Transformation to Virtual Training during COVID-19 Pandemic: Case Report from a Low Resources' Country.

Many challenges had faced medical schools worldwide after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. From these challenges, training of the next generation of physicians and academic staff. Adoption of online education and training with getting the benefit of technology had introduced. Egypt has another special challenge, which is the adoption of a new undergraduate competency-based program since September 2018. Hence, there is a necessity to complete the ongoing capacity building of the academic staff regarding the development of all domains of medical education. Here is a case report of interactive training assessment online courses, which proved promising. Although there is fear about the rapid, unexpected transformation, in fact, it may lead to the emergence of a new model for teaching and learning, which is a mixture between the regular and electronic methods.

Correlation of ELISA copro-antigen and oocysts count to the severity of cryptosporidiosis parvum in children.

A total of one thousand and fifty (1050) young children from Mansoura Pediatric Hospital, July 2005 to July 2006 were examined for cryptosporidiosis. Detailed history was taken from each participant, stool examination by direct smear, Formalin-ether sedimentation, Sheather's floatation, modified Ziehl-Nel-seen (MZN) stain, Cryptospordium oocysts count, coproantigen detection by ELISA. Other infections were excluded. Out of 1050 children examined, cryptosporidial oocysts were detected in 90 cases by modified Zeihl Nelseen (MZN) stain, and copro-antigen ELISA added another 10 cases. There was a significant difference between age group (1-2 years), rural locality, nutrition status, and diarrhea regarding Cryptosporidium infection. There was highly significant difference in malnourished children regarding Cryptosporidium oocysts and ELISA-OD. There is a significant positive correlation between oocysts count, ELISA-OD and malnutrition. Only diarrhea had a highly significant difference in relation to other symptoms in both mean oocysts count and ELISA-OD. There was highly significant positive correlation between symptoms, oocysts count and ELISA-OD.

Prevalence of echinococcosis in street dogs in Tripole District, Libya.

Cystic echinococcosis due to E. granulosus is a serious public health and livestock economy problem in Libya. Kato thick smear examination of 50 street dogs stools showed that they had Echinococcus granulosus (58%), Taenia spp. (14%), Diplydium caninum (16%), Toxocara canis (121%) and 20% were parasite-free. The stool examination using Kato thick smear was more sensitive and more specific that the indirect haemaggutination test. The results were discussed with general review of the disease in Libya.

New trends in diagnosis and treatment of chronic intestinal strongyloidiasis stercoralis in Egyptian patients.

Strongyloidiasis, caused by Strongyloides stercoralis, is diagnosis considered as a challenge to clinician and laboratory technician. Because the auto-infective larvae are difficult to eradicate, one regimen dose may be in-sufficient and re-treatment of patients on two occasions, at 1 and 2 months after the initial treatment dose was recommended. This re-treatment regimen has yet to be proven in clinical trials. This study was performed on 24 patients who completed the study and having Strongyloides larvae in their stool obtained from Mansoura University Hospitals. Each stool sample was examined by direct saline smear, the formalin-ether sedimentation technique and agar plate culture. Patients were treated with Mirazid double course for a month to be followed up by stool examination by traditional method and agar plate culture for three consecutive months. In this study five cases out of 24 were asymptomatic (20.8%). Symptoms include abdominal manifestations as nausea and vomiting (16.7%), epi-gastric pain and nausea (12.5%), generalized abdominal pain (12.5%), chronic diarrhea (16.7%), irregular bowel habit (8.3%), and urticaria with abdominal pain (4.2%). Agar plate culture gave 100% positivity, even in cases were negative by coprological methods either direct smear and/or sedimenttation technique. All cases were cured by Mirazid given for one month except three resistant cases. Only one case responded to repeated course of Mirazid, while the other two cases still had larvae in their stool by agar culture plate. On combined therapy of both Mirazid and Mebendazole, larvae could be eliminated from their stool as approved by agar plate culture.

Intestinal parasites in Dakahlia governorate, with different techniques in diagnosing protozoa.

A total of 3180 patients attending Mansoura University Hospitals' Clinics, were subjected to stool examination by direct wet smear, formol-ether concentration, original formol-tween concentration, modified formol-tween concentration, modified Sheather's sugar floatation, Potassium hydroxide concentration and Gomori's Trichrome stain, and modified Kinyoun's acid-fast stain, and Ryan's Trichrome blue stain for Microsporidia. The intestinal helminthes in a descending order of abundance were: S. mansoni (5.3%), Fasciola sp. (4.8%), H. heterophyes (4.2%), Hymenolepis nana (3.9%), Trichostrongylus sp. (2.6%), A. lumbricoides (1.8%), Strongyloides stercoralis (1.5%), H. diminuta (1.4%), Taenia saginata (1.1%), E. vermicularis (by smear; 1.1 %), T. trichura (0.7%) and lastly A. duodenale (0.1%). The intestinal protozoa in a descending order of abundance were Blastocystis hominis (22.4%), Giardia lamblia (19.6%), Entamoeba histolytica/E.dispar (19%), Iodamoeba butschlii (16%), Cryptosporidium parvum (14.3%), E. coli (9.7%), Isospora hominis (7.7%), Endolimax nana (6.9%), E. hartmani (5.9%), Dientamoeba fragilis (5.1%), Chilomastix mesnili (5.1%), Trichomonas hominis (4.2%), Cyclospora cayetanensis (4.2%), Microsporidia spores (3.2%), Enteromonas hominis (1.9%) and Embadomonas intestinalis (1.3%). The results were discussed.

Pulmonary cryptosporidiosis: role of COX2 and NF-kB.

In the present study we investigated whether the pathological changes induced by Cryptosporidium in the lungs are mediated through the activation of COX-2, and whether the pathway employed for this activation involves NF-kB. 70 albino rats were submitted for this work. They were categorized into 3 groups: 30 immunocompetent (IC) rats infected with Cryptosporidium oocysts, 30 immunosuppressed (IS) rats infected with Cryptosporidium oocysts, and 10 IC, non-infected rats. Immunohistochemical expression of COX2 and NF-kB in lung tissues of the rats was examined. 43.3% of IC rats showed chronic pneumonia and fibrosis, 40% COX2 positivity, and 36.67% NF-kB positivity. 96.7% of IS rats showed chronic pneumonia and fibrosis, 56.7% non-caseating granuloma with Cryptosporidium oocysts, and 66.7% positivity for both COX2 and NF-kB. Density of inflammatory infiltration was statistically correlated with quickscore of both COX2 and NF-kB in both IC and IS groups. An association between quickscores of COX2 and NF-kB was found in our studied material. These data could demonstrate that Cryptosporidium infection induces upregulation of COX2 possibly through the NF-kB pathway, which suggests the events that contribute to the pathogenesis of Cryptosporidium. These findings could indicate potential therapeutic pharmacological target-mediating treatment of lesions caused by Cryptosporidium.