Therapeutic effect of lauric acid, a medium chain saturated fatty acid on giardia lamblia in experimentally infected hamsters

Giardia lamblia is a common cause of diarrheal disease in humans, particularly among children causing nutritional disorders. Metronidazole and other nitroimidazoles are commonly used as the mainstay of therapy for giardiasis. The present work was carried out to evaluate the effect of lauric acid, a natural product extracted from coconut oil, against G. lamblia in experimentally infected hamsters [Mesocricetus auratus]. Sixty five laboratory bred hamsters were used in the current experimental study. Ten served as normal non infected non treated control group [A]. Fifteen uninfected hamsters served as drug control group [B]: five received metronidazole group [B1]; five received lauric acid group [B2] and five received combined treatment [metronidazole and lauric acid] at a half doses of each drug [B3]. The remaining forty hamsters were orally infected by 10,000 G. lamblia cysts/hamster [group C], and were divided into 4 groups of 10 hamsters each: infected control [C1]; metronidazole treated [C2]; lauric acid treated [C3]; combined treatment at a half dose of each drug [C4]. Two weeks after treatment, compared with infected non treated controls, the highest percentages of reduction in the number of Giardia cysts and trophozoites were in the group that received combined treatment [98.83%, 96.95%, respectively]. Lower percentages of reduction were recorded for the metronidazole treated group [93.77%, 95.50%, respectively] and the lauric acid treated group [82.03%, 78.76%, respectively]. Histopathological examination and electron microscopic examination revealed complete healing of intestinal mucosa after the combined treatment, while partial healing of the lining epithelium of the intestine was noticed after metronidazole or lauric acid treatment alone. Lauric acid improved the therapeutic effect against giardiasis when combined with metronidazole

Epizootiological and molecular characterization of equine influenza virus 2008 outbreak in Egypt

Equine influenza symptoms were detected in population of equines in different governorates in Egypt [Cairo, Giza, Helwan, Alexandria, Minoufia, Behaira, Assiut and Aswan] during July - August 2008. High temperature, inappetence, conjunctivitis, redness of nasal mucosa, serous to mucopurulent nasal discharge and a harsh dry cough were the most common clinical manifestations. Horses of all ages and both sexes were affected. Free movement of the infected animals and direct contact at markets and races facilitated the rapid spread of the disease. Nine suspected cases represented eight governorates were examined for equine influenza virus [EIV] where 107 nasal swabs and 107 serum samples were used for diagnosis. Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reactions [rRT-PCR] assay was applied todetect the matrix [M] gene of influenza type A viruses in nasal swabs and 6 out of the 8 cases were positive. Three cases were positive by virus isolation on embryonated chicken egg inoculation and the hemagglutination test. The hemagglutination inhibition [HI] was performed to identify the isolated influenza virus using reference antisera against A/Equi-1 [H7N1] and A/Equi-2 [H3N8].In this study, full characterization of the isolated virus was carried out through molecular techniques for typing of hemagglutinin [HA] and neuraminidase [NA] genes by RT-PCR and partial sequencing of the HA gene of one isolate [A/Equine/Egypt/21 AHRI/2008[H3N8]] and the results confirmed that H3N8 virus was the causative agent of this outbreak

Seroepidemiological and virological studies on virus-induced tumors in chickens in Egypt

Extensive epidemiological studies were conducted over four years to investigate the real cause and prevalence of virus-induced tumors among commercial meat-and egg-type chicken breeds, as well as native varieties of different age-groups and localities. Criteria used to establish an etiological diagnosis in problem flocks included, besides flock history, gross, histopathological and cytological examinations, virus isolation in chicken embryo fibroblast cultures [Line O] and identification by enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay [ELISA] and/or indirect immunofluorescence [IFA], antigen detection in thin tissue sections by IFA, and reticuloendotheliosis virus [REV] proviral DNA detection in blood or tumor tissue by polymerase chain reaction [PCR]. Moreover, chicken flocks were examined for viral antigen and/or antibody in plasma, egg albumin or serum by ELIA. The results achieved indicated that Marek's disease virus [MDV], lymphoid leukosis virus [LLV], and REV were the common causes of neoplasms as single or mixed infections with variable incidence among the flocks. The sources of infection in the investigated flocks is discussed in the light of the obtained results

Development of eimeria stiedae in a non specific host

Infection with E. stiedae was established in immunocompromised mice given dexamethasone for ten days prior to the infection and for two weeks later. The infection was similar to that of rabbits as regard the pathological and clinical picture

study of physician manpower at maternal and child health centres in Alexandria

The present study provided a situational analysis of physician manpower at all 11 MCH centers in Alexandria during 1984. It revealed the presence of a surplus of physicians, the average number employed being 102.9 physicians while the estimated number required to meet the current workload was only 33 physicians. Furthermore, physicians were unevenly distributed among the different centers, the average number employed ranging between 2.1 and 19.6 physicians. Junior physicians recruited for obligatory service constituted the greater proportion of the total and average number of employed physicians, and accounted for the greater proportion of maldistribution. As a consequence of overstaffing, productivity, which was measured in terms of visits per physician man-hour, was found to be very low. Turn over was found to be excessive, particularly among junior physicians