Sickle cell infections among Saudi children

In this study, a total of 350 pediatric patients with sickle cell anemia was admitted to the Pediatric Ward of Military Hospital of Sharourah in the Southern Region of Saudi Arabia. Thirty-three patients had a major infection [septicemia, meningitis or osteomyelitis] with an incidence of 9.4%. During the same period of the study, a total of 3400 non-sickle children was admitted and 35 of them had a major infection with an incidence of 1%. Three patients died in the sickle cell group with a case fatality rate of 9.1%, while one patient in the control group died with a case fatality rate of 2.9%. Salmonella species were responsible for 11 cases of septicemia and 3 episodes of osteomyelitis and Streptococcus pneumoniae was the source in 7 cases of septicemia and one case of meningitis in sickle cell disease cases. Meningitis was caused by different organisms, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Salmonellae and Meningococci

Effect of midgut bacteria of Culex pipiens L. on digestion and reproduction

An investigation was carried out to evaluate the influence of symbiotic bacteria associated with Culex pipiens L. on preoviposition and blood meal digestion periods, and reproductive potential [fecundity and fertility]. Aposymbiotic females were obtained by feeding the normal females on 10% sucrose solution mixed with antibiotic [Tarivid] for three days before feeding them on normal blood meals from a pigeon host. A total of 4 genera were previously isolated from the midgut of C. pipiens. These genera were; Bacillus, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus and Salmonella and Shigella. It seems that the period of blood meal digestion preceded the pre-oviposition period of both bacterial free females and bacterial free females treated with one of the aforementioned bacteria. In addition, it is obviously clear that, the presence of the two bacterial genera; Bacillus and Staphylococcus in the midgut of C. pipiens is essential for normal and high fecundity. Generally, it is evident that the symbionts [gut bacteria] are essential for the completion of embryonic development