First Lebanese Antibiotic Awareness Week campaign: knowledge, attitudes and practices towards antibiotics.

Antibiotic resistance (ABR) is a major global health threat that increases the risk of treatment failure and increases medical costs. One of the most common factors contributing to the spread of ABR is self-medication. The public, as well as workers in clinical and veterinary sectors, commit false practices towards appropriate antibiotic use, favouring the spread of resistance. As such, the first Lebanese Antibiotic Awareness Week campaign was initiated with a human-centred and interactive approach. The data showed a strikingly low level of antibiotic awareness. Cooperation between relevant stakeholders, policy-makers and health actors is crucial to control and overcome the problem of ABR.

Infectious tenosynovitis in broilers and broiler breeders in Egypt.

Two infectious tenosynovitis-producing viruses were isolated from tendon sheaths and synovial fluids of 59 broilers and 15 broiler breeders obtained from different flocks in Egypt during June to October 1983. The viruses grew well on the chorioallantoic membrane of developing chicken embryos, produced small localized white pock lesions with oedematous swellings at the inoculation sites and death of most of the embryos 72 to 96 hours post-inoculation. They also induced cytopathic effect in chicken embryo rough, Vero and MS cell lines. The viruses were neutralized by reovirus S1133 antiserum, both in tissue culture and on the chorioallantoic membrane. Inoculation of the viruses into 2-day-old broiler chicks via the foot pad, intramuscular and oral routes reproduced the disease with the development of characteristic clinical, pathological and serological responses. The infection was transmitted to in-contact control chicks. This is the first report of the disease and of the isolation and identification of the causative virus in Eqypt.

Avian infectious laryngo-tracheitis in Egypt. I. Epidemiology, virus isolation and identification.

Serious outbreaks of haemorrhagic tracheitis in poultry induced by infectious laryngo-tracheitis virus (ILTV) have been recorded in Egypt for the first time. The disease occurred in different localities during late 1982 and early 1983. The associated drop in egg production ranged between 5% and 35% and there was a mortality rate which ranged from 0.05% to 19.8%. The causal virus was isolated on the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of developing chicken embryos where it induced large yellowish-white pock lesions, 3-4 mm in diameter, by the fifth or sixth day post-inoculation. It was non-lethal to the inoculated embryos. It grew also with cytopathic effect (CPE) on the CER cell line. The CPE was characterized by syncytial formation and intranuclear inclusions. Chickens experimentally inoculated with the virus developed respiratory signs and 14 of 20 birds died with subsequent virus re-isolation. The isolated virus was unable to agglutinate chicken red cells and it was precipitated and partially neutralized by reference serum to ILTV. Viral antigen was detected by the indirect fluorescent antibody technique in tracheal smears obtained from naturally and experimentally infected birds. This is the first report of the isolation of ILTV in Egypt.

Antigenic relatedness of pigeon herpes encephalomyelitis virus to other avian herpesviruses.

Pigeon herpes encephalomyelitis virus (PHEV) was compared with seven avian herpesviruses for antigenic relatedness using monospecific antisera and the indirect fluorescent-antibody (IFA), agar-gel-immunodiffusion, and serum-neutralization tests. No antigenic relationship was detected between PHEV and Marek's disease virus, turkey herpesvirus, infectious laryngotracheitis virus, and duck enteritis virus. A common precipitating antigen was detected between the PHEV and pigeon herpesvirus (PHV), owl herpesvirus (OHV), and falcon herpesvirus (FHV). These four viruses also cross-reacted in the IFA test. Weak neutralizing activity was detected only between PHV antiserum and PHEV. These results suggest that the PHEV should be classified as a herpesvirus related to, but distinct from, the PHV-OHV-FHV group of viruses with which it shares common antigens.

Poxvirus infection in a rat (Rattus norvegicus) in Kuwait.

A poxvirus was isolated from skin lesions on the tail of a rat (Rattus norvegicus) in Kuwait in February, 1982. The virus grew on the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) developing chicken embryos and induced small generalized haemorrhagic pock lesions, 72 hours post-inoculation. It grew also with cytopathic effect (CPE) in CER and Vero cell lines. In cultured cells it produced cell rounding and syncytia 48-72 hours post-infection. The virus was resistant to the effect of ether as well as to chloroform, and showed haemagglutinating activity against chicken red blood cells in a low titer (1:16). It induced in the rabbit skin nodular lesions 4-5 days post-infection. Electron microscopy of the negatively stained preparations revealed brick-shaped typical poxvirus virions measuring 220-250 millmicron in diameter. By using vaccinia antiserum the virus antigen was precipitated in the agargel immunodiffusion test and this indicates its relation to the genus Orthopoxvirus.

