Rarecare: A policy perspective on the burden of rare diseases on caregivers in Latin America.

In Latin America (LA), 40-50 million people live with rare diseases (RDs) that require constant monitoring, care, and attention. Caregivers help them with their basic life activities and medication administration, which they would otherwise be unable to perform. Family caregivers complement healthcare and social security systems; however, their unpaid work is often underappreciated and under-protected. Recognizing the need to address these unrecognized and undervalued women, the Americas Health Foundation (AHF) convened a panel of LA experts on caregiving for people with RDs to provide recommendations to support the undervalued family caregivers. A panel of LA experts in caregiving for RDs were given questions to address the challenges faced by family caregivers of people with RDs in LA. During a 3-day conference, the panelists' responses were discussed and edited until the panel agreed on recommendations to address the challenges. The identified challenges for caregivers included physical, emotional, and economical areas. Caregivers, primarily women, experienced physical pain, and social isolation, and were forced to pay substantial out-of-pocket expenses in their caregiving roles. Brazil and Colombia are at the forefront of policies to protect caregivers and their experiences in attempting to provide for this group are outlined as case studies for what is possible in LA. Finally, recognizing that caregivers must be included in formulating, executing, and evaluating care policies for people living with RDs and that the caregivers themselves require social assurances, the panel suggested policy objectives aimed at protecting caregivers of people living with RDs. The recommendations ranged from recognizing the role of the family caregiver as an essential supplement to the formal healthcare system to providing financial assistance, training, and workplace protection, among others. Finally, monitoring and evaluating the impact of policies is necessary to ensure that LA is moving forward in caring for family caregivers for people with RDs.

Viable production of hydrogen and methane from polluted water using eco-friendly plasmonic Pd-TiO2 nanocomposites.

Solar-to-fuel conversion is a novel clean energy approach that has gained the interest of many researchers. Solar-driven photocatalysts have become essential to providing valuable fuel gases such as methane and hydrogen. Solar energy has emerged as a renewable, abundant energy source that can efficiently drive photochemical reactions through plasmonic photocatalysis. As a capping agent, orange peel extract was used in this study in a microwave-assisted green method to incorporate titanium dioxide with distinct amounts (3, 5, and 7 wt%) from Pd-plasmonic nanoparticles (2-5 nm). The leading role for plasmonic nanoparticles made from Pd-metal is enhancing the photocatalyst's ability to capture visible light, improving its performance. X-Ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) surface area analysis, and UV-vis DRS analyses have investigated the obtained plasmonic photocatalysts' crystallographic, morphological, and optical characteristics. The UV-vis absorption spectra demonstrated the visible light absorption capacity attributed to the localized surface plasmonic resonance (LSPR) behavior of the newly formed nanoplasmonic photocatalysts. The generated Pd-TiO2 nanomaterials' photocatalytic activity has been examined and evaluated for combustible gas production, including the formation of CH4 and H2 from the photocatalytic degradation of Reactive Yellow 15 (RY) during a deoxygenated photoreaction in a homemade solar photobiogas reactor.

Stimulated generation of photobiogas by morphologically tuned nanostructured ZnO and ZnO/TiO2.

The photocatalytic degradation (PCD) of ethanol in an inert atmosphere on catalysis was explored in a lab-scale experiment. A morphologically tuned nanostructured controlled ZnO and ZnO/TiO2 nanocomposites were synthesized using a simple hydrothermal process under the control of several functionally capping agents marking a milestone in photocatalysis. It is possible that this could be modified to produce photobiogas out of organic dye pollution. The photocatalysts were characterized by the use of X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) surface area analyzer, Scanning electron microscope (SEM-EDX), and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the ZnO and ZnO-TiO2 composite nanostructures was evaluated for the photodegradation of the Tartrazine (Tr) dye aqueous solution. Where the composite matrix exhibits higher photocatalytic activity than pure ZnO nanomaterials as a result of the synergistic interaction between ZnO and TiO2 particles. This is mainly due to its higher surface area than pure ZnO. Moreover, the photocatalytic activity of the tuned nanostructured materials is found to be enhanced by the effect of the capping agent and controlling the morphology. This increase is accompanied by a significant shift in surface shape and band gap energy. According to the findings, the designed morphologies of pure ZnO photocatalyst impacted the formation of photobiogas from the photocatalytic decomposition of ethanol as a model of organic pollutants in wastewater. However, when using composite ZnO/TiO2 photocatalysts, the rate of CH4 formation is significantly lower than when using ZnO photocatalysts alone. This may be attributed to the synergetic effect between ZnO and TiO2 particles which leads to a remarkable reduction in the newly formed band gap energy. This may result in a fast rate of recombination between the photogenerated charge carriers (e- and h+).

