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This study aimed to assess the prevalence of parasites of domestic pigeons ( ) and the histopathological changes associated with helminth parasites in their intestines. A total of 71 pigeons, 50 (30 males, 20 females) were examined for ectoparasites and 21(15 males, 7 females) for the presence of endoparasites (P-value 0.189). Thirty-six out of 50 pigeons (72 %) were infected with two species of ectoparasites (lice); was found in 30 pigeons out of 36 (83.33 %), while was found in 6 pigeons (P-value < 0.001). Fifteen out of 21 (71.4 %) pigeons were infected with endoparasites, out of which 12 (80 %) had one or more species of the total 6 species of cestodes, including (57.1 %), (57.1 %), (23.8 %), (9.52 %), (9.52 %) and (14.28 %). Three male pigeons (14.28 %) were found to be infected with only 1 species of nematode . All 12 pigeons (9 males, 3 females) were infected with R. tetragona and R. micracantha (57.1 %); additionally, all 12 showed triple parasitic infestation, having one other species of cestode in addition to these. Only 3 pigeons were found infected with the nematode . The prevalence of spp. was higher than that of other species. Males were found to be more infected than females (P-value 0.502). Histopathological fi ndings revealed destruction and shrinkage in the duodenum, necrosis and shrinkage of serosa and submucosa, villous atrophy and migratory tunnels formation, atrophic hyperplasia in the ileum, aggregate of infl ammatory lymphocytes at the lamina propria, infl ammation of villi in the rectum, cell death, infi ltration of lymphocytes, infl ammation and histological hyperplasia in the intestines. It was concluded that pigeons of the present locality were found infected with lice, cestode and nematode parasites that present a serious threat and might be injurious not only to pigeons but also to environmental contamination for humans and other animals. Further research is needed to identify the association and biological factors that affect humans.

Fomites are inanimate objects that are capable of absorbing, harboring and transmitting infectious microorganisms. Paper currency, an exchangeable fomite, is constantly subjected to contamination. This study investigated bacterial contamination on the Saudi one Riyal paper note. Two hundred one Riyal bills (100 4th version and 100 5th version) were collected in the city of Jeddah for examination. The notes were examined for bacterial contamination using blood agar and MacConkey agar. Eighty-eight percent of the notes were contaminated with mixed (>or=2 types) bacterial growth. All 4th version notes had mixed bacterial growth: gram-positive bacilli (79%), coagulase-negative staphylococci (75%), Staphylococcus aureus (38%), Klebsiella spp (21%), Pseudomonas spp (19%), Escherichia coli (9%), viridans group streptococci (VGS) (8%), and non-hemolytic streptococci (4%). Seventy-six percent of the newer 5th version notes had mixed bacterial growth: gram-positive bacilli (68%), coagulase-negative staphylococci (64%), S. aureus (13%), Klebsiella spp (9%), Pseudomonas spp (5%), E. coli (2%) and VGS (2%). These results indicate the Saudi one Riyal paper note is commonly contaminated with bacteria, and may act as a vehicle for the transmission of potentially pathogenic bacteria. The more the bill had been handled the greater the contamination was.

Background: In Saudi Arabia, more than US$ 0.2 million annual losses are caused by liver condemnations due to fascioliasis. Data obtained from the genetic characterization of Fasciola population sheds light on parasite transmission which could eventually help in development of effective parasite control measures. So, the aim of this study was to investigate the genetic diversity of Fasciola spp. isolated from cattle in Saudi Arabia by sequence analyses of COI gene. Materials and Methods: A total of 325 cows slaughtered at the central municipal abattoir in Jeddah city, Jeddah Province, Saudi Arabia were examined for fascioliasis in the period from 1st of June to 1st of July 2020. DNA was extracted from adult Fasciola worms and used for PCR and DNA sequence using a primer pair targeting COI gene. Analysis of the obtained sequences was done using BLAST search and phylogenetic analysis. Results: Bovine fascioliasis was diagnosed in 18 out of 325 cattle (5.5%). Forty-eight flukes were extracted from infected animals and DNA was successfully amplified from all flukes. Overall 12 different DNA sequences were obtained. BLAST search showed that all obtained sequences were F. hepatica and had > 97% similarity with F. hepatica isolates from Tanzania, Europe and Iran. Phylogenetic analysis of the obtained sequences showed that Fasciola isolates from the current study were clustered in one subclade closely related to isolates from North and South Africa and Italy. Conclusion: Reports on the molecular characterization of Fasciola spp. in Saudi Arabia are limited. In the current study, our findings showed that F. hepatica was the only Fasciola species parasitizing cattle in Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia. Further studies using a large number of samples from different localities in Saudi Arabia are needed to provide data that will help the development of control measures against fascioliasis.

El-Kady AM, Osman HA, Alemam MF, et al. Infect Drug Resist. 2022;15:2713-2721. The authors have advised that the acknowledgment statement on page 2719 is incorrect. The text “This research was supported by Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University Project number (PNURSP2022R39), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia” should read “This research was supported by Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University Researchers Supporting Project number (PNURSP2022R39), Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia”. The authors apologize for this error.

