Browsing by Author "Ahmed, Akash"

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A landscape view on antimicrobial resistance pattern of Acinetobacter baumannii and Vibrio cholerae in hospital wastewater and adjacent household water
(BRAC University, 2023-06) Morshed, Sumaiya; Khan, Shadman Sakib; Ahmed, Akash
Global threats to public health are growing from carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, particularly the Acinetobacter baumannii-calcoaceticus complex and Enterobacteriaceae- Vibrio cholerae. Numerous multidrug-resistant strains of V. cholerae and A. baumannii have been found in both clinical and environmental settings. One of the six most significant multidrug resistant pathogens found in hospitals around the world, Acinetobacter baumannii is known for its opportunistic nosocomial infection causing abilities and Cholera is caused by the bacterium called Vibrio cholerae, which places a significant burden on global public health, particularly in developing nations like Bangladesh. The current study aims to isolate and assess the prevalence of multidrug resistant A. baumannii and V. cholerae in hospital wastewater and its adjacent household water samples from three hospitals in the heart of Dhaka-City. Throughout the study which lasted from December 2022 to February 2023, 78 confirmed A. baumanni and 60 confirmed V. cholerae isolates have been identified using PCR. These isolates were further subjected to an antibiotic susceptibility test using various first line antibiotics. All the confirmed isolates for both organisms showed great resistivity to Erythromycin and Cefixime. The resistance outcome for A. baumannii and V. cholerae are as follows: Gentamicin (0%) and (1.67%), Amikacin (1.54%) and (1.67%), Imipenem (7.69%) and (6.67%), Cefixime (89.74%) and (80%), Ceftazidime (14.1%) and (16.67%), Cefepime (24.36%) and (8.33%), Amoxicillin Clavulanic acid (21.79%) and (15%), Doxycycline (6.41%) and (20%), Aztreonam (15.38%) and (3.33%), Erythromycin (73.08%) and (100%). Furthermore, MDR genes were also detected using PCR; 1 isolate found positive for blaNDM-1 and 2 for bla-CTX-M has been found out of 29 suspected A. baumannii. On the other hand, 1 isolate has been detected for blaKPC and blaNDM-1 out of 7 suspected V. cholerae. Hence, this study highlights current developments and suggests new directions for future study, including the reservoir of carbapenem-resistant bacteria. It places a special emphasis on the evolutionary and genomic features of A.baumannii and V. cholerae in three hospitals in Dhaka City.
A prospective study on the efficiency of ciprofloxacin in combination with chloramphenicol and probiotics against multiple antibiotics resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae
(BRAC University, 2017-12) Ahmed, Akash; Hossain, M. Mahboob
Pneumonia is the single largest infectious cause of death in children worldwide. Not only children but also adult from all age groups can be suffered from pneumonia. Pneumonia is a form of acute respiratory infection that affects the lungs. One of the prime pathogens of this infection is Klebsiella pneumoniae. Apparently, it seems pretty uncomplicated to treat K. pneumoniae, however, it is more than challenging to combat because of antimicrobial resistance. The purpose of the study was to develop new approach to treat antibiotic resistant K. pneumoniae infection. This study aimed in quest of a drug to combine with ciprofloxacin, a broad spectrum antibiotic frequently used to treat lung infections. A total of 23 lung infection bacterial samples were collected and studied against 14 antibiotics of different classes. After primary screening of antibiotic susceptibility, they were categorized into multidrug resistant (MDR), extensively drug resistant (XDR) and pan drug resistant (PDR) pathogens where 9 isolates were MDR, 5 were XDR and 3 isolates were PDR. Furthermore, they were trialed in combination ciprofloxacin along with other 7 drugs in disk diffusion to explore synergistic effect. The combination of ciprofloxacin and moxifloxacin, ciprofloxacin and chloramphenicol and ciprofloxacin with probiotic was found to be synergic. Then the minimum inhibitory concentration test was done for the two combination Ciprofloxacin + chloramphenicol and ciprofloxacin + probiotic. When the individual MIC result was generated, the MIC of the respective combination was analyzed. Furthermore, the fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) was calculated and in accordance with the results of FIC index, ciprofloxacin-chloramphenicol combination has shown value 0.4510 which revealed synergistic effect against multi drug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. Although, in vivo animal modelling is needed for further validation, this finding is indisputably a novel and great one to combat highly drug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in upcoming future.
