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

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

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