Protozoa causing food poisoning

Food poisoning also called foodborne illness, or illness caused by eating contaminated food is a term used to cover an unpleasant range of illnesses. Food poisoning symptoms vary with the source of contamination. Most types of food poisoning cause one or more of the following signs and symptoms: nausea, vomiting, watery diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramps and fever Signs and symptoms may start within hours after eating the contaminated food, or they may begin days or even weeks later. Sickness caused by food poisoning generally lasts from a few hours to several days

Zoonotic cutaneous leshmaiasis three years fever hospital records: with general discussion

Leishmaniasis is widely present in more than 88 countries worldwide, resulting in up to 80,000 deaths annually. Leishmaniasis occurs as visceral, cutaneous, or mucocutaneous variants. Mucosal involvement can occur secondarily to the cutaneous or visceral varieties

An overview of osteomyelitis with reference to treatment in particular maggot debridement therapy [MDT]

Osteomyelitis occurs either as a result of hematogenous seeding, contiguous spread of infection to bone from adjacent soft tissues and joints, or direct inoculation of infection into the bone as a result of trauma or surgery. Hematogenous osteomyelitis is usually monomicrobial, while osteomyelitis due to contiguous spread or direct inoculation is usually polymicrobial. Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative staphylococci and aerobic gram-negative bacilli are the most common organisms; other pathogens including streptococci, enterococci, anaerobes, fungi and mycobacteria have also been implicated. Acute osteomyelitis typically presents with gradual onset of pain over several days. Local findings [tenderness, warmth, erythema and swelling] and systemic symptoms [fever, rigors] may also be present. Chronic osteomyelitis tends to occur in the setting of previous osteomyelitis and presents with recurrent pain, erythema or swelling, sometimes in association with a draining sinus tract. Treatment of osteomyelitis often requires both surgical debridement of necrotic material and antimicrobial therapy for eradication of infection. The optimal duration of antibiotic therapy is not certain; but continuing parenteral antimicrobial therapy at least six weeks from the last debridement. Maggot therapy is an effective and environmentally friendly treatment of complicated necrotic wounds that are resistant to conventional treatment and should also be considered in earlier mages of treatment. The history of maggot therapy, and the mechanisms by which it works, is discussed

Malaria: a general minireview with reference to Egypt

The majority of world's population-live in areas at risk of malaria transmission. Malaria is a serious Anopheles-borne disease that causes symptoms like the flu, as a high fever, chills, and muscle pain also, anemia, bloody stools, coma, convulsion, fever, headache, jaundice, nausea, sweating and vomiting. Symptoms tend to come and go in cycles. Apart from Anopheles vector, malaria could be transmitted nosocomial, blood transfusion or needle-stick injury Some types of malaria may cause more serious damage problems to heart, lungs, kidneys, or brain. These types can be deadly. The primary factors contributing to the resurgence of malaria are the appearance of drug-resistant strains of the parasite, the spread of insecticideresistant strains of the mosquito and the lack of licensed malaria vaccines of proven efficacy. In rare cases, people can get malaria if they come into contact with infected blood as in blood transfusion or needle-stick injury also nosocomial and congenital malaria was reported. This is a mini-review of malaria with information on the lethal to humans, Plasmodium falciparum, together with other recent developments in the field

Egyptian eosinophilic and infectious meningoencephalitis and their impact on psychological aspects

Meningoencephalitis is an acute inflammation of the brain and spinal cord and their covering protective membranes. Meningitis can be life-threatening because of the inflammation's proximity to the brain and spinal cord; therefore, the condition is classified as a medical emergency

The commonest symptoms of meningitis are headache and neck stiffness associated with fever, confusion or altered consciousness, vomiting, and an inability to tolerate light [photophobia] or loud noises [phonophobia]. Children often exhibit only nonspecific symptoms, such as irritability and drowsiness. If a rash is present, it may indicate a particular cause of meningitis; for instance, meningitis caused by meningococcal bacteria may be accompanied by a characteristic rash

