For centuries, plants have been used for a wide variety of purposes, from treating infectious diseases to food preservation and perfume production. Presently, the increasing resistance of microorganisms to currently used antimicrobials in combination with the appearance of emerging diseases requires the urgent development of new, more effective drugs. Plants, due to the large biological and structural diversity of their components, constitute a unique and renewable source for the discovery of new antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic compounds. In the present paper, the history, composition, and antimicrobial activities of the basil, oregano, and thyme essential oils are reviewed.

Oropouche fever is an emerging zoonotic disease caused by Oropouche virus (OROV), an arthropod transmitted Orthobunyavirus circulating in South and Central America. During the last 60 years, more than 30 epidemics and over half a million clinical cases attributed to OROV infection have been reported in Brazil, Peru, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago. OROV fever is considered the second most frequent arboviral febrile disease in Brazil after dengue fever. OROV is transmitted through both urban and sylvatic transmission cycles, with the primary vector in the urban cycle being the anthropophilic biting midge Culicoides paraensis. Currently, there is no evidence of direct human-to-human OROV transmission. OROV fever is usually either undiagnosed due to its mild, self-limited manifestations or misdiagnosed because its clinical characteristics are similar to dengue, chikungunya, Zika and yellow fever, including malaria as well. At present, there is no specific antiviral treatment, and in the absence of a vaccine for effective prophylaxis of human populations in endemic areas, the disease prevention relies solely on vector control strategies and personal protection measures. OROV fever is considered to have the potential to spread across the American continent and under favorable climatic conditions may expand its geographic distribution to other continents. In view of OROV’s emergence, increased interest for formerly neglected tropical diseases and within the One Health concept, the existing knowledge and gaps of knowledge on OROV fever are reviewed.

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A total of 360 samples, including 105 marine fish, 25 prawns, 50 squid, 50 octopus, 30 mussels and 100 freshwater fish were examined microbiologically for the presence of microorganisms potentially pathogenic. All samples were examined following standard microbiological procedures. The isolated microorganisms were: Aeromonas hydrophilia (38–93%), Klebsiella ozonae (1–40%), Escherichia coli (14–87%), Yersinia enterocolitica (0–40%), Hafnia alvei (0–36.6%), Enterobacter agglomerans (0–42%), Citrobacter freundii (0–46%), Proteus vulgaris (15–80%), Proteus mirabilis (7–82%), Morganella morganii (0–30%), Pseudomonas fluorescens (0–34%), Pseudomonas putida (0–6%), Plesiomonas shigelloides (0–4%), Listeria innocua (1–3.3%), Vibrio parahaemolyticus (0–2%), Clostridium perfringens (0–1%), Staphylococcus aureus (0–80%) and Candida quillermondi (0–1%), Candida albicans (0–1%), Penicillium oxalicum (0–1%) and Penicillium italicum (0–12%).

Purpose:Dirofilaria repens is an endemic parasite in Mediterranean countries that mostly affects animals. Rarely, however, it can infect humans. This case series presents patients with ocular infections due to D. repens.Materials and Methods:A chart review was performed of patients with ocular dirofilariasis after the year 2000, treated at a tertiary referral centre in Greece. Data were collected on the ocular, microbiological, or/and histopathological aspects and treatment.Results:Eight cases of unilateral ocular dirofilariasis were identified, of which 5 were subconjunctival (1 masquerading as nodular scleritis) and were removed through a conjunctival incision, 2 cases were intravitreal and were removed with vitrectomy, and 1 was intraorbital (adjacent to the roof of the orbit). The latter appeared as an encapsulated mass and subsequent histological examination revealed the presence of the parasite. Of the 8 cases recorded after the year 2000, 7 appeared within the last 6 years (4 cases within the last 3 years). The majority of cases involved residents of the Ionian Islands (7 of 8 cases).Conclusions:D. repens can affect various ocular and periocular tissues. A progressive increase in the incidence of dirofilariasis was observed, which is potentially associated with climate changes in warm and moist areas where this parasite is endemic.

Aim/Background:The emergence of drug-resistant pathogens has drawn attention on medicinal plants for potential antimicrobial properties. The objective of the present study was the investigation of the antimicrobial activity of five plant essential oils on multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacteria.Materials and Methods:Basil, chamomile blue, origanum, thyme, and tea tree oil were tested against clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii (n = 6), Escherichia coli (n = 4), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 7), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 5) using the broth macrodilution method.Results:The tested essential oils produced variable antibacterial effect, while Chamomile blue oil demonstrated no antibacterial activity. Origanum, Thyme, and Basil oils were ineffective on P. aeruginosa isolates. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration values ranged from 0.12% to 1.50% (v/v) for tea tree oil, 0.25-4% (v/v) for origanum and thyme oil, 0.50% to >4% for basil oil and >4% for chamomile blue oil. Compared to literature data on reference strains, the reported MIC values were different by 2SD, denoting less successful antimicrobial activity against multidrug resistant isolates.Conclusions:The antimicrobial activities of the essential oils are influenced by the strain origin (wild, reference, drug sensitive, or resistant) and it should be taken into consideration whenever investigating the plants’ potential for developing new antimicrobials.