Despite the fact that the implication of human papillomavirus (HPV) in the carcinogenesis and prognosis of cervical cancer is well established, the impact of a co-infection with high risk HPV (HR-HPV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is still not fully understood.

Giardia intestinalis is one of the most common causes of parasite-induced diarrhea, abdominal pain, flatulence, and malabsorption. Yet, data on the epidemiology of G. intestinalis infections in North Africa are limited. The purpose of this study was to carry out a retrospective survey on the level of intestinal parasitism with a particular emphasis on G. intestinalis in children and adults in Algiers, Algeria. A total of 2,054 individuals from outpatient clinics or hospitalized at Beni-Messous University Hospital of Algiers undergoing stool microscopy for ova and parasites were included. The overall parasite infection rate was 28%. In the 567 parasite-positive samples, Blastocystis was found most frequently (57.3%), followed in frequency by Endolimax nana (41.0%), Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (19.6%), G. intestinalis (17.1%), Entamoeba coli (13.9%), Chilomastix mesnili (1.0%), Iodamoeba bütschlii (0.7%), Entamoeba hartmanni (0.5%), and Cryptosporidium spp. (0.2%). Intestinal parasites were generally more common in adults than in children, except for Giardia, which was more common in children (P = 0.0001). Giardia infection was independent of gender (P = 0.94). Compared with other intestinal parasitic infections, clinical manifestations, such as abdominal pain (P = 0.28) and diarrhea (P = 0.82), were found not to be significantly linked to Giardia infection. In conclusion, G. intestinalis is common in individuals referred to the University Hospital of Beni-Messous with digestive symptoms, particularly so in children. However, in our study, intestinal symptoms appeared not to be more linked to Giardia than to other intestinal parasites.

Aim: The present study was designed to investigate the prevalence and identification of gastrointestinal parasites in feces samples of dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Algeria based on microscopic examination. Materials and Methods: A total of 717 fresh fecal samples obtained from 28 farms at Steppe and Northern Sahara regions of Algeria were processed for microscopic examination after concentration by formalin-ether sedimentation and flotation techniques. In addition, microscopic examination of Cryptosporidium spp. was done by modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining and Lugol staining procedure was used for the detection of Giardia cysts. Results: Microscopic examination indicated an infection rate of gastrointestinal parasites of 48.26% (346/717). Protozoan infections were recorded at 17.02% (122/717), whereas helminth infections were recorded at 23.71% (170/717). In addition, mixed infection (protozoans and helminths) was seen at 7.53% (54/717). No correlation was found between infection and age of the animals, nor the consistency of the stool samples; in addition, neither influence of sex nor breed of camels was observed. Eighteen genera of gastrointestinal parasites were revealed; including four genera of protozoa, 12 Nematoda, one Cestoda, and one Trematoda. Strongyloides spp. and Eimeria spp. showed the highest rate of parasitism, while Cooperia spp. was observed with the lowest prevalence. Cryptosporidium spp. was detected in 13 among 717 examined samples (1.81%). Conclusion: The parasite fauna infecting the gastrointestinal tract of the Algerian dromedary is much diversified. The detected parasites in camels are similar to counterparts in other ruminants, posing serious challenge to animal farming. Future studies should be carried out to better understand the epidemiology of these parasitic diseases and their economic and public health impact.

