Antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. strains isolated from healthy poultry farms in the districts of Abidjan and Agnibilékrou (Côte d'Ivoire).

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious challenge to animal and human health worldwide. Therefore, this study aims to determine levels and patterns of AMR of Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. strains isolated from poultry farms in Côte d'Ivoire. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in two districts of Côte d'Ivoire with high poultry production: Abidjan and Agnibilékrou. A total of 231 fecal samples were collected in 124 poultry farms in both districts. Enterobacteria were isolated and tested for susceptibility to 14 antimicrobial agents using the disk-diffusion method. RESULTS: A total of 212 E. coli and 36 Salmonella strains were isolated. In Abidjan, 139 collected samples generated 101 E. coli and 23 Salmonella strains, whereas in Agnibilékrou, 92 collected samples generated 111 E. coli and 13 Salmonella strains. Variable resistance levels were recorded for the antibiotics tested. The resistance prevalence of E. coli and Salmonella, respectively, was high: Doxycycline (98%/94%), sulfonamide (84%/86%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (80%/41%), and streptomycin (71%/52%). Average resistance rates were recorded for flumequine (38%/66%), ampicillin (49%/33%), amoxicillin (25%/44%), colistin (26%/2%), chloramphenicol (21%/2%), and gentamicin (4%/47%). The antibiotics least affected by resistance were cefuroxime (4%/5%), ceftriaxone (2%/0.00%), and nitrofurantoin (1%/0.00%). CONCLUSION: In this study, it was observed that resistance to important antibiotics is emerging in poultry production in Côte d'Ivoire. Policies promoting the rational use of antibiotics should be implemented to manage antibiotic resistance in animal production.

Target prediction of candidate miRNAs from Oryza sativa for silencing the RYMV genome.

In order to maintain a consistent supply of rice globally, control of pathogens affecting crop production is a matter of due concern. Rice yellow mottle virus(RYMV) is known to cause a variety of symptoms which can result in reduced yield. Four ORFs can be identified in the genome of RYMV encoding for P1 (ORF1), Polyprotein (processed to produce VPg, protease, helicase, RdRp4) (ORF2), putative RdRp (ORF3) and capsid/coat protein (ORF4). This research was aimed at identifying genome encoded miRNAs of O. sativa that are targeted to the genome of Rice Yellow Mottle Virus (RYMV). A consensus of four miRNA target prediction algorithms (RNA22, miRanda, TargetFinder and psRNATarget) was computed, followed by calculation of free energies of miRNA-mRNA duplex formation. A phylogenetic tree was constructed to portray the evolutionary relationships between RYMV strains isolated to date. From the consensus of algorithms used, a total of seven O. sativa miRNAs were predicted and conservation of target site was finally evaluated. Predicted miRNAs can be further evaluated by experiments involving the testing of the success of in vitro gene silencing of RYMV genome; this can pave the way for development of RYMV resistant rice varieties in the future.

[Fibrous dysplasia of the skull: neurologic manifestations]. / Displasia fibrosa do crânio: manifestações neurológicas.

The neurological manifestations of eight patients with osseous fibrous dysplasia of skull were retrospectively studied. In this series, the frontal bone was involved in 75% of the patients, the sphenoid or temporal bones in 37.5%, and the parietal in 25%. It was observed that cranial deformities occurred in all but one case, headache was present in 87.5% of the patients, visual disturbances in 50%, proptosis in 25%, and auditive symptoms in 12.5%. Six out of the eight patients were operated on: three of the four who presented progressive visual loss had postoperative improvement. In their follow up, none presented, until now, evidence of recurrence or worsening of symptoms, confirming the benign nature of fibrous dysplasia.

[Multiple brain histoplasmomas: autopsy study of a case]. / Histoplasmomas encefálicos múltiplos. Estudo autópsico de um caso.

Report of the case of a 28-years-old black woman who developed changes in behavior followed by neurological alterations. The CT scans of the brain revealed multiple calcified granulomas. The patient died and the autopsy showed granulomatous lesions with central caseation in the brain. Microscopical examination disclosed numerous Histoplasma capsulatum. This is the first case of histoplasmoma of the brain described in Brazil.

Histoplasmomas encefalicos multiplos: estudo autopsico de um caso. / Multiple brain histoplasmomas: study of an autopsy of a case

E relatado um caso de paciente feminina, 28 anos, preta, que iniciou sintomatologia por disturbios de comportamento e, alguns meses apos apresentou alteracoes neurologicas. A tomografia computadorizada do encefalo revelou lesoes granulomatosas multiplas, com calcificacao. A paciente faleceu e a autopsia revelou lesoes encefalicas granulomatosas, com necrose central do tipo caseosa, que demonstrou, ao exame microscopico, serem produzidas pelo Histoplasma capsulatum. Os autores ressaltam ser o primeiro caso de histoplasma encefalico publicado no Brasil. Assinalam tambem a importancia da tomografia computadorizada no diagnostico das lesoes, bem como as alteracoes do liquido cefalorraquidiano encontradas nesses casos