Main description:

Scientific output in low- and middle-income countries is greatly challenged by numerous factors. This is particularly pronounced in sub-Saharan African countries, despite the continent being the world's second largest and second most-populous continent, currently undergoing rapid economic growth. Financial constraints and unclear areas of focus when funding is available, are among the limiting factors, with the consequence being the development of inadequate policies, especially those relating to environmental protection and conservation.
This 13-chapter book is a unique piece in the field of microbiology, designed to stimulate some research areas in Africa by illustrating interesting and informative examples of the current applied research agenda in environmental microbiology in selected countries within the continent. With authors from the North, South, East and West of Africa, the book touches diverse applied methods and approaches to meet the pragmatic needs faced by environmental microbiologists in Africa. Also included are topics on viruses, bacteria (including cyanobacteria), and protozoa, and their importance in disease. Sustainable agriculture and aquaculture, and eco-friendly oil and hydrocarbon bioremediation and degradation approaches are highlighted. Microbial involvement in different common indoor (e.g., household kitchens, latrines, and hospitals) and outdoor settings including air, soil, and water habitats, and their resistance to commonly used antibiotics, are described. Hopefully, the work presented here will stimulate the need for increasing modern training and funding initiatives to prepare African microbiologists to meet the challenges they face in African universities and research laboratories.

Contents:

Preface

Foreword

1. Antibiotics used in aquaculture and their biological effects in fish Samwel Mchele Limbu

Department of Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Technology, College of Agricultural Sciences and Fisheries Technology, University of Dar es Salaam, TANZANIA

2. Socio-political challenges facing microbiology research in Africa Nomagugu Bobo

Faculty of Commerce and Law, Zimbabwe Open University, ZIMBABWE

3. Low-Cost Household Water Treatment (HWT) Technologies for Microbiological Contaminants Eunice Ubomba-Jaswa

Department of Biotechnology, University of Johannesburg, South Africa, and Water Research Commission of South Africa, Pretoria SOUTH AFRICA.

4. Microbial pathogens in water resource sediments: towards setting up guidelines for microbial sediment quality Eunice Ubomba-Jaswa

Department of Biotechnology, University of Johannesburg, South Africa, and Water Research Commission of South Africa, Pretoria, SOUTH AFRICA

5. Some bacterial pathogens of public health concern in water and wastewater Mohamed Azab El-Liethy

Water Microbiology Lab., Water Pollution Research Department, National Research Centre, EGYPT

6. Understanding the development and structure of biofilms in water distribution systems and household water storage containers Bahaa El-Din Hemdan

Water Microbiology Lab., Water Pollution Research Department, National Research Centre, EGYPT

7. Enrichment versus non-enrichment methods of biodegradation of hydrocarbons David Olugbenga Adetitun

University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, NIGERIA

8. Emerging viral diseases, resistance and impact in the environment Juliet. A. Shenge

Department of Virology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, NIGERIA

9. Fermented foods and beverages in Africa and their potential health benefits Gbenga Adewumi

Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos, NIGERIA

10. Use of effective and competitive native strains of Rhizobium inoculants for sustainable agricultural productivity A.I. Gabasawa

Department of Soil Science (Soil Microbiology Section), Faculty of Agriculture/Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University, Samaru - Zaria, NIGERIA

11. The Significance of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in Africa Lisa Schaefer

Integrated Water Solutions, Natural Resources and the Environment, CSIR, Pretoria, SOUTH AFRICA

12. Vibrio cholerae and Cholera: A Recent African Perspective Wouter Le Roux

Integrated Water Solutions, Natural Resources and the Environment, CSIR, Pretoria, SOUTH AFRICA

13. The use of biosurfactants in the bioremediation of oil-polluted water Leonard Kachieng'a

Faculty of Science, Tshwane University of Technology, SOUTH AFRICA

14. The era of bacterial genomics in antibiotic research in Africa Daniel Gyamfi Amoako

Antimicrobial Research Unit, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, SOUTH AFRICA

15. Environmental risk related to Bacterial predation on Cyanobacteria L. L. Ndlela

Stellenbosch University, South Africa

16. Next-generation sequencing as a tool for profiling soil microbial communities in South Africa Sudharshan Sekar

Center for Ecological Genomics & Wild Life conservation, D3 LAB 339, Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA

17. Biocidal activity of Algerian plant extracts on selected bacteria of public health concern Leila Bendifallah

Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Sciences, University of Boumerdes, ALGERIA

18. Emerging and re-emerging bacterial pathogens of humans in environmental and hospital settings Martina Chukwu

College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences, School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Department: Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, SOUTH AFRICA

19. Prevalence of pathogenic E. coli genes on toilet sears from rural and peri-urban communities in South Africa Natasha Potgieter

Environmental Health, Domestic Hygiene and Microbial Pathogens Research Group, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, SOUTH AFRICA

Index