Browsing by Author "Arodi, Washingtone Ouma"

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    Efficacy of lytic Staphylococcus aureus bacteriophage against multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in mice
    (The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, 2016) Ochieng’ Oduor, Joseph Michael; Onkoba, Nyamongo; Maloba, Fredrick; Arodi, Washingtone Ouma; Nyachieo, Atunga
    Introduction: The use of bacteriophages as an alternative treatment method against multidrug-resistant bacteria has not been explored in Kenya. This study sought to determine the efficacy of environmentally obtained lytic bacteriophage against multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MDRSA) bacterium in mice. Methodology: Staphylococcus aureus bacterium and S. aureus-specific lytic phage were isolated from sewage and wastewater collected within Nairobi County, Kenya. Thirty mice were randomly assigned into three groups: MDRSA infection group (n = 20), phage-infection group (n = 5), and non-infection group (n = 5). The MDRSA infection group was further subdivided into three groups: clindamycin treatment (8 mg/kg; n = 5), lytic phage treatment (108 PFU/mL (n = 5), and a combination treatment of clindamycin and lytic phage (n = 5). Treatments were done at either 24 or 72 hours post-infection (p.i), and data on efficacy, bacterial load, and animal physical health were collected. Results: Treatment with phage was more effective (100%) than with clindamycin (62.25% at 24 hours p.i and 87.5% at 72 hours p.i.) or combination treatment (75% at 24 hours p.i. and 90% at 72 hours p.i.) (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The results show that the environmentally obtained S. aureus lytic bacteriophage has therapeutic potential against MDRSA bacterium in mice.
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    Prevalence of Bacterial Vaginosis and High Risk HPV Co-Infection among HIV-Positive Women at Machakos Level-5 Hospital, Machakos County, Kenya
    (2025-05-16) Murugi, Brenda Nthuku; Mutuku, Onesmus Muia; Arodi, Washingtone Ouma; Titus Kamau Karugaba
    Background: Cervical cancer is a huge health burden globally. Precancerous cervical lesions, if not diagnosed and treated early enough, could become cervical cancer. HIV-positive women are among the highly susceptible individuals to both bacterial vaginosis and cervical cancer due to their compromised immune systems. In Kenya, cancer of the cervix is the second most common type of cancer among women. HIV Infected women have a high prevalence of HPV infection and associated cervical lesions. The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) sub types 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, and 59 are attributed to causing cervical cancer, with subtypes16 and 18 being the most common. Bacterial vaginosis is a type of bacterialinflammation due to an imbalance of harmful and beneficial bacteria in the vagina. Women with bacterial vaginosis infection could easily acquire HIV, among other sexually transmitted infections. This is because bacterial vaginosis infection leads to disruption of the normal vaginal micro flora, which results in increased vaginal PH. This, therefore, results in the recruitment of the immune cells to the HIV infection target cells.Objective:The study aimed to determine the prevalence of bacterial vaginosisand high-risk HPV co-infection among HIV-positive women at Machakos Level-5 Hospital in the Comprehensive Care Clinic.Study Design: The study used a prospective cross-sectional design. Place and Duration of Study: Comprehensive Care Clinic (CCC), Machakos Level 5 Hospital, between July and October 2023.Methodology: The study included 125 HIV-positive women aged 21 to 64 years who consented to take part in the study. The participants were screened for high-risk HPV sub types using real-time PCR and for cervical lesions and bacterial vaginosis through microscopic examination of pap smears. Results: 125 HIV-positive women aged between 21 and 64 years were included in the study. Out of the 125 study participants, 36 tested positive (28.8%) for various HPV sub types. 13(10.4%) study participants out of the 125 tested positive for bacterial vaginosis. 11(8.8%) study participants had bacterial vaginosis and HPV co-infection.Conclusion: The prevalence of bacterial vaginosis and HPV co-infection among HIV-positive women at Machakos Level 5 Hospital is 8.8%. Of all the risk factors analyzed, only method of contraceptive used was found to have a significant association with bacterial vaginosis and HPV co-infection (P = .002)
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    Production and Characterisation of specific Antibodies to Bovine Interleukin 5 and 6 and their use in the Development of Sensitive Elisa for their Measurement
    (2013-08-12) Arodi, Washingtone Ouma
    Lack of food especially animal proteins is a major problem in the developing world. Livestock provide the bulk of these proteins hence the need to increase the supply through improved livestock health . Enzyme Linked Immunos orbent Assays (ELISA) for bovine interleukin 5 and interleukin 6 (boIL - 5 and boIL - 6) could be applied for analyses of immune responses and advance understanding of a variety of diseases of cattle. Biological and biochemical characteristics of monoclonal an tibodies (mAbs) and polyclonal antibodies (pAbs) against rboIL - 5 and rboIL - 6 are described as well as their use in developing specific and sensitive ELISA for the detection and measurement of these cytokines. The ob j ective of the study was to produce and characterize an tibodies (Abs) to boIL - 5 and 6 and to use the se Abs in developing sensitive ELISA to measure the respective cytokine s . Four murine anti boIL - 5, four murine anti boIL - 6 mAbs, two rabbit anti boIL - 5 and two rabbit anti boIL - 6 pAbs were prod uced and their binding specificities determined by in direct ELISA, Western blotting , Ouchterlony‘s double immunod iffusion technique and flow cytometry. Sandwich ELISA for boIL - 5 was developed using mAb 25 .1 as the capture antibody and the pAb R 1 as the det ector antibody. Sandwich ELISA for boIL - 6 was also developed using mAb 56.2 as the capture antibody and pAb R 6 as the detector antibody. The developed ELISA was used to detect both recombinant and natural boIL - 5 and boIL - 6 present in supernatant of periph eral blood mononuclear cells ( PBMC ) stimulated with Concanavalin A ( Con A ) and other mitogens. The ELISA developed was able to detect as little as 48pg/ml of boIL - 5 and 24pg/ml of boIL - 6 . Using this method it was possible to detect native boIL - 5 and boIL - 6 in supernatants of PBMC from cattle as well as in cell lines infected with Theileria parva, indicating the applicability of the se assay s to a number of in vitro culture systems. Some of the antibodies also showed promising results in intra cellular cytok ine staining and flow cytometry. It is therefore recommended that these immunoassays be further optimized with a view to making them available for commercial use.