Browsing by Author "Muriuki, Susan W."

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    Detection and Profiling of Antibiotic Resistance among Culturable Bacterial Isolates in Vended Food and Soil Samples
    (Hindawi, 2020-09) Muriuki, Susan W.; Neondo, Johnstone O.; Budambula, Nancy L. M.
    The emergence and persistence of antibiotic resistance remain formidable health challenges. This study aimed at detecting and profiling antibiotic resistance of bacterial contaminants in vended food and the environment. Seventy antibiotic-resistant bacterial isolates were isolated from fried fish, African sausages, roasted meat, smokies, samosa, chips (potato fries), vegetable salads, and soil samples collected from Embu Town and Kangaru Market in Embu County, Kenya. The antibiotic susceptibility test, morphological and biochemical characterization, antibiosis assay, polymerase chain reaction-based detection of antibiotic resistance genes, and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene were done. Analysis of variance on all measured data was done, and Tukey’s honest test was used to compare and separate mean diameters of zones inhibition. Resistance of bacterial isolates to antibiotics was chloramphenicol (90%), cefotaxime (84.29%), nalidixic acid (81.43%), tetracycline (77.14%), amoxicillin (72.86%), gentamycin (48.57%), streptomycin (32.86%), and trimethoprim + sulphamethoxazole (30%). Isolate KMP337, Salmonella spp., exhibited highly significant antibiosis against S. aureus recording a mean inhibition diameter and standard error (SE) of 16.33 ± 0.88 mm, respectively, at . The 70 bacterial isolates belonged to Bacillus, Paraclostridium, Lysinibacillus, Virgibacillus, and Serratia genera. The study isolated Bacillus wiedmannii (KC75) which is a risk group 2 as well as Serratia marcescens (KMP95) and Bacillus anthracis (KS606) which are risk group 3 organisms. The presence of antibiotic resistance genes Tet A, BlaTEM, StrB, Dfr A, Amp, and FloR genes was confirmed by a polymerase chain reaction. Samples from Kangaru Market recorded a higher (88.57%) proportion of resistant isolates as compared to isolates from Embu Town (11.43%). The study confirmed the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in vended fast food and the soil in Embu Town and Kangaru Market. This study calls for continuous monitoring of bacterial status and hygienic handling of vended food.
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    Detection and Profiling of AntibioticResistance among Culturable Bacterial Isolates in Vended Food and Soil Samples
    (Hindawi, 2020-08) Muriuki, Susan W.; Neondo, Johnstone O.; Budambula, Nancy
    +e emergence and persistence of antibiotic resistance remain formidable health challenges. +is study aimed at detecting and profiling antibiotic resistance of bacterial contaminants in vended food and the environment. Seventy antibiotic-resistant bacterial isolates were isolated from fried fish, African sausages, roasted meat, smokies, samosa, chips (potato fries), vegetable salads, and soil samples collected from Embu Town and Kangaru Market in Embu County, Kenya. +e antibiotic susceptibility test, morphological and biochemical characterization, antibiosis assay, polymerase chain reaction-based detection of antibiotic resistance genes, and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene were done. Analysis of variance on all measured data was done, and Tukey’s honest test was used to compare and separate mean diameters of zones inhibition. Resistance of bacterial isolates to antibiotics was chloramphenicol (90%), cefotaxime (84.29%), nalidixic acid (81.43%), tetracycline (77.14%), amoxicillin (72.86%), gentamycin (48.57%), streptomycin (32.86%), and trimethoprim + sulphamethoxazole (30%). Isolate KMP337, Salmonella spp., exhibited highly significant antibiosis against S. aureus recording a mean inhibition diameter and standard error (SE) of 16.33 ± 0.88 mm, respectively, at P � 0.001. +e 70 bacterial isolates belonged to Bacillus, Paraclostridium, Lysinibacillus, Virgibacillus, and Serratia genera. +e study isolated Bacillus wiedmannii (KC75) which is a risk group 2 as well as Serratia marcescens (KMP95) and Bacillus anthracis (KS606) which are risk group 3 organisms. +e presence of antibiotic resistance genes Tet A, BlaTEM, StrB, Dfr A, Amp, and FloR genes was confirmed by a polymerase chain reaction. Samples from Kangaru Market recorded a higher (88.57%) proportion of resistant isolates as compared to isolates from Embu Town (11.43%). +e study confirmed the presence of antibioticresistant bacteria in vended fast food and the soil in Embu Town and Kangaru Market. +is study calls for continuous monitoring of bacterial status and hygienic handling of vended food.
