Yeasts and filamentous fungi associated with some dairy products in Egypt.

This work aimed to identify and evaluate the diversity of yeasts and filamentous fungi that contaminate some dairy products (fresh buffalo milk, plain yoghurt, butter and Kareisk cheese) in Assiut city, Egypt. The identification was based on phenotypic characteristics, and genotypically in case of yeasts. The pHs of all dairy products lie within the acidic range, but yoghurt registered the highest value. A total of 41 genera and 89 species+3 varieties were recovered from all dairy products investigated on DRBC (26 genera representing 59 species+1 variety), DG18 (32 genera, 56 species+2 varieties) and MY50G (31 genera, 64 species+2 varieties). From these, filamentous fungi were represented by 21 genera and 59 species+2 varieties, and yeasts by 20 genera and 30 species+1 variety. In all products except yoghurt, the xerophilic media (DG18 and MY50G) supported more diversity of fungal species than the general medium (DRBC). Reversely, DRBC supported more propagules originated from all products than DG18 and DRBC. On the other hand, the highest numbers of propagules were recovered from Kareish cheese and butter on MY50G, while the lowest numbers were recorded from yoghurt and raw milk on MY50G. Moreover, yeasts constituted the greatest part of propagules from the four products on the three isolation media except the raw milk on MY50G. From yeasts, Candida, Cyberlindnera, Debaryomyces, Galactomyces, Kazachstania, Kluyveromyces, Myerozyma, Pichia, Rhodotorula, Trichosporon; and from filamentous fungi, only Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Mucor and Penicillium were found contaminating all dairy products. Possible medical problems related to the presence of these fungi or to their metabolic products are discussed.

Incidence and biodiversity of yeasts, dermatophytes and non-dermatophytes in superficial skin infections in Assiut, Egypt.

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to identify the incidence of the causal agents from dermatophytes, non-dermatophytes and yeasts in Assiut Governorate employing, beside the morphological and physiological techniques, the genotypic ones. PATIENTS: Samples from infected nails, skin and hair were taken from 125 patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients who presented with onychomycosis, tinea capitis, tinea corporis, tinea cruris and tinea pedis during the period from February 2012 to October 2015 were clinically examined and diagnosed by dermatologists and were guided to Assiut University Mycological Centre for direct microscopic examination, culturing and identification. RESULTS: Onychomycosis was the most common infecting (64.8% of the cases) followed by tinea capitis (17.6%). Direct microscopic preparations showed only 45 positive cases, while 96 cases showed positive cultures. Infections were more frequent in females than males. Fifty-one fungal species and 1 variety were obtained. Yeasts were the main agents being cultured from 46.02% of total cases. Non-dermatophytes were the second etiologic agents. Aspergillus was responsible for infecting 19.47% of total cases and dermatophytes appeared in only 15.93% of the cases. CONCLUSIONS: Yeasts were the main causal agents followed by non-dermatophytic fungi (mainly species of Aspergillus, then Alternaria, Scopulariopsis and Fusarium). Both direct microscopic preparations and culturing are recommended for mycological evaluation of clinical specimens. Sequence analysis of ITS region is recommended for yeast identification.

Pharmacokinetics and tissue residues of kitasamycin in healthy and diseased broilers.

The pharmacokinetics of kitasamycin after intravenous and oral administration in a dose of 300 mg/kg b.wt. was studied in 18 healthy and 18 Salmonella gallinarum naturally infected chickens. The tissue residue of the studied antibiotic was estimated in 36 normal chickens when it was given orally for 7 successive days. Therapeutic level of kitasamycin was achieved after 15 minutes and persisted for 20-22 hours after its oral administration. Higher serum kitasamycin concentrations were recorded in Salmonella gallinarum infected chickens. The elimination half-life of kitasamycin calculated after single intravenous injection was 9.03 hours in diseased chickens corresponding to 3.74 hours in healthy birds. The body clearance was significantly reduced in diseased chickens (23.86 ml/kg/min) when compared to that in normal ones (62.03 ml/kg/min). Kitasamycin treated broilers should not be slaughtered before 3 days from the last dose as it was detected only in bile and caecum at that time but not in edible tissues.