Occurrence, phenotypic and genotypic characterization of multidrug resistant zoonotic bacteria isolated from poultry slaughterhouses

A total of 125 swab samples were collected from tables, knives, rinsing water, carcasses' surfaces and workers' hands (25, each) in five poultry slaughter houses at Sharkia Province, Egypt. These samples were examined for the presence of E. coli and Salmonella spp. and the resistance patterns of the isolates were determined using disc diffusion method. The isolates were serologically, molecularly identified and screened for the presence of antibiotic resistance genes using PCR. The overall prevalence of E.coli was 58.4% compared to 4.8% for Salmonella spp. E. coli isolates were serologically identified into 10 different serotypes with the predominance of serotype O125:K70 (7 isolates). Moreover, Salmonella isolates were serotyped into S. Enteritidis (3 isolates), S. Typhimurium, S. Emek and S. Agona (one isolate, each). E.coli and Salmonella isolates showed marked variations in their antibiotic resistance patterns. QRDRs of the gyrA, sul1 and tetA genes were identified in 60, 62 and 68 % of E. coli isolates, respectively. On the other hand, the respective prevalence of the former genes in Salmonella isolates was 50, 50 and 66.7%. The higher incidence of multidrug resistant E.coli and Salmonella harboring resistance genes in this study constituting a devastating problem for poultry industry and poultry consumers

Molecular screening of SARS‐CoV‐2 in dogs and cats from households with infected owners diagnosed with COVID‐19 during Delta and Omicron variant waves in Iran

Abstract Objective The emergence of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in dogs and cats in different countries worldwide raises concerns that pets are at a higher risk for spreading or transmitting of SARS‐CoV‐2 to humans and other pets and increased the research works about the zoonotic aspects and natural routes of infection in companion animals. The current study aimed to detect the SARS‐CoV‐2 in household dogs and cats living with COVID‐19 positive owners. Methods Deep oropharyngeal and rectal swabs were collected from 30 household pets (20 cats and 10 dogs) living with COVID‐19 positive owners from April 2021 to 2022 in Kerman, Iran. All dogs’ and cats’ samples were tested by real‐time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for detection of SARS‐CoV‐2. Results Two household cats out of 20 examined (10%) were positive for SARS‐CoV‐2, whereas none of the examined dogs were positive for SARS‐CoV‐2. The two cats positive for SARS‐CoV‐2 were symptomatic and suffered from severe anorexia with maximum contact with their infected owners. Conclusion This study reported the presence of SARS‐CoV‐2 in household cats in close contact with COVID‐19 positive owners during the circulation of new SARS‐CoV‐2 variants (Delta and Omicron) in Iran and suggested that the transmission may have occurred from owners to their cats. Therefore, infected owners should eagerly limit close contact with their pets during COVID‐19 illness

Bacteriological and Molecular Characterization of Salmonella Species Isolated from Humans and Chickens in Sharkia Governorate, Egypt

<p>This study was carried out to investigate the occurrence of <em>Salmonella </em>species in 690 different samples collected from Sharkia Governorate, Egypt. The samples comprised of chicken meat, organs, eggs, cloacal swabs and wooden surface swabs from pluck shop outlets and hand swabs from workers. In addition, stool swabs from patients with gastroenteritis attending the Outpatient Clinics at Zagazig and Abo-Hammad cities. <em>Salmonella </em>spp. were detected in 5.9%, 2.6%, 4.2%, 10.4%, 10% and 10% of chicken meat, organs, egg shell, cloacal swabs, surface swabs and hand swabs, respectively. The isolation rate from stool swabs was 0.8%. Biochemical Identification revealed that <em>Salmonella </em>spp. were identified in 129 out of 690 examined samples (18.7%). Meanwhile, molecular identification using <em>inv</em>A gene revealed that only 29 <em>Salmonella</em> isolates were detected (4.2%).<em> S.</em> Typhimurium and <em>S. </em>Enteritidis were identified from different samples with the percentages of 1.2 and 1.01, respectively. The other identified <em>Salmonella </em>serovars were <em>S.</em> Newport (0.9%), <em>S.</em> Kentucky (0.7%), and <em>S. </em>Infantis (0.4%). Virulence associated genes including <em>avr</em>A, <em>hil</em>A and <em>pef </em>were identified in 100, 91.3 and 10.3% of the examined isolates. In conclusion, a proportion of chicken carcasses and giblets sold in Sharkia Governorate, Egypt was contaminated with <em>Salmonella</em> spp. including potentially virulent <em>S</em>. Typhimurium and <em>S</em>. Enteritidis, posing risk for human consumers. </p