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease caused by that infects humans and many types of mammals and birds. To investigate the effect of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) and (Pd) extracts loaded on SeNPs as a new agent to combat chronic infections in murine model as an alternative method to standard Spiramycin drug therapy. A total of 64 female mice were randomly divided into eight groups: GI: Normal control, GII: Positive control, GIII: infected and treated with Spiramycin, GIV: infected and treated with SeNPs, GV: infected and treated with aqueous extract of Pd, GVI: infected and treated with methanolic extract of Pd, GVII: infected and treated with aqueous extract of Pd loaded on SeNPs, GVIII: infected and treated with methanolic extract of Pd loaded on SeNPs. Date palm ( ) fruits were identified and collected from the farms of Saudi Arabia. Preparation and characterization of SeNPs were done. The parasitological, histopathological examinations and biochemical changes were evaluated in all groups. Parasitological results showed significant differences in GVII in comparison to GII while GVIII showed significant differences in comparison to GII and GIII. The histopathological section of the cerebral cortex showed obvious alterations in the infected compared with untreated control groups. Aqueous and methanolic extracts of loaded on SeNPs treatment showed improvement that indicated by few perivascular cuffing with few inflammatory cell infiltrations. Few granule cells with mild intracellular vacuolation and edema few deformed neurons with deep pyknotic nuclei. Microglia cells expression of Iba-1 and inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-10 and INF-γ) in serum of all groups was higher in GII and lowest in GVIII followed by GVII. SeNPs and extracts loaded on SeNPs could be a potent agent to combat infections.

Introduction: World Health Organization (WHO) considers Fascioliasis as a neglected tropical disease that requires global efforts for disease control. Data from the genetic characterization of Fasciola population shed light on the spread of infections among animals which could help in the development of effective parasite control. The aim of the present work was to genetically characterize Fasciola adult worms isolated from sheep in Saudi Arabia by sequence analysis of ITS-1 region. Methods: A total of 12,653 slaughtered sheep in Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia were examined for the presence of Fasciola spp. adult worms. The ITS-1 region of all parasites was amplified and sequenced. Results: Overall, 12 variants DNA sequences were obtained. The variance of isolates ranged from 0.00771 to 0.34405. BLAST search showed that all obtained sequences were Fasciola hepatica and had >99.3% similarity with F. hepatica isolates from Spain and USA (from different hosts other than sheep). Phylogenetic analysis showed that Fasciola isolates were closely related to isolates from different countries. Discussion: The current study showed that F. hepatica was the only spp. isolated from sheep in Jeddah. Further studies from different localities in Saudi Arabia are needed to help in the development of disease control. Keywords: genetic diversity, characterization, Fasciola hepatica, parasitic diseases, sheep

species (sp.) are gastrointestinal protozoan parasites with high prevalence rates worldwide. sp. show extensive genetic diversity with 17 different subtypes (STs) described to date. A few studies have investigated the prevalence and STs of sp. in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Therefore, we aimed in this study to identify and characterize subtypes of sp. in the City of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Stool samples were collected from 140 patients who presented to King Abdulaziz Hospital, Hera General Hospital and Modern Medical Center in Saudi Arabia. Different microscopic examination methods of patients' stools and molecular analyses (using primers targeting SSU rRNA gene) were performed to identify and characterize STs of sp. Our microscopic examination of stool samples showed that 96/140 patients (68.6%) had sp. infection. Clinical examination of infected patients revealed that 81 patients were symptomatic, whereas 15 were asymptomatic. Next, we isolated DNA from  sp.-positive stool samples followed by PCR amplification of small-subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene and sequence analysis. Our sequence analysis showed that subtype 3 (ST3) was the most prevalent (53.13%) followed by subtype 1 (ST1) (45.83%), whereas subtype 2 (ST2) was the least prevalent (1.04%). Moreover, our results showed that all three STs resulted in more symptomatic than asymptomatic cases. Finally, we identified novel haplotypes which comprised of 8 ST3, 6 ST1, and one ST2 haplotypes. Our identification of several haplotypes in patients' stools confirms the genetic diversity of sp. and may explain the reported low host specificity and differential pathogenicity of sp. We believe that additional molecular epidemiological and genomic studies are needed to understand the prevalence and pathogenicity of different subtypes in humans and animal hosts.

