International Journal of Enteric Pathogens
Volume:8 Issue: 3, Aug 2020

Bacillus cereus is a gram-positive and spore-forming bacterium which is widespread in nature. It also has been known as a major foodborne pathogen that often plays a role in the contamination of ready-to-eat and dairy products. It causes two different types of food poisoning in human: the diarrheal type and the emetic type.

The current study was planned to determine the prevalence of ces and cytk genes of Bacillus cereus isolated from raw milk in Tabriz, Iran.

In this study, 40 B. cereus strains isolated from cow raw milk, that had already been identified phenotypically, were assessed for molecular confirmation by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Then, they were evaluated for presence of ces and cytK genes by specific primers.

Of 40 B. cereus strains, 39 strains were confirmed molecularly. The frequency of cytK and ces genes was reported 38 (97.43%) and 0 (0%), respectively.

The results of present study showed that B. cereus strains isolated from raw milk had high potential in causing diarrhea poisoning. Therefore, using procedures to reduce the bacterial contamination during the processing of dairy product is essential.

Foodborne diseases are a major problem worldwide. The epidemiological investigations in many parts of the world have shown an increase in infections caused by Salmonella serovars. Furthermore, the emergence of drug resistance among them has become a major global concern and awareness of the resistance patterns of Salmonella could be very useful in treatment of diseases.

This study aimed to investigate Salmonella serotypes in foodborne outbreaks by sequencing of ITS region of 16S-23SrRNA gene and to determine their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern.

A total of 614 diarrheal stool samples were collected from 173 foodborne outbreaks in different provinces of Iran during one year. Identification of Salmonella was carried out by phenotypic and molecular (16s-23srRNA gene detection) methods and antibiotic susceptibility was performed using disc diffusion method.

Out of 614 samples, 18 isolates were identified as Salmonella of which 16 (88.9%) isolates were Salmonella Enteritidis and 2 (11.1%) isolates as Salmonella Paratyphi A. All isolates were sensitive to ceftazidime, and high resistance was seen with nalidixic acid with 14 (77.8%) isolates.

Increasing antibiotic resistance in many bacterial pathogens such as Salmonella has been a major threat for human health. Therefore, identifying the antibiotic resistance patterns of Salmonella serovars may help in treatment of the associated infections.

Acanthamoeba is a globally dispersed protozoan that can cause different clinical manifestations in infected individuals. Various drugs have been proposed against its drugresistant forms.

The present study examined silver nanoparticles (NPs) with a good anti-parasitic background. More precisely, the study focused on evaluating the anti-parasitic effect of silver nano-scale particles on protozoan trophozoite and cysts by microscopic counting and flow cytometry after exposure to different concentrations.

To this end, MTT assay and IC50 were used to assess the macrophage toxicity and cysts/trophozoites, respectively.

Based on the results, 100 ppm silver NPs had better anti-parasitic effects than 80 ppm concentration and even the standard treatment of Acanthamoeba on both trophozoite and cystic phases. Macrophages toxicity at 100 ppm concentration was similar to the control group.

In general, further studies should be conducted to confirm the present results given the significant effects of silver NPs against trophozoite and parasite cysts.

Clostridium perfringens is an important anaerobic bacterium found in the intestine of some livestock. It is concerned with the etiology of some diseases including enterotoxaemia. Various diseases are caused by different types of C. perfringens. Nonetheless, there is no published research on molecular typing and distribution of this pathogenic microorganism in Fars province.

Accordingly, our study focused on the isolation and toxin typing of C. perfringens from sheep, cattle, and goats in different parts of Fars province by the culture and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method.

Approximately 459 fecal samples were collected and cultured on defined media for the isolation of C. perfringens. The confirmed isolates were genotyped by the PCR method using specific primers.

C. perfringens was isolated from 30.93% of the total samples. The results of toxin typing showed a total of 76 (54%), 13 (9%), 30 (21%), and 23 (16%) isolates as types A, B, C, and D, respectively.

Our results indicated that C. perfringens type A was the most common type in sheep, cattle, and goats while the lowest number of isolates belonged to type B. Finally, the isolation of C. perfringens and toxin typing increase our knowledge of the epidemiology of these diseases and can help in the vaccine industry and better controlling related diseases.

Candida albicans (C. albicans) is known as an opportunistic fungal pathogen, and although it is a normal flora of the gastrointestinal tract, it has the ability to colonize every human tissue, causing serious and invasive infections.

This study focused on the antifungal activity of the produced yogurts and kefirs from cow, camel, sheep, and goat milk against C. albicans during the storage period at 4 º C.

The pH, titratable acidity, the content of some organic acids, and antiCandida activity of yogurt and kefir samples were evaluated based on the aim of the study.

The titratable acidity of the samples significantly increased after the fermentation, along with pH reductions. The concentration of lactic and pyruvic acids increased during the fermentation while citric, uric, and hippuric acid content demonstrated a decrease. The results revealed that kefir samples had a stronger anti-Candida effect compared to yogurt samples. On the first day of the storage period, the growth inhibitory effect of sheep milk kefir was 90.20%, followed by camel kefir (78.37%), goat kefir (74.52%), cow kefir (73.23%), sheep yogurt (48.56%), camel yogurt (37.51%), cow yogurt (34.42%), and goat yogurt (30.32%). Eventually, the inhibition rate of sheep milk kefir reached 96.50% after 20 days of storage.

It seems that kefir may be used as a nutraceutical and functional food against C.albicans infections.

Helicobacter pullorum predominantly colonizes the gut of apparently healthy chickens and the livers and intestinal contents of hens with enteritis and vibrionic hepatitis.

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and antibiotic resistance of Helicobacter pullorum in broiler chickens, laying hens, and turkeys in Semnan province.

A total of 300 samples were collected from 60 poultry farms in Semnan province, including 240 cecal samples from 48 broiler farms, 30 fecal samples from 6 laying hen farms, and 30 cecal samples from 6 turkey farms. Each sample was analyzed by conventional culture method and biochemical tests. The suspected colonies were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using 16S rRNA gene. Antibiotic resistance of the confirmed colonies was determined using disk diffusion method.

Of 300 samples, 85 (28.3%) samples obtained from 36 (60%) poultry farms were positive for H. pullorum. Of these samples, 72 (30%) were from 30 (62.5%) broiler farms, 4 (13.3%) were from 2 (33.3%) laying hen farms, and 9 (30%) were from 4 (66.7%) turkey farms. Moreover, resistance to ciprofloxacin was observed in all of the H. pullorum isolates.

This study demonstrated the moderate prevalence of H. pullorum in poultry in Semnan province for the first time, while the prevalence of this pathogen in laying hen and turkey has not been determined in Iran. In addition, this study could reveal the antibiotic resistance profile of H. pullorum as the first report in Iran. Therefore, more studies are needed to focus on the prevalence and antibiotic resistance of H. pullorum in poultry in other regions of Iran.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) occurs in children as well as adults and it is mainly associated with symptoms of respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. The patient was a 13-year-old child who had no symptoms of a respiratory infection and complained of abdominal pain and vomiting. A COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test was requested, which was positive. Based on laboratory test results indicating high serum amylase and lipase levels and imaging findings, acute pancreatitis was diagnosed, and after supportive treatment, the patient was discharged in good general condition. During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, children who refer to medical centers with gastrointestinal symptoms and pancreatitis should be checked for COVID-19.