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    Proceedings of the Second Proposal and Thesis Writing Workshop for M.A, MSc, MBA, M.Ed. and Ph.D. Students
    (Board of Postgraduate Studies University of Embu, 2018-04) Budambula, Nancy; Muriuki, Susan W.; Kihagi, Edwin N.; Mwangi, Irene W.
    The Second Proposal and Thesis Writing Workshop was held on 26th April 2018 in the Charter Hall at the University of Embu (UoEm). The workshop aimed to equip postgraduate students with the skills required for proposal and thesis writing. It brought together 143 participants comprising senior university management, members of Senate, academic staff and postgraduate students from the Schools of Agriculture, Pure and Applied Sciences, Business and Economics as well as Education and Social Sciences. The workshop covered the chapters of the research proposal and thesis namely; introduction, literature review, materials and methods, data collection and analysis, results and discussion as well as examination of thesis. The workshop was officially opened by Prof Daniel Mugendi Njiru, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Embu. In his opening remarks, the Vice-Chancellor noted that universities were not producing postgraduates fast enough to meet the requirements of the country. He also noted that the Commission for University Education (CUE) had recommended postgraduate examination focuses on publication by the student as well as special and intensive training of postgraduate students on proposal writing. This workshop was therefore part of the effort to improve the quality and number of postgraduate students. The VC recounted with pride that in 2016/2017 four PhD students from UoEm wrote good proposals that were funded by the National Research Fund (NRF). He was hopeful more students would be funded in the 2017/2018 year. The VC emphasized the commitment of the management of UoEm to provide quality postgraduate education. During the workshop, postgraduate students requested for increasing the number of research laboratories in the University, increasing access to other research facilities and additional training on data analysis. In his closing remarks, the DVC (ARE) emphasized that every postgraduate student in UoEm has the right to choose their supervisor. Therefore no one should force a supervisor on a student. The Workshop was facilitated by; Prof Kiplagat Kotut the DVC (ARE), Prof. Nancy Budambula the Director Board of Postgraduate Studies, Dr Romano Mwirichia the Director Research and Extension, Dr Robert Mathenge Lecturer at UoEm and Dr Julius Mugweru Lecturer at UoEm.
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    Prokaryotic diversity and potentially pathogenic bacteria in vended foods and environmental samples
    (BMC, 2021-07) Muriuki, Susan W.; Rengan, Michael S.; Budambula, Nancy
    Purpose: Ready-to-eat fast food vending outlets provide a cheap and readily available food. Foodborne diseases have been previously reported in Embu, Kenya, but data on the prokaryotic metagenome in vended foods is scanty. This study aimed to determine the prokaryotic diversity in fruits, vegetable salad, African sausage, chips (potato fries), fried fish, roasted beef (meat), smokies, samosa, soil, and water collected from food vendors and the surrounding environment in Embu Town and Kangaru Market. Methods: The study used 454 pyrosequencing, Illumina high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene in the analysis of total community DNA extracted from samples using the phenol-chloroform method. The 16S rRNA gene variable region (V4-V7) of the extracted DNA was amplified and library construction performed. Sequence analysis was done using QIIME2. Hierarchical clustering of samples, diversity indices, rarefaction curves, and Venn diagrams were generated using the R programming language in R software version 3.6.3. Results: Bacterial operational taxonomic units (OUTs) were distributed in Proteobacteria (52.81%), Firmicutes (31.16%), and Lentisphaerae (0.001%). The OTUs among archaea were Candidatus Nitrososphaera (63.56%) and Nitrososphaera spp. (8.77%). Brucella spp. and Bacillus cereus associated with foodborne diseases were detected. Potential pathogens, Rickettsia spp. in risk group 2 and Brucella spp. in risk group 3, were detected. Uncultured Candidatus Koribacter and Candidatus Solibacter were also detected in the food samples. There was a significant difference in the microbial community structure among the sample types (P<0.1). Conclusion: The results demonstrated the presence of some prokaryotes that are associated with food spoilage or foodborne diseases in vended foods and environmental samples. This study also detected uncultured prokaryotes. The presence of potential pathogens calls for stringent hygiene measures in food vending operations.