Dermatophytes are fungi that belong to three genera: Epidermophyton, Microsporum, and Trichophyton. Identification of dermatophyte species is essential for appropriate diagnosis and treatment of dermatophytosis. Routine identification depends on macroscopic and microscopic morphology, which is time-consuming and does not identify dermatophyte strains. In this study, two PCR-based methods were compared for their abilities to identify 21 dermatophyte isolates obtained from Egyptian patients to the species and strain levels. The first method employed a two-step method: PCR amplification, using ITS1 and ITS4 as primers, followed by restriction enzyme digestion using the endonuclease MvaI. The second method employed a one-step approach employing the repetitive oligonucleotide (GACA) 4 as a primer. Dermatophyte strains were also identified using a conventional culture method. Our results showed that the conventional culture method identified four species: Microsporum canis, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton rubrum, and Trichophyton violaceum. Moreover, both PCR methods agreed with the diagnosis made using the conventional approach. Furthermore, ITS1/ITS4-based PCR provided no strain differentiation, while (GACA) 4 -based PCR identified different varieties among the T. mentagrophytes isolates. Taken together, our results suggest that (GACA) 4 -based PCR has utility as a simple and rapid method for identification of dermatophyte species as well as utility for differentiation of T. mentagrophytes variants.Dermatophytes comprise a group of related fungi that belong to three genera, Epidermophyton, Microsporum, and Trichophyton, each of which includes several recognized species. These fungi are keratinophylic, as they infect the superficial keratinized tissues (skin, hair, and nails) of humans and animals (16), and can cause cutaneous mycoses which are called dermatophytoses, tinea, or ringworm infections. Health care costs associated with management of these mycoses are high (2, 14). Moreover, dermatophytoses are widespread and increasing in prevalence on a global scale and the recent increase in their incidence has been attributed to the increase of immunocompromised states, such as those associated with AIDS, diabetes mellitus, organ transplantation, and the use of corticosteroids and antineoplastic agents (3,5,11,17).The identification of dermatophyte species is essential for appropriate diagnosis and treatment of dermatophytosis. As the dermatophytes were reported to cause outbreaks of infection, especially in closed communities (15), their identification to the species as well as strain levels has a great epidemiological value in the investigations of such outbreaks with regard to identifying the sources of infections and establishing plans to manage and control them.Routine laboratory procedures for the identification of dermatophytes rely on culturing of these fungi on appropriate growth media, followed by examination of the gross morphological characters of their colonies (e.g., rate of growth, colony topo...

No major differences were found in the frequencies of mutations or types of amino acid substitution between newly diagnosed untreated cases and re-treated cases. The high prevalence of MDR-TB at this hospital underscores the need for continuous monitoring of strains and antimicrobial resistance.

We have demonstrated evidence of diversity among the drug-susceptible and resistant MTB strains. Continued surveillance for strains of MTB involved in pulmonary tuberculosis in Egypt, and especially for drug-resistant strains, is warranted.

Background: Carbapenem antibiotics are important therapeutic agents in the health care setting, they are frequently used as an empiric therapy for life-threatening infections as well as infections with multi-drug-resistant gram-negative bacilli. Carbapenemaseproducing Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) are a significant public health challenge worldwide. The detection of carbapenemases productions in CRE strains is performed by phenotypic and genotypic methods. The phenotypic methods target carbapenemases production but provide no guidance regarding the specific carbapenemases types, while the genotypic diagnosis has the benefit of determining the exact mechanism conferring carbapenems resistance. Aim: Improvement of the antibiotic policy and infection control strategies in Suez Canal University Hospitals in Ismailia; through adequate detection of carbapenem resistance in the hospitals. Methods: All the CRE isolates were tested by the phenotypic methods (mCIM & eCIM) test to detect carbapenemases production, and screened by the conventional PCR for the presence of five carbapenemase genes, namely blaKPC, blaIMI, blaVIM, blaNDM, blaOXA-48. Results: The study showed that (53/155) 34.1% of the Enterobacteriaceae isolates were carbapenems resistant. Carbapenemases activity was detected in (36/53) 67.9% of the examined CRE isolates using mCIM test (20/36)37.8 % showed Metallocarbapenemases and (16/36) 30.2% showed Serine-carbapenemases by eCIM test. 60.4% (32/53) were sensitive to colistin. While by PCR, all the isolates (100%) harbor one or more carbapenemases genes. (51/53) 96.2% were proved to harbor blaOXA-48 gene, (47/53) 88.7% were proved to harbor blaNDM gene, (28/53) 52.8%, were proved to harbor blaVIM,gene, the percentage of blaIMI, blaKPC isolation was (17/53) 32.1%, (4/53)7.5% respectively. Conclusion: High frequencies of carbapenemase genes among CRE isolates.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex isolates from cerebrospinal fluid of 67 meningitis patients were obtained from six fever hospitals in Egypt. One M. bovis and 66 M. tuberculosis isolates were identified by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of oxyR. Among the M. tuberculosis isolates, 53 unique strain types (with 3 to 16 copies of IS6110) were found by RFLP analyses. Nine clusters (eight with two isolates each and one with six isolates) were also found. Thirty-six spoligotypes, including at least 10 that have been previously reported from other countries, were also observed. Forty-one (62.1%) of the isolates were in spoligotype clusters, and 22 (33%) of the isolates were in RFLP clusters. Fifty-one of the isolates were susceptible in vitro to all of the antituberculosis drugs tested, 11 were monoresistant to capreomycin, rifampin, isoniazid (INH), pyrazinamide, or streptomycin (STR), 4 were resistant to STR and INH, and 1 was resistant to STR, INH, and ethambutol.