A review on Mucormycosis in view of COVID-19, Diabetes and the role of Iron
(BRAC University, 2021-10) Jumana, Zarin; Ahmed, Akash
COVID-19 has made people all over the world susceptible to other diseases caused by various microorganisms. One of them is caused by a fungus called mucormycosis or black fungus. Together with diabetes and COVID-19, it creates the perfect mechanism to make a person less immune to other diseases. This review concerns with how becoming infected with COVID-19 makes way for diabetes to either occur or worsen and for the fungi to be opportunistic and infect a person who is already immunocompromised. There are comparisons made from one country to another having all of the above diseases altogether. The role that iron plays in declining the condition of combination of diseases is also mentioned.
A review on the causative agents, risk factors and management of ventilator associated Pneumonia: from South Asian perspective
(BRAC University, 2021-09) Naboni, Nahian Sanjida; Ahmed, Akash
Ventilator Associated Pneumoniae (VAP) is a common hospital acquired pneumoniae in ICU patients. Patients with pneumoniae after 48 hours of mechanical ventilation is considered VAP. INICC found that VAP rates between 2003 to 2008, 2004 to 2009 and 2012 to 2017 as 13.6, 15.8 and 14.1 per 1000 episodes. VAP can be two types, early onset VAP and late onset VAP. The most common pathogens include Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Risk factors that increase the mortality of VAP are age, gender, increased in mechanical ventilation, disorder of consciousness, burns, comorbidities, prior antibiotic therapy, invasive operation, gene polymorphism and others. Blind bronchial sampling is used to collect endotracheal aspirates for identification and antibiotic susceptibility. Treatment protocol uses antibiotic therapy depend on the pathogens and their AST. For early onset VAP, cephalosporin (cefotaxime or ceftriaxone), a fluoroquinolone, or piperacillin-tazobactam and for late onset VAP, ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin, meropenem, and piperacillin-tazobactam.
A review on the prevalence and Detection of Bacterial contamination in Common Food and Associated Health Risk
(BRAC University, 2021-10) Baidya, Sangita; Rahman, Tasmia; Ahmed, Akash
Foodborne diseases are becoming a serious public health problem throughout the world, with 48 million illnesses and 3,000 fatalities projected in the United States each year. Over 1.7 billion cases of diarrheal disease-related deaths in children are recorded worldwide each year, with the bulk of these cases attributed to polluted food and water. Food-borne infections cause more medical care and fatalities in children under the age of four than in any other age group. Foodborne illness is caused by two different factors: food intoxication and food infection. Foodborne illness agents are capable of not just decapitating large numbers of people, but also of causing severe mortality and disability. There is increasing evidence that persons from minority racial and ethnic groups are more likely to contract foodborne illnesses. The food and beverage industries constitute a key part of the economy in many countries. Every day, they serve millions of people with a wide range of ready-to-eat (RTE) meals and drinks sold and occasionally prepared in public spaces. Food sources as diverse as meat, fish, natural goods, vegetables, grains, and cereals based on ready-to-eat food variations, frozen produce, and refreshments are included in road-distributed food types. RTE foods are ones that have not been further treated before being ingested in a way that considerably lowers microbial load. According to the World Health Organization, contaminated foods are responsible for up to 70% of diarrheal infections, and food-borne illnesses are the leading cause of death, killing an estimated 2.1 million people globally, the majority of whom are children in developing countries. Clostridium botulinum, E. coli, Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Yersinia enterocolitica, Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella spp., Bacillus cereus, and Campylobacter jejuni are the most prevalent foodborne pathogens in the bacterial domain. Escherichia coli, Shigella sp., Staphylococcus sp., Bacillus spp., Klebsiella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, and other foodborne pathogens have all been documented. This review will highlight the Prevalence and
A review on the socio-demographic and cultural factors associated with the delayed diagnosis of cervical cancer and possible interventions in screening attitude: From South Asian perspective
(BRAC University, 2022-11) Tarannum, Nafisa; Binte Ismail Eva, Ismat Ara; Ahmed, Akash
Cervical cancer is the prominent reason of cancer related mortality in women in the South Asian countries. Unfortunately, due to low rate of cervical cancer screening (CCS) cervical cancer is still a significant public health problem in south Asian countries. Early diagnosis of cervical cancer can reduce the incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer. There are lot of barriers that prevent women from up taking the CCS. But there are some facilitating factors of early diagnosis which if implemented increases the early diagnosis of cervical cancer. And here in this present review with the aim to facilitate the early diagnosis of cervical cancer we have discussed about the potential barriers to cervical cancer screening and possible interventions that targets delays and barriers to cervical cancer diagnosis.