Integrated two-phase acidogenic-methanogenic treatment of municipal sludge with thermal hydrolysis.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of two process configurations integrating two-phase anaerobic digestion (AD) of municipal sludge with thermal hydrolysis (TH). The TH was positioned either before or after the acidogenic fermentation phase. The fermentation process was carried out under the semi-continuous flow regime with a retention time of three days. The TH was done at a temperature of 170 °C and for 30 min. Among all the tested scenarios, the TH of sludge followed by the acidogenic fermentation resulted in the highest COD solubilization ratio (39.5%) and volatile fatty acids production (6,420 ± 400 mg/L), which was 630% and 500% more than that of the raw sludge, respectively. The sequential TH/fermentation process achieved 40% higher ultimate methane yield (240 mL/g COD) than the non-pretreated (raw) sludge. Positioning TH after the fermentation process reduced the ultimate methane yield to 231 240 mL/g COD, although it was still 32% higher than that of the raw sludge. The analysis of methane production rate and biodegradation kinetics data suggested the formation of refractory intermediates during the thermal process of sludge, which reduced the overall performance rate during the first week of the AD process. It was also revealed that acidogenic fermentation of thermally-processed sludge could diminish the adverse effect of the recalcitrant compounds formed during the thermal hydrolysis on the subsequent AD process.

Novel fluorescent nano-sensor based on amino-functionalization of Eu3+:SrSnO3 for copper ion detection in food and real drink water samples.

Lanthanide-doped nanoparticles exhibit unique optical properties and have been widely utilized for different sensing applications. Herein, the Eu3+:SrSnO3@APTS nanosensor was synthesized and its optical properties were analyzed using UV-Vis and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The TEM images of the synthesized nanophosphor Eu3+:SrSnO3@APTS exhibited peanut-like morphology, composed of two or more spherical nanoparticles with an average diameter ∼33 nm. Effects of environmental pH values and doping concentrations as well as amino functionalization on the structure of Eu3+:SrSnO3 were investigated. The as-synthesized optical nanosensor was used for determination of copper ions based on a fluorescence quenching approach. Red emission with a long lifetime was obtained in the case of the 0.06 mol Eu3+:SrSnO3@APTS sample. Under the optimal experimental conditions, a Stern-Volmer plot exhibited a good linearity for copper ions over the concentration (0.00-10.8) × 10-11 mol L-1 with a correlation efficient of 0.996 and a limit of detection 3.4 × 10-12 mol L-1. The fluorescent sensor was dynamically quenched via a coulombic interaction mechanism between the Eu3+ (5L6) and Cu2+. The Eu3+:SrSnO3@APTS nanosensor with the optimal Eu3+ dopant concentration of 0.06 mol was applied for copper determination in food and real drink water samples with high recovery values. We believe that the developed nanosensor probe can also be used for the detection of other toxic compounds, with high selectivity and sensitivity.

Hydrogen sulfide modulates IL-6/STAT3 pathway and inhibits oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in rat model of methotrexate hepatotoxicity.

Methotrexate (MTX) is a commonly used anticancer and immunosuppressive agent. However, MTX can induce hepatotoxicity due to oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), the endogenous gaseous molecule, has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects. The present work explored the probable protective effect of H2S against MTX hepatotoxicity in rats and also the possible mechanisms underlying this effect. MTX was given at a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) dose of 20 mg/kg. Sodium H2S (56 µmol /kg/day, i.p.), as H2S donor, was given for 10 days, starting 6 days before MTX administration. H2S significantly reduced serum alanine aminotransferase, hepatic malondialdehyde, interleukin 6, nuclear factor κB p65, cytosolic cytochrome c, phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and significantly increased hepatic total antioxidant capacity and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in rats received MTX. In addition, H2S minimized the histopathological injury and significantly decreased the expression of STAT3 in liver tissue of MTX-challenged rats. The effects of H2S were significantly antagonized by administration of glibenclamide as KATP channel blocker, Nω-nitro-l-arginine, as eNOS inhibitor, or ruthenium red, as transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) antagonist. It was concluded that H2S provided significant hepatoprotection in MTX-challenged rats through its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic effects. These effects are most probably mediated by the ability of H2S to act as IL-6/STAT3 pathway modulator, KATP channel opener, eNOS activator, and TRPV1 agonist.

