The susceptibility of Escherichia coli strains to essential oils of Rormarinus officinalis and Eucalyptus globulus

Essential oils are frequently used for flavour and fragrance in the perfume, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries. They are also suitable raw material for production of new synthetic agents. The antibacterial activity of the essential oils obtained by steam distillation of Rosmarinus officinalis L and Eucalyptus globules collected in south Morocco was studied by micro-atmospheric technique against Escherichia coli CIP54127 and E. coli isolated from urine and resistant to several antibiotics. Both essential oils were effective against the two strains bacteria in particularly against E. coli CIP54127. MIQ of both oils ranged from 60 to 70 ìl for both bacteria. In conclusion, results show that essential oils are effective and could be considered as a natural antimicrobial source that can be used on production of natural antimicrobial agents

Toxicity of south Morocco Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil: antibacterial and histopathological effects

Le romarin (Rosmarinus officinalis) possède de nombreuses propriétés médicinales. Il est connu pour ses effets antimicrobiens et anti-oxydatifs. Le but de ce travail est d’étudier la toxicité de son huile essentielle (HE) via un test antibactérien selon la technique de micro-atmosphère et un autre histopathologique au niveau des organes de souris (Swiss albinos). L’analyse de la composition chimique de cette HE a été effectuée par CPG. Les constituants majoritaires de l’HE de R. officinalis sont le 1,8-cinéole (42%), l’alpha-pinène (11,92%) et le camphre (13.99%). Les quantités minimales inhibitrices des souches bactériennes testées varient entre 40 ?l et 90 ?l. Au plan histopathologique, une dilatation des alvéoles pulmonaires et une hypertrophie des cellules corticales et médullaires des surrénales ont été relevées. En conclusion, l’HE de R. officinalis ne présente pas de toxicité à la dose 50 ?l/g mais possède des effets stimulants des glandes surrénales et du système respiratoire

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century