Metacercariae recovered from fresh-water fishes in the vicinity of Qualkyobia Governorate, Egypt.

A total of 410 Tilapia zillii, 70 Clarias gariepinus, 30 Bagrus bajad and 15 Chlrysichthys auratus fishes were collected from different water bodies in Qualyobia Governorate. Microscopic examination of samples showed infection in muscles and head region (gills & branchial cavity) with encysted metacercariae in 91.7% of T. zillii, 82.85% of Cl. gariepinus, 70% of B. bajad and 86.66% of Ch. auratus. The highest distribution of metacercarial infection among the T. zillii was in the muscles of posterior third and tail followed by the middle third, anterior third and head region (gills & branchial cavity) while the highest distribution of metacercarial infection among Cl. gariepinus was in the middle third muscles followed by the posterior third, anterior third and lastly in the head region. The highest metacercarial infection among B. bajad and Ch. auratus fish was in the posterior third muscles and branchial cavity respectively. The taxonomic morphology of the encysted metacercariae and the excysted ones was given

Studies on zoonotic cryptosporidiosis parvum in Ismailia Governorate, Egypt.

A total of 390 stool samples from children less than 8 years old attending the MOHP central hospital in Ismailia District were examined for cryptosporidiosis. Stools were subjected to direct wet smear method and Sheather's sugar flotation and stained with Modified Z.N. Among the 390 children 204 were diarrheic of whom C. parvum was positive in 68 (33.3%). The highest infection rate was 26/46 among children less than 2 months, 40/150 among children less than 2 years and 2/8 among children less than 7 years. Of these children the clinical pictures ranged from diarrhea (20.7%), to dehydration (20%), abdominal pain and mild fever (19.2%), and the lowest was tenesmus (6.25%). The infection rate was 88.2% among cryptosporidiosis children compared to 11.8% that not in contact with animals. Water samples examined showed was 0.0% in bottled water up to 9.33% in water tank. C. parvum in farm animals was 20.9% in sheep, 22.5% in buffaloes, 23.7% in cows and 25.9% in goats.

Real-time PCR and flow cytometry in detection of Cyclospora oocysts in fecal samples of symptomatic and asymptomatic pediatrics patients.

The magnitude of Cyclospora oocysts excretion in relation to infection intensity among cyclosporiasis patients was assessed using flow cytometry and quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR). Oocysts from stool samples of 25 (14.8%) gastro-intestinal symptomatic pediatrics patients (169) and of 10 (2.8%) asymptomatic gastrointestinal ones (350) were identified by modified Ziehl-Neelsen (MZN) and modified Acid Fast Trichrome (MAFT) staining methods and confirmed by its auto-fluorescent characterizations. Also, 10 infants with negative stool samples were selected as controls. The intensity of infection was calculated as number of oocysts/200 microscopic filed with immersion 400. Flow cytometry and RT-PCR assessed relation between symptoms and oocysts excretions compared to MZN & MAFT. The infection severity in symptomatic patients were identified by MZN & MAFT as mild (16%), moderate (24%) and severe (60%) All asymptomatic patients had mild infection. Flow cytometry was done for stool samples and 100% Cyclospora oocysts were in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. None was detected in controls. RT-PCR was done for stools with both a species-specific primer set and dual fluorescent labeled Cyclospora cayetanensis hybridization probe by unique regions of 18S rRNA gene sequence. DNA of C. cayetanensis was in 100% of symptomatic and asymptomatic patients and in 20% of controls. In repetitive examination of stools Cyclospora oocysts were neither detected by staining nor flow cytometry. Based on oocysts counts, no differences were found between flow cytometry and RT-PCR in compared to staining methods.

Efficacy of Commiphora molmol (Mirazid) against sheep naturally infected with monieziasis expansa in Al-Santa Center, Gharbia Governorate, Egypt.

The efficacy of Commiphora molmol or Myrrh (Mirazid) was evaluated in treating sheep naturally infected with Moniezia expansa. Total doses of one, two or three capsules (300 mg each) were given for one, two, three, four, five, six, seven and eight successive days on an empty stomach an hour before offering their breakfast. Every day the stools of the three groups were examined microscopically and macroscopically for eggs and/or gravid segments. When the stool was negative, the treatment was stopped. That sheep group was examined macroscopically after being slaughtered for adult worms in intestine. A total dose of 3600 mg given as three capsules per days for four days gave a cure rate of 100.0% with no clinical side effects. A dose of 4800 mg given as two capsules per day for eight days gave a cure rate of 100.0% with no clinical side effects. On the other hand, a total dose of 2400 given as one capsule per day for eight days gave a cure rate 40.0%. Consequently, Myrrh extract of the medicinal plant, Commiphora molmol (Mirazid) proved to be safe and very effective in sheep monieziasis expansa.

Immunity of Babesia divergens in the rat. Histology of the infected liver and its possible role in removing PRBC's.

The ability of immune rats to resist challenge with Babesia divergens depends upon mechanisms which are largely spleen independent. The possible removal of B. divergens PREC's by the livers of immune splenectomised rats was investigated. The clearance of Cr51 labeled B. divergens infected erythrocytes was followed in splenectomised rats to test whether Cr51 labeled PREC's are cleared from the circulation of immune rats through uptake and phagocytosis by the liver. No significant difference was observed between the clearance radioactivity from the circulation as well as the liver uptake in the immune rats from the controls. The uptake of infected erythrocytes by the liver is unlikely to happen in immune rats. Other unknown mechanisms appear to take part in clearing the parasitaemia in these rats. This might depend upon antibody inhibition of merozoite invasion. The injection of irradiated parasites into the same rats showed that they were able to clear PRBC's from the blood stream and that immunity was not specifically directed at merozoites. It is speculated that parasites inside red cells are removed by lysis or phagocytosis. Histological studies on livers collected from immune rats showed that lymphocytes are accumulated in the Liver and these consisted of B & T cells leukocytes accumulating in the liver might therefore be very important in the development of acquired immunity to B. divergens in splenectomised rats.