Superior visible light antimicrobial performance of facet engineered cobalt doped TiO2 mesocrystals in pathogenic bacterium and fungi

Pristine and Co-doped TiO2 mesocrystals have been synthesized via a simple sol–gel method and their antimicrobial activity has been investigated. The antimicrobial performance was evaluated in terms of zone of inhibition, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), antibiofilm activity, and effect of UV illumination in liquid media. The Co-doped TiO2 mesocrystals showed very promising MIC of 0.390 μg/mL and 0.781 μg/mL for P. mirabilis and P. mirabilis, respectively. Additionally, the material showed an MIC of 12.5 μg/mL against C. albicans, suggesting its use as antifungal agent. Upon the addition of 10.0 µg/mL of Co-doped TiO2 mesocrystals, the biofilm inhibition% reaches 84.43% for P. aeruginosa, 78.58% for P. mirabilis, and 77.81% for S. typhi, which can be ascribed to the created active oxygen species that decompose the tested microbial cells upon illumination. Thus the fabricated Co-doped TiO2 mesocrystals exhibit sufficient antimicrobial features under visible light, qualifying them for use as antimicrobial agents against pathogenic bacteria and fungi and subsequently inhibit their hazardous effects

Global data analysis and risk factors associated with morbidity and mortality of COVID-19.

This review was focused on global data analysis and risk factors associated with morbidity and mortality of coronavirus disease 2019 from different countries, including Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Central Eastern Europe, Egypt, India, Iran, Pakistan, and South Asia, Africa, Turkey and UAE. Male showed higher confirmed and death cases compared to females in most of the countries. In addition, the case fatality ratio (CFR) for males was higher than for females. This gender variation in COVID-19 cases may be due to males cultural activities, but similar variations in the number of COVID-19 affected males and females globally. Variations in the immune system can illustrate this divergent risk comparatively higher in males than females. The female immune system may have an edge to detect pathogens slightly earlier. In addition, women show comparatively higher innate and adaptive immune responses than men, which might be explained by the high density of immune-related genes in the X chromosome. Furthermore, SARS-CoV-2 viruses use angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) to enter the host cell, and men contain higher ACE2 than females. Therefore, males may be more vulnerable to COVID-19 than females. In addition, smoking habit also makes men susceptible to COVID-19. Considering the age-wise distribution, children and older adults were less infected than other age groups and the death rate. On the contrary, more death in the older group may be associated with less immune system function. In addition, most of these group have comorbidities like diabetes, high pressure, low lungs and kidney function, and other chronic diseases. Due to the substantial economic losses and the numerous infected people and deaths, research examining the features of the COVID-19 epidemic is essential to gain insight into mitigating its impact in the future and preparedness for any future epidemics

Transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to animals: An updated review

COVID-19 caused by a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) originated in Wuhan (Hubei province, China) during late 2019. It has spread across the globe affecting nearly 21 million people with a toll of 0.75 million deaths and restricting the movement of most of the world population during the past 6 months. COVID-19 became the leading health, economic, and humanitarian challenge of the twenty-first century. In addition to the considerable COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in humans, several cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections in animal hosts (dog, cat, tiger, lion, and mink) have been reported. Thus, the concern of pet owners is increasing. Moreover, the dynamics of the disease requires further explanation, mainly concerning the transmission of the virus from humans to animals and vice versa. Therefore, this study aimed to gather information about the reported cases of COVID-19 transmission in animals through a literary review of works published in scientific journals and perform genomic and phylogenetic analyses of SARS-CoV-2 isolated from animal hosts. Although many instances of transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 have been reported, caution and further studies are necessary to avoid the occurrence of maltreatment in animals, and to achieve a better understanding of the dynamics of the disease in the environment, humans, and animals. Future research in the animal–human interface can help formulate and implement preventive measures to combat the further transmission of COVID-19