A study of prevalence and antimicrobial resistance and pathogenic activity of bacteria in the air of certain areas of Dhaka city
(BRAC University, 2022-04) Ashraf, Anika; Faria, Tasnuva; Hossain, Dr. M. Mahboob; Ahmed, Akash
The economic hub of Bangladesh, it’s capital city Dhaka is subject to a high level of pollution all year round, which makes the air harmful to breathe. On average, around 14 m3 of air is inhaled by an individual every day. The ubiquity of pathogenic bacteria in the air that people inhale, presents the utmost health hazard for them. The purpose of the study is the enumeration of the prevalent bacteria in Dhaka city’s air, identifying the pathogens among them by analyzing their hemolysis pattern. This study was carried out in 10 bustling areas around Dhaka (Dhanmondi, Gulistan, Mohakhali, Khilgaon, Motijheel, Mohammadpur, Badda, Keraniganj, Shantinagar, Mirpur). For sample collection, different selective media (Nutrient agar, Mannitol Salt agar, MacConkey agar, EMB agar) were exposed in the air where the highest and lowest CFU were 189 and 1 respectively. Distinct colonies were chosen and sub-cultured in nutrient agar for running further tests. Pathogens were screened a through Hemolysis test in blood agar. A total of 157 isolates were screened for pathogenicity in blood agar and their hemolysis pattern showed 43 of them being capable of hemolysis. Among 157 isolates, 22 showed β hemolysis where they completely lysed the red blood cells; 12 isolates showed α hemolysis and 9 isolates showed γ hemolysis. In the DNAse test, out of 43 samples, 17 turned out to be DNAse negative, and 26 were DNAse positive. The results of the study indicate the potential presence of pathogens in the air which calls for an extension of it that would help find out the potential pathogens present in the air and act on time before the matter gets out of hand and give rise to new incidences, epidemics, or even pandemics.
A study of prevalence and antimicrobial resistance and pathogenic activity of bacteria in the air of Dhaka city
(BRAC University, 2019-12) Nawar, Shaeri; Rashid, Maliha Tabassum; Hossain, M. Mahboob; Ahmed, Akash
Air pollution in Dhaka city is a burning question now. A new study suggests that Bangladesh composes the most polluted air with Dhaka securing the second position in terms of pollution (daily star). According to air visual 2018 reports, Dhaka city is ranked number 17th amongst the world’s most polluted cities. The purpose of this study is the enumeration of the prevalence of different types of microbes existing in the air of Dhaka city. This identification was done through biochemical tests and their antibiotic resistance pattern was also analyzed. The organisms were then screened for pathogenicity by blood agar hemolysis and DNase test. After the detection of some potential pathogens, in order to make the biochemical identification more rigid, 16srRNA sequencing of the organisms was done to conclusively identify the pathogenic species in air. Thirteen potential pathogens were detected among which two organisms, namely, Shigella dysenteriae, Staphylococcus spp. were also found to be multidrug-resistant by performing disc diffusion test against most commonly used antibiotics. Alongside, a comparison of total CFU count with the temperature and humidity record respectively at the time of sample collection was done. This helped to build a comparative study of the effect of important factors like temperature and humidity on the growth of air microbes.