A broad variety of allergic, infectious, neoplastic, and idiopathic diseases are associated with increased blood and/or tissue eosinophilia and range in severity from self-limited conditions to life-threatening disorders. Although accepted upper limits of normal blood eosinophil numbers vary somewhat, a value above 600 eosinophils /microL of blood is abnormal in the vast majority of cases. Generally speaking, there are several possible causes of eosinophils in the CSF; undoubtedly parasitic infection is one of the main causes

efficacy of three medicinal plants; garlic, ginger and mirazid and a chemical drug metronidazole against cryptosporidium parvum: II- histological changes

Cryptosporidiosis parvum is a zoonotic protozoan parasite infects intestinal epithelial cells of man and animals causing a major health problem. This study was oriented to evaluate the protective and curative capacity of garlic, ginger and mirazid in comparison with metronidazole drug [commercially known] against Cryptosporidium in experimental mice. Male Swiss Albino mice experimentally infected with C. parvum were treated with medicinal plants extracts [Ginger, Mirazid, and Garlic] as compared to chemical drug Metronidazole. Importantly, C. parvum- infected mice treated with ginger, Mirazid, garlic and metronidazole showed a complete elimination in shedding oocysts by 9[th] day PI. The reduction and elimination of shedding oocysts in response to the treatments might be attributable to a direct effect on parasite growth in intestines, sexual phases production and/ or the formation of oocysts. The results were evaluated histopathological examination of ileum section of control mice [uninfected, untreated] displayed normal architecture of the villi. Examination of infected mice ileum section [infected, untreated] displayed histopathological alterations from uninfected groups. Examination of ileum section prepared from mice treated with garlic, ginger, mirazid, and metronidazole displayed histopathological alterations from that of the control groups, and showed marked histologic correction in the pattern with the four regimes used in comparison to control mice. Garlic successfully eradicated oocysts of infected mice from stool and intestine. Supplementation of ginger to infected mice markedly corrected elevation in the inflammatory risk factors and implied its potential antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory capabilities. Infected mice treated with ginger, mirazid, garlic and metronidazole showed significant symptomatic improvements during treatment

Maggot debridement therapy [MDT]: it is safe and economic for treating a diabetic foot ulcer

Diabetic foot ulcer [DFU] is the major global and devastating complication of diabetes mellitus that affects at least 20% of diabetic patients during their lifetime. This article presents an overview of the research evidence on maggot debridement therapy that serves as a guide to health professionals who may be users of this form of treatment now and in the future

It is a time to apply this sample and safe worldwide approved method for diabetic foot ulcer to save money and avoid surgical intervention?

Sand-Fly Phlebotomus Papatasi [Phlebotominae]: a general review with special reference to Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Egypt

Leishmania are digenetic protozoa which inhabit two hosts, the sandfly where they grow as promastigotes in the gut, and the mammalian macrophage where they grow as amastigotes Sandfly [or sand fly] is a colloquial name for any species or genus of flying, biting, blood- sucking Dipteran encountered in sandy areas. In the United States, sandfly may refer to certain horse flies that are also known as "greenheads" [family Tabanidae], or to members of the family Ceratopogonidae, also known in Florida and elsewhere as a sand gnat, sandflea, no-see-um [no-see-em, noseeum], granny nipper, chitra, punkie, or punky. Outside the United States, sandfly may refer to members of the subfamily Phlebotominae within the Psychodidae. Biting midges [Ceratopogonidae] are sometimes called sand flies or no-see-ums [no-see-em, noseeum]. New Zealand sandflies are in the Austrosimulium genus, a type of black fly. Of 500 known phlebotomine species, only some 30 of them have been positively identified as vectors of the disease. Cutaneous leishmaniasis [ZCL] is a protozoan disease well documented not only in Egypt, but in nearly all the East Mediterranean Countries. It is prevalent in the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula with at least three identified foci

efficacy of three medicinal plants: garlic, ginger and mirazid and a chemical drug metronidazole against Cryptosporidium Parvum. I- immunological response

