Molecular characterization of Egyptian human and animal echinococcus granulosus isolates by Rapd-PCR technique

Five primers of known, but arbitrary nucleotide sequence [OPH-03, OPH-05, OPH-12, OPH-15 and OPH-18] were used to detect the genetic variability in the Egyptian human, camel and pig E. Granulosus isolates. OPH-03, OPH-05 and OPH-15 proved to be useful genetic markers of strain variation; while, OPH-12 and OPH-18 allowed the distinction at the genus level, i.e. diversified from Cysticercus tenuicollis. OPH-03 was the most effective, giving sharp distinct banding pattern and the least values of similarity coefficients. Some variations were detected within E. granulosus isolates from the same host. The level of heterogeneity was low in three of the human isolates, camel and pig strains. An individual variation was detectable within other three human isolates. Human and camel isolates were the most related pair, having similar patterns and the highest similarity coefficients. The study implied that human cases in Egypt are of the camel/dog strain and camels are important hosts for the transmission of human hydatidosis

Studies on the molluscicidal and larvicidal properties of Solanum nigrum L. leaves ethanol extract

Toxicological studies on three ethanol extract preparations of Solanum nigrum L. leaves were made on Biomphalaria alexandrina. Extract [A], made by soaking leaves powder over night in cold 70% ethanol, has the highest activity, [LC[50] 3.37mg/L within 24 hr]. This extract also showed larvicidal activity against larvae of two mosquito species, Aedes caspius and Culex pipiens, [LC[50] 51.29 and 125.89 mg/L within 24 hr, and 21.38 and 38.11mg/L within 48 hr, respectively]. Sunlight, pH, and turbidity did not affect the activity of this extract, but the molluscicidal activity seems to be correlated with the increase of temperature. The concentrated extract [1000mg/L] can be stored at room temperature for six months without any change in its activity, but diluted solutions of this extract lost their activity after four weeks

Infection of two lymnaeid snails with fasciola gigantica in Giza, a field study

Population density of Lymnaea natalensis and L. columella and their natural infection with Fasciola gigantica were followed in two water bodies in Abou-Rawash area, Giza Governorate over two years. L. natalensis snails were more abundant during December- February, while L. columella snails had high density during autumn. According to the snail size, it was found that the reproduction of the two vector snails occurred in summer and early autumn. Fasciola was presented in 0.6 and 2.0% of the examined L. natalensis and L. columella snails, respectively. A high prevalence of F. gigantica in L. columella snails occurred in summer and early autumn, while their presence in L. natalensis was irregular. Naturally infected Lymnaea snails, with Fasciola, are usually of large size [>10 mm] of a given population sample

Selection of susceptible lines of biomphalaria alexandria and bulinus tuncatus snails to S mansoni and S haematobium infection

Selection of progenies from infected B. Alexandrina and B. truncatus snails resulted in higher infection rates. This observation was consistent when the source of micardia were from either infected human or hamsters. Infection rate of B. Alexandrina increased up to 88.2% while B. truncatus did not. Compatibility between the parasites and their intermediate hosts were also studied