Browsing by Author "Owoicho, Oloche"

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    Potential of laser-induced fluorescence-light detection and ranging for future stand-off virus surveillance
    (John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology, 2020-11-26) Owoicho, Oloche; Ochieng, Charles; Olwal, Charles Ochieng’; Quaye, Osbourne
    Viruses remain a significant public health concern worldwide. Recently, humanity has faced deadly viral infections, including Zika, Ebola and the current severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The threat is associated with the ability of the viruses to mutate frequently and adapt to different hosts. Thus, there is the need for robust detection and classification of emerging virus strains to ensure that humanity is prepared in terms of vaccine and drug developments. A point or stand-off biosensor that can detect and classify viruses from indoor and outdoor environments would be suited for viral surveillance. Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) is a facile and versatile tool that has been explored for stand-off detection in different environments including atmospheric, oceans and forest sensing. Notably, laser-induced fluorescence-light detection and ranging (LIF-LiDAR) has been used to identify MS2 bacteriophage on artificially contaminated surgical equipment or released amidst other primary biological aerosol particles in laboratory-like close chamber. It has also been shown to distinguish between different picornaviruses. Currently, the potentials of the LIF-LiDAR technology for real-time stand-off surveillance of pathogenic viruses in indoor and outdoor environments have not been assessed. Considering the increasing applications of LIF-LiDAR for potential microbial pathogens detection and classification, and the need for more robust tools for viral surveillance at safe distance, we critically evaluate the prospects and challenges of LIFLiDAR technology for real-time stand-off detection and classification of potentially pathogenic viruses in various environments.
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    Suboptimal antimicrobial stewardship in the COVID-19 era: is humanity staring at a postantibiotic future
    (2021-07-28) Owoicho, Oloche; Tapela, Kesego; Zune, Alexandra Lindsey Djomkam
    In the absence of potent antimicrobial agents, it is estimated that bacterial infections could cause millions of deaths. The emergence of COVID-19, its complex pathophysiology and the high propensity of patients to coinfections has resulted in therapeutic regimes that use a cocktail of antibiotics for disease management. Suboptimal antimicrobial stewardship in this era and the slow pace of drug discovery could result in large-scale drug resistance, narrowing future antimicrobial therapeutics. Thus, judicious use of current antimicrobials is imperative to keep up with existing and emerging infectious pathogens. Here, we provide insights into the potential implications of suboptimal antimicrobial stewardship, resulting from the emergence of COVID-19, on the spread of antimicrobial resistance