Cryptosporidisis parvum is a zoonotic protozoan parasite infects intestinal epithelial cells causing a major health problem for man and animals. Experimentally the immunologic mediated elimination of C. parvum requires CD4+ T cells and IFN-Gamma. But, the innate immune responses also have a significant protective role in both man and animals. the mucosal immune response to C. parvum in C57BL/6 neonatal and GKO mice shows a concomitant Th1 and Th2 cytokine mRNA expression, with a crucial role for IFN-Gamma in the resolution of the infection.NK cells and IFN-Gamma have been shown to be important components in immunity in T and B cell-deficient mice, but IFN-Gamma-dependent resistance is demonstrated in alymphocytic mice. Epithelial cells may play a vital role in immunity as once infected these cells have increased expression of inflammatory chemokines and cytokines and demonstrate anti-infection killing mechanisms. C. parvum immunological response was used to evaluate the efficacy of anti-cryptospori- disis agents of Garlic, Ginger, Mirazid and Metronidazole in experimentally infected mice

Arthropod-Borne Onchocerciasis: is it deserved to be neglected?

Onchocerciasis a filarial parasitic nematode, also known as river blindness and Robles disease, is a neglected tropical disease infecting more than 18 million people mainly in subSaharan of Africa, the Middle East, South and Central America and many other countries. Disease infectivity initiates from Onchocerca volvulus [Filarioidea: Onchocercidae] transmitted by the blackfly, Simulium sp. which introduces the infective stage larva with its saliva into the skin. Within human body, adult females [macrofilaria] produce thousands of larvae [microfilariae] which migrate in skin and eye. Infection results in severe visual impairment or blindness for about 2 million, as being the world's second-leading cause of blindness after trachoma, as well as skin onchocercomata

Phenolic content of some selected lamiaceous egyptian medicinal plants: antioxidant potential and ecological friend mosquitolarvicidal

Phenol compounds are naturally occurring biologically active compounds existing in all plants had received major medical concern so development in research focused on their extraction, identification and quantification have occurred over the last 25 years; they constitute an important source of antioxidants and were used to help human body to reduce oxidative damage. Mosquitos-borne diseases constitute one of the major health problems worldwide. Control strategies involving pinpointing natural ecological friend, cheap and safe mosquitocides, mainly larvicides to stop their life cycle. Quantitative estimation of total phenol, flavonoids, phenylethanoid and iridoid contents of sixteen selected Lamiaceous Egyptian plants for screening of their antioxidant and mosquito larvicidal effects was carried out. The results showed that the most suitable medicinal plants used as antioxidants were Lavendula dentata L., Thymus capitatus L. and Thymus bovei Benth., which contain adequate mixture of total phenol, flavonoid and phenylethanoid contents, with distinct larvicidal effect in a descending order was T. capitatus L., T. bovei Benth. and L dentata L. by their adequate mixture of total phenol, flavonoid, iridoid and phenylethanoid glycoside content

Selected infectious disease disasters for nursing staff training at Egyptian eastern border

Infectious disease disasters are events that involve a biological agent, disease and that result in mass casualties, such as a bioterrorism attack, an emerging outbreak of infectious disease; all disasters pose a risk of infection transmission. But, infectious disease disasters pose the great-risk to illness or death from an infectious disease. This study raised the awareness and improved knowledge by educational program for Military Nursing Staff on selected infectious disease disasters acquired at Egyptian Eastern Border. The selected arthropodborne diseases were Anthrax, Tick borne relapsing, Louse borne replasing fever and liver fluke; Clonorchis sinensis. An interventional study was used, for 125 staff nurse who accepted to participate. The tools dealt with four questionnaires: [1] Some socio-demographic characteristics data [2] Educational needs assessment a structured questionnaire. [3] Knowledge test [pre/ post-test] and [4] Participants' reactions questionnaire. The results showed that educational intervention significantly improvements the nursing staff knowledge, which were achieved at the immediate post intervention phase, and retained via three months post-test phase. In the service training programs about infectious disease disasters at Egyptian Eastern Border must be established and continued on regular basis. This would improve their knowledge about the epidemiology of these infectious disease disasters