Susceptibility of day-old chicks and ducklings, goslings and quails to pigeon herpes encephalomyelitis and pigeon herpesviruses.

Day-old chicks were susceptible to pigeon herpes encephalomyelitis virus (PHEV) by intracerebral (i/c) inoculation. Infected birds developed neurologic signs starting from 2 to 15 days post-infection, and 85% died. The virus was recovered from the brains of diseased chicks in titers ranging between 104 and 105.5 EID 50/0.2 ml. Inoculated birds shed the virus in their droppings throughout the 2 weeks observation period. Day-old chicks given the virus by the intranasal (i/n) or oral routes did not develop any specific signs but shed the virus also in their droppings throughout the observation period. Ducklings and goslings inoculated intravenously (i/v), i/n or orally were resistant. Day-old chicks and ducklings, goslings and quails inoculated by different routes with pigeon herpesvirus (PHV) did not show respiratory or nervous signs.

Pigeon herpes encephalomyelitis virus in Egypt.

A virus was isolated in Egypt from brain and liver collected from domestic pigeons suffering from nervous disorders. The morphological and biophysical properties of the virus were consistent with it being a member of the family Herpetoviridae. Antigenically the virus was closely related to if not identical with pigeon herpes encephalomyelitis virus.

Antibodies to Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus in domestic animals in Iraq: a seroepidemiological survey.

A seroepidemiological survey to determine the prevalence of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus and its circulation among animals in Iraq was carried out in 1980. Sera were collected from 2205 animals of different species in three different faunal areas of the country. Sera were tested by complement fixation test for quantitative determination of antibodies to CCHF virus. Among 769 sheep tested 443 (57.6%) were positive; 279 of 562 (49.64%) goat sera; 122 of 411 (29.28%) cattle sera; 148 of 252 (58.73%) horse sera; 23 of 99 (23.23%) camel sera and 5 of 35 (14.28%) sera collected from unclassified small mammals in Iraq have had antibodies to CCHF virus.

Laboratory characteristics of the "Yarmouk" strain of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus.

The "Yarmouk" strain of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus lost 78% and 42% of its infective titers after treatment with ether and chloroform respectively. It lost completely its infectivity property after treatment with sodium deoxycholate. The virus was completely inactivated by heating at 56, 60 and 70 degrees C for 30, 10 and 5 minutes respectively. Neither virus growth nor viral antigen were detected in primary cell cultures of lamb testis, rabbit kidney and chicken embryo fibroloast. The virus grew wit prominant CPE in primary cell culture and cell line of lamb kidney. Experimental inoculation of sheep and goat resulted in viraemia without overt disease. The virus was reisolated from the blood of inoculated animals till the 5th day postinoculation (pi). Seroconversion was observed 2 to 5 weeks pi. Contact control animals were free from antibodies to the virus.

Congo/Crimean haemorrhagic fever in Iraq: a seroepidemiological survey.

A seroepidemiological survey to determine the prevalence of Congo/Crimean haemorrhagic fever virus activity in Iraq was carried out during 1979 and 1980. Sera were collected from 1680 people including contacts of known patients, abattoir workers and animal husbandry workers in various parts of the country. These were tested by complement fixation and agar gel precipitin tests. Among patients' relatives and contacts, 29% had antibodies to Congo/Crimean haemorrhagic fever; 11% of hospital staff, 7% of abattoir workers and 29% of those engaged in animal husbandry had antibodies. Inapparent infections were common in hospital staff caring for patients known to have had the disease. No antibodies were detected in the sera of 151 people who were not believed to have had contact with a known case of the disease.

Viral encephalomyelitis of pigeons. VI. Some physico-chemical properties of the virus and extracted viral DNA.