A study of the prevalence of bacterial pathogens in the air of the different areas of Dhaka city
(BRAC University, 2022-01) Monisha, Noshin Anjum; Rahman, Md. Hafizur; Hossain, M. Mahboob; Ahmed, Akash
Antibacterial and antioxidant properties of Crateva magna bark crude extract
(BRAC University, 2023-06) Subarna, Rifa Tamanna; Hossain, M. Mahboob; Ahmed, Akash
Chemical compounds derived from plants have been used to treat several diseases all over the world since the dawn of human civilization. Many of the drugs that are currently on the market have either been directly or indirectly produced from plants, which have historically been an excellent source of pharmaceuticals. Bangladesh is home to a significant medicinal plant: Crateva magna. The plant Crateva magna is locally known as “Borun”. The anti-inflammatory capabilities of this plant are well known. Numerous pharmacological properties have been reported for C.magna as well as several traditional uses that need to be thoroughly scientifically examined. The work in this thesis project details the antioxidant and antibacterial activity of one species of Crateva. Not enough work had been reported previously on this species and this species is grown in Bangladesh and has not been studied extensively so far. The bark of Crateva magna was extracted with dichloromethane and methanol, then subjected to partition, followed by thin-layer chromatography. In addition, an antioxidant test and antibacterial test were performed. Chloroform and ethyl acetate partition extract showed mild antibacterial activity. However, chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol, and hexane partition extract showed up to 70.96%, 74.75%, 56.16%, and 33% of free radical inhibition activities respectively. Visualizing the TLC plate exhibits that several compounds are present in the chloroform, ethyl acetate, and hexane part. Hence, the findings of this project work encourage further research to use this plant for therapeutic purposes.
Antibiotic resistance in commercially available probiotics in Bangladesh
(BRAC University, 2022-04) Rupa, Sadia Islam; Tasnim, Naima; Ahmed, Akash
“Probiotic” can be defined as live microorganism with the ability to promote health befits in the host body when consumed in adequate amount. It is well known that probiotics improve intestinal health, boost immune system, prevent diarrhea and other allergic diseases, cancer, maintain cholesterol level, hypertension, inflammatory bowel disease etc. The health benefits of probiotics gain most attention while the potential risk factors are ignored. In our research, we aim to highlight the presence of antibiotic resistance in commercially produced probiotics, mostly yogurt and supplements along with making a comparison between the leading brands in Bangladesh. Five samples of yogurt and two dietary supplements from leading brands were collected from local supermarkets (Shawpno, Daily shopping etc.) in Dhaka for the isolation of probiotics. Identification and characterization of Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bacillus coagulans, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Enterococcus faecium probiotics were done using gram staining and series of other biochemical tests. In order to identify multidrug resistance, antibiotic profiling was done using eleven different antibiotics. Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bacillus coagulans, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Enterococcus faecium showed 45%, 59%, 36%, 23% and 45% resistance respectively. While most of the probiotics demonstrated sensitive results, a lot of them showed resistance to the antibiotics which result in serious health issues if incorporation of antibiotic resistant genes occurs in pathogenic bacteria. According to the antibiotic susceptibility result of samples from different companies, the most resistance of 55% was found in yogurt 3 sample and yogurt 2 showed the most sensitivity of 73%. Sample of Yogurt 1, supplement 1 and supplement 2 demonstrated 53%, 23% and 18% resistance in that order. Meanwhile, no active probiotic was found in the samples of yogurt 4 and yogurt 5. The presence of these antibiotic resistant probiotics could be a potential source of antibiotic resistance in humans.
