Relations in Yorubaland: A Focus on Iwo Land

Despite the heterogeneous composition of Nigeria as a multilingual ethnic and multi-religious society, there are indices which over the years have fostered peaceful and harmonious coexistence, across the different lines of ethnicity and religion. One such aspect is kinship ties in the midst of raving ethnic bigotry, religious intolerance and violence. Studies have shown that kinship ties without reservation have played a mediation role in fostering peace and ensuring harmonious coexistence especially among people of different religions. The present study investigates the mediating role of kinship ties as a panacea for harmonious Christian – Muslim relations in Iwo land, Osun State Nigeria. Adopting a qualitative method of data analysis, the study adopted the interview approach. Twenty-five persons: fifteen Christians and ten Muslims were purposively selected and interviewed. Tracing the antecedents of the two Abrahamic religions, Christianity and Islam in Iwo, the study finds that though Iwo Land is predominantly a Muslim territory, it has enjoyed peaceful and harmonious coexistence among the two religions. Despite the different areas of conflict, which include marriage, chieftaincy, land acquisition, the ebi commonwealth among the populace has guaranteed peace among the people. Some other factors such as a proper understanding, joint efforts in condemning social vices among others have also contributed to the relative harmonious atmosphere among the religions. It concludes that the commonality and communality in Iwo Land revolves around the kinship ties in the land.

Management of Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) Services by Community Pharmacists in Osun State Nigeria.

Background: Point-of-care testing (POCT) provides important opportunity for community pharmacists to participate in oriented primary patient care. Effective management of these services is required to deliver their currently- underexploited benefits. Objectives: Assessed attitudes and practice, examined management functions deployed and identified factors affecting provision of POCTs by community pharmacists. Methods: A questionnaire-guided cross-sectional survey of 146 randomly-selected community pharmacists was conducted in Osun State Southwestern Nigeria. Study variables were measured on 5-point Likert scales with weighted averages, median scores and ranks used to present item performances. Interquartile ranges were computed to categorize practice scores. Chi square statistic was used to examine association of variables. ANOVA and 2-sample t-test were used to compare means. Results: A response rate of 94.5% was achieved. Respondents had a positive attitude (MWA 3.75) towards provision of POCTs as core component of their practice (MWA 4.58) with potential to contribute significantly to profitability (MWA 4.31). Respondents' median practice score was 3.01(moderate practice) with blood pressure screening (4.77), weight measurement (4.45), and blood glucose screening (4.18) as leading POCTs, while cervical cancer screening (1.09) was least practiced. Management of POCTs was fair (MWA 3.33) with organisation of work as pre-eminent domain (MWA 3.66). Management practices were significantly associated with almost all demographic variables (p< .05). Positive public perception of pharmacists' roles (MWA 4.31) and their improving clinical skills (MWA 4.01) were the leading enablers while the lack of enabling policy framework (MWA 3.80) and poor health information backbone (MWA 3.78) were major challenges to routine adoption of POCTs by respondents. Conclusion: The community pharmacists had positive attitude and moderate practice of POCTs. Management of these services was fair. Improving public perception of pharmacists should be exploited while enabling legal and health information systems should be provided to drive routine adoption of POCTs.

Determinants of Antituberculosis Drug Acceptability among Children with Tuberculosis in Osun State Nigeria