Zoonoses from pets horses, donkeys and mules: with special references to Egypt

A zoonosis is an animal disease that is transmissible to humans. Humans are usually an accidental host that acquires disease through close contact with an infected animal, who may or may not be symptomatic. Children are at highest risk for infection because they are more likely to have close contact with pets. Pets are responsible for transmission of an extensive array of bacterial, fungal, and parasitic zoonotic pathogens. The route of transmission can be through the saliva [e.g., bites or contaminated scratches], feces, respiratory secretions, direct contact, or by the animal acting as a vehicle and source of tick or flea exposure. Although pets have been implicated in transmission of zoonoses to their owners, risk of transmission from contact with pets is low and may be further reduced by simple precautions

Botulism as a food poisoning: what is it?

Botulism is a rare but potentially life-threatening neuroparalytic syndrome resulting from the action of a neurotoxin elaborated by the microorganism Clostridium botulinum. This disease has a lengthy history; the first investigation of botulism occurred in the 1820s with a case report on hundreds of patients with [sausage poisoning] in a southern German town. Several decades later in Belgium, the association was demonstrated between a neu-romuscular paralysis and ham infected by a spore forming bacillus that was isolated from the ham. The organism was named Bacillus botulinus after the Latin word for sausage, botulus

Screening of toxoplasma gondii infection among childbear- ing age females and assessment of nurses'role in prevention and control of toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular zoonotic protozoan parasite, with a worldwide distribution particularly in Arab countries including Egypt. The study evaluated toxoplasmosis infection among childbearing age Egyptian females and assessed the military nursing staff knowledge, attitude and compliance to toxoplasmosis prevention and control measures. The study was conducted in a general military hospital. Research design: cross-section descriptive research design was used to conduct this study. The subjects consisted of 14 young females [11 were in-patients undergoing gynecological treatment in a military hospital and 3 were staff nurses. On the other hand, 44 staff nurses were available for assessment who met the inclusion criteriaTools: 4 tools were used for data collection: first consisted of self-administered questionnaires to assess nurses' socio-demographic data and knowledge, second rating scale to assess nurses' attitude towards toxoplasmosis infection and its prevention, third performance check list to measure nurses' compliance to infection control measures, and fourth measured the anti-Toxoplasma antibodies by commercial indirect hemagglutination test [IHAT].The results showed that almost half of the nurses had satisfactory levels of knowledge, attitude, and compliance to toxoplasmosis infection control measures. 22.2% of the pregnant women and 20% of non-pregnant ones showed antibodies against T. gondii.Thus health education about toxoplasmosis should be tailored to women whether married or single to help in avoiding the risk of infection. Frequent periodic MAT should be done for people who continuously contact with cats. Adherence to strict infection prevention measures is a must to eliminate exposure to toxoplasmosis infection. Training intervention should be implemented to achieve successful improvement in knowledge, attitude, and compliance of toxoplasmosis control measures

Hydrocarbon insecticides: their risks for environment and human health

Insecticides are used to control diseases spread by arthropods, but theys vary greatly in toxicity. Toxicity depends on the chemical and physical properties of a substance, and may be defined as the quality of being poisonous or harmful to animals or plants. Poisons have many different modes of action, but in general cause biochemical changes which interfere with normal body functions. Toxicity can be either acute or chronic. Acute toxicity is the ability of a substance to cause harmful effects which develop rapidly following absorption, i.e. a few hours or a day. Chronic toxicity is the ability of a substance to cause adverse health effects resulting from long-term exposure to a substance. There is a great range in the toxicity of insecticides to humans. The relative hazard of an insecticide is dependent upon the toxicity of the pesticide, the dose received and the length of time exposed. A hazard can be defined as a source of danger.The great majority of insecticides are poisonous to man and his beneficial insects and animals and are carcinogenic agents particularly, the halogenated hydrocarbons containing benzene ring

