Summaryobjective The Kato-Katz technique misses a proportion of low-intensity schistosomiasis cases. We set out to estimate the rate of false negative results after Kato-Katz. conclusion The Percoll technique seems to be the technique of choice for diagnosis of S. mansoni in low intensity areas and after treatment.

CA-MRSA must be considered when treating skin and soft tissue infections, especially in developing countries. Empirical use of agents active against CA-MRSA is warranted for patients presenting with serious SSTIs.

The synthesis of some substituted 3‐hydroxy‐1‐oxo‐1H,5H‐pyrido[1,2‐a]benzimidazole‐4‐carbonitriles and 4‐ethyl carboxylates 3 and their 0‐ and N‐dialkyl derivatives 5,6 is described. 3‐Ethoxy‐5‐ethyl‐2‐phenyl‐1H,5H‐pyrido[1,2‐a]benzimidazol‐1‐one 7 was obtained during the course of ethylating the parent ester 3t with triethyl phosphate. Chlorination of 3 with phosphorus oxychloride afforded the corresponding 1,3‐dichloropyrido[1,2‐a]benzimidazoles 8 which were converted to a variety of azido, amino, morpholino and methoxy derivatives of the system. The synthesis of the indolopyridobenzimidazole 15 is also described. Two compounds exhibited in vitro antibacterial activity. Many compounds were screened for antileukemic, antimicrobial, herbicidal and plant antifungal potencies but were inactive.

A total of 202 serum and stool samples from acute hepatitis patients attending the Fever Hospital of Alexandria, Egypt, have been studied to reveal markers of hepatitis virus infection. Anti-HAV IgM were detected in 21 out of 202 sera (10.4%), whereas 201 sera (99.5%) had anti-HAV IgG. The first age attack was in the class-age 0-9 years with 64.7% of anti-HAV IgM positive sera. Among 202 patients, anti-hepatitis E IgG (sample/over cut off > 1.0) was identified in 90 patients (44.5%). The anti-HEV seropositivity ranged from 17.6% to 60.0% in the different age groups, with the highest level in the class-age 20 29 years. Anti-hepatitis E IgM were identified in 49 patients with the first age attack in the class-age 10-19 years (39.4%). HAV RNA was identified by nested PCR in 7 samples out of 15, whereas HEV RNA was present in 4 out of 75 stool samples. Direct DNA sequence of the latter PCR products confirmed the presence of the HEV genome; comparison of the sequences of the isolates from Egypt with those in data banks revealed the highest homology to the Burma strain. Our data confirm that HAV and HEV are common causes of acute sporadic hepatitis in Alexandria but with different peak age positivity. Occasionally, but not infrequently, dual infections (HAV-HEV and HEV-enteric viruses) were also found. The risk analysis indicates that patients living in rural areas are exposed to a higher risk of hepatitis E infection compared to the urban population, whereas the presence of anti-HEV IgG was significantly associated with consumption of common village water and use of indoor dry pit and oral therapy for schistosomiasis.

Thirty-three Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates, resistant to one or more β-lactams, were included in this study. Identification of tested strains was confirmed using MALDI-TOF/MS. Phenotypic and genotypic β-lactamase patterns were investigated. Most of the isolates were resistant to carbapenems (32 out of 33) and to the extended-spectrum cephalosporins (ESC) (30 out of 33). Phenotypically, the production of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL), metallo-β-lactamases (MBL), and carbapenemases was detected in 10, 23, and 9 isolates, respectively. However, AmpC hyperproduction was not phenotypically detected among all isolates. Genotypically, ESBL and MBL encoding genes were detected in 23 and 27 isolates, respectively. Altogether 27 strains were detected as bla VIM positive and 16 strains carried bla OXA-10 gene. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of P. aeruginosa clinical isolates harboring bla VEB together with bla GES in Egypt, where 5 of our 30 ESCresistant isolates showed this genotype. Our results confirmed that resistance of P. aeruginosa isolates to β-lactam antibiotics is mediated via multiple β-lactamases belonging to different molecular classes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of bla VEB among P. aeruginosa clinical isolates from Egypt. Ten isolates harbored bla VEB and five of them co-harbored bla VEB together with bla GES , bla VIM , and bla OXA-10.

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Screening of non-phage group II Staphylococcus aureus strains for antagonistic substances revealed one particular strain, S. aureus D91, to excrete a substance with a wide spectrum of activity; both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were susceptible. The staphylococcin-like substance D91 produced by this strain was partially purified by column chromatography on Sephadex G-50, DEAE-cellulose, Phenyl Sepharose CL-4B and Sephadex G-200. A molecular weight of 76000 was estimated by gel filtration. The activity was heat sensitive but was not affected by hydrolytic enzymes except for pronase. The protein character of substance D91 was confirmed by gel electrophoresis and subsequent staining with Coomassie blue. The action exerted on sensitive bacteria was bacteriostatic rather than bactericidal. Biosynthesis of DNA, RNA, protein and polysaccharides were inhibited simultaneously in both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Active transport of glutamic acid was stopped in both S. cohnii and E. coli, whereas glucose uptake was inhibited in E. coli only. The substance induced a slow efflux of 86Rb+ from proloaded cells of S. cohnii and E. coli. The antagonistic activity of S. aureus D91 was eliminated by ethidium bromide at a rate of 47.6% suggesting that plasmids may be involved in its production.