Identification of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Egypt by hybridization of PCR amplified mini-exon repeats.

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) had been used to amplify the mini-exon gene repeat from 30 clinically and parasitologically positively cases of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis. It revealed that they possess 440-460 bp mini-exon gene that belongs to Old world Leishmania. Hybridization of the PCR-amplified mini-exon repeats was performed. A single pair of PCR primers within a conserved region of the mini-exon repeat was used to amplify the repeats of the 30 cases. Oligonucleotide hybridization probes for the detection and identification of the PCR-amplified repeats were constructed from alignment of mini-exon intron and intergenic sequences. The probes of Leishmania major and Leishmania tropic, which are supposed to be present in the research area, were used to identify the causative species. They revealed that the all collected samples are belonging to L. major.

The protective activity of serum and fractionated serum from rats against Babesia divergens.

The rat adapted strain of bovine Babesia, B. divergens was used as a model to investigate the mechanisms of immunity to this parasite. The participation of humoral factors in acquired immunity to B. divergens was investigated in splenectomised rats. Antibodies to B. divergens were detected by IFA test in sera collected during infection and at different times after recovery. The protective activity of the same serum was tested in vivo by passive transfer and compared with the antibody levels as measured by IFA test. The role of antibody in protection was confirmed after fractionating IgM and IgG from immune and hyper-immune sera. The protective activity of sera collected immediately after recovery was mainly due to IgM antibodies. The protective activity of sera collected 3-4 days after recovery and of hyper-immune sera was mainly due to IgG antibodies. In hyper-immune serum IgM antibodies were partially protective.

Human Monieziasis expansa: the first Egyptian parastic zoonosis.

This paper reports the first Egyptian zoonotic infection with the common tapeworm of sheep, Moniezia expansa. Perhaps this is the first human monieziasis expansa in the sheep raising countries worldwide. Diagnosis was based on recovery of the characteristic eggs from the stool of a fifteen-years-old shepherd. A single dose of Niclosamide one gram proved effective.

Cytopathological action in mosquito larvae fed with Bacillus sphaericus (strain faiyoum) spore/crystal complex.

Ingestion of Bacillus sphaericus (strain faiyoum) spore/crystal complex by larvae of Anopheles pharoensis, Culex pipiens and Aedes caspius was rapidly followed by a dissolution of the protein crystalline inclusions inside the anterior stomach of the three species. During the first day of the, B. sphaericus spores germinated within the mid-gut lumen, and were in a vegetative stage between 36-48 hours after ingestion when larvae began to die. Ultrastructural observations focused on larval mid-gut showed alterations, which differ according to the mosquito species, being localized mainly in the gastric caecae and posterior stomach. With the bacterial concentration used, neither general cell swelling nor complete breakdown of the mid-gut epithelium was recorded before larval death. In An. pharoensis larval mid-gut epithelium large low-electron-density areas appeared, rough endoplasmic reticula formed numerous concentrical structures and mitochondria swelled. Large vacuoles (of unknown origin) appear early in the Cx. pipiens mid-gut cells and rough endoplasmic reticula broke into small vesicles. Mid-gut epithelial cells of Ae. caspius showed mitochondria swelling except in the anterior stomach and a vacuolization of smooth reticula: these aspects remained unchanged until the larvae died.

Cardiopulmonary pathology in primary murine toxocariasis.

The cellular infiltration in the 1st week was marked in group III & II compared to group I. Parts of larvae were encountered more in the group III than in group I & II. Eosinophilic alveolar exudate was detected more in group III in subgroups a, b and c, in group II only in subgroup (a) and not in group I. Lobar pneumonia was reported in subgroups a and b, in group III in subgroup a, in group II and not in group I. Cardiomegaly was reported in 7.1%, 10.7% and 64.2% in group I, II and III respectively. Mechanical traumatic effect of larval migration in group III was more than group II, I. The extensive haemorrhagic areas and diffuse cellular in filtrations and parts of larvae were predominant in subgroup (a) of group III in Granulomata & began to appear in subgroup (c). First, it was diffuse then became circumscribed in pleural and subpleural areas. Haemorrhagic areas in the endocardium was observed in 7.1%, 17.8% and 89.3% in groups I, II and III respectively. Foci of cellular infiltration, diffuse interstitial infiltration, granulomas, thickening of blood vessels, necrosis of cardiac muscle and focal fragmentation of muscle fibers were encountered.

Treatment of experimental heterophyiasis with two plant extracts, areca nut and pumpkin seed.

The effect of water extracts of areca nut and pumpkin seeds in the treatment of puppies experimental infected with heterophyiasis gave promising results. Puppies were infected through feeding on the muscles of Mugil sp. fish containing the encysted metacercariae of H. heterophyes. Decoctions of pumpkin seeds and areca nut were administered orally 2 weeks after the start of infection as indicated by positive stool examinations. The effect was evaluated by stool examination for eggs, and by autopsy for worms in the intestines. A combined extracts of areca nut and pumpkin seeds gave an excellent result than when given either extract alone.