Diagnosis of Oral candidiasis in Patients under 12 Years: 18S rRNA as a Marker of Molecular Characterization of Candida tropicalis.

Candida tropical has been found as the most abundant pathogenic yeast species under the group Candida-non-albicans. Despite this, it is taxonomically related to C. albicans and has many of its pathogenic characteristics. Infection with Candida tropicalis is closely associated with many virulence factors encoded by multiple virulence genes. This study aims to diagnose C. tropicalis based on the presence of 18SrRNA and to detect many virulence genes. C. tropicalis isolates were collected from oral candidiasis patients. Children infected with oral thrush ranging in age from infants to 12 years old provided 150 samples. C. albicans (66.68 %), C. tropicalis (13.21 %), C. krusie (9.43 %), C. parapsilosis (7.55 %), and C. glarata were isolated as C. tropicalis types, according to the findings of the present study (2.83%). The presence of the 18SrRNA gene was confirmed in the isolates. All isolates were positive for cph1 and hwp1, while some were positive for sap1 (78.5%) and plb1 genes (71.4%). Using sequences and phylogenetic trees, it was determined that there was negligible genetic variation between local isolates and global strains. These virulence factor genes play a crucial role in developing infections.

Presence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Dairy Farms located in Najaf, Baghdad, Kirkuk, and Erbil, Iraq.

It has been approved that one of the most dangerous foodborne pathogenic bacteria is E. coli O157:H7, which is responsible for several infection and death cases worldwide. It is well documented that in the developing countries E. coli O157:H7 is considered the main causative pathogen of human gastrointestinal infections. Therefore, the current research was aimed to evaluate the prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 in dairy cattle's milk using a rapid method, in Iraq (Najaf, Baghdad, Kirkuk, and Erbil). Over a period of 6 months (During hot months) samples were obtained and investigated by culturing on selective media (CT-SMAC). The multiplex PCR (m-PCR) also used for milk sample direct investigation. Using biochemical tests the recorded data showed that, 2 recognized isolates were E. coli, while the recorded data obtained from m-PCR assay revealed that none of the isolated E. coli was toxigenic E.coli O157:H7. The results of m-PCR on the milk samples revealed that 45 milk samples contained at least one of the following genes: O157, H7, stx1, stx2 genes. Also the results of the m-PCR revealed that 2 samples (raw milk) were toxigenic O157:H7 positive. In conclusion, to the best of authors' knowledge, this investigation was the first report on the prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 in the raw milk samples in Iraq. The results showed that the proportion of contaminated milk samples contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 identified in the current survey were similar to that the results of the previously published research from different dairy products across different countries in the Middle East region.