Assessment of multidrug resistant bacterial load in cosmetics bought from local markets of Bangladesh
(BRAC University, 2022-02) Nusrat, Namira; Zahra, Maftuha Ahmad; Haque, Fahim Kabir Monjurul; Ahmed, Akash
A total of 27 brands of commercially available lipsticks, powders and creams were collected from different parts of Dhaka, in order to test their level of contamination. Organisms were detected from 85.2% of the cosmetic products. The aerobic plate counts ranged from 6- 4.4×10 15,40- 6.7×1012 and 0-3.4×1013 in case of lipsticks, powders and creams respectively. The limit given by the FDA was exceeded by 77.78% of the samples. From the samples both Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella spp. and Shigella spp.) and Gram-positive organisms (species of Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Bacillus Lactobacillus and Listeria monocytogens were identified. Hemolysis was observed in 50% of Gram-positive bacteria and 14% of Gram-negative bacteria. The identified bacteria were tested for multidrug resistance. All of the Gram-positive and Gram-negative samples showed multidrug resistance. However, the percentage of multidrug resistance varied from sample to sample and depended on the type of bacteria. The Gram-positive bacteria of lipstick samples showed 77-100% multidrug resistance. In case of powder and cream samples of Gram-positive bacteria the multidrug resistance observed was 66-100% and 71-100% respectively. In Gram-negative bacteria, lipsticks powders and creams multidrug resistance observed was 28-100%, 0-68%and 0-60% respectively. High levels of microbial contamination occur during manufacturing of cosmetic products and the presence of pathogenic organisms poses a likely hazard to public health. Manufactures should ensure microbiological quality control testing and hygienic environments in order to lower the level of bacterial contamination.
Assessment on the microbial status of potable/ drinking water in Dhaka city and the comparative analysis of different regions of the city on antibiotic resistance
(2022-01) Amin, Rahaf Bint; Nabila, Antara Ridha; Prova, Adiba Hasan; Rashid, Samia; Das, Devopria; Ahmed, Akash; Haque, Fahim Kabir Monjurul
Dhaka City is home to nearly 22,478,000 people, but accessible drinking water sources are limited. Moreover, the minimal available water sources are polluted, rendering the Dhaka City population victim of water-borne health hazards. The key water source examined in this study is the community water from street food vendors all over Dhaka City, which is consumed by general people on a regular basis. A total of 47 water samples were collected from tea stalls, street food vendors, and roadside restaurants and the samples were processed within 2 hours of collection. A combination of spread, pour and streak plating methods were used on a variety of selective media, such as MAC, XLD, MSA, TCBS, M-FC, etc. Gram staining and an array of biochemical tests were also performed to identify the target organisms. Antibiotic Susceptibility was further performed to examine the level of antibiotic resistance. In this study, Bacillus spp was the most prevalent (28.57%) bacteria isolated from drinking water. E.coli was found to be the highest one (12%) among a myriad of other enteric pathogens. However, a distressing number of fecal coliforms were found in more or less all the samples The isolates showed highest resistance to Penicillin 80.67% followed by Colistin 50.42%, Cefepime 23.52%, Gentamicin 42.01%, Cefuroxime 43.69%, Erythromycin 24.36%. Diseases related to the serious contamination of drinking water in Dhaka city constitute a major burden on human health and can cause a leading risk factor for infectious diseases including cholera, diarrhea, dysentery and typhoid.
Bacterial diversity with emerging antimicrobial resistance of diabetic foot infection and their current detection techniques: A review
(BRAC University, 2021-02) Alvi, Sayeed Akhtar; Ahmed, Akash; Akhtar, Fahmina
Diabetic foot ulcer is becoming one of the major complications around the world with associated consequences such as lower-extremity amputation, high morbidity, mortality and hospitalization. It is on its way to become the next global epidemic. Major part of the concern comes from the diverse bacterial and fungal population that is found at the infection site and their growing antimicrobial resistance. If the threat of antimicrobial resistance is not dealt with than it will rise to become the main cause of mortality and below knee amputation in case DFI. Also, most of the time main focus is given on detecting bacterial population which causes the fungal population to go unnoticed and act as the silent enemy. Bacterial and fungal prevalence scenario from different countries have been discussed in this study along with the alarming antibiotic resistance scenario around the globe. Furthermore, choosing the correct technique to identify them also plays a vital role. With proven lacking’s of the culture-based methods maybe it is time to move on to the faster and more specific molecular methods. As, many of the molecular techniques have already proven to be more efficient. This review discussed the bacterial and fungal prevalence along with their growing antimicrobial resistance and evaluated different biochemical and molecular techniques in identification process.