An interventional program for nursing staff on selected mass gathering infectious diseases at Hajj

This work improved military nursing staff knowledge on selected mass gathering infectious diseases at Hajj. The results showed that only [20%] of the participating nurses attended training program about health hazard during pilgrim. But only [40.0%] of them found the training programs were specific to nurses. Majority found the program useful [70.0%], and the average duration of this training program in weeks was 3.5+1.1. There was significant improvement P=<0.001, of correct knowledge about meningitis regarding causes, organisms-, mode of spread, people at risk, transmission, prevention and treatment, the highest improvement was in causes of meningitis the lowest was in adult vaccination. 25% of participants had adequate knowledge [>60% from total score] in pre-test 93% in post-test 72% after 3 month with significant difference among tests regarding adequate knowledge.There was significant improvement of correct knowledge P=<0.001 about seasonal influenza and respiratory diseases during pilgrim, the highest improvement was in influenza vaccine strains the lowest was in antiviral drugs. 23% of nurses had adequate knowledge [>60% from total score] in pre-test 94% in post-test 66% after 3 month with significant difference among tests regarding adequate knowledge. There was significant improvement P=<0.001 of correct knowledge about gastrointestinal diseases and food poisoning during pilgrim among nurses at military hospital, the highest improvement was in risk factors of food poisoning the lowest was in what GE patient should do. 22% of participants had adequate knowledge [>60% from total score] in pretest 91% in post-test 58% after 3 month with significant difference among tests regarding adequate knowledge. There was significant improvement P=<0.001 of correct knowledge about heat exhaustion during pilgrim among nurses at military hospital, the highest improvement was in non-communicable diseases the lowest was in sun stroke prevention. 27% of participant had adequate knowledge [>60% from total score] in the pre-test 94% in the post-test 74% after 3 month with significant difference among pre, post and FU regarding adequate knowledge. Also, there were significant improvement P=<0.001 of correct knowledge about hypertension, dengue fever, skin scalding and others diseases during pilgrim among nurses at military hospital, the highest improvement was in skin scalding prevention the lowest was in first aid bag. 28% of participant had adequate knowledge [>60% from total score] in the pre-test 92% in the post-test 61% after 3 month with significant difference among pre, post and FU regarding adequate knowledge. There was a significant difference between total knowledge score according to education, and work experience [P>0.05] in the pre, post and after 3 month in age and in all intervention time in department the highest was ICU then ward then operation room

rift valley fever: could re-emerge in Egypt again?

The Rift Valley fever [RVF] is a neglected, emerging, mosquito-borne disease with severe negative impact on human and animal health and economy. RVF is caused by RVF virus of the family of Bunyaviridae, genus Phlebovirus. RVF is an acute, febrile disease affecting humans and a wide range of animals. The virus is trans-mitted through the bites from mosquitoes and exposure to viremic blood, body fluids, or contact with tissues of infected animals or by inhaling natural virus aerosols, also possibly by consumption of infected unpasteurized milk. The RVF-virus replicate at the site introduction and in local lymphatic followed by viremia and spread to other organs as the liver and central nervous system, causing the hepatic necrosis and eosinophilia cytoplasmic degeneration. The main signs and symptoms are fever, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, photophobia, bradycardia, conjunctivitis and flushing face. Main complications include jaundice, hemorrhagic, meningoencephalitis and retinal lesions. Generally speaking, in the21[st] Century, the vector-borne infectious diseases, was accepted as the disaster issues with the considerable significant morbidity and mortality. These facts should be considered by the public health, veterinary and agricultural authorities

mosquito borne west nile virus infection: is it threating to Egypt or a neglected endemic disease?

