Tobias George Barnard
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View article: Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Bacteria Isolated from Households in Greater Letaba Municipality, South Africa
Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Bacteria Isolated from Households in Greater Letaba Municipality, South Africa Open
Background: Environmental surfaces are key reservoirs for pathogen transmission, with the survival of bacteria on fomites influenced by factors such as temperature, humidity, and microbial interactions. This study aimed to determine microb…
View article: The impact of informal settlement expansion on greywater generation: a potential missed opportunity?
The impact of informal settlement expansion on greywater generation: a potential missed opportunity? Open
South Africa is a semi-arid country with drought on the rise. The government reports that over 3,400 informal settlements exist nationally that both require potable water and generate greywater that could be treated and reused. The current…
View article: Water, sanitation and hygiene in rural Greater Letaba Municipality, South Africa
Water, sanitation and hygiene in rural Greater Letaba Municipality, South Africa Open
Background: Limited access to improved water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities disproportionately affects low- and middle-income nations, impacting human well-being, health, education and income. Aim: This study aimed to assess acc…
View article: Legionella in the City: Unveiling Legionella pneumophila in Hillbrow’s High-Rise Water Systems
Legionella in the City: Unveiling Legionella pneumophila in Hillbrow’s High-Rise Water Systems Open
Urban settings in developing countries present unique challenges such as high population density, inadequate water infrastructure and water supply, all factors that contribute to the growing threat of premise plumbing pathogens such as Leg…
View article: Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Bacteria Isolated from Households in Greater Letaba Municipality, South Africa
Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Bacteria Isolated from Households in Greater Letaba Municipality, South Africa Open
Environmental surfaces are key reservoirs for pathogen transmission, with the survival of bacteria on fomites influenced by factors such as temperature, humidity, and microbial interactions. This study aimed to determine microbial surface …
View article: Monitoring the Effectiveness of a Preschool Hand Hygiene Intervention Using Flow Cytometry to Determine the Reduction in the Microbiological Counts
Monitoring the Effectiveness of a Preschool Hand Hygiene Intervention Using Flow Cytometry to Determine the Reduction in the Microbiological Counts Open
Hand hygiene (HH)-related illnesses, such as diarrhea, are one of the leading causes of death in children under five, whereas handwashing with soap can reduce infection rates in this age group. This study monitored whether a simple interve…
View article: Mitigation of opportunistic pathogens in hot water systems: a review focused on premise plumbing in South Africa
Mitigation of opportunistic pathogens in hot water systems: a review focused on premise plumbing in South Africa Open
Water reticulation systems (i.e., premise plumbing) serve as a reservoir for opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens (OPPPs) to survive within these premise systems. OPPPs can be transmitted to individuals mainly via inhalation of aerosol…
View article: Monitoring the Effectiveness of a Pre‐School Hand Hygiene Intervention Using Flow Cytometry to Determine the Reduction in Microbiological Counts
Monitoring the Effectiveness of a Pre‐School Hand Hygiene Intervention Using Flow Cytometry to Determine the Reduction in Microbiological Counts Open
Hand hygiene (HH) related illnesses, such as diarrhea, are one of the leading causes of death in children under 5, whereas handwashing with soap can reduce infection rates in this age group. This study monitored whether a simple interventi…
View article: Assessing the impact of <i>Escherichia coli</i> on recreational water safety using quantitative microbial risk assessment
Assessing the impact of <i>Escherichia coli</i> on recreational water safety using quantitative microbial risk assessment Open
Recreational water activities have become an integral part of society for entertainment, health, and fitness. The water quality for these activities plays an integral role in the health and safety of the participants. This study aimed to m…
View article: The Prevalence and Distribution of Domiciliary Cockroaches in Rural Areas: A Cross-Sectional Study Design in Limpopo Province
The Prevalence and Distribution of Domiciliary Cockroaches in Rural Areas: A Cross-Sectional Study Design in Limpopo Province Open
Background: Cockroach infestation raises health concerns in the communities. The study aimed to identify the type of cockroach species found in the rural parts and assess the distribution of cockroach species in the area.Subjects and Metho…
View article: Multi- and extensively drug resistant Escherichia coli isolated from South African children under 5 years old with diarrhoea
Multi- and extensively drug resistant Escherichia coli isolated from South African children under 5 years old with diarrhoea Open
There is a need to strengthen antimicrobial resistance surveillance in South Africa and improve infection prevention and control measures. There is also a need to review the current South African Treatment Guidelines as outlined by the Sou…
View article: Application of a Novel Proteomic Microarray Reveals High Exposure to Diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli among Children in Zambia Participating in a Phase I Clinical Trial
Application of a Novel Proteomic Microarray Reveals High Exposure to Diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli among Children in Zambia Participating in a Phase I Clinical Trial Open
Diarrhoeagenic E. coli (DEC) significantly contributes to the burden of diarrhoea among children. Currently, there is no approved vaccine against DEC, but several vaccines against the enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) pathotype are in advance…
View article: Prevalence of Diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli among Children Aged between 0–36 Months in Peri-Urban Areas of Lusaka
Prevalence of Diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli among Children Aged between 0–36 Months in Peri-Urban Areas of Lusaka Open