Bacterial identification of the vaginal micro biota and presence of pathogens causing bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy in Bangladeshi women
(BRAC University, 2022-02) Hasan, Md Mahmud; Sultana, Mashyat; Khan, Tasnova Tabassum; Haque, Fahim Kabir Monjurul; Ahmed, Akash; Sultana, Jobaida
Bacterial vaginosis is a one-of-a-kind upheaval of the complex vaginal bacterial flora with the absence of lactobacilli and the expansion of Gardnerella vaginalis, Atopobium vaginae, prevotella bivia, and resident anaerobic vaginal bacteria. Vaginosis is linked to preterm labor, early delivery, and preterm premature rupture of the membranes, amniotic fluid infection, postpartum endometritis, and post cesarean wound infections, as well as spontaneous abortion during pregnancy, according to recent studies. According to a recent study, 10-41 percent of women get bacterial vaginosis, which has been linked to maternal and fetal morbidity. Sociodemographic variables, previous health history, previous UTI and BV record, vaginal discharge, and weight have all been linked to variations in bacterial vaginosis prevalence rates. In this study, vaginal swab samples were taken from 50 patients and cultured it on HBT, Blood agar and MRS. The majority of the patients in the study (n=50) were young adults between the ages of 25 and 30, who had the highest average colony count in both HBT and Blood agar. In addition, patients from metropolitan regions had a higher risk of contracting bacterial vaginosis. Furthermore, 11 out of 50 patients had a prior UTI, and these patients had a higher average colony count of 135.54 and 28.63 for HBT and Blood agar, respectively, than those who did not have a prior UTI, but a very low average colony count of 37 for Lactobacillus species, which is lower than 52.70 for patients without a prior UTI, indicating that patients with a prior UTI have a higher risk of bacterial vaginosis. In addition, the majority of patients with vaginal discharge have higher average colony growth in HBT and Blood agar but lower average colony growth on MRS than patients without vaginal discharge, according to our findings. In conclusion, patients with higher Gardnerella vaginalis and Atopobium vaginae culture growth have lower growth for lactobacillus spp in our entire study is an indicator of bacterial vaginosis is consistent.
Bacteriological analysis of housefly samples across Dhaka city and its antibiotic susceptibility analysis
(BRAC University, 2025-07) Mobashwera, Mahira; Kasini, Qazi Nabila Tansue; Syed, Maliha Tasnim; Ahmed, Akash
Houseflies (Musca domestica) act as mechanical vectors for pathogens, facilitating the fomite-mediated spread of bacteria in urban environments. This study evaluated the external bacterial load on houseflies in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and characterized the antibiotic susceptibility profiles of the isolates. Thirty-six housefly specimens were collected from street food stalls, fish markets, and residential areas across the city. Individual flies were washed in phosphate-buffered saline, serially diluted, and cultured on MacConkey, mannitol salt, and cetrimide agars for preliminary isolation. Molecular analysis verified Escherichia coli in 14.7% of samples, Staphylococcus aureus in 10.8%, Klebsiella pneumoniae in 9.3%, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 0.5%. Antibiotic susceptibility testing via Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion revealed highest overall sensitivity to meropenem (81.8%), followed by ceftriaxone (70.5%), doxycycline (70.5%), and amikacin (54.5%). Vancomycin exhibited a 62.5% susceptibility rate against S. aureus itself (5 out of 8 isolate) but a 22.7% susceptibility over all isolates, considering both Gram-positive and negative bacteria. In contrast, amoxicillin showed only 4.5% susceptibility and 95.5% resistance. High resistance rates were also noted for cefixime (77.3%) and ciprofloxacin (30.6%) with ceftriaxone showing the least resistance (13.6%). The detection of multidrug-resistant bacteria on housefly surfaces underscores their role in disseminating clinically significant pathogens. These findings highlight the urgent need for improved sanitary measures, vector control strategies, and antibiotic stewardship to mitigate the public health risks posed by synanthropic flies.