West Nile virus [WNV] is a mosquito-borne zoonotic arbovirus belonging to the genus Flavivirus in the family Flaviviridae. The virus is found in temperate and tropical regions worldwide, but first identified in the West Nile sub-region in the East African nation of Uganda in 1937. Prior to the mid-1990s WNV infection was sporadically and considered a minor risk for humans, until an outbreak in Algeria in 1994, with cases of WNV-caused encephalitis, and the first large outbreak in Romania in 1996, with a high number of cases with neuroinvasive disease. WNV has now spread globally to Europe beyond the Mediterranean Basin and the United States, is now considered to be an endemic pathogen in worldwide especially in Africa. The WNV transmission is mainly by various mosquitoes species, also ticks were incriminated. The birds especially passerines are the most commonly infected animal and serving as the prime reservoir host In Egypt more than 110 mosquito species and subspecies and more than 32 genera of ticks were identified. Besides, not less than 150 species of migratory birds visit Egypt annually in addition to 350 resident ones. This review provided an overview of the current understanding flaviviruses mainly WNFV. Primary care physician and senior nurse should be able to include the disaster diseases in differential diagnosis of various clinical conditions. They should take a thorough history to request specific dependable laboratory test[s] as soon as possible, and positive patient should be transferred to the fever hospital

Phenolic content, antioxidant potential and Aedes aegyptii ecological friend larvicidal activity of some selected Egyptian plants

Polyphenols constitute a distinct group of natural compounds of medicinal importance exhibiting wide range of physiological activities as antioxidant, immune-stimulant, antitumor and antiparasitic. Yellow fever and dengue fever are mosquito-borne infectious diseases transmitted by Aedes aegyptii, the presence of yellow fever in Sudan and dengue fever in Saudi Arabia are threats to Egypt with the re-emerging of Ae. aegyptii in Southern Egypt, larvae control is feasible than flying adults. This work was conducted targeting estimation of the relative levels of total phenolic content, antioxidant potential and larvicidal activity of 110 selected Egyptian plants. The highest total phenolic contents were estimated in aqueous extracts of Coronilla scorpioides L., Forsskaolea tenacissima L, Crataegus sinaica Boiss., Pistacia khinjuk Boiss. and Loranthus acacia Benth.; they were 916.70 +/- 4.80, 813.70 +/- 4.16,'744.90 +/- 4.93, 549.00 +/- 3.93 and 460.80 +/- 4.02 mg% while those of methanol extracts were estimated in Coronilla scorpioides, Forsskaolea tenacissima, Crataegus sinaica, Loranthus acacia and Pistacia khinjuk; they were 915.60 +/- 4.86, 664.60 +/- 4.16, 659.30 +/- 4.80, 590.80 +/- 4.49 and 588.00 +/- 3.85 mg% respectively. Investigation of the antioxidant potentials revealed that the most potent plants were Coronilla scorpioides, Forsskaolea tenacissima, Crataegus sinaica, Pistacia khinjuk and Loranthus acacia with calculated values of 454.80 +/- 4.83, 418.4+/-4.16, 399.10 +/- 4.90, 342.5 +/- 2.72 and 239.7 +/- 2.91% for aqueous extracts and 452.9 +/- 4.94, 389.6 +/- 4.6, 378.48 +/- 3.84, 352.3 +/- 3.06 and 346.5 +/- 2.98% for methanol extracts respectively while screening of larvicidal activity proved that Coronilla scorpioides, Forsskaolea tenacissima, Crataegus sinaica, Pistacia khinjuk and Loranthus acacia exhibited highest potency calculated as 22.53 +/- 2.01, 23.85 +/- 2.07, 28.17 +/- 2.06, 31.60 +/- 2.93 and 39.73 +/- 4.58 mg% aqueous extracts and 18.53 +/- 1.95, 18.8 +/- 1.67, 20.17 +/- 1.85, 23.28 +/- 2.7 and 28.48 +/- 3.9 mg% methanol ones respectively