Ecological and Pathological Study of T. gondii Egyptian Rat Isolates Reference to Biological & Genetic Typescripts

Abstract: Toxoplasma gondii is zoonotic opportunistic protozoan of public health impact. It has usual clonal population of three virulent human and animal types: I, II, and III. The commercial rats are frequently harboring the dormant T. gondii tissue cysts in their tissues. So, rats consider the major prey for outdoor cats that regularly stimulating it to shed and contaminate the environment with oocysts infective stage which maximizes human and animals' toxoplasmosis. The aim of the present study is to identify the biological and molecular typescripts of naturally infected commercial rats along with serological, mice viability and histo-pathological assays for clarifying to how extent the indirect zoonotic bio-hazards sequence to rats harboring T. gondiivirulent types. A total number of 278 commercial rats were recognized as R. norvegicus (n=74), Rattus rattus rattus(n=108)and Rattus rattus frugivorus (n=96), were collected from different rural and urban sites from Cairo and Giza governorates. Blood and tissue samples were exposed to serological and mice viability test along with histopathological exam. Also, the tissues of inoculated mice were exposed tokitten's viability test for detecting oocyst shedding characters of rat isolates. Parasite load, LD50 and LD100 of the rat isolates were detected for bio-typing. Plus to geno-typing via SAG2 PCR amplification products by electrophoresis analysis using tissue digest from inoculated mice. The results of microscopic and histo-pathological exam of rat tissues and inoculated mice were recorded. The percentages of successes rat isolates through mice inoculation were; (14.9), (3.7), (2.1).while, the overall prevalent of biological and genetic typescripts were; type I (17.6%), type II (52.9%) and type III (29.4%) corresponding to R. norvegicus, Rattus rattus rattus and Rattusrattus frugivorus. We were concluded that the examined commercial rats often were holding T. gondii tissue cysts corresponding to the human virulent strains I, II, and III, reflecting their role in toxoplasmosis ecology through indirect human hazard via recurrently exciting oocysts shedder cats

Future topics of common interest for EU and Egypt in food quality, safety and traceability

International audienceThe objective of the project was to organise an expert committee between Egypt and European Union partners with the aim of producing a document which duly justified proposals for food safety hazard resolution in Egypt. This paper presents the results of the discussion of the expert committee on 'Food safety and traceability'. The meeting was organised at the University of Mansoura in Egypt from 15th to 17th February 2014. It enables an increase in the quality, quantity, profile and impact of bi-regional science and technology cooperation between Egypt and members of the European Union in the field of food safety and traceability

Therapeutic Strategies to Treat Dry Eye in an Aging Population

Dry eye (DE) is a prevalent ocular disease that primarily affects the elderly. Affecting up to 30% of adults aged 50 years and older, dry eye affects both visual function and quality of life. Symptoms of dry eye which include ocular pain (aching, burning), visual disturbances, and tearing can be addressed with therapeutic agents that target dysfunction of the meibomian glands, lacrimal glands, goblet cells, ocular surface and/or neural network. This review provides an overview of the efficacy, use, and limitations of current therapeutic interventions being used to treat DE