NRF Rated Researchers

Research Profile

Amidou Samie

Amidou Samie is a Y2 rated researcher by the National Research Foundation. He graduated from the University of Yaoundé 1 with a Master of Science degree in 1997, specialized in viral immunology. In 2002, Amidou received a UNESCO scholarship to train on the applications of molecular biology techniques for the detection of enteric parasites with special reference to Entamoeba histolytica, the causing agent of amebic dysentery and liver abscess at the University of Zimbabwe. In September 2003, Amidou joined the University of Venda as a PhD student in Microbiology and has also served as Part-Time lecturer in the Department of Microbiology. For his PhD thesis, Amidou focused on the molecular epidemiology and pathogenicity of emerging bacterial and parasitic diarrheal causing organisms and the role of medicinal plants in the control of such infections.  He conducted his research in collaboration with the University of Pretoria and the University of Virginia, USA where he spent 18 months working as a fellow researcher in the Laboratory of Professor Richard Guerrant. He completed his PhD in 2007 and graduated in May 2008.
Amidou has been involved in research on topics including diarrheal diseases, water Microbiology, schistosomiasis, and medicinal plants and has mentored several postgraduate students in the Department. He has given lectures at several national and international conferences and has published extensively in well renowned international journals in topics covering Clinical Microbiology, Parasitology, Biotechnology and Tropical Medicine. He is also a member of several professional organizations such as the American society for Microbiology, Cameroon Society of Microbiology, International Society of Infectious Diseases, British Society of Parasitology, South African Association of Botanists, International Union of Microbiological Societies, and American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. He also serves as reviewer for several international journals such as Experimental Parasitology, American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Transactions of Royal Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Clinical Infectious Diseases, Journal of Infection, African Journal of Biotechnology, African Journal of Microbiology Research, Journal of Global Infectious Diseases and others. He is cited in the “Who is Who in the World” 2007 version and is an Executive Board member of the International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes.
Infectious diseases constitute important health problems in the African continent and other developing regions of the world. Emerging infections are of major concern as well throughout the world. Amidou’s research interest is to understand the epidemiology, molecular characterization with the long term purpose of vaccine development, development of novel diagnostic methods and drug target identification, as well as control of infectious diseases. His present research objectives are the understanding of the epidemiology and molecular characteristics of opportunistic infections in HIV and AIDS patients, the characterization of the effects of medicinal plants on the immune system, the understanding of issues related to diarrhea and malnutrition in children and the epidemiology and molecular characteristics of parasitic organisms in water sources and their transmission cycle in rural communities. Capacity development is an integral part of his objectives and student training is a pillar of his day to day activities for the transmission of knowledge and a positive change of behavior and attitude focusing on hard work and the better understanding of the scientific method.

Peer Reviewed Publications

2010

1. Samie A, Tambani T, Harshfield E, Green E, Ramalivhana JN, Bessong PO (2010). Antifungal activities of selected Venda medicinal plants against Candida albicans Candida krusei and Cryptococcus neoformans isolated from South African AIDS patients. African Journal of Biotechnology, (In Press).
2. Green E, Samie A, Obi CL, Bessong PO, Ndip RN (2010). Inhibitory properties of selected South African medicinal plants against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Journal of Ethnopharmacology (In Press).
3. Heckman J, Samie A, Bessong PO, Ntsieni M, Hamandi H, Kohler M, Milam B, Scriver J, Dillingham R (2010). Anaemia among clinically well under-fives attending a community health centre in Venda, Limpopo Province. South African Medical Journal (In Press).
4. Ramalivhana JN, Obi CL, Samie A, Labuschagne C, and Weldhagen G F (2010). Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Typing of Clinical and Environmental Aeromonas hydrophila strains from the Limpopo Province, South Africa. Journal of Health Population and Nutrition. 28 (1): 1-6.
5. Samie A, Barrett LJ, Bessong PO, Ramalivhana JN, Mavhandu LG, Njayou M, Guerrant RL (2010). Seroprevalence of Entamoeba histolytica in the context of HIV and AIDS: Case of the Vhembe district, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Annals of Tropical Medicine & Parasitology, 104 (1): 55–63.

