Sara Feresu

University of Zimbabwe | UZ · Department of Biological Sciences

Carbon steel, zinc and limestone samples were exposed in Kathmandu for one year. Their corrosion was measured at ten locations and related to SO2, NO2, O3, HNO3 and PM concentrations and climatic factors. Corrosion rates vary considerably and are correlated mainly with the SO2 concentration. Estimated policy targets for SO2 are most stringent for l...

The aim of the Report is to provide an introduction to the transport and environment issues in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries. It focuses on the key transport related areas of air and noise pollution, road safety, traffic flow management, equity and climate change. In addition, best practice cases studies from SSA and internationally in these a...

The global atmosphere is at a critical stage, particularly in relation to climate change. There is considerable scientific evidence of the causes and solutions that could protect human health and ecosystems, and effective action has resulted in the achievement of some internationally agreed goals. The phase-out of ozone depleting substances and lea...

We previously described the characteristics of LAB isolated from naturally fermented milk produced in Zimbabwe. Among these isolates, strain Lactococcus (L.) lactis subsp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis C1 produced acceptable fermented milk to a sensory panel despite the presence of a slight malty flavour. This strain also showed good growth in milk...

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from naturally fermented milk in Zimbabwe and characterized for developing cultures. The aim of the present work was to use potential isolates for the production of fermented milk. Heat-treated and homogenized fullfat milk was inoculated with LAB strains and incubated at 25°C for 18h. Single and pair-wise co...

The survival and growth of Escherichia coli 3339 and Salmonella enteritidis 949575 isolated from human clinical samples, in milk fermented with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeast strains previously isolated from Zimbabwean naturally fermented milk (NFM) was studied. The LAB starter cultures used were Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar. diace...

This report provides the proceedings of the better air quality in Africa workshop. The overall objective of the workshop was to examine the potential to build upon existing air quality related initiatives and networks in continental Africa and to develop a more strategic approach to air quality management and control. The sub-objectives were to: l...

A study was carried out to identify lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from chibuku that would be later assessed for potential as starter cultures. Thirty-eight isolates were Gram stained and the 20, which were Gram positive, were identified to genus level using morphological, physiological and biochemical tests. Five genera of lactic acid bacteri...

Several traditional fermented foods and beverages are produced at household level in Zimbabwe. These include fermented maize porridges (mutwiwa and ilambazi lokubilisa) fermented milk products (mukaka wakakoralamasi and hodzeko) non-alcoholic cereal-based beverages (mahewu, tobwa and mangisi) alcoholic beverages from sorghum or millet malt (dorolut...

The DNA relatedness of 17 Leptospira strains isolated from beef cattle in Zimbabwe was determined using the hydroxyapatite method. Similarly to previously speciated African strains, all Zimbabwe isolates belonged to either Leptospira borgpetersenii or Leptospira kirschneri. All serovars within serogroups Pyrogenes (kwale, mombe and a strain closely...

A strain belonging to the genus Leptospira serogroup Bataviae, isolated from an ox at slaughter in Zimbabwe, was identified by using cross-agglutinin absorption, the monoclonal antibody, restriction fragment length polymorphism, and polymerase chain reaction analyses. Results of both serological tests used showed that the isolate (strain SBF 37) wa...

Two strains of the genus Leptospira, belonging to serogroup Tarassovi, were isolated from kidneys of apparently healthy oxen slaughtered at an abattoir in Zimbabwe. Both strains belonged to the same serovar but could not be assigned to previously known serovars using the cross-agglutinin absorption test. The name ngavi is proposed for the new serov...

Bacteriological and serological studies were carried out to determine the role domestic rodents play in transmitting leptospirosis on two City of Harare farms. Rodents were trapped and their kidneys and urine culture for Leptospira. The rodents and volunteer blood donors, from farm workers and their families, were bled and the sera screened for ani...

Four strains belonging to the genus Leptospira serogroup Hebdomadis were isolated from Zimbabwe cattle at slaughter. These isolates were subjected to cross-agglutinin absorption tests and to restriction fragment length polymorphism and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analyses of their genomic DNAs. One of these strains represents a new serovar, fo...

