Microbiology Research Journal International

Feline Leukaemia Virus Infection: A Critical Appraisal of Outcome Classification, Diagnostic Inference, and Control Strategy

Payel Kar — 2026-08-27

Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) has been studied for six decades, yet the conceptual framework used to describe infection has changed more rapidly than the diagnostic and epidemiological evidence base that supports it. The binary distinction between persistently viraemic and non-viraemic animals has been replaced by a four-category scheme comprising progressive, regressive, abortive, and focal infection, and this scheme now underpins clinical guidelines, shelter policy, and prevalence reporting. The present critical narrative review examines whether the evidence supporting that framework is strong enough to bear the interpretive weight now placed upon it. Literature was identified through open scholarly databases and citation searching, appraised for design adequacy and reference-standard independence, and synthesised thematically rather than catalogued.

Several conclusions are well supported. Endogenous FeLV sequences are confined to the genus Felis, recombine readily with exogenous virus to generate multiple subgroup B variants within individual hosts, and vary in copy number in ways that correlate with disease outcome. Proviral DNA persists in tissues of regressively infected cats for years, and quantitative antigen and provirus measurements at diagnosis are associated with survival. Other conclusions are considerably weaker. The four outcome categories are defined by combinations of test results rather than by independently verified biological states, which introduces circularity when those same tests are used to estimate category prevalence. Reported positive predictive values for point-of-care antigen testing in apparently healthy populations are low, and several widely cited sensitivity and specificity estimates were derived against reference standards that measure the same analyte. Published survival estimates for progressive infection differ by more than an order of magnitude between cohorts, a discrepancy that is more plausibly explained by case ascertainment and health status at enrolment than by biological difference. Vaccine efficacy studies almost uniformly use prevention of antigenaemia as the endpoint and therefore provide little information about prevention of regressive infection.

Priority research needs include reference standards for outcome assignment that are independent of the screening assays, prospective cohorts with standardised enrolment, challenge studies reporting proviral as well as antigenaemic outcomes, and prevalence surveys designed for comparability rather than local description.

Waterborne and Foodborne Illnesses of Viral Aetiology in the Republic of Guinea: A Critical Appraisal of a Sparse National Evidence Base and its Regional Proxies

Rodrigue Azonwakin Akotegnon — 2026-08-29

Waterborne and foodborne viruses remain a substantial contributor to diarrhoeal morbidity and to enterically transmitted hepatitis in West Africa, yet the Republic of Guinea occupies an unusual position within this literature. The country combines conditions that would be expected to sustain intense faecal-oral viral transmission, including low coverage of basic sanitation, intermittent piped supply, and an unmeasured level of drinking-water contamination, with an almost complete absence of published human virological data on the agents concerned. This critical narrative review examines what is actually known about viruses transmitted through water and food in Guinea, evaluates the strength of the inferences that are routinely drawn from regional comparators, and identifies where the evidence base fails.

Literature was identified through searches of open scholarly databases and bibliographic indexes together with citation searching and institutional data sources, and was appraised for relevance, methodological adequacy and claim-source alignment rather than by citation count alone. Guinean primary evidence was found to consist of a small number of environmental, veterinary and incidental clinical reports, together with acute flaccid paralysis surveillance that captures enteroviruses for reasons unrelated to gastroenteritis. No population-based study of the aetiology of paediatric diarrhoea in Guinea was identified. Regional studies conducted in The Gambia, Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Guinea-Bissau supply the substantive picture of aetiological structure, seasonality and severity, but they differ from Guinea in rotavirus vaccination status, hydrological regime and health-service configuration, and their transferability is therefore conditional rather than assured.

Three conclusions are defensible. Rotavirus A almost certainly accounts for a considerable and preventable share of severe paediatric diarrhoea in Guinea, since the vaccine has not entered the national immunisation programme. Enterically transmitted hepatitis viruses circulate in Guinean pigs and in Conakry wastewater, but human burden is unquantified. The surveillance architecture built after the 2014 to 2016 Ebola virus disease epidemic is technically capable of generating the missing data and has not been directed towards enteric pathogens. Priorities are set out for closing these gaps.

Experimental Evaluation of Indigenous Fungal Isolates for the Biobeneficiation of Nigerian Iron Ore: Mineralogical and Chemical Evidence

B. S. Adamu — 2026-08-26

Aims: The study aimed to evaluate the ability of indigenous fungal isolates (Aspergillus ochraceus, Aspergillus nomius, and Penicillium citrinum) to improve the quality of Nigerian iron ore by removing impurities such as alumina, silica, manganese oxide, and phosphorus.

Study Design: This was an experimental laboratory study using a completely randomised design with four treatments (three fungal isolates and one uninoculated control) over an eight-week incubation period.

