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Out of the one hundred and fifty stool human samples screened for the prevalence of Plesiomonas shigelloides, only 3 (2%) were positive for the organisms. The positive isolates were used to produce P. shigelloides antibody in experimental animals (rabbits). Autopsy revealed marked inflammation of the liver, spleen and the kidney in the experimental animals not protected with the antibodies. This study showed that the trial rabbits were suitable for the production of antibodies against P. shigelloides, and further demonstrated the diagnostic and protective potentials of the antibodies.Keywords: Plesiomonas shigelloides, experimental animals, colloidal carbon particles, antibody and antisera

The ability of microorganisms to utilize used oil in contaminated soil from some selected major mechanic workshops in Benin City metropolis as sole source of carbon and energy was studied. Soil samples collected from the three major mechanic workshops at Igun, Evbareke and Uwelu Quarters in Benin City were analyzed for the microbiological and physicochemical qualities using the basic microbiological methods. The total heterotrophic bacterial counts from the three mechanic workshops ranges from 1.98 X 107 to 2.95 X 107cfu/g while the total heterotrophic fungal counts ranges from 6.7 X 106 to 9.2 X 106 cfu/g. The hydrocarbon utilizing microbial isolates were isolated using the Bushnell Haas enrichment techniques. The hydrocarbon utilizing microbial populations were recorded to range from 3.1 X 106 to 9.7 X 106cfu/g and 3.4 X 106 to 6.0 X 106 cfu/g for the bacterial and fungal counts respectively. The bacterial isolates include the genera Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Microococcus, Flavobacterium, Klebsiella, while the fungal isolates include the genera Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Trichoderma and Yeast. The biodegradation potentials of the hydrocarbon degrading microbial isolates monitored by gas chromatography (GC) showed Pseudomonas sp. and Aspergillus versicolor to have recorded the highest biodegradation potentials among the microbial isolates. The frequency of occurrence of the microbial isolates revealed the microbial isolates Pseudomonas sp., Bacillus sp., Microococcus sp., Aspergillus versicolor, Trichoderma sp and Penicillium sp. as the most frequently occurring isolates. The physicochemical properties of the soil samples analysed shows the pH ranges from 5.63 to 6.01, percentage of carbon 2.345 to 4.800, total organic matter 1.59 to 7.81%, total petroleum hydrocarbon 86.10 to 286.50 mg/kg and sulphate 1.49 to 6.10ppm. The correlation analysis showed that there was significant difference in the mean values for both total heterotrophic bacterial and fungal population among the locations. It was also showed that there exist significant difference in the optical density and pH among the microbial isolates. @JASEMKeywords: Oil contaminated soil, microbial isolates, mechanical workshops and physicochemical parametersJ. Appl. Sci. Environ. Manage. Dec, 2011, Vol. 15 (4) 597 - 600

Air contains large number of microorganisms including bacteria and fungi and their estimation is important as an index of cleanliness for any particular environment. It becomes imperative to undertake a study of the microbiological air quality of the airborne micro-flora in the environments of two major government hospitals, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) and Central Hospital, in Benin City metropolis. Both indoor and outdoor air samples were assessed monthly for the three (3) months in the wet season (June – August, 2010) and dry season (November 2010 - January 2011) using the settled plate methods. The study sites were divided into nine (9) units which include accident and emergency ward, laboratory, male ward, female ward, children ward, labour room, treatment room, theatre and outside the hospital gate. The mean airborne bacterial load in the two hospitals ranges from 8.5cfu/min to 172.5cfu/min and 5.5cfu/min to 64.5cfu/min for UBTH and Central hospital in the wet season. While the mean airborne fungal load in UBTH and Central Hospital in dry season ranges from 2.5cfu/min to 9.5cfu/min and 1.5cfu/min to 19.0cfu/min respectively. The female ward, children ward, accident and emergency ward and outside the hospital gate recorded the highest airborne micro-flora. The result revealed the isolation of ten (10) fungal isolates and six (6) bacterial isolates. These include Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Botryodiplodia acerina, Rhizopus stolonifer, Nigospora zimm, Mucor sp., Monilla infuscans, Penicillium sp., Candida sp. and Trichoderma viridis while the six (6) bacterial isolates include Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus sp., Serratia marcescens and Micrococcus sp. The result shows the highest fungal population of 26.5cfu/min (outdoor) in UBTH followed by 24.0cfu/min (outdoor) in Central Hospital. The highest bacterial load of 172.5cfu/min (outdoor) was recorded in UBTH. The fungal isolates Aspergillus niger (53.0%) and Monilla infuscans (43.9%) were showed to be the most frequently isolated airborne fungal organisms while Staphylococcus aureus (91.3%) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (85.8%) were the most frequently isolated bacterial isolates. The statistical analysis showed no significant difference between the microbial population obtained during the wet and dry seasons in both hospitals studied. Data generated underline the usefulness of monitoring hospital environments.

The bacteriological and physicochemical qualities of the Ikpoba River, Benin city was investigated to assessed the extent of pollution of the water due to effluent discharge from the two brewery industries in Benin City. The bacteriological parameters analyzed were total microbial population counts, which had values ranging from 1.0 x 103 to 4.8 x 103 cfu/ml and 1.3 x 107 to 5.7 x 107 cfu/ml for the fungal and bacterial isolates respectively. Total coliform counts ranged from 4.3 x 10 MPN/100 ml to 38.0 x 10 MPN/100 ml. Microorganisms isolated include Sacchromyces cereviceae, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium sp., Geotrichum sp. Candida sp., Proteus sp. Staphylococcus sp, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus faecalis and Bacillus sp. Physicochemical parameter studies revealed that Ikpoba river though show some parameters whose values are higher than the WHO tolerant levels. Others fall within the WHO acceptable limits. There is, therefore, contamination of the surface water due to the brewery effluent discharged, which could probably be hazardous to human health.