Photovoltaic and spectroscopic characteristics of perovskite/TiO2 heterostructure photoanodes for improving the efficiency of dye sensitized solar cells.

Perovskite-type ternary oxide nanostructured materials have gained great attention in recent years as promising materials for solar cell applications. However these ternary oxides have failed to be applied as a working electrode in DSSCs due to its poor performance and its inability to bind dye molecules to the surface. A heterostructure perovskite/TiO2 photoactive electrodes is a new strategy to improve the photon-to-current efficiency (PCE) of DSSCs. In this paper, BaZrO3 (BZ), BaTiO3 (BT) and nanocomposite [1:1] molar% from BaTiO3-BaZrO3 perovskite nanostructured materials synthesized via sonochemical sol-gel methods, are coated on the top of the TiO2 photoactive electrode. This heterostructured (perovskite/TiO2) photoelectrode has been applied for improving the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The crystallographic, morphological and optical characteristics of the different prepared perovskite nanomaterials has been investigated by XRD, SEM, TEM, Raman and UV-Vis Diffuse reflectance spectroscopic analysis, respectively. Dye-sensitized solar cells based on the different heterostructure perovskite/TiO2 electrodes are assembled, and high conversion efficiency (η) are calculated from the current density-voltage (J-V) characteristics of the solar cells. The results show an efficiency enhancement with about ∼22%, 37% and 51% in case of BZ, BTZ and BT respectively. These enhancements is attributed to high refractive index of the perovskite nanoparticles, higher incident photon-to-current conversion yield which is due to greater fraction of light scattered, as well as the less recombination of the photogenerated electrons.

A comprehensive dataset on anaerobic digestion of cattle manure, source separated organics, and municipal sludge using different inoculum sources.

The dataset reported in this article provides quantitative data on anaerobic digestion of cattle manure, source separated organics (SSO), primary sludge (PS), and thickened waste activated sludge (TWAS) using different inoculum sources. The discussion and interpretation of the data are provided in another publication entitled "Comparison of liquid and dewatered digestate as inoculum for anaerobic digestion of organic solid wastes" [1]. The data presented in this article include 1) the gas chromatography (GC) procedure of determining the biogas composition, 2) the procedure of converting the daily biogas/methane production data from the experimental condition (mesophilic temperature of 38 °C and room pressure) to the standard temperature (0 °C) and pressure (1 atm) condition, 3) the specific methanogenic activity data, and 4) the methane daily production rate data, and 5) the organics biodegradation kinetic rates.

Comparison of liquid and dewatered digestate as inoculum for anaerobic digestion of organic solid wastes.

In this study, the application of liquid and dewatered digestate was compared for the inoculation of the anaerobic digestion (AD) process. In addition to the specific methanogenic activity and biohydrogen potential tests, biochemical methane potential assay was also conducted using four different types of municipal and industrial waste streams (primary sludge, thickened waste activated sludge, source separated organics, and cattle manure). The specific methanogenic activity of the digestate cake (5.0 ±â€¯0.5 mL-CH4/g-VSS.d) was higher than that of the liquid digestate (3.4 ±â€¯0.2 mL-CH4/g-VSS.d) for the food to microorganism ratio of 0.5. The BMP results also revealed that regardless of the type of the substrate used, the application of the digestate cake as inoculum achieved statistically significantly higher methane production rate compared to the utilization of liquid digestate, most likely due to the lower concentration of dissolved contents (i.e., ammonia, soluble organic matter, heavy metals, etc.) in the diluted digestate cake. Despite the increased process rate, no statistically significant effect of the type of the inoculum was observed on the ultimate methane yield. The biohydrogen potential test revealed the similar performance of the digestate- and digestate cake-inoculated digesters in terms of biohydrogen and volatile fatty acids production. The findings of this study suggest that the digestate cake can be used as an effective alternative to the liquid digestate for the inoculation of full-scale anaerobic digesters, reducing the transportation volume by up to 90%.