The growth and survival of Listeria monocytogenes was studied in traditionally fermented unpasteurized and pasteurized milk and in an industrially fermented milk marketed in Zimbabwe. Inoculated milk samples were incubated at 20°C for 24 h, and then one set of samples of each type of milk was stored at ambient (20°C) and a duplicate set at refriger...

This paper presents data collected from the Nharira/Lancashire Farming Area which runs a smallholder dairy scheme in Zimbabwe. Historically, the smallholder sector has been fairly insignificant in milk production as milk was mainly supplied to the dairy industry by large-scale commercial producers. Since 1983, it has been part of government policy,...

Two strains of the genus Leptospira, isolated from kidneys of oxen slaughtered in Zimbabwe, one belonging to serogroup Pomona (strain SBF 8) and the other to serogroup Grippotyphosa (strain SBF 32), were identified by using cross-agglutinin absorption, monoclonal antibody, restriction fragment length polymorphism and polymerase chain reaction analy...

Five strains of the genus Leptospira belonging to serogroup Pyrogenes were isolated from cattle slaughtered in Zimbabwe and subjected to cross-agglutinin absorption and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. One strain, SBF 2, represents a new genetic strain of serovar kwale, while another strain, SBF 49, is a new genetic strain closely...

A strain of Leptospira interrogans that was isolated from an ox slaughtered in Zimbabwe and belonged to serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae could not be identified when we compared it with 18 reference strains belonging to this serogroup by using cross-agglutinin absorption, monoclonal antibody, and restriction endonuclease DNA analyses. The name zimbabw...

Four hundred and eighty bovine kidneys were collected from an abattoir near Harare between December 1987 and November 1988, and leptospires were recovered from 50 (10.4 per cent) of them. The isolates were identified to serogroup level by the microscopic agglutination test; 32 belonged to serogroup Sejroe, seven were Pyogenes, four Hebdomadis, two...

Feresu, S. & Nyati, H. 1990. Fate of pathogenic and non-pathogenic Escherichia coli strains in two fermented milk products. Journal of Applied Bacteriology69, 814–821. The growth and survival of pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli was determined in traditionally fermented pasteurized and unpasteurized milk and in Lacto, an ind...

Ten predominant lactic acid bacterial isolates from traditionally fermented milk and four isolates from an industrially fermented milk, Lacto, together with 14 reference strains ofLactobacillus and three ofLactococcus were examined for 32 characteristics. Data were analysed using the simple matching coefficient and clustering was by unweighted pair...

The effect of releasing untreated sewage from Victoria Falls Town into the Zambezi river was determined by bacteriological examination of water samples collected upstream of Victoria Falls and for 22 km downstream. Most probable numbers of faecal coliforms and Escherichia coli were estimated. Water upstream of the falls, on the Zimbabwe side of the...

The effect of container, of pasteurization and of using starter cultures were studied with respect to lactic acid production, lactic acid bacterial counts, total microbial counts and the acceptability of two traditionally- and industrially-fermented milk products of Zimbabwe. Earthenware pots were better containers for the fermentation of pasteuriz...

One hundred and eighty-seven strains of listeriae, atypical lactobacilli, Brochothrix, Erysipelothrix and related Gram-positive bacteria were tested for 140 characters based on morphology, physiology and biochemistry. Computer analyses of the data resulted in the recovery of 20 phenons. Representative strains were examined for cytochrome content, c...

A total of 2,382 sera from 92 herds widely distributed throughout Zimbabwe were screened using the Microscopic Agglutination Test against representatives of 18 serogroups of Leptospira interrogans and one representative of Leptospira biflexa. The prevalence of leptospiral titres at a serum dilution of 1:100 was 27%, the most common titres being to...

In 1998, the Air Pollution Information Network for Africa (APINA) convened a regional multi-stakeholder policy dialogue on air pollution held in Harare, Zimbabwe. The outcome of this policy dialogue was the 'Harare Resolution on Prevention and Control of Regional Air Pollution in southern Africa and its likely transboundary Effects'. Since this tim...