Cronicon OPEN ACCESS BACTERIOLOGY AND VIROLOGY RESEARCH Opinion Beckie N. TAGBO* Chief Consultant Paediatrician & Vaccinologist, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Nigeria Received: January 07, 2016; Published: January 08, 2016 *Corresponding Author: Beckie N. TAGBO, Chief Consultant Paediatrician & Vaccinologist, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. Low Microbial Isolation Rate in Developing Countries; Need for Urgent Global Attention and Action It is an established fact that the burden of infectious diseases is unacceptably high in developing countries [1-3]. This has been the case over many years now. With the advent of anti-microbial agents and environmental control, as well as introduction of many vaccines against vaccine preventable diseases, the burden of infectious diseases dropped throughout the globe. While a tremendous drop in global disease burden has been documented, disaggregating the drop into developing and developed countries shows that most of the difference occurred in developed countries with sub-optimal improvement in developing countries. Today, infectious diseases still remain a major cause of under-five mortality, accounting for more than 76% of under-five mortality [3]. The pivot on which control and elimination of infectious disease stands is detection/isolation of the microbial agents responsible for infectious disease. But the paucity of quality data on the burden of infectious diseases due to low microbial isolation rates slows down prevention and control measures [4,5]. Many more antibiotics have continued to be discovered and added onto the global antibiotic armoury. Rational use of these drugs cannot happen without appropriate microbial isolation in the lab [7]. In addition to antibiotics, antifungals as well as antivirals have been introduced into the market Citation: Beckie N. TAGBO. “Low Microbial Isolation Rate in Developing Countries; Need for Urgent Global Attention and Action”. EC Bacteriology and Virology Research 1.S1 (2016): S1-S4. Introduction Progress so far Tremendous progress made in combating infectious diseases can be partly attributed to the following: Rational use of antibiotics: Since the discovery of penicillin in 1928 by Alexander Fleming, Professor of Bacteriology at St. Mary’s Hospi- tal in London, dramatic results have been achieved in terms of reduction of morbidity and mortality from microbial agents [6]. Environmental Control: This has been shown to significantly reduce disease burden by eliminating factors that enhance transmission. Environmental control such as good housing, good urban planning and development, portable water, electricity, elimination of air pollu- tion and urban slums as well as over-crowding, all minimize transmission of communicable diseases [8]. Abstract This paper draws attention of the international community to a dire need to urgently address a long standing problem of poor microbial yield in the laboratories in developing countries. In view of persistent high disease burden in these countries, microbial detection in the laboratory is fundamental in addressing prevention, control, detection and management of infectious disease. If disease burden must be drastically reduced, low microbial isolation rates must be addressed and this is better addressed at a global scale. Keywords: Microbial; Bacterial; Isolation rates; Developing countries; Infectious disease; +/- surveillance; Laboratory Personal and Food Hygiene: Singular promotion of regular hand washing has been shown to reduce infectious disease burden [9,10]. Additionally proper observance of personal and food hygiene results in drop in infection transmission.