Bioenergy production data from anaerobic digestion of thermally hydrolyzed organic fraction of municipal solid waste.

The presented dataset in this data article provides quantitative data on the production of bioenergy (biogas and biomethane) from mesophilic batch anaerobic digestion (AD) of thermally hydrolyzed organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW). The discussion and interpretation of the data are provided in another publication entitled "Hydrothermal Pretreatment of Source Separated Organics for Enhanced Solubilization and Biomethane Recovery" (Razavi et al., 2019). The data and information presented in the current data article include (1) the ratio of soluble to particulate chemical oxygen demand (COD) under different thermal hydrolysis condition, (2) the daily measured biogas and biomethane data, (3) the cumulative methane yield data in terms of mL CH4 produced per gram of volatile suspended solids (VSS) as well as feedstock added, (4) the ultimate methane yield data as well as the relative improvement in methane recovery compared to the control (non-hydrolyzed) digester, (5) the data of first-order organics biodegradation rate constants, (6) the procedure of measuring biogas composition via gas chromatography, (7) the procedure of converting the biogas/methane volume data acquired under the actual experimental condition (mesophilic temperature of 38 °C and atmospheric pressure) to the standard temperature (0 °C) and pressure (1 atm) condition, and (8) the procedure of determining the first-order kinetic rate constants.

Investigation of the prevalence and severity of foot pad dermatitis at the slaughterhouse in fattening turkeys reared in organic production systems in Germany.

The present study shows the prevalence and severity of foot pad dermatitis (FPD) in turkeys reared in organic production systems assessed at slaughterhouses in Germany. The investigations of altogether 1,860 turkeys of the strains Kelly Broad Breasted Bronze (Kelly BBB; 540 toms, 540 hens) and British United Turkeys (B.U.T.) 6 and the Test Product 7 (TP 7; 780 hens) showed that 97.7% of the examined turkeys were diagnosed with different degrees of FPD. Only 4.6% of the toms and 1.3% of the hens had feet without lesions. Most frequent were necrotic lesions measuring up to 2 cm in diameter (64.3% of all turkeys). Extensive necrotic lesions of the foot pads (toms: 29.8%; hens: 12.4%) and necrosis of superficial scales (toms: 11.3%; hens: 7.6%) were less frequent. Plantar abscesses were rare findings (1.9%). In general, the feet of the Kelly BBB hens were more affected by foot pad lesions than those of the Kelly BBB toms. There were significant differences between the investigated flocks concerning the occurrence of foot pad lesions. The aim in rearing turkeys must be the reduction of FPD.

Hydrothermal pretreatment of source separated organics for enhanced solubilization and biomethane recovery.

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of the hydrothermal pretreatment on the solubilization of source separated organics (SSO) as well as the biomethane recovery through the mesophilic batch anaerobic digestion process. For this purpose, the SSO was subjected to fifteen different pretreatment conditions within five different severity index (SI) values (3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, and 5). The pretreatment temperature, holding time, and pressure ranged from 150 to 240 °C, 5 to 30 min, and 476 to 3367 kPa, respectively. The highest solubilization improvement of ∼50% was achieved under the pretreatment condition of "220 °C-10 min-2323 kPa" corresponding to the SI value of 4.5. However, the maximum biomethane production yield of 280 mL/g TCODadded and biomethane production rate of 30 mL/g TCODadded were obtained under the less intense pretreatment conditions of "190 °C-20 min-1247 kPa" and "170 °C-30 min-786 kPa", respectively.

PI3K/Akt and Nrf2/HO-1 pathways involved in the hepatoprotective effect of verapamil against thioacetamide toxicity in rats.

