Sarcocystosis is considered one of the major parasitic diseases with a worldwide distribution. It is caused by the obligatory intracellular protozoan parasites of the genus Sarcocystis. Besides its public health issues, sarcocystosis results in significant economic losses due to its impact on productivity and milk yield. A wide range of final and intermediate hosts have been identified, including mammals, birds, and reptiles; however, few studies have investigated the contribution of camels to maintaining the epidemiological foci of the disease in countries such as Egypt. The present study was conducted to grossly and histopathologically identify the prevalence rate of Sarcocystis spp. in camels (N = 100) from the Aswan Governorate, Egypt. Furthermore, the major risk factors related to the development of sarcocystosis in camels were investigated. Samples from the diaphragm, cardiac muscle, esophagus, and testes of the slaughtered camels were collected. Interestingly, Sarcocystis was detected in 75% of the examined camels. Following the studied variable factors, camels aged 5 years or more were found to be at higher risk, with an infection rate of 87.7% (57 of 65) than those younger than 5 years. The infection rate was 81.4% (57 of 70) in males and 60% (18 of 30) in females. The esophagus was the most affected organ (49%), followed by the diaphragm (26%) and cardiac muscle (17%), whereas none of the testes samples were affected. Taken together, the present study demonstrates the high prevalence of Sarcocystis in the examined camels and suggests the importance of these animals in preserving the epidemiological foci of sarcocystosis in Egypt. Future research should map the circulating strains in Egypt and aim to raise public health awareness about the importance of sarcocystosis and other related zoonotic diseases.

THE Spices such as paprika, cloves, piper cubeba, and their extract have been shown to possess potent antimicrobial potential against food spoilage microorganisms and pathogens. Contamination of minced meat with such pathogens may lead to foodborne poisoning. This has enforced the search for antimicrobial agents that could increase the shelf life of minced beef. This work aimed to determine the antimicrobial effect of paprika, clove, and piper cubeba powder and their extract with different concentrations against aerobic plate count, Enterobacteriaceae count, and Staphylococcus aureus. The ability of these natural additives to extend the shelf life and improve the quality of minced beef, and optimize the concentrations of these spices and their extract in minced beef. The Sensory evaluation of cooked meatballs containing added paprika, clove, and piper cubeba powders and their extracts exhibited no significant differences in the flavor, tenderness, juiciness, and overall acceptability characteristic of meatballs among all treated and control samples and revealed no negative impacts on consumer perception. Effect of natural additives and their extracts on APCs in meatballs during cold storage revealed that the studied spices and their extracts may be a source for the development of safe and new ingredients that could be used to control products spoilage and/or foodborne pathogens in foods. Treated meat samples resulted in prolonged storage life of piper cubeba, clove and paprika added samples compared with control. The antimicrobial effect these spices was found to be concentration-dependent and attributed to their phytochemical constituents. The current study concluded that there was an increase in shelf life and decrease in contamination levels of Enterobacteriaceae and S. aureus in the meatballs treated with paprika, clove, and piper cubeba.