Anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies among volunteer blood donors in eastern Saudi Arabia.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii in 100 volunteer blood donors at blood bank. Blood donors were interviewed about sociodemographic characteristics and risk factors toxoplasmosis. A required data were taken through a designed questionnaire. Five ml. venous blood samples were withdrawn by disposable sterile syringes to separate sera. Anti-Toxoplasma antibodies were evaluated by using ELISA. The results showed that 40 volunteers (40%) were positive for anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies. The T. gondii positivity and the risk factors analysis in a descending order were manual activities (95%) compared to (15.0%), Contact with farm animals and/or birds (87.5%) compared to (30.0%) , eating processed meat "shawerma" (87.5%) compared to (41.7%) raw milk or milk product (70%) compared to (50.0%), rural residence (62.5%) compared to (33.3%), non-educated (62.5%) compared to (16.7%), and least one was the contact with cats (55.0%) compared to (16.7%). These findings highlight the prevalent T. gondii among blood donors and focused on the risk factors. It was recom-mended that blood donors should be free from Toxoplasma antibodies

Diarrhea due to parasites particularly Cryptosporidium parvum in great Cairo, Egypt.

A total of 110 stool samples from out and in-patients from different areas in Great Cairo suffering from diarrhea were examined for parasitic causes. Stool samples were subjected to the direct wet smear method and Sheather's sugar flotation and stained with Giemsa and/or modified Ziehl-Neelsen. Also, stool samples were cultured on agar plates for strongyloidiasis. The overall parasitic infection rate was 60.9% and non parasitic cause was 39.1%. The parasitic infection rate in a descending order was 31.1% for Cryptosporidium parvurnm, 19.8% for Giardia lamblia, 9.9% for Entamaeba histolytica and lastly 1.8% for Strongyloides stercoralis. The main clinical presentation of diarrheic patients in a descending order was vomiting (31.3%), dehydration (29.86%), abdominal pain (29.86%), flatulence (26.86%), anorexia (23.89%), tenesmus (17.9%) and lastly fever (4.47%). The risk factors were living in rural areas, education level, contact with farm animals and/ or pet animals. However, most of these risk factors although showed high percent, yet they occurred in patients with other causes of diarrheas. Artificial breast feeding was not evaluated as only 3 infants had C. parvum compared to non parasitic cause in 1 on the breast feeding.

The kinetics of microfilaraemia and antigenaemia status among asymptomatic bancroftian filariasis before and after treatment.

In this study, a total of 54 male patients with asymptomatic cases of lymphatic filariasis were selected from the known endemic governorates; Damietta, Sharkia, Gharbia and Dakahlia. Medical sheets were filled out for each case. Diagnosis was based on detection of circulating microfilariae by specific ELISA. Some were treated with Ivermectin, and Albendazole. The treated cases were parasitologic and serologic evaluated pre-treatment and post-treatment for two years follow-up.

Helobdella nilae and Alboglossiphonia conjugata leeches as biological agents for snails control.

The efficacy of leeches, as biological agents, in control of snail intermediate hosts of schistosomiasis (Bulinus truncatus, Biomphalaria alexandrina) and fascioliasis (Lymnaea natalensis) as well as their effect on the non-target snails Physa acuta, Melanioides tuberculata and Cleopatra bulimoides was evaluated. Two glossiphoniid snail leeches, Helobdella nilae and Alboglossiphonia conjugata were used. They destroyed egg masses and young snails more rapidly than adult ones. H. nilae showed a stronger destructive effect than A. conjugata. In a descending order, it preferred L. natalensis followed by B. truncatus, B. alexandrina, Ph. acuta, M. tuberculata and lastly C. bulimoides. But, A. conjugata preferred L. natalensis followed by B. truncatus, Ph. acuta, M. tuberculata, B. alexandrina and lastly C. bulimoides. The detailed diagnostic morphology and biology of the two leeches were given.

Alpha-Glutathione S-transferase and serum aminotransferases in schistosomiasis mansoni patients with or without hepatitis C virus.

The present study evaluated alpha-Glutathione-S-transferase as a biochemical marker for hepatocellular damage in schistosomiasis mansoni patients, with or without chronic hepatitis C (HCV) patients as compared to controls. Alpha GST, ALT and AST were assayed in sera of GI: 20 schistosomiasis mansoni patients with HCV, GII: 16 schistosomiasis mansoni patients without HCV, GIII: 19 pure HCV patients and GIV: 20 normal controls. The results showed that alpha-Glutathione-S-transferase was less sensitive and less specific but more accurate than ALT & AST as a liver affection marker in HCV patients.

Echinococcosis (zoonotic hydatidosis) in street dogs in urban and rural areas, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt.

A total of one hundred and ninety street dogs were captured from urban area, Mansoura district and three hundreds and fifty from rural area, Met El-Korama and adjacent villages (Manshet El-Badawy, Talka Center). The overall prevalence of Echinoccocus granulosus was 5%, with a worm burden ranging from 4 to 1010 (mean = 421). The prevalence was 6% in rural locality and 3.2% in urban locality. E. granulosus in dogs was significantly higher in rural areas but, without significant difference in puppies and males. The overall sensitivity was 61.5% and specificity was 97.5%. Apart from E. granulosus, dogs were also, infected with Taenia sp., Diplydium caninum, Toxocara canis, Trichurus vulpis and Ancylostoma caninum. The major cross-reactions were with Taenia sp., and D. caninum. Significantly, no correlation was found between ELISA on dogs' sera and E. granulosus burden.

Molecular polymorphisms associated with Egyptian, European, Chinese and North American Fasciola hepatica.

A new PCR based system was used that had a broad detection capabilty among parasites based on a conserved region of the 18s of the 18s ribosomal DNA genes. Five samples each of Egyptian, European and Chinese F. hepatica of bovine origin were obtained and DNA was isolated. The PCR primers recognized a fragment of approxiniately 700 nucleotides in length. Sequences were compaici over a 107 base pair region that identified polymorphisms between the strains. All the sequences from Egyptian isolates were identical, similarly so with all European and Chinese isolates. However, there were polymorphisms between these isolates and the isolates from North America. All isolates have a single base additional in target region and there was a single base substitution in Egyptian isolates when compared to others.