Antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus, fecal streptococci, Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from the coastal water of the Gaza strip-Palestine

Objectives: To document the occurrence and distribution of antibiotic resistance of clinically important bacteria in the seawater of Gaza strip-Palestine. Methods: Seawater samples were collected at 16 location distributed along the coast of the Gaza strip. Sampling was accomplished during 12 months, from March 2014 to June 2015. The microbial composition including Enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcus aureus, fecal streptococci and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was recorded and tested for their resistance to specific antimicrobial agents according to CLSI using the disc diffusion method. Results: A total of 816 isolates of Enterobacteriaceae (377), S. aureus (29), fecal enterococci (FS)(369), and P. aeruginosa (29) were recovered and identified. Enterobacteriaceae, P. aeruginosa, FS and S. aureus isolates exhibited the highest rates of resistance against β-lactam drugs. The isolates also showed resistance to at least

Development of Beauveria bassiana-Based Bio-Fungicide Against Fusarium Wilt Pathogens for Capsicum Annuum, a Promising Approach Toward Vital Biocontrol Industry in Gaza Strip

Wilting or damping off disease is caused by a pathogenic fungi ( Fusarium oxysporum), which considered as as one of the most serious diseases, which lead to a serious threat in the production of one of the most dependent crops in Gaza strip, Capsicum annuum. Two fungi were isolated, Beauveria bassiana which used as biological control agent and F. oxysporum which causes wilt disease. They were cultured and tested in vitro and applied under field conditions. This study approved that the entomopathogenic fungi especially, b. bassiana is safe and significant approach for the biological control of wilt disease caused by F. oxysporum. Evaluation of B. bassiana spores activity, as a biological control agent was carried out using liquid-semi solid fermentation techniques and the entomopathogenic of B. bassiana against growing F. oxysporum was proven. Our results showed a highly significantly effects of B. bassiana against F. oxysporum

Antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus, fecal streptococci, Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from the coastal water of the Gaza strip-Palestine

Objectives: To document the occurrence and distribution of antibiotic resistance of clinically important bacteria in the seawater of Gaza strip-Palestine. Methods: Seawater samples were collected at 16 location distributed along the coast of the Gaza strip. Sampling was accomplished during 12 months, from March 2014 to June 2015. The microbial composition including Enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcus aureus, fecal streptococci and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was recorded and tested for their resistance to specific antimicrobial agents according to CLSI using the disc diffusion method. Results: A total of 816 isolates of Enterobacteriaceae (377), S. aureus (29), fecal enterococci (FS) (369), and P. aeruginosa (29) were recovered and identified. Enterobacteriaceae, P. aeruginosa, FS and S. aureus isolates exhibited the highest rates of resistance against β-lactam drugs. The isolates also showed resistance to at least one antimicrobial in the range between 99.7 to 78%. Multiple resistance occurred in almost 85% of all isolates; 99.2% of Enterobacteriaceae, 96.6% of P. aeruginosa, 72.1% of FS and 61% of S.aureus. The incidence of multiple resistance of isolates from all sampling locations ranged from 69.2 to 94.1%. Antibiotic resistance indices were found to be highest in P. aeruginosa (0.57), followed by E. coli (0.53), FS (0.49), Enterobacter (0.41), S. marcescens (0.40), Klebsiella (0.39) and finally Proteus (0.28). Most of the isolates showed multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index value higher than 0.2. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the seawater of the Gaza strip is highly contaminated with antibiotic resistant bacteria which can be transmitted to humans through recreational and other activities. Therefore, there is a need to apply appropriate and rationale use of antibiotic to minimize the occurrence of multiple antibiotic resistant bacteria in the marine environment. Proper treatment of sewage before it is discharged to the sea is highly recommended.Keywords: Multiple antimicrobial resistance, Gaza strip, seawater, fecal enterococci, P. aeruginosa, Enterobacteriaceae, S. aureus

The Palestinian Terrestrial Vertebrate Fauna Preserved at the Biology Exhibitions of the Universities of the Gaza Strip