2009

1. Gundidza M, Gweru N, Magwa ML and Mmbengwa V and Samie A (2009). The chemical composition and biological activities of essential oil from the fresh leaves of Schinus terebinthifolius from Zimbabwe. African Journal of Biotechnology, 8 (24): 7164-7169.
2. Gundidza MG, Mmbengwa VM, Magwa ML, Ramalivhana NJ, Mukwevho NT, Ndaradzi W and Samie A (2009). Aphrodisiac properties of some Zimbabwean medicinal plants formulations. African Journal of Biotechnology. 8 (22): 6402-6407.
3. Samie A, Obi CL, Igumbor J, Momba MNB (2009). Focus On Fourteen Sewage Treatment Plants in the Mpumalanga Province, South Africa In Order to Gauge The Efficiency of Waste Water Treatment. African Journal of Biotechnology 8 (14):  3286-3293.
4. Samie A, Guerrant RL, Barrett L, Bessong PO,  Igumbor EO , Obi CL (2009). Prevalence of intestinal parasitic and bacterial pathogens in diarrheal and nondiarreal human stools from the Vhembe district, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Journal of Health Population and Nutrition 27 (6):739-745.
5. Samie A, Housein A, Lall N, Meyer JJ (2009). Crude extracts of, and purified compounds from, Pterocarpus angolensis, and the essential oil of Lippia javanica: their in-vitro cytotoxicities and activities against selected bacteria and Entamoeba histolytica. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology 103(5):427-39.
6. Gundiza M, Gweru N, Magwa ML, Ramalivhana NJ, Humphrey G, Samie A and Mmbengwa V (2009). Phytochemical composition and biological activities of essential oil of Rhynchosia minima (L) (DC) (Fabaceae). African Journal of Biotechnology 8(5): 721-724.
7. Mmbengwa V, Samie A, Gundidza M, Matikiti V, Ramalivhana NJ, Magwa ML (2009). Biological Activity and phytoconstituents of Essential Oil from Fresh Leaves of Eriosema englerianum. African Journal of Biotechnology 8(3): 361-364.
8. Samie A, Obi CL, Lall N, Meyer JJ (2009). In vitro cytotoxicity and antimicrobial activities of local medicinal plants from Venda, in South Africa, against clinical isolates of Campylobacter species and Entamoeba histolytica. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology 103(2):159-70.

2008

1. Gundidza M, Gweru N, Mmbengwa V, Ramalivhana NJ, Magwa Z, Samie A (2008) Phytoconstituents and Biological Activities of Essential Oil from Rhus Lancea L.F. African Journal of Biotechnology 7(16): 2787-2789.
2. Obi CL, Igumbor JO, Momba MNB and Samie A (2008). Interplay of Factors Involving Chlorine Dose, Turbidity, Flow Capacity and pH On Microbial Quality of Drinking water In Small Water Treatment Plants. Water SA. 34 (5): 565 – 572.
3. Samie A, Obi CL, Franaziak J, Archbald-Pannone L, Bessong PO, Alcantara-Warren C,  Guerrant RL (2008). PCR detection of Clostridium difficile triose phosphate isomerase (tpi), toxin A (tcdA), toxin B (tcdB), binary toxin (cdtA, cdtB) and tcdC genes in Vhembe district, South Africa: American Journal Of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 78: 577-585.
4. Samie A, Obi CL, Stroup S, Houpt E, Njayou M, Sabeta CT, Mduluza T, Guerrant RL (2008). Genetic diversity of Entamoeba histolytica from Africa based on the serine- rich gene polymorphism. Experimental Parasitology. 118(3):354-61.