Pigeon herpes encephalomyelitis virus (PHEV) was stable at -70 C for at least 4 months. When stored at -20 C, the virus lost 80% of its infective titers in 4 months. When stored at -10 C, however, the titers decreased rapidly; no detectable virus remained within 12 weeks. PHEV was thermolabile: it was completely inactivated at 56 and 60 C for 10 and 2 min respectively. It was also killed by 1% cresol and 2% sodium hydroxide for two hr and 2% septol for 24 hr. Two-percent phenol or formaline for 2 hr, however, significantly decreased virus infective titers. Phenol-purified DNA extracted from PHEV showed an ultraviolet spectrum of typical nucleic acids that had ratios of absorbancies at 265 nm/280 nm between 2 and 2.3. The extracted viral DNA was infectious in chorioallantoic membrane and chick embryo fibroblast cell cultures, but it was not noninfectious when given to pigeons. DNA infectivity was destroyed by DNAse but not RNAse treatment. Extracted DNA was not neutralized by antiserum against the intact virus, and it lost its infectivity property when heated at 70 C for 10 min.

Congo/Crimean haemorrhagic fever in Iraq.

Congo/Crimean haemorrhagic fever was recognized for the first time in Iraq in 1979. The first case was reported on 3 September 1979 and since then a further 9 patients have been investigated. Eight patients gave a history of previous contact with sheep or cattle, while 2 patients, a resident doctor and an auxiliary nurse, acquired their infections in hospital by direct contact with patients. The causal virus was isolated from patients' blood and postmortem liver specimens. The virus isolates were found to be closely related if not identical serologically to members of the Congo/Crimean haemorrhagic fever virus group. Eight of the patients had no epidemiological relationship to one another and lived in widely separated areas around Baghdad and Ramadi (110 km to the west of Baghdad).

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus in Iraq: isolation, identification and electron microscopy.

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus was isolated for the first time in Iraq from the blood of three patients. It caused a cytopathic effect in lamb kidney and BHK-21 cell cultures. The virus particles were spherical, enveloped and had 90 nm in diameter similar particles were found in ultrathin sections of the liver from two fatal cases. The isolated virus proved to be antigenically closely related to CCHF virus.

Viral encephalomyelitis of pigeons. IV. Growth of the virus in tissue cultures.

Growth and cytopathogenicity of pigeon herpes encephalomyelitis virus (PHEV) in avian and mammalian cell cultures were investigated. The virus was cytopathogenic to all avian primary cell cultures tested and produced large syncytia with intranuclear inclusions. Viral antigen was detected in the nuclei of infected cells 6 hr postinoculation. Infective virus, however, was obtained 8 hr post-inoculation. Maximum virus yields in avian cell cultures were reached 72 hr postinoculation. In mammalian cell lines tested, the virus proved to be cytopathogenic except in swine embryo kidney cell lines. The cytopathic effect in mammalian cell lines was characterized by the rounding and clumping of cells., Moderate virus yields were obtained with lamb kidney and bovine embryo thymus cell lines, but not with other cell lines tested. Growth behavior of the virus in cell cultures in comparison with other human and avian herpesviruses is discussed.

Viral encephalomyelitis of pigeons. V. Comparative studies of virulent and cell-culture-adapted virus.

Two strains of pigeon herpes encephalomyelitis virus BVC 78, a virulent field strain, and BVC 78 T7, a cell-culture-adapted strain, were assayed in embryonated chicken eggs and in chicken-embryo-fibroblast (CEF) cell culture to investigate their cytopathogenicity, growth kinetics, plaque characters, and virulence. In CEF the BVC 78 induced syncytia 24-48 hr postinoculation (PI), while the BVC 78 T7 induced only cell rounding 72 hr PI. The strains differed in growth patterns in CEF. The BVC 78 and BVC 78 T7 strains had respective logarithmic phases at 24 and 72 hr PI and maximum virus yields at 36 and 120 hr PI. The BVC 78 T7 was more cell-associated than the BVC 78, the ratio of cell-bound to cell-free virus was about 2 for the former and near unity for the latter. In CEF the BVC 78 induced plaques 1-2 mm in diameter by the third day PI, while the BVC 78 T7 produced small plaques 0.3-0.5 mm in diameter by the 5th day PI. The BVC T7 strain was of low killing capacity for chicken embryos, in contrast to the high killing capacity of the BVC 78. Pigeons inoculated subcutaneously with the former strain and challenged 21 days later with the virulent strain proved resistant.