The Gaza Strip (365 km2 ) of Palestine (27,000 km2 ) is home to a wealth of terrestrial vertebrate fauna. Some of these faunistic species find their ways to preservation at the local universities. Hence, the current study comes to document the Palestinian terrestrial vertebrate fauna acquired by the biology exhibitions (BEs) of Al-Azhar University, Islamic University of Gaza and Al-Aqsa University that are located at the Gaza City of the Gaza Strip. The amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals preserved at BEs of the universities in question were surveyed and scientifically classified during a three-month period extending from January to March, 2012. The study showed that all BEs of local universities are underdeveloped, lacking attention and suffer from specimen scarcity and good preservation. The BE at Al-Azhar University is the best in the arrangement and preservation of bird specimens. A total number of 200 specimens belonging to 54 terrestrial vertebrate fauna species, 39 families and 17 orders was recorded at BEs. Reptiles constituted 40.7% of the total species recorded, followed by birds (38.9%), mammals (14.8%) and amphibians (5.6%). The Islamic University of Gaza was considered the best in terms of the number of preserved species (39.8%), followed by Al-Azhar University (36.3%) and Al-Aqsa University (23.9%). The Common Toad (Bufo viridis) was the most preserved among the amphibian species recorded. Squamata was the biggest reptilian order, comprising 20 species (8 lizards and 12 snakes), with the Syrian Black Snake (Coluber jugularis asianus) was the commonest. The Palestine Viper (Vipera palaestinae) is endemic to Palestine and most venomous and dangerous to human health. The Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) was the largest Palestinian bird preserved at BE of Al-Azhar University. The Egyptian Mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) and the Common Badger (Meles meles) were the biggest mammalian specimens preserved, while the Palestine Mole-rat (Spalax leucodon ehrenbergi) was the only Palestine endemic species encountered among the preserved mammals. Finally, the improvement of BEs of local universities and the construction of a Central Museum of Natural History is highly recommended in order to change the Palestinians’ attitudes toward a sustainable ecological conservation in the Gaza Strip

Development of cheap and simple culture medium for the microalgae Nannochloropsis sp. based on agricultural grade fertilizers available in the local market of Gaza strip …

The unicellular marine microalgae Nannochloropsis sp. is one of the most common live feed used in the field of aquaculture. The high cost of the culture medium which supports an optimal growth of the algae however is still one of the main problems related to the large scale culture of Nannochloropsis sp. In this study, an attempt was made to develop a cheap and simple medium for Nannochloropsis sp. based on agricultural grade fertilizers available in the local market of Gaza Strip. Five different culture media,“A”,“B”,“C”,“D”, and “E” were tested and compared to F/2 medium which is commonly used for microalgae cultivation in commercial aquaculture. Medium “A” which consists of a combination of agricultural fertilizers such as ammonium sulfate (150 mg-l), urea (7.5 mg-l), calcium superphospate (25 mg-l), micronutrient solution (0.5 mg-l) and vitamin solution (0.5 ml-l) resulted in maximum average cell density of 69× 106 ml-1. Medium “A” was also found to be highly economical, since it is about thirteen times cheaper than F/2 medium. The results of the present study suggest that agricultural fertilizers are an excellent substitute that can be used for the cultivation of microalgae

Acute Toxicity of Olive Mill Wastewaters from the Gaza Strip to Four Marine Invertebrates Acute Toxicity of Olive Mill Wastewaters from the Gaza Strip to Four Marine Invertebrates

