BookAkebe Luther King Abia, Guy R. Lanza, editors.
Summary: 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
Antibiotics used in aquaculture and their biological effects in fish
Socio-political challenges facing microbiology research in Africa
Low-Cost Household Water Treatment (HWT) Technologies for Microbiological Contaminants
Microbial pathogens in water resource sediments: towards setting up guidelines for microbial sediment quality
Some bacterial pathogens of public health concern in water and wastewater
Understanding the development and structure of biofilms in water distribution systems and household water storage containers
Enrichment versus non-enrichment methods of biodegradation of hydrocarbons
Emerging viral diseases, resistance and impact in the environment
Fermented foods and beverages in Africa and their potential health benefits
Use of effective and competitive native strains of Rhizobium inoculants for sustainable agricultural productivity
The Significance of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in Africa
Vibrio cholerae and Cholera
The use of biosurfactants in the bioremediation of oil-polluted water
The era of bacterial genomics in antibiotic research in Africa
Environmental risk related to Bacterial predation on Cyanobacteria
Next-generation sequencing as a tool for profiling soil microbial communities in South Africa
Biocidal activity of Algerian plant extracts on selected bacteria of public health concern
Emerging and re-emerging bacterial pathogens of humans in environmental and hospital settings
Prevalence of pathogenic E. coli genes on toilet sears from rural and peri-urban communities in South Africa
Index.