Climate change central and southern Iraq, for instance, has the rise of mean and minimum temperatures, changed precipitation regimes, more droughts, and extreme events with high intensity. Consequently, the ecological conditions that govern the population of Phlebotomus sandflies and disease transmission dynamics of both cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis have also been affected. This review provides a summary of the latest evidence on the mechanistic pathways that connect climate drivers to the physiology of the sandfly, the formation of the microhabitat, the dynamics of the reservoir host, and the human exposure. Furthermore, it emphasizes how these processes, through land use change, water scarcity, and sociopolitical stressors, interact to create novel risk landscapes in Iraq's drought prone governorates. An increase in temperature not only shortens but can also lengthen the period during which the vector is active seasonally, while changing rainfall and irrigation practices produce varying microhabitats which either provide refugia or serve as breeding sites that are filled up by transients or pulses, producing strong populations through short periods. Heavy rainfall occurring now and then after a long dry period can lead to short population growth, while gradual drying favors the establishment of xerictolerance Phlebotomus species and the connection between them and humans living nearby. Different studies on regional spatiotemporal and nichemodelling analyses show that there might be changes in the distribution of species and their life cycles could be extended in a way that they invade human habitats with leishmaniasis where the reservoirs are present or become local transmission areas with visceral leishmaniasis. There are still major gaps in surveillance that are critical: there is very little long term species level entomology in central and southern Iraq; molecular diagnostics and sentinel networks are not developed at all; and integrated One Health strategies are applied only sometimes in the case of humanitarian or displaced population settings. The review concludes by giving upfront, operational priorities: in high risk microhabitats, set up sentinel entomological sites, make climate driven early warning indicators operational, increase moleculary species and parasite diagnostics, apply targeted One Health reservoir interventions, and test climate triggered response packages in high risk governorates. Coordinated research and policy action are urgent. Without such measures, ongoing warming and resource stress will increasingly favor vector persistence and localized leishmaniasis emergence in Iraq’s droughtprone heartlands.

Wound infection is a significant health problem in many parts of the world especially, Africa. It complicates the recovery of the patient, increases trauma care, prolongs hospital stay and has economic consequences on the patient. This study was aimed to isolate, Identify and determine the antibiotic susceptibility profile of some bacteria associated with deterioration of infected wound in Kano State, Northern Nigeria. The study involved 170 patients attending Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital Kano for treatment of infected wound. Isolation and identification of the isolates was conducted using standard microbiological techniques. The bacteria isolates were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing using the agar disk diffusion method. The results showed that total of 6 different species were identified. S. aureus has the highest frequency with total of occurrence 90 (26.9%), followed by Pseudomonas with total frequency of 66 representing (20.3%), then E. coli with frequency of 54 (16.1%). Klebsiella, S. epidermidis and Proteus spp has percentage occurrence of 15.2%, 12.5% and 09.0% respectively. Generally, antibiotic resistivity of isolates to commonly used antibiotics was low; the results showed that 15 out of 355 isolates were multidrug resistant representing 4.5%. Ciprofloxacin, Augmentin and Gentamycin. It is concluded that several bacteria were responsible for wound infection.

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) is a important source of morbidity with mortality worldwide. The increasing prevalence from antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among HAI pathogens complicates empirical therapy and infection control. This study characterizes the antimicrobial resistance patterns of bacterial isolates recovered from HAIs at a tertiary-care hospital. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study of bacterial isolates obtained from patients with HAIs between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024. Clinical specimens (blood, urine, wound/tissue, respiratory secretions, and catheter tips) submitted to the microbiology laboratory were included if cultures met criteria for HAI. Species identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) were performed using standard laboratory methods and interpreted according to CLSI/EUCAST guidelines. Data were analyzed for pathogen distribution, resistance rates to key antibiotic classes, multidrug resistance (MDR) prevalence, and trends by specimen type and ward. A total of 400 non-duplicate isolates from 380 patients met inclusion criteria. Gram-negative bacteria comprised 72% (n=288) of isolates; Gram-positive bacteria comprised 28% (n=112). The most common organisms were Escherichia coli (22%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (18%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12%), Acinetobacter baumannii complex (10%), Staphylococcus aureus (9%), and Enterococcus spp. (6%). Resistance to third-generation cephalosporins was observed in 56% of E. coli isolates and 62% of K. pneumoniae isolates. For carbapenems, resistance rates were 14% in E. coli, 24% in K. pneumoniae, 28% in P. aeruginosa, and 46% in A. baumannii. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) phenotype was detected in 48% of Enterobacterales. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) accounted for 36% of S. aureus isolates. Overall MDR (resistance to ≥3 antibiotic classes) prevalence was 39%. Intensive care unit (ICU) isolates had significantly higher MDR rates (58%) compared to general wards (31%) (p<0.001). This study reveals high rates of resistance among common HAI pathogens, particularly Gram-negative organisms and ICU isolates. Strengthened antimicrobial stewardship, targeted infection control measures, and continual local surveillance are essential to optimize empirical therapy and limit AMR spread.

This study investigated the microbial dynamics, diversity, and succession patterns of yoghurt enriched with baobab (Adansonia digitata) fruit pulp during a 15-hour fermentation period. Baobab pulp was incorporated at 10% (w/v) into pasteurized milk, and fermentation was carried out at 45°C. Microbial analyses included serial dilution, cultural characterization, biochemical tests, and molecular identification using 16S and 18S rRNA sequencing. Results showed a progressive and significant (p < 0.05) increase in microbial populations over time. Total bacterial counts rose from 1.2 × 10² CFU/mL at 0 hours to 6.00 × 10⁵ CFU/mL at 15 hours, while Lactobacillus populations increased from 0 to 5.62 × 10⁵ CFU/mL. Fungal counts also increased significantly from 0 to 1.32 × 10⁴ CFU/mL across the fermentation period. The predominant beneficial bacteria identified were Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Leuconostoc sp., confirming active lactic acid fermentation. Fungal isolates included Aspergillus niger, Mucor sp., Botrytis cinerea, and Penicillium maximae. The detection of Staphylococcus aureus suggests possible contamination, emphasizing the need for strict hygiene during processing. Overall, the findings demonstrate that baobab-enriched yoghurt supports robust fermentative microbial activity and contains diverse microbial communities, while highlighting the importance of aseptic production conditions to ensure product safety and quality.