Liver is a precious organ to maintain body life. Hepatotoxicity is a worldwide health problem that is still a challenge for research. Although countless pharmaceutical drugs and herbal compounds were screened for their hepatoprotective effects, the death from hepatotoxicity is increasing. Thus, there is continuous necessity of searching for the hepatoprotective effect of commonly used drugs. Accordingly, our aim was to examine a hepatoprotective potential for the antihypertensive drug, verapamil, and searching for new insights underlie its protective mechanism. Four groups of adult male rats were randomly arranged as controls, thioacetamide (TAA) hepatotoxic, and TAA + verapamil treated. Serum liver enzyme, hepatic antioxidant, lipid peroxidation, and inflammatory parameters were assessed. Gene relative expression for heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), and serine/threonine-specific protein kinase (Akt) were quantified in hepatic tissue. TAA caused hepatic injury evident both histopathologically and biochemically by a decrease in all gene expressions. Verapamil alleviated the injury via its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that were suggested to be via upregulation of the previous gene expressions. In conclusion, the calcium channel blocker, verapamil, that is used widely as antihypertensive exhibits a valuable hepatoprotective effect. The protection partially rests on activation of Nrf2/HO-1 and PI3K/Akt pathways.

Mechanisms underlying gastroprotective effect of paeonol against indomethacin-induced ulcer in rats.

Paeonol, a natural phenolic compound, possesses diverse beneficial effects including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Gastric ulcer is still the most prevalent irritant illness among the gastrointestinal diseases. The present study explored the protective effect of paeonol at two dose levels in indomethacin (IND)-induced gastric ulcer in rats. Forty-eight male Wistar rats were arranged into six groups: control, paeonol-treated, IND-treated, IND/paeonol (low and high doses)-treated, and ranitidine-treated groups. The oxidative status was evaluated by determining malondialdehyde level, superoxide dismutase activity, reduced glutathione content as well as hemoxygenase-1 (HO-1) gene expressions, and the antioxidant protein; NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) immunostaining. The pro-inflammatory genes nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß) were estimated together with the proapoptotic gene of caspase 3. IND caused multiple gastric ulcers with evident oxidative damage and elevated pro-inflammatory and proapoptotic markers. Paeonol protected significantly, in a dose-dependent manner, the gastric mucosa from ulcerative lesion of IND similar to the reference drug ranitidine. Paeonol pretreatment diminished gastric oxidative stress and restored the gastric antioxidant capacity by elevating gastric gene expression of HO-1 and protein expression of NQO1. Paeonol also reduced NF-κB, IL-1ß, and caspase 3 gene expressions. In conclusion, paeonol offered a gastroprotection dependent on its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic effects.

Photovoltaic characteristics of natural light harvesting dye sensitized solar cells.

In this work of research, anthocyanin as a natural dye obtained from raspberry fruits, was used and tested as a photon harvesting/electron donating dye in titanium dioxide nanoparticle-based DSSCs. A working photoelectrode made from TiO2 nanoparticles with an average particle size (10-40nm) that is coated on Florine doped tin-oxide substrate, was prepared via a simple and low cost hydrothermal method. A detailed structural and morphological analysis of the TiO2 photoactive electrode was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance spectrometer, transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Complete photovoltaic characteristics including (current, voltage, outpower, and responsivity) of the natural anthocyanin based dye sensitized solar cell have been investigated under different illumination intensity ranging from 10 to 100mW.cm-2. The cell responsivity and efficiency of the fabricated solar cell under different illumination intensity were found to be in the range (R=15.6-23.8mA.W-1 and η=0.13-0.25) at AM=1.5 conditions. This study is important for enhancing the future applications of the promising DSSC technology.

Aligned copper nanorod arrays for highly efficient generation of intense ultra-broadband THz pulses.

We demonstrate an intense broadband terahertz (THz) source based on the interaction of relativistic-intensity femtosecond lasers with aligned copper nanorod array targets. For copper nanorod targets with a length of 5 µm, a maximum 13.8 times enhancement in the THz pulse energy (in ≤20 THz spectral range) is measured as compared to that with a thick plane copper target under the same laser conditions. A further increase in the nanorod length leads to a decrease in the THz pulse energy at medium frequencies (≤20 THz) and increase of the electromagnetic pulse energy in the high-frequency range (from 20-200 THz). For the latter, we measure a maximum energy enhancement of 28 times for the nanorod targets with a length of 60 µm. Particle-in-cell simulations reveal that THz pulses are mostly generated by coherent transition radiation of laser produced hot electrons, which are efficiently enhanced with the use of nanorod targets. Good agreement is found between the simulation and experimental results.