Place and Duration of Study: The research was conducted in the Department of Microbiology, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Anambra State, Nigeria, using Nigerian iron ore samples over eight weeks.

Methodology: Iron ore samples were inoculated with the fungal isolates and incubated under controlled conditions. pH measurements were taken at two-week intervals, and elemental compositions were analysed before and after incubation using X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). Statistical analyses included regression, ANOVA, the Shapiro–Wilk normality test, and homoscedasticity testing.

Results: Aspergillus ochraceus achieved the highest overall mass removal (66.51%) and the greatest reduction in phosphorus (99.72% by XRF). Penicillium citrinum showed the highest phosphorus removal efficiency by AAS (79.15%). Aspergillus nomius was most effective in removing manganese oxide (95.98%). Incubation time significantly affected pH (F = 13.35, p = 0.006), and the interaction between fungal species and time was also significant (F = 5.39, p = 0.025). Statistical assumptions of normality and homoscedasticity were satisfied.

Conclusion: Indigenous fungal isolates, especially Aspergillus ochraceus, can effectively improve Nigerian iron ore quality by selectively removing gangue minerals and phosphorus. The findings support the potential of fungal biobeneficiation as an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical beneficiation, with pilot-scale validation needed before industrial application.

Anti-biofilm Bioactivity of Propolis Essential Oil on Multi-resistant Strains of P. aeruginosa, S. aureus and E. coli

Comoé Koffi Donatien Benie — 2026-08-27

Several multidrug-resistant bacterial strains use biofilm formation to evade antimicrobial therapies. This study aimed to characterise the anti-biofilm bioactivity of Propolis essential oil against multidrug-resistant strains. A total of ninety (90) strains, including S. aureus (30), E. coli (30), and P. aeruginosa (30), from clinical and food sources, were included in this study. The antibacterial activity of Propolis essential oil and the resistance profile were determined using the Muller Hinton agar diffusion method. The phenotypic detection of biofilms and the anti-biofilm activity of Propolis essential oil were performed using the tube method. In P. aeruginosa and S. aureus, the respective resistance to ceftazidime, cefepime, and imipenem in clinical strains (16.2%; 25.7%; 32.8%) was twice that in food strains (7.3%; 13%; 16.1%). Resistance to aztreonam in clinical (78.1%) and foodborne (16.1%) P. aeruginosa strains was greater than 60%. All clinical (9.4% to 33.7%) and foodborne (8.2% to 31.3%) E. coli strains exhibited virtually the same levels of antibiotic resistance. Propolis essential oil showed bactericidal (E. coli and S. aureus) and bacteriostatic (P. aeruginosa) activity against both foodborne and clinical strains. Median biofilm formation ranged from 0.7 ± 0.3 to 1.2 ± 0.4 (clinical strains) and from 0.7 ± 0.3 to 0.9 ± 0.3 (foodborne strains). The significant reduction in cell adhesion in clinical and foodborne S. aureus and E. coli strains ranged from 32.3% to 84.8% (P < 0.01). A significant increase exceeding 100% (109.3% to 142.7%) (P < 0.01) was observed in foodborne P. aeruginosa with Propolis oil at concentrations between 0.1% and 0.5%. Between 0.1% and 1% Propolis oil, this increase ranged from 94.2% to 98.8% in clinically sourced P. aeruginosa strains. This study demonstrates the potential of Propolis oil in combating bacterial biofilms.

Effect of Microbe-Enriched Seed Cone Technology on Growth, Fruit Yield and Seed Productivity of Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia L.)

Gunda Srivani — 2026-08-29

Seed cone technology is a promising seed enhancement approach that provides a protective and biologically active microenvironment around the seed, thereby promoting improved crop establishment and productivity. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of microbe-enriched seed cones on the growth and yield of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) under field conditions. The experiment was conducted in a Randomised Block Design with nine treatments and three replications at the Department of Seed Science and Technology, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, Kerala Agricultural University. Seed cones were prepared using different combinations of soil, sawdust, vermicompost, Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizae (VAM), Pseudomonas fluorescens, Beauveria bassiana and micronutrients. Observations were recorded on crop establishment, flowering, fruit yield attributes and seed yield parameters. The results revealed that seed cone treatments did not significantly influence days to emergence or days to 50% flowering, with T₁ [Soil (700 g) + Sawdust (190 g) + Vermicompost (40 g) + VAM (50 g) + Pseudomonas fluorescens (10 g) + Beauveria bassiana (10 g)], T₄ [Soil (700 g) + Sawdust (210 g) + Vermicompost (40 g) + VAM (50 g)], T₅ [Soil (700 g) + Sawdust (250 g) + Vermicompost (40 g) + Pseudomonas fluorescens (10 g)] and T₆ [Soil (700 g) + Sawdust (250 g) + Vermicompost (40 g) + Beauveria bassiana (10 g)] recording the earliest emergence (6.33 days), while T_₇recorded the earliest attainment of 50% flowering (46.33 days). Significant differences were observed for fruit length, average fruit weight, fruit yield per plant, number of seeds per fruit and seed yield per plant. The fully enriched seed cone treatment (T₁) produced the highest fruit length (20.30 cm), average fruit weight (193.46 g), fruit yield per plant (2.36 kg), number of seeds per fruit (36.00) and seed yield per plant (84.05 g). The findings suggest that microbe-enriched seed cone technology has the potential to enhance fruit and seed productivity in bitter gourd and can serve as a sustainable approach for improving crop performance under field conditions.