Aims The aim of this study was to characterize S. aureus isolates of food origin (dairy and meat products, pastries, and sandwiches) determining the carriage in enterotoxin genes and the antimicrobial resistance pheno/genotypes. Methods and results A total of 300 food samples were collected and analyzed for the detection of S. aureus. The presence of enterotoxin genes was investigated by multiplex‐PCRs. Resistance of isolates to eleven antimicrobials was determined using disc diffusion method and molecular characterization of methicillin‐resistant S. aureus was carried out by spa‐typing and MLST. Overall, 51 out of 300 samples (17%) were contaminated with S. aureus, and 104 isolates were recovered. Sixty‐five of these isolates (62.5%) harbored one or more genes encoding for staphylococcal enterotoxins, being seg and sei the most observed genes. The highest resistance profile was ascribed to penicillin G (95.19%). Five isolates were methicillin‐resistant (MRSA) harbouring the mecA gene. All MRSA isolates belonged to the sequence‐type ST5 and to two different spa‐types (t450 and t688); the MRSA‐t450 isolate carried the scn gene (specific marker of the immune evasion cluster system), but the four MRSA‐t688 isolates were scn‐negative. The MRSA isolates carried enterotoxin genes but were negative for the genes of the Panton Valentine leukocidine (lukF/S‐PV). Conclusion The presence of enterotoxigenic S. aureus isolates, including MRSA, in food samples can represent a risk for publich health. Significance and impact of this study This work describe the molecular characteristics of MRSA strains isolated from foods in Algeria and it can contribute to an extended database concerning the S. aureus isolated from food origin.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria remain a global public health issue due to the barrier imposed by their outer membrane and their propensity to form biofilms. It is becoming imperative to develop new antibacterial strategies. In this context, this study aims to evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of Origanum vulgare essential oil (OEO), alone and in combination with antibiotics, as well as its antibiofilm action against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative strains. OEO components were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and antibacterial activity was assessed using the agar diffusion test and the microdilution method. Interactions between OEO and antibiotics were examined using the checkerboard method, while antibiofilm activity was analyzed using the crystal violet assay. Chemical analysis revealed that carvacrol was the major compound in OEO (61.51%). This essential oil demonstrated activity against all the tested strains, with inhibition zone diameters (IZDs) reaching 32.3 ± 1.5 mm. The combination of OEO with different antibiotics produced synergistic and additive effects, leading to a reduction of up to 98.44% in minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). In addition, this essential oil demonstrated an ability to inhibit and even eradicate biofilm formation. These results suggest that OEO could be exploited in the development of new molecules, combining its metabolites with antibiotics.

Salinity is one of the main factors causing soil deterioration, making it unsuitable for agriculture. It is well documented that the application of halotolerant and halophilic plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPR: plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria) with biological control activities as an inoculant of cultivated plants offers a biological alternative to the use of agrochemicals, particularly when subjected to salt stress. From this perspective, 70 bacterial strains were isolated from saline soils (sebkha) in arid and semi-arid areas of Eastern Algeria. Three isolates were selected based on their ability to produce bioactive molecules allowing them to promote plant growth, such as hydrolytic enzymes, indole acetic acid (auxin-phytohormone), HCN, NH₃, etc. Two of these isolates belonged to the genus Serratia and the third was a halophilic Halomonas bacteria. These bacteria were identified based on their 16S rDNA sequences. Antagonism tests against phytopathogenic fungi were carried out. The identification of the antifungal molecules produced by these bacteria was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. These bacteria can inhibit mycelial development against phytopathogenic fungi with rates reaching 80.67% against Botrytis cinerea, 76.22% against Aspergillus niger, and 66.67% against Fusarium culmorum for Serratia sp. The strain Halomonas sp. inhibited mycelial growth through the production of volatile substances of Aspergillus niger at 71.29%, Aspergillus flavus at 75.49%, and Penicillium glabrum at a rate of 72.22%. The identification of the antifungal molecules produced by these three bacteria using HPLC revealed that they were polyphenols, which makes these strains the first rhizobacteria capable of producing phenolic compounds. Finally, pot tests to determine the effectiveness of these strains in promoting wheat growth under salinity stress (125 mM, 150 mM, and 200 mM) was carried out. The results revealed that a consortium of two isolates (Serratia sp. and Halomonas sp.) performed best at 125 mM. However, at higher concentrations, it was the halophilic bacteria Halomonas sp. that gave the best result. In all cases, there was a significant improvement in the growth of wheat seedlings inoculated with the bacteria compared to non-inoculated controls.