: Background: The Olive Mill Wastewater (OMW) that results from olive oil production processes, is a potential toxic pollutant, adversely affecting the fauna of aquatic ecosystem. Due to the absence of implementation of stringent rules and regulations to control the disposal of industrial wastewaters into the environment, most of the wastewaters generated from the different olive mills in the Gaza Strip are usually discharged into sewer systems or into Wadi Gaza which finally reach the Mediterranean Sea. Objective: The present study aims to evaluate the acute toxicity of OMW to four marine invertebrates; Artemia salina, Balanus amphitrite, Brachionus plicatilis and Mytilus sp.. Materials and methods: Composite samples of OMW were collected from an olive mill near Gaza City and the physicochemical characteristics such as pH, EC, BOD, COD and total nitrogen were analyzed. The test organisms were exposed to four concentrations of OMW, 1.25, 2.5, 5 and 10% (v/v) under static conditions. Mortality data were recorded after 24 h and analyzed using U.S. EPA Probit analysis software to calculate LC50 values. Results: The results of the physicochemical characteristics of OMWs were found to fall within the range of the reported literature data. In the terms of median lethal concentration (LC50), the order of sensitivity of tested organisms was B. plicatilis > A. salina > Mytilus sp.> B. amphitrite with estimated LC50 values of 3.3%, 5.1%; 6.5% and 7.1% (v/v) respectively. Based on derived 24h LC50 values, OMW appears to be highly toxic to tested organisms with acute toxicity units (ATUs) ranged from 14 to 30. The safe dischargeable concentration of OMW was found to be very low i.e. ? 0.710% (v/v). Conclusion: Results indicated that OMW is highly toxic to marine invertebrates and may pose relatively serious hazards to receiving waters; accordingly, it should be treated before disposing to aquatic environments. Keywords: Olive mill wastewaters, Acute toxicity, Marine invertebrates, Gaza Strip

Cryptosporidiosis Among Children Attending Al-Nasser Pediatric Hospital, Gaza, Palestine

Aim: The present study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of cryptosporidiosis in patients with diarrhea who attended Al-Nasser Pediatric Hospital in Gaza. Materials and Methods: From January to May 2005, single stool specimens from each of 416 children attending Al-Nasser Hospital were examined by Ziehl Neelsen ( ZN stain and ELISA for the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts. Results: Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in 62 ( 14.9% of the tested specimens by acid-fast staining technique and in 68 ( 16.3% using ELISA kit. The number of infected females was found to be significantly higher than males ( P = 0.03 . The highest number of infected children was observed in March. Entamoeba histolytica/dispar, Giardia lamblia, Ascaris lumbricoides and Hymenolepis nana were the most common parasites detected ( 14.4%, 7.2%, 0.7% and 0.7%, respectively . Conclusions: It is concluded that cryptosporidiosis still exists among children in Gaza. In addition, the diagnosis of protozoal parasites such as Cryptosporidium should draw more attention and should not be neglected due to its clinical importance

Cryptosporidiosis Among Children Attending Al-Nasser Pediatric Hospital, Gaza, Palestine

Aim: The present study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of cryptosporidiosis in patients with diarrhea who attended Al-Nasser Pediatric Hospital in Gaza. Materials and Methods: From January to May 2005, single stool specimens from each of 416 children attending Al-Nasser Hospital were examined by Ziehl Neelsen (ZN) stain and ELISA for the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts. Results: Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in 62 (14.9%) of the tested specimens by acid-fast staining technique and in 68 (16.3%) using ELISA kit. The number of infected females was found to be significantly higher than males (P = 0.03). The highest number of infected children was observed in March. Entamoeba histolytica/dispar, Giardia lamblia, Ascaris lumbricoides and Hymenolepis nana were the most common parasites detected (14.4%, 7.2%, 0.7% and 0.7%, respectively). Conclusions: It is concluded that cryptosporidiosis still exists among children in Gaza. In addition, the diagnosis of protozoal parasites such as Cryptosporidium should draw more attention and should not be neglected due to its clinical importance

Toxicity evaluation of copper, bisphenol A and nonylphenol using life cycle of free-living marine nematode, Prochromadorella sp. 1

We examined the toxicity of copper (Cu), bisphenol A (BPA) and nonylphenol (NP) by using life cycle of marine nematode, Prochromadorella sp. 1. Eggs of nematode were exposed to Cu (0, 6 mg/L), BPA (456, 228 and 228 g/L) and NP (44, 22 and 220 //g/L) for 14 days, and their body lengths at 9 day and generation times (days from hatching of F0 eggs to hatching of F1 eggs) were assessed. Body lengths of nematode exposed to Cu were approximately 30% shorter than those in the control groups and the generation times of nematode were prolonged to more than 7 days compared with those in control groups (6 days). No adverse effect was observed in nematode exposed to BPA and NP except for 228 ug/L of BPA group. Coefficient variations of average body length and generation time were less than 7% and 1% in nematode exposed to Cu, respectively. Thus, we concluded that this life cycle test could be applicable for assessing the toxicity of environmental pollutants