In recent decades, the rate of infection with dengue virus (DENV) has risen significantly, now affecting nearly 400 million individuals annually. Dengue fever among humans is caused via specific mosquito vectors bites. Sporadic cases have been reported in Egypt. The goal of this study was to identify the serotype of the DENV outbreak in both human and mosquito vector along the coast of the Red Sea, Upper Egypt, in 2017. Identification of the serotype of the virus may help identify its source and assist in applying epidemiological and control measures. The current study was carried out in El Quseir City, Red Sea Governorate, Upper Egypt, on 144 patients complaining of symptoms indicative of dengue fever at the time of the 2017 Egypt outbreak. Human blood samples and the mosquito reservoirs were identified as having dengue virus infection serologically and molecularly. Overall, 97 (67.4%) patients were positive for dengue virus IgM antibodies. Molecular examination of the human samples and pools of mosquitoes revealed that DENV-2 virus was the serotype responsible for the outbreak. Only one pool of female mosquitoes containing was infected with dengue fever virus (DENV-2). This was the first serotyping of the DENV responsible for dengue virus outbreak in Egypt in 2017. Determining the serotype of dengue virus can help to avoid and monitor outbreaks. The serotype identified in this study was DENV-2, while DENV-1 was the serotype found in the previous outbreak in 2015 in the province of Assiut. This study thus raises concerns that a new dengue serotype could have been introduced into Egypt. It is necessary for a comprehensive risk assessment to be carried out in the country, including an entomological survey, to assess the presence and potential geographical expansion of mosquito vectors there.

Objectives: Alveolar echinococcosis is caused by Echinococcus multilocularis, a parasite of zoo¬notic significance with a wide range of intermediate and final hosts, and the parasite survives suc¬cessfully in diversified conditions. Plentiful studies have been done to study the genetic structure of the population of the parasite and the level of intimate kinship using mitochondrial (mt) DNA. The present study was conducted to investigate the population structure, genetic variation, and phylogenetic relationship of various isolates of E. multiocularis submitted to GenBank worldwide. Sequences of mt genes (mt-cytochrome c oxidase (cox1), mt-NADH dehydrogenase (nad1)) of E. multilocularis were analyzed to achieve the set goals. Materials and Methods: A total of 275 and 124 gene sequences of mt-cox1 and mt-nad1 belong¬ing to E. multilocularis, respectively, were retrieved from the National Center for Biotechnology Information GenBank. The retrieved sequences were subjected to alignment with respective reference sequences using MEGA software. The PopArt software was used to establish medi¬an-joining networks, while DnaSp was used to calculate neutrality and diversity indices. MrBayes software was used to investigate the phylogenetic association between haplotypes based on Bayesian phylogeny. Results: Approximately 13 and 20 distinctive haplotypes of nad1 and cox1 genes, respectively, were observed in the present study. In both of the mt genes, diversity indices indicated low haplo¬type (mt-cox1 = 0.140; mt-nad1 = 0.374) and nucleotide (mt-cox1 = 0.00111; mt-nad1 = 0.00287) diversities. The values of Tajima’s D and Fu Fs for a population of both of the genes under study were found to be negative. Conclusion: This study is a maiden attempt to provide insights into the population structure and genetic variation of E. multilocularis on a global scale. However, it is suggested that to better understand the population structure and genetic diversity of E. multilocularis, more geographical locations and amplifications of full-length gene sequences should be considered, which could be helpful in widening the insights into the genetic diversity of E. multilocularis.

Although, approximately 30% of the world's population is estimated to be infected with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) with serious manifestations in immunocompromised patients and pregnant females, the available treatment options for toxoplasmosis are limited with serious side effects. Therefore, it is of great importance to identify novel potent, well tolerated candidates for treatment of toxoplasmosis. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) synthesized using Zingiber officinale against acute toxoplasmosis in experimentally infected mice. The ethanolic extract of ginger was used to prepare ZnO NPs. The produced ZnO NPs were characterized in terms of structure and morphology using Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), UV- spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The prepared formula was used in treatment of T. gondii RH virulent strain. Forty animals were divided into four groups, with ten mice per group. The first group was the uninfected, control group. The second group was infected but untreated. The third and the fourth groups received ZnO NPs and Spiramycin orally in a dose of 10 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg/day respectively. The effect of the used formulas on the animals survival rate, parasite burden, liver enzymes -including Alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST)-, nitric oxide (NO) and Catalase antioxidant enzyme (CAT) activity was measured. Moreover, the effect of treatment on histopathological alterations associated with toxoplasmosis was examined. Mice treated with ZnO NPs showed the longest survival time with significant reduction in the parasite load in the livers and peritoneal fluids of the same group. Moreover, ZnO NPs treatment was associated with a significant reduction in the level of liver enzymes (ALT, AST) and NO and a significant increase in the antioxidant activity of CAT enzyme. SEM examination of tachyzoites from the peritoneal fluid showed marked distortion of T. gondii tachyzoites isolated from mice treated with ZnO NPs in comparison to untreated group. T. gondii induced histopathological alterations in the liver and brain were reversed by ZnO NPs treatment with restoration of normal tissue morphology. The produced formula showed a good therapeutic potential in treatment of murine toxoplasmosis as demonstrated by prolonged survival rate, reduced parasite burden, improved T. gondii associated liver injury and histopathological alterations. Thus, we assume that the protective effect observed in the current research is attributed to the antioxidant capability of NPs. Based on the results obtained from the current work, we suggest greenly produced ZnO NPs as a chemotherapeutic agent with good therapeutic potential and high levels of safety in the treatment of toxoplasmosis.