Bacteriological assessment of common fly (Musca domestica) as a potential carrier for public health epidemics
(BRAC University, 2025-08) Rahman, Mizanur; Raisa, Rokaiya; Ahmed, Akash
House fly (Musca domestica) plays a pivotal role in the transmission of various antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, posing a huge risk to public health. Both global and national research has shown that Musca domestica is an important vector of pathogens that is directly and indirectly responsible for the rapid increase of multidrug-resistant pathogens. The purpose of this study was to identify and analyze the types of bacteria commonly associated with houseflies, with a specific focus on enteric pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., and others. Along with that, this study has also seen the resistance pattern of these bacteria. The study was conducted primarily divided into two seasons (October-February) and (March-July) in 3 different settings (Residential area, Fish Markets, and Street food) among 7 major areas (Ramna, Shahbag, Khilgaon, Paltan, Motijheel, Jatrabari, and Dhanmondi) of Dhaka city. From these 7 different areas, 53 samples of house flies were obtained, and from those 53 specimens, around 159 isolates of different bacteria were found. From this study, the highest number of bacterial isolates was found to be of Vibrio spp. (44.65%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (23.27%). Again lowest isolates found were Salmonella spp. (1.26%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5.66%). Among the isolates, Escherichia coli showed resistance to cefixime, amixoclav and azithromycin at an alarming rate 83%, 67%, and 83% respectively. Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed 100% resistance to amixoclav and cefixime, but Klebsiella pneumoniae raised an alarm as it is 83% resistant to cefixime. Vibrio spp and Shigella spp. Showed moderate mixed results.
Bacteriological profile and its antibiotic sensitivity in UTI patients in hospitals and diagnostic centers in Bangladesh
(BRAC University, 2021-09) Nahar, Noshin; Ahmed, Akash
Among the common bacterial infection urinary tract infection is the common one in Bangladesh. Women are predominant to be infected by UTI, most commonly the women of reproductive age (18-40 years). This study was designed to determine the prevalence of UTI microorganisms that causes the disease and the sensitivity pattern among UTI patient. This study was done in the Thyroid Care and Diagnostic center in Dhaka during the time period of February 21- June 21. 500 urine samples were collected from UTI suspected patients of different ages and gender. After the samples were collected they were inoculated and then incubated for 24 hours after that (Kirby Bauer’s) disk Diffusion method was used to see antibiotic susceptibility of the isolated pathogens. Most of the samples were from Dhaka and Chittagong, among these 500 samples 186 (37.2%) showed positive growth results. Various pathogens were detected, among them, Escherichia coli constituted 26.4%. The organisms were found most resistant against common drugs like Amoxyclave, Ctimoxazole, Nalidixic acid, Tetracycline and sensitive against Amikacin, Gentamycin, Imipenem and Meropnem. The prevention from more complexity of UTI is the early detection of the disease and to be treated with local sensitivity pattern of that specific pathogen.
