Isolation of cryptococcus, candida, aspergillus, rhodotorula and nocardia from meningitis patients in Egypt

Meningitis occurs throughout Egypt and is largely attributed to bacterial pathogens, but there is little information on fungal etiologies of meningitis. We, therefore, investigated fungal infections among Egyptian patients with acute and subacute meningitis who tested negative for bacterial and viral agents. A total of 1000 cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] samples collected from nine governorates of Egypt during 1998-2002 were initially stained with Gram's, India ink, and lacto-phenol cotton-blue stains, and examined under light microscope to detect fungal elements. All CSF samples were cultured on brain heart infusion, Wickerham and Staib agar media for fungus isolation. CSF with suspected Cryptococcus neoforntans infections were also tested by latex agglutination test for antigen detection. Species identification of selected isolates was carried out at the Mycotic Diseases Branch, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Fungal agents were detected microscopically and by culture in 17 of 1000 [1.7%] CSF samples tested. Ten of 17 were identified as C. neoformans var grubii [serotype A], 4 as Candida albicans, and one each of Aspergillus candidus, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa [rubra] and Nocardia spp [actinomycetes]. Out of the 17 cases with fungal CSF infection, 8 died [Cryptococcus-3. Candida-2, AspergiUus, Rhodotorula and Nocardia] and 2 suffered neurological sequelae. Of the 10 cryptococcal meningitis patients, 4 were HIV positive and one was diagnosed with lymphoma. To our knowledge, this is the first study on isolation of fungi other than Cryptococcus from CSF of Egyptian patients with acute/subacute meningitis. Consideration must now be given to cryptococcosis and candidiasis as potential etiologies of meningitis in Egypt

Oseltamivir resistance mutation N294S in human influenza A [H5N1] virus in Egypt

In December 2006, three human specimens were received that were suspected positive for influenza A[H5N1]. The specimens were tested using real time PCR. And the presence of A[H5N1] virus was confirmed in 2 patients [16F and 26M], The NA sequence from A[H5N1] positive specimens collected before and after antiviral therapy revealed a mutation [N294S] [N295S according to N1 numbering], previously associated with resistance to oseltamivir. When tested with NA inhibition assays, the two N294S viruses from Egypt exhibited from 57 to 138-fold reduction in susceptibility to oseltamivir, depending on the assay. To our knowledge, this is the first time oseltamivir resistance has been detected in A[H5N1] infecting a human prior to treatment