Critical occurrence of verotoxgenic <em>E.coli</em> and non-typhoidal <em>salmonella<em> in some heat treated dairy products

Pathogenic strains of E.coli and Salmonella are common causes of foodborne illness and have been frequently isolated from inadequately heat-treated milk products in Mansoura city. The current study was performed to explore the prevalence of E.coli and Salmonella spp. in heattreated milk products intended for consumption in Mansoura university hospitals and hostels, as well as, to investigate their serotypes and virulence potential. Seventyfive samples of heat-treated milk products (Soft cheese, yoghurt, and processed cheese, 25 of each) were randomly gathered and directed to further investigation using conventional and molecular microbiology. Result revealed that 3(12%) of soft cheese samples harbored E.coli O146:H21, O26:H11 and O128:H2 serotypes and 2(8%) of yoghurt samples were contaminated with O128:H2 and O121:H7 serotypes while 3(12%) of processed cheese samples were positive for non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) serovars (Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Infantis and Salmonella Essen). Virulence gene profiling reported that all E.coli isolates harbored eaeA gene and only E.coli O26:H11 and O121:H7 encoded stx2 (verotoxin) gene. Further, all Salmonella isolates harbored invA and stn genes, while only Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Infantis encoded spvC gene. This study confirmed the existence of highly pathogenic verotoxogenic E.coli (VTEC) and NTS in investigated milk products which could be hazardous for public health and resident in Mansoura hospitals and hostels. Hence, the implementation of good hygienic practices together with hazard analysis, and risk-based preventive control measures are rigorously required in the process of HACCP plan to eliminate the risk of contamination that may occur during the manufacturing process.</jats:p

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus in Al-Madinah City, Saudi Arabia: Demographic, clinical and survival data

AbstractBackgroundMiddle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), is an emerging virus respiratory infection. It has a high mortality rate and a wide spectrum of clinical features. This study describes the clinical characteristics and outcome of MERS infected patients.MethodsA retrospective study was conducted of all confirmed MERS-CoV infections from March 2014 to May 2014 at two tertiary care hospitals in Al-Madinah region (Saudi Arabia). We gathered data about demographic, clinical presentation, and factors associated with severity and mortality.ResultsA total of 29 cases were identified; 20 males (69%) and nine females (31%), age 45±12years. The death rate was higher for men (52%) than for women (23%). Initial presentation was fever in 22 (75%) cases, cough in 20 (69%) cases, and shortness of breath in 20 (69%) cases. Associated comorbidities were diabetes mellitus in nine (31%) patients and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in eight (27%) patients. Duration of symptoms before hospitalization ranged from 2.9days to 5days. Elevated liver enzymes were present in 14 (50%) patients and impaired renal profile present in eight (27%) patients. We also describe in this study radiological patterns and factors associated with mortality.ConclusionMERS-CoV infection transmission continues to occur as clusters in healthcare facilities. The frequency of cases and deaths is higher among men than women and among patients with comorbidities

Prevalence and molecular characterization of Salmonella serovars in milk and cheese in Mansoura city, Egypt

Objective: This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Salmonella in milk (farm bulk milk, raw market milk) and cheese (kareish, white soft cheese) samples that were collected randomly from farms, supermarkets, small vendors and shops in different districts of Mansoura city, Egypt. Materials and methods: A total of 100 farm bulk milk, raw market milk, kareish cheese and white soft cheese samples (25 of each) were screened for the prevalence of Salmonella spp. The Salmonella isolates were isolated and identified by conventional bacteriological techniques, which were further confirmed genetically by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based on the presence of invA gene. Finally, the isolates were serotyped. Results: Salmonella could be detected in 15%(n=15/100) samples with a prevalence of 12%(n=3/25), 24%(n=6/25), 20%(n=5/25) and 4%(n=1/25) in raw market milk, raw farm bulk milk, kareish cheese and white soft cheese, respectively. The Salmonella isolates were serotyped into S. enteritidis 33.3%(n=9/27) which was the most frequent, followed by S. typhimurium 25.9%(n=7/27), S. heidelberg 14.8%(n=4/27), S. infantis 11.11%(n=3/27), S. tsevie 11.11%(n=3/27) and S. haifa 3.7%(n=1/27). Conclusion: The present study confirms the presence of Salmonella in milk and cheese samples in Mansoura, Egypt, indicating that the dairy products can act as potential sources of Salmonella infection. Thus, appropriate hygienic measures are suggestive for combating Salmonellosis in Egypt. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2017; 4(1.000): 45-51

Mapping Groundwater Potential Zones in the Widyan Basin, Al Qassim, KSA: Analytical Hierarchy Process-Based Analysis Using Sentinel-2, ASTER-DEM, and Conventional Data

Groundwater availability in semi-arid regions like the Widyan Basin, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a critical challenge due to climatic, topographic, and hydrological variations. The accurate identification of groundwater zones is essential for sustainable development. Therefore, this study combines remote-sensing datasets (Sentinel-2 and ASTER-DEM) with conventional data using Geographic Information System (GIS) and analytical hierarchy process (AHP) techniques to delineate groundwater potential zones (GWPZs). The basin&rsquo;s geology includes Pre-Cambrian rock units of the Arabian Shield in the southwest and Cambrian&ndash;Ordovician units in the northeast, with the Saq Formation serving as the main groundwater aquifer. Six soil types were identified: Haplic and Calcic Yermosols, Calcaric Regosols, Cambic Arenosols, Orthic Solonchaks, and Lithosols. The topography varies from steep areas in the southwest and northwest to nearly flat terrain in the northeast. Hydrologically, the basin is divided into 28 sub-basins with four stream orders. Using GIS-based AHP and weighted overlay methods, the GWPZs were mapped, achieving a model consistency ratio of 0.0956. The zones were categorized as excellent (15.21%), good (40.85%), fair (43.94%), and poor (0%). The GWPZ model was validated by analyzing data from 48 water wells distributed in the study area. These wells range from fresh water to primary saline water, with water depths varying between 13.98 and 130 m. Nine wells&mdash;with an average total dissolved solids (TDS) value of 597.2 mg/L&mdash;fall within the excellent zone, twenty-one wells are categorized in the good zone, fifteen wells are classified in the fair zone, and the remaining wells fall into the poor zone, with TDS values reaching up to 2177 mg/L. The results indicate that the central zone of the study area is suitable for drilling new water wells