Acceptability of antituberculosis drugs by affected caregivers and children is key to disease elimination. This is affected by many factors including drug, patients, and health institution-related factors. This study aims to assess the influence of the introduction of dispersible formulation on acceptability of antituberculosis drugs. A historical cohort design was used to assess and compare the acceptability of old loose non-dispersible and new dispersible antituberculosis drugs, using a convergent parallel mixed method of data collection. Determinants of tuberculosis drug acceptability were assessed using binary logistic regression. The findings were triangulated with results from the qualitative data. The rate of acceptability of the new dispersible formulation, 112 (88.2%) was significantly higher than the rate of acceptability of old loose non-dispersible drugs, 13 (10.5%), p&lt;0.001. The median age of children with good acceptability, 7.0 (4.0 – 10.0) years was significantly lower than those with poor acceptability, 10.0 (8.0 – 13.0) years, p &lt;0.001. Drug formulation was a significant predictor of acceptability; the fixed-dose dispersible drug had a higher probability of being acceptable relative to lose non-dispersible formulation, (Odd Ratio = 62.3, p &lt;0.001, 95% CI= 25.3 – 153.3). The qualitative data showed that health education about tuberculosis has positive influences on drug acceptability. In conclusion, the formulation of drugs is a key factor in the acceptability of antituberculosis drugs. Hence, there is a need to further promote the recently introduced child-friendly antituberculosis drugs, coupled with strengthening the health education of caregivers to achieve tuberculosis elimination. Keywords: Antituberculosis, Acceptability, Fixed-Dose Combination, Dispersible, Tuberculosis.

Molecular characterization and detection of multidrug-resistant gene in bacterial strains in a health care centre located in Iwo, Osun State, Nigeria

The importance of bacterial isolates from hospital wastewater as a reservoir of antibiotic resistance and a potential source of resistance genes to clinical pathogens is underestimated. This study is aimed to isolate and molecularly characterize bacteria from healthcare wastewater in addition to evaluating the distribution of multiple drug-resistant bacteria in the study area. A study was conducted in a Healthcare Centre, in Iwo, Osun State Nigeria. The wastewater was taken from four sections of the wastewater discharge point. Collection of samples was aseptically carried out, transported, and, analyzed immediately following standard procedures. Identification was carried out using biochemical tests and 16S rRNA sequencing. Antibiotic susceptibility was carried out on Mueller Hinton agar following the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Detection of resistant genes was done using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). A total of 86 bacterial isolates were obtained from wastewater discharge locations. Twenty-five isolates were picked for molecular identification and six different bacterial genera belonging to Bacillus (68%) the most occurring, followed by Cronobacter, Acinetobacter, Enterobacter, with 8%, Klebsiella, and Enterococcus (4%) were identified. Out of 30 randomly picked PCR amplicons, the result revealed 19 isolates (63%) and 10 isolates (33%) were positive for blaTEM and blaSHV respectively, while 9 isolates (30%) harbored both the two genes concurrently. The contamination of wastewater by antibiotics may lead to the rise of antibiotic resistance in the environment, so there is a need to monitor and treat the hospital wastewater that is discharged into the environment.

Identification of bacterial pathogens isolated from smoked blue whiting fish (Micromesistius poutasou) from Odeomu market in Osun state Nigeria

The presence of microorganisms is one of the major factors affecting the quality of smoked fish sold in the open markets. Smoked blue whiting fish (Micromesistius poutasou), commonly called (Panla) sold in the Odeomu market in Osun State, were analyzed for microbial contaminants. Isolates were identified using conventional biochemical methods, and antibiotics susceptibility testing was carried out using the disc diffusion method. The total bacterial counts (TBC) results showed that the fish samples had high bacterial counts, ranging from 2.1×103 to 9.2×103 colony-forming units (CFU)/g. Bacteria isolated from the fish samples were: E. coli (45.46%), Enterobacter spp. (1.01%), Klebsiella spp. (6.06%), Proteus spp. (9.09%), Salmonella spp. (7.07%), Shigella spp. (19.19%), Bacillus spp. (4.04%) and Staphylococcus spp. (8.08%). The antibiotic sensitivity pattern of Gram-Negative bacteria indicated that all the isolates were resistant to more than three antibiotics. All E. coli isolates were resistant to augmentin and ceftazidime, 82.2% were resistant to cefuroxime, 17.7% to gentamicin, and 6.7% to ofloxacin. Screening of resistance genes showed that all six selected multiple antibiotic-resistant E. coli isolates tested harbored TEM gene, and two isolates (33.33%) harbored the aac (3)-II gene. None of the isolates harbored SHV, CTX-M, and qnr B genes. Our results showed that smoked blue whiting fish may pose a significant risk of spreading antibiotic-resistant bacteria that contain multiple antibiotic-resistance genes, highlighting a serious public health concern