Phenotypic, Antimicrobial and Genetic Diversity of Staphylococcus aureus from Camel (Camelus dromedarius) Skin Lesions

Sudeep Solanki — 2026-08-31

Skin wounds and abscesses are important health and welfare concerns in dromedary camels, and Staphylococcus aureus is frequently associated with suppurative lesions. This study characterised camel-derived S. aureus using phenotypic testing, antimicrobial susceptibility profiling and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprinting to assess strain diversity. Seventy samples from naturally occurring lesions and selected normal skin-associated sites were examined bacteriologically, of which 46 (65.7%) were positive for S. aureus. Isolates were evaluated for free coagulase, haemolysis, haemolysin production, biochemical variation and susceptibility to 33 antimicrobial agents. Thirty representative isolates were examined for haemolysin production, and 21 isolates were selected for RAPD analysis using ten arbitrary primers. Coagulase-positive isolates predominated, haemolytic and haemolysin profiles varied, and biochemical testing identified 18 biotypes. Antimicrobial responses were heterogeneous, with several fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides showing comparatively high in vitro activity in the historical dataset, whereas several older agents showed poor activity. RAPD analysis generated 118 scorable bands, of which 117 (99.2%) were polymorphic, and separated the typed isolates into two broad genetic groups. These findings indicate substantial phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity among camel-associated S. aureus. Culture-based susceptibility testing and molecular typing provide complementary epidemiological information; however, the historical antimicrobial data should not be interpreted as current treatment guidance, and contemporary surveillance should use current susceptibility standards and higher-resolution genomic methods where available.

Genotype- and Experiment-dependent Biomass Stability of Maize Lines B73, EV8728SR, and W438 under Water Deficit and Rhizophagus irregularis Inoculation

Eric-Olivier Tienebo — 2026-09-03

Background: Water deficit is a major constraint on maize growth, while the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can vary with host genotype and experimental context.

Aims: This study evaluated biomass stability and supporting physiological responses of B73, EV8728SR, and W438 under water deficit with or without Rhizophagus irregularis inoculation.

Study Design: We compared B73, EV8728SR, and W438 in a genotype-complete assay at 100% and 10% soil water-holding capacity (WHC), with non-inoculated (NM) and AMF Rhizophagus irregularis (Ri) treatments, and independently evaluated B73 and EV8728SR across 100%, 50%, and 10% WHC.

Place and Duration of Study: The experiments were conducted under controlled greenhouse conditions at Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny (INP-HB), Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire; the common assay ran from February to March 2024.

Methodology: Total plant dry biomass was the primary endpoint. Positive outcomes were analysed with log-Gaussian factorial models and HC3 Type III tests; proportions were analysed using beta regression. Estimated marginal means were compared among all genotypes within each inoculation × water panel using Tukey adjustment, and biomass tolerance indices were estimated with 2,000 stratified bootstrap resamples.

Results: In the common assay, biomass differed by genotype (F_2,37= 14.74, P < 0.0001) and water regime (F_1,37= 151.58, P < 0.0001), but not by genotype × water (P = 0.410) or genotype × inoculation × water (P = 0.614). EV8728SR had the greatest estimated severe-stress biomass (11.77 g NM; 15.16 g Ri) and the largest stress tolerance index under severe stress (STI; 0.523 NM; 0.659 Ri). In the independent gradient, however, B73 exceeded EV8728SR overall (F_1,51= 10.44, P = 0.0022), while water deficit remained the dominant effect (F_2,51= 43.23, P < 0.0001). Ion leakage showed a water-dependent three-way interaction (χ² = 12.05, P = 0.0024), whereas leaf area showed genotype × water and inoculation × water interactions after multiplicity control. Biomass provided no evidence of a general or genotype-specific Ri buffering effect.

Conclusion: The contrasting genotype ranking between assays demonstrates that drought-tolerance claims should integrate absolute stress biomass, stability indices, and independent validation rather than relying on a single experiment or physiological proxy.