2007

1. Samie A, Obi CL, Dillingham R, Pinkerton RC, Guerrant RL. (2007) Enteroaggregative Escherichia Coli in Venda, South Africa: Distribution of Virulence-Related Genes by Multiplex PCR in Stool Samples of HIV Positive and HIV Negative Individuals and Primary School Children. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 77(1): 142-150.
2. Samie A, Ramalivhana J, Igumbor EO, Obi CL. (2007). Prevalence, Hemolytic and Hemagglutination Activities and Antibiotic Susceptibility Profiles of Campylobacter spp Isolated from Human Diarrheal Stools in the Vhembe District, South Africa. Journal of Health Population and Nutrition 25 (4): 406 - 413.
3. Parr JB, Sevilleja JE, Samie A, Alcantara C, Stroup SE, Fayer R, Houpt ER, Guerrant RL. (2007) Detection and Quantification of Cryptosporidium parvum in HCT-8 Cells and Human Fecal Specimens using Real-time PCR. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 76: 938-942.
4. Obi CL, Momba MNB, Samie A, Igumbor JO, Green E and Musie E (2007). Microbiological, physico-chemical and management parameters impinging on the efficiency of small water treatment plants in the Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces of South Africa Water SA Vol. 33 No. 2 :229 – 237.
5. Obi CL., Ramalivhana J., Samie A, Igumbor EO. (2007) Prevalence, Pathogenesis, and Antibiotic Susceptibility Profiles of Aeromonas Isolates from Stool Samples of Patients in the Venda Region of South Africa: A Preliminary Report. Journal of Health Population and Nutrition 25 (4): 428 – 435.
6. Samie A, Obi CL, Tzipori S, Weiss LM, Guerrant RL. (2007). Microsporidiosis in South Africa: PCR detection in stool samples of HIV positive and HIV negative individuals and school children in the Vhembe district, Limpopo Province. Trans. Roy. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg 101(6):547-54.
7. Samie A., Obi CL, Barrett LJ, Powell SM, Guerrant RL (2007). Prevalence of Campylobacter species, Helicobacter pylori and Arcobacter species in stool samples from the Venda region, Limpopo, South Africa: Studies using molecular diagnostic methods, Journal of Infection. 54(6): 558-66.

2006

1. Samie A, Njayou M, Bessong PO, Obi CL, Mouchili F, Tuikue Ndam NG, Sabeta CT, and Mduluza T. (2006). Use of an immuno-peroxidase staining method for the detection of Entamoeba histolytica in stool samples in endemic areas. Journal of Tropical Microbiology and Biotechnolology 2: 10 – 18.
2. Samie A, Obi LC, Bessong PO,  Stroup S, Houpt E, Guerrant RL (2006) Prevalence And Species Distribution of E. Histolytica And E. dispar In The Venda Region, Limpopo, South Africa. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 75(3): 565-71.
3. Samie A, Bessong PO, Obi CL, Sevilleja JEAD, Stroup S, Houpt E, Guerrant RL (2006) Cryptosporidium species: Preliminary descriptions of the prevalence and genotype distribution among school children and hospital patients in the Venda region, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Experimental Parasitology. 114: 314 – 322.
4. Steiner TS, Samie A, Guerrant RL, (2006). Infectious Diarrhea:  New Pathogens and New Challenges in Developed and Developing Areas. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 43(4): 408-10.

2005

1. Samie A., Obi C.L., Bessong P.O. Namrita L. (2005) Activity profiles of fourteen selected medicinal plants from Rural Venda communities in South Africa against fifteen clinical bacterial species. African Journal of Biotechnology 4 (12): 1443-1451.
2. Samie A, Mduluza T., Sabeta C.T., Njayou M., Bessong P.O. and Obi C. L. (2005) Detection    and differentiation of Entamoeba histolytica and Entamoeba dispar from clinical samples by PCR and Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Journal of Tropical Microbiology and Biotechnolology. 5:3–9.
3. Potgieter N., Obi C.L., Bessong P.O., Igumbor E.O., Samie A. and Nengovhela R. (2005).  Bacteriological contamination of Vhuswa - A local weaning food and stored drinking water in impoverished households in the Venda region of South Africa. Journal of Health Population and Nutrition. 23 (2): 150-155.

2004

1. CL Obi, PO Bessong, MNB Momba, N Potgieter, A Samie and EO Igumbor (2004). Profiles of antibiotic susceptibilities of bacterial isolates and physico-chemical quality of water supply in rural Venda communities, South Africa. Water SA 30 (4): 515-519.