Bacteriological study of Balu and Turag River
(BRAC University, 2024) Azim, Tahsin Suraiya; Uddin, Raihan; Ahmed, Akash
Bangladesh, being a riverine country, depends highly on the river water for various purposes including agriculture, domestic use and industrial usage. Thus, water pollution is also a massive conundrum for this country. Furthermore, antibiotic resistance is a globally rising topic nowadays. In this study we have tried to address these two major problems and conducted this research based on Dhaka city to demonstrate which kind of bacteria is responsible for the water pollution in the two most prominent rivers of Dhaka and to what extent these bacteria are resistant to antibiotics. The target sites for this study were the starting and ending points of the Balu and Turag river. Selective agar media were used to isolate different species of bacteria and then a set of biochemical tests were performed on these isolates for identification purposes. Using the Kirby-Bauer Disk Diffusion method, we checked for antibiotic susceptibility of these bacteria to different antibiotics. And finally, we wanted to confirm which bacteria were prominent in the ending points of these rivers especially, as the confirmed isolates from the end points represent what kind of bacteria are entering into Dhaka with the river flow and residing in them. We found that among 43 isolates, all of them were susceptible towards Amikacin and Meropenem. The resistance rate for Ceftriaxone (6.98%), Tetracycline (6.98%), Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (4.65%) and Ciprofloxacin (2.33%) were not very alarming but still to be concerned about. However, the resistance rate of these organisms isolated from rivers showed an alarming rate of resistance against Erythromycin and Cefixime at 39.53% and 90.70%. We ran PCR on the isolates found in site A and site D. These two sites mark the end point of the rivers which shows the state of the water in Dhaka. We found that 66% suspected cases of Staphylococcus aureus had positive results and 20% were identified as Vibrio spp. Finally, the PCR test yielded negative results for all three of the suspected cases of Salmonella typhi. From this study we conclude that Staphylococcus aureus was the most prevalent in the Balu and Turag river water. And the second most prominent species was Vibrio spp. Thus, these river water can cause diseases like Cholerae and Bloodstream Infections (BSI) if people use it for a long time for domestic and drinking purposes. We have also found a significant number of fecal coliforms in these samples. It was also demonstrated that almost all the bacteria have become resistant to Cefixime which is also a strong antibiotic. Thus, necessary steps should be taken immediately to treat these river water and set up a treatment plant to purify the water and also to stop industrial and chemical wastes from being dumped in these rivers.
Bacteriological study of hospital waste water: microbial isolation, identification, and analysis of the antimicrobial resistance pattern
(2025-08) Bala, Rinki; Moni, Kotha; Mou, Jannat E Naher; Ahmed, Akash
Antimicrobials are used to prevent and treat bacterial infections, which are often released into the watery environment via wastewater from the hospital without being metabolized properly. This untreated water often becomes a breeding ground for bacteria, some of which can resist several antibiotics because of the high use of such drugs in hospitals. Thus, the primary target of our study was to isolate the microbes, identify and determine the antimicrobial activity in Dhaka. In total, 12 hospital wastewater samples were collected from 4 different tertiary hospital drainage systems. The hospitals are National Institute of Diseases of the Chest and Hospital (NIDCH), National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital (NICRH), Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) or Post Graduate (P.G Hospital) and National Institute of Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT Hospital). After sample collection, culture techniques were employed to isolate and identify the microorganisms present and do the antimicrobial susceptibility test to find out the drug resistant. In this study, mostly Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae), Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aures), Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumanni), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), Vibrio spp., Shigella spp. and Salmonella spp., Klebsiella pneumoniae is 87.88% resistant to Imipenem and 18% to Gentamicin and Ciprofloxacin. In the case of E. coli, Cefixime is 100% resistant and Amikacin is 41.17%. S. aureus is 10% resistant to Azithromycin and 33.33% resistant for Shigella spp. For P. aeruginosa, Imipenem is 37.5% resistant and 40% for A. baumannii. A. baumannii is 10% resistant to Tetracycline. Hospital wastewater is fully covered with different types of antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as S. aureus, K. pneumoniae, non-typhoidal Salmonella spp. and E. coli, which is a great threat to public health globally. Untreated hospital drainage effluents and frequent consumption of antimicrobial supplements without proper prescription of individuals play a vital role in developing antimicrobial resistance. In every healthcare sector, wastewater needs to be treated properly, reduce malpractice of using antibiotics and raise public awareness to resolve AMR issue globally.