Diarrhoea is a major contributor to childhood morbidity and mortality in developing countries, with diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli being among the top aetiological agents. We sought to investigate the burden and describe the diarrhoeageni…
View article: Health Science Students’ Perceptions of Hand Hygiene Education and Practice in a South African University: Introducing the University Hand Hygiene Improvement Model
Health Science Students’ Perceptions of Hand Hygiene Education and Practice in a South African University: Introducing the University Hand Hygiene Improvement Model Open
Hand hygiene serves as a critical preventative measure against the spread of acquired infections in healthcare facilities and is an integral component of patient safety programs. While healthcare students in training are typically introduc…
View article: Risk assessment of Enterococcus faecium, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in environmental water sources: Development of surrogate models for antibiotic resistance genes
Risk assessment of Enterococcus faecium, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in environmental water sources: Development of surrogate models for antibiotic resistance genes Open
The presence of Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium), Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), and the aminoglycoside resistance genes, aac(6')-Ib and aac(6')-aph(2″), was investigated in environmental wa…
View article: High Burden of Co-Infection with Multiple Enteric Pathogens in Children Suffering with Diarrhoea from Rural and Peri-Urban Communities in South Africa
High Burden of Co-Infection with Multiple Enteric Pathogens in Children Suffering with Diarrhoea from Rural and Peri-Urban Communities in South Africa Open
Infectious diarrhoea contributes to high morbidity and mortality in young children from sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of single and multiple diarrhoeal-causing pathogen combinations in children suff…
View article: A potential role of cockroaches in the transmission of pathogenic bacteria with antibiotic resistance: A scoping review
A potential role of cockroaches in the transmission of pathogenic bacteria with antibiotic resistance: A scoping review Open
Introduction: The role of cockroaches in the cause of disease or human infections is not immediately obvious. The present study aimed to review the currently available research on the potential role of cockroaches in the transmission of pa…
View article: Comparison of DNA Extraction Methods for the Direct Quantification of Bacteria from Water Using Quantitative Real-Time PCR
Comparison of DNA Extraction Methods for the Direct Quantification of Bacteria from Water Using Quantitative Real-Time PCR Open
Isolating DNA from bacterial cells concentrated directly from water samples allows the analysis of the DNA with a range of molecular biology techniques. The aim was to develop a cost-effective method to concentrate bacterial cells directly…
View article: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions Towards Hand Hygiene of Optometry Students Pre- and Peri-COVID-19 at a Tertiary Institution in Johannesburg, South Africa
Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions Towards Hand Hygiene of Optometry Students Pre- and Peri-COVID-19 at a Tertiary Institution in Johannesburg, South Africa Open
The COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to research a possible change in KAP towards hand hygiene practices in optometry students that have not been investigated before. Students were more aware of the impact of hand hygiene pr…
View article: The effect of a hand hygiene intervention on the behaviour, practices and health of parents of preschool children in South Africa
The effect of a hand hygiene intervention on the behaviour, practices and health of parents of preschool children in South Africa Open
Introduction: Diarrhoea and upper respiratory diseases are a leading cause of child mortality in children under 5 years of age both in South Africa and worldwide. Hand hygiene (HH) interventions play a critical role in reducing HH-related …
View article: Prevalence of ESKAPE pathogens in the environment: Antibiotic resistance status, community-acquired infection and risk to human health
Prevalence of ESKAPE pathogens in the environment: Antibiotic resistance status, community-acquired infection and risk to human health Open
The ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.) pathogens are characterised by increased levels of resistance towards multiple classes …
View article: Absolute quantification of E. coli virulence and housekeeping genes to determine pathogen loads in enumerated environmental samples
Absolute quantification of E. coli virulence and housekeeping genes to determine pathogen loads in enumerated environmental samples Open
Quantifying pathogenic genes with q-PCR in complex samples to determine the pathogen loads is influenced by a wide range of factors, including choice of extraction method, standard curve, and the decision to use relative versus absolute qu…
View article: Co-Existence of Free-Living Amoebae and Potential Human Pathogenic Bacteria Isolated from Rural Household Water Storage Containers
Co-Existence of Free-Living Amoebae and Potential Human Pathogenic Bacteria Isolated from Rural Household Water Storage Containers Open
This study investigated the co-existence of potential human pathogenic bacteria and free-living amoebae in samples collected from stored water in rural households in South Africa using borehole water as a primary water source. Over a perio…
View article: Occurrence of Hybrid Diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli Associated with Multidrug Resistance in Environmental Water, Johannesburg, South Africa
Occurrence of Hybrid Diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli Associated with Multidrug Resistance in Environmental Water, Johannesburg, South Africa Open
This study was undertaken to determine the virulence and antibiotic resistance profiles of diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) in environmental waters of Johannesburg, South Africa. Samples were collected and cultured on selective media.…
View article: Soul of the Jukskei River: The Extent of Bacterial Contamination in the Jukskei River in Gauteng Province, South Africa
Soul of the Jukskei River: The Extent of Bacterial Contamination in the Jukskei River in Gauteng Province, South Africa Open
River water quality is an important health issue as the water is utilised for drinking, domestic and agricultural use in developing countries. This study aimed to investigate the effect water from a major city has on the water quality of t…