Investigations on aviadenoviruses isolated from turkey flocks in Germany.

During routine diagnosis in 2012, 69 samples of diseased turkey breeding and fattening flocks in Germany were examined for infection with aviadenoviruses by virus isolation using primary chicken embryo liver cells. In total, 21 aviadenovirus isolates, identified by a group-specific indirect immunofluorescence test, were obtained from 19 flocks. In almost all cases, molecular typing of these isolates based on partial hexon gene sequences revealed the presence of different types of turkey aviadenoviruses (TAdVs), including species Turkey aviadenovirus B (TAdV-B) with at least two different genotypes, as well as the species Turkey aviadenovirus C (TAdV-C) and Turkey aviadenovirus D (TAdV-D). Further analysis of DNA-dependent DNA polymerase gene sequences confirmed the classification of selected TAdV-C and TAdV-D isolates. Based on the results obtained for both genes, we suggest that TAdV-2, in addition to TAdV-4, belongs to the species TAdV-C. In contrast, amplification of the DNA polymerase gene fragment of nearly all investigated TAdV-B isolates failed due to unknown reasons. The results of sequence and phylogenetic analysis support the previously proposed classification of TAdVs into three different species and demonstrated how widely spread these viruses are in German turkey flocks. Analysis of case histories revealed a wide range of clinical and pathological changes; however an apparent link between types and disease conditions was not identified.

Introduction and enzootic of A/H5N1 in Egypt: Virus evolution, pathogenicity and vaccine efficacy ten years on.

It is almost a decade since the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus (A/H5N1) of clade 2.2.1 was introduced to Egypt in 2005, most likely, via wild birds; marking the longest endemic status of influenza viruses in poultry outside Asia. The endemic A/H5N1 in Egypt still compromises the poultry industry, poses serious hazards to public health and threatens to become potentially pandemic. The control strategies adopted for A/H5N1 in Egyptian poultry using diverse vaccines in commercialized poultry neither eliminated the virus nor did they decrease its evolutionary rate. Several virus clades have evolved, a few of them disappeared and others prevailed. Disparate evolutionary traits in both birds and humans were manifested by accumulation of clade-specific mutations across viral genomes driven by a variety of selection pressures. Viruses in vaccinated poultry populations displayed higher mutation rates at the immunogenic epitopes, promoting viral escape and reducing vaccine efficiency. On the other hand, viruses isolated from humans displayed changes in the receptor binding domain, which increased the viral affinity to bind to human-type glycan receptors. Moreover, viral pathogenicity exhibited several patterns in different hosts. This review aims to provide an overview of the viral evolution, pathogenicity and vaccine efficacy of A/H5N1 in Egypt during the last ten years.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Patterns of Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium Isolated from Poultry Flocks in Germany.

Between 2010 and 2011, 145 Enterococcus isolates (Enterococcus faecalis, n = 127; Enterococcus faecium, n = 18) were collected during routine bacteriologic diagnostics from broilers, layers, and fattening turkeys in Germany showing various clinical signs. The susceptibility to 24 antimicrobial agents was investigated by broth microdilution test to determine minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). All E. faecalis isolates (n = 127) were susceptible to the beta-lactam antibiotics ampicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, and penicillin. Corresponding MIC with 50% inhibition (MIC50) and MIC with 90% inhibition (MIC90) values of these antimicrobial agents were at the lower end of the test range (≤ 4 µg/ml). In addition, no vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) were found. High resistance rates were identified in both Enterococcus species for lincomycin (72%-99%) and tetracycline (67%-82%). Half or more than half of Enterococcus isolates were resistant to gentamicin (54%-72%) and the macrolide antibiotics erythromycin (44%-61%) and tylosin-tartate (44%-56%). Enterococcus faecalis isolated from fattening turkeys showed the highest prevalence of antimicrobial resistance compared to other poultry production systems. Eighty-nine out of 145 Enterococcus isolates were resistant to three or more antimicrobial classes. Again, turkeys stood out with 42 (8 1%) multiresistant isolates. The most-frequent resistance patterns of E. faecalis were gentamicin, lincomycin, and tetracycline in all poultry production systems.