Wound infections are significant challenge in clinical practice, predominantly caused by bacterial colonization, which delay healing and increase patient morbidity. This study aimed to isolate, identify and determine the antibiotics susceptibility patterns of bacteria isolated from wound of patients attending Ahmad Sani Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital, Gusau. Fifty wound samples were collected and processed microbiologically including culture, gram staining, biochemical test and serological test. The antibiotics susceptibility testing was carried out using the Kirby–Bauer’s disc diffusion method. The bacterial species isolated were Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumonia. The antibiotics susceptibility testing consistently yielded high susceptibility to amikacin across all the bacterial isolates, indicating the effectiveness of amikacin towards each isolate. However, high resistance was observed against meropenem across all the isolated species, posing a significant challenge in the effective management of wound infections. These findings highlight the prevalence of bacterial pathogens in wound infections and emphasize the growing challenge of antibiotics resistance, particularly to meropenem.

Street vended foods are widely enjoyed because they are inexpensive, easy accessible and flavorful. However, poor hygiene during their preparation and handling can lead to contamination by harmful and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In this study, 30 street food samples were collected and tested, including momos (n=10), manchurian (n=10), and noodles (n=10). The results showed that all the samples were contaminated with S. aureus while Pseudomonas sp. was only found in the momos samples. No Escherichia coli and Salmonella sp. were detected in any of the samples. Antibiotic susceptibility results showed that most of the isolates were found to be sensitive to chloramphenicol, cefpodoxime, gentamicin, meropenem, doxycycline hydrochloride, amikacin, and tobramycin. On the other hand, a significant level of resistance was observed against ampicillin and ceftazidime in both S. aureus and Pseudomonas isolates. The presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in street-vended foods points to poor hygiene practices and poses a serious risk to public health. To prevent the spread of antimicrobial-resistant foodborne pathogens, regular microbial quality monitoring, improved hygiene practices, and appropriate use of antibiotics are essential.

This review examines the critical challenge of evolving animal virus resistance to vaccines, a phenomenon threatening veterinary medicine, global food security, and public health. While effective for controlling bacterial diseases, vaccination against rapidly mutating RNA viruses often imposes strong selective pressures, driving the emergence of antigenic variants that evade host immunity. These vaccines escape mutants, evidenced in viruses like canine parvovirus (CPV), avian influenza (AIV), and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), lead to outbreaks in vaccinated populations and complicate disease management. The paper elucidates the mechanisms behind this resistance, primarily genetic mutations in antigenic sites and sophisticated immune evasion strategies, which enable viruses to circumvent neutralization by vaccine-induced antibodies. It critically evaluates the limitations of current vaccine technologies, including inactivated, live-attenuated, and subunit vaccines, noting that imperfect immunity can inadvertently promote the selection of resistant strains. To address this ongoing evolutionary arms race, the authors advocate for a paradigm shift in vaccine design. They propose leveraging advanced technologies such as viral vector platforms, structural biology, and predictive modeling to develop next-generation vaccines targeting conserved epitopes. Furthermore, the review emphasizes the necessity of global surveillance programs to monitor viral evolution in real-time and calls for a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach to create more robust and future-proof vaccination strategies, thereby mitigating the risk of vaccine-driven viral and ensuring long term efficacy.

Intradermal nevi are common benign melanocytic lesions; however, their occurrence in anatomically distinct locations such as the breast may present diagnostic challenges due to site-specific histological variations. Pigmented lesions in the breast region, particularly in the nipple–areola complex, often raise clinical suspicion for malignancy, necessitating careful evaluation and histopathological assessment. Such lesions may occasionally be detected incidentally during evaluation or surgical management of unrelated breast conditions. We report a rare case of an intradermal nevus identified incidentally in the skin overlying a benign breast lump in a middle-aged female, representing a nevus of special site. Histopathological examination revealed classic features of an intradermal nevus, including dermal confinement of nevus cells, progressive maturation, and absence of cytologic atypia or mitotic activity. Immunohistochemistry showed diffuse positivity for S100 protein, confirming melanocytic origin. Awareness of nevi of special sites and their characteristic histological features is essential to avoid misdiagnosis as melanoma and prevent unnecessary aggressive management.

Background: The global rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) uropathogens, particularly Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, has narrowed therapeutic options for urinary tract infections (UTIs) and renewed interest in plant-derived antimicrobial adjuvants. Objective: To evaluate the in vitro synergistic activity of three phytochemical extracts pomegranate peel (Punica granatum), garlic (Allium sativum), and green tea (Camellia sinensis) combined with conventional antibiotics against MDR clinical isolates recovered from UTI patients attending Tikrit Teaching Hospital. Methods: Ninety MDR isolates (54 E. coli, 36 K. pneumoniae) were collected, identified, and screened for antimicrobial susceptibility by the Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method against a 13-agent panel, with MDR classified according to Magiorakos et al., criteria. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of ethanolic extracts were determined by broth microdilution, and interactions with ciprofloxacin, ceftazidime, gentamicin, and trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole were assessed by the checkerboard method, expressed as the fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI). A time-kill assay verified the most active combination. Results: Isolates showed high resistance to ampicillin (94–98%), amoxicillin–clavulanate (79–86%), and third-generation cephalosporins (72–83%), with lower resistance to meropenem and amikacin. All three extracts showed synergistic or additive interactions with the tested antibiotics; green tea extract combined with ciprofloxacin produced the strongest synergy (mean FICI 0.18–0.24; 100% synergy rate) and an 8–11-fold reduction in antibiotic MIC, followed by pomegranate peel and garlic extracts. Time-kill assays confirmed complete eradication of the test inoculum within 24 hours with the green tea–ciprofloxacin combination, versus partial inhibition with either agent alone. Conclusion: Phytochemical–antibiotic combinations, particularly green tea extract with fluoroquinolones, may restore antibacterial efficacy against MDR uropathogens and merit further in vivo and clinical evaluation.

The increasing deposition of scrap metals in urban environments has contributed significantly to microbial corrosion and heavy metal contamination of soils, posing ecological and public health risks. The study aimed to determine the total mesophilic count, isolate and identify bacterial species present in the contaminated soils, quantify the concentration of selected heavy metals (Zinc, Cadmium, Copper, Lead, and Chromium), and assess the correlation between bacterial occurrence and heavy metal contamination levels. Soil samples were collected from three designated points (A, B, and C) across the dump site and the mesophilic bacterial count bacterial isolates were obtained using serial dilution and spread plate techniques on nutrient agar, followed by morphological and biochemical characterization. Heavy metal concentrations were determined through atomic absorption spectrophotometry after acid digestion of soil samples. The highest Mesophilic bacterial count (5.5x106) was observed in samples from the most heavily polluted areas (B4) while the least (1.2x107) was obtained from A2. The results revealed significant microbial diversity, with fifteen bacterial species identified, including Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Micrococcus luteus. These isolates displayed varied biochemical characteristics. Heavy metal analysis showed that Sample C had the highest concentrations of all tested metals particularly Zinc (0.34±0.04 ml/kg), Cadmium (0.20±0.05 ml/kg), and Lead (0.34±0.03 ml/kg) while Sample A recorded the lowest levels. It is concluded that the microbial diversity and heavy metal concentration in soil from a scrap metal revealed both high contamination level and the present of metal tolerant bacteria.