Background and Aim: Fresh produce farms represents a major source of concern since they are becoming increasingly antibiotic resistant. This study aimed to investigate t he occurrence of carbapenemase and extended-spectrum-beta-lactamases (ESBL) - producing genes in Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from fresh produce farms in Egypt, irrigation water, and people working in these fields. Materials and Methods: One hundred tomatoes from typical farms were collected in plastic bags. The study also included 20 surface-water samples from different irrigation watersheds in fresh produce farms, as well as 50 feces samples from farmworkers. Suspected K. pneumoniae was grown on Eosin Methylene Blue agar for 24 h before being biochemically identified using the RapID ONE test. PCR was used to detect carbapenemase (blaKPC, blaOXA-48, and blaNDM) and ESBL (blaSHV, blaTEM, and blaCTX) expressing genes on isolates. Results: K. pneumoniae was identified in 30% of water and 10% of worker samples, while only one isolate was found in tomato samples. One of the six irrigation water isolates tested positive for carbapenem-resistant NDM. In contrast, two isolates tested positive for ESBL determinants, one of which was blaSHV and the other having both blaSHV and blaTEM genes. Two of the five K. pneumoniae isolates from farmworkers were positive for blaNDM, with one isolate also testing positive for blaSHV and blaTEM. The blaOXA-48 gene was also discovered in the carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae tomato isolate used in this study. Conclusion: Carbapenemase- and ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae were found in fresh produce farms, implying that these resistance genes were being passed down to Egyptian consumers.

Escherichia coli (E. coli) infections cause significant losses in the poultry industry and pose zoonotic risks due to rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and virulence factors. This study investigates E. coli prevalence, AMR, and virulence genes (papC, vgrG1, iss) in Egyptian chickens and farm workers. A total of 35 dead chickens from 14 flocks and 17 farm workers urine samples were examined bacteriologically to investigate E. coli presence followed by biochemical identification. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed on 14 antibiotics using the disk diffusion method on Mueller–Hinton agar, following ‘Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) (2020) guidelines with Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) activity evaluated via the Double Disc Synergy Test (DDST) with ceftazidime, cefotaxime, and their clavulanate combinations following CLSI protocols. virulence genes were detected through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and phylogenetic analysis of the vgrG1 gene evaluated genetic relatedness between the chicken and human isolates. The study analysed 52 samples, identifying E. coli in 18 chicken organs (51.4%) and 11 human urine samples (64.7%), with no significant difference. various antimicrobic sensitivity profiles were identified phenotypically among all isolates in which 29 isolates, 58.6% were ESBL-producing, and 96.5% exhibited multidrug resistance (MDR), with chicken isolates showing higher resistance overall. virulence genes were detected in similar proportions across the isolates highlighting significant public health risks due to resistant and virulent E. coli. This study emphasized the public health risks of multidrug-resistant E. coli with virulence genes, highlighting potential zoonotic transmission and antibiotic use and food safety.

Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are emerging and re-emerging infections that have a worldwide impact on human and animal health. Lyme borreliosis (LB) is a severe zoonotic disease caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) transmitted to humans by the bite of infected Ixodes ticks. Borrelia miyamotoi is a spirochete that causes relapsing fever (RF) and is genetically related to Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. However, there have been no reports of B. miyamotoi in Egypt, and the data on LB in camels is scarce. Thus, the present study was conducted to screen and genetically identify Borrelia spp. and B. miyamotoi in Egyptian camels and associated ticks using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Methods: A total of 133 blood samples and 1596 adult hard ticks were collected from Camelus dromedaries at Cairo and Giza slaughterhouses in Egypt. Tick species were identified by examining their morphology and sequencing the cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene. Borrelia spp. was detected using nested PCR on the IGS (16S-23S) gene, and positive samples were genotyped using 16S rRNA and glpQ spp. genes specific for Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia miyamotoi, respectively. The positive PCR products were sequenced and analyzed by phylogenetic tree. Results: Analysis of the cox1 gene sequence revealed that the adult ticks belonged to three genera; Hyalomma (H), Amblyomma (Am), and Rhipicephalus (R), as well as 12 species, including H. dromedarii, H. marginatum, H. excavatum, H. anatolicum, R. annulatus, R. pulchellus, Am. testudinarium, Am. hebraeum, Am. lipidium, Am. variegatum, Am. cohaerens and Am. gemma. Borrelia spp. was found in 8.3% (11/133) of the camel blood samples and 1.3% (21/1596) of the ticks, respectively. Sequencing of the IGS (16S-23S) gene found that B. afzelii, detected from H. dromedarii and H. marginatum, and B. crocidurae, which belongs to the RF group, was detected from one blood sample. B. burgdorferi and B. miyamotoi were discovered in the blood samples and tick species. Phylogenetic analysis of the glpQ gene showed that the B. miyamotoi in this study was of the Asian and European types. Conclusions: These results suggest that the camels can be infected by Lyme borrelia and other Borrelia bacteria species. This study also provides the first insight into the presence of Borrelia miyamotoi and B. afzelii DNA in camels and associated ticks in Egypt.

Cholera is a negative public health event caused by Vibrio cholerae. Although V. cholerae is abundant in natural environments, its pattern and transmission between different niches remain puzzling and interrelated. Our study aimed to investigate the occurrence of nonpathogenic V. cholerae in the natural environment during endemicity periods. It also aimed to highlight the role of molecular ecoepidemiology in mapping the routes of spread, transmission, and prevention of possible future cholera outbreaks. V. cholerae was detected in different aquatic environments, waterfowl, and poultry farms located along the length of the Nile River in Giza, Cairo, and Delta provinces, Egypt. After polymerase chain reaction amplification of the specific target outer membrane gene (Omp W) of suspected isolates, we performed sequence analysis, eventually using phylogenetic tree analysis to illustrate the possible epidemiological relationships between different sequences. Data revealed a significant variation in the physicochemical conditions of the examined Nile districts related to temporal, spatial, and anthropogenic activities. Moreover, data showed an evident association between V. cholerae and the clinically diseased Synodontis schall fish. We found that the environmental distress triggered by the salinity shift and elevated temperature in the Middle Delta of the Nile River affects the pathogenesis of V. cholerae, in addition to the characteristics of fish host inhabiting the Rosetta Branch at Kafr El-Zayat, El-Gharbia province, Egypt. In addition, we noted a significant relationship between V. cholerae and poultry sources that feed on the Nile dikes close to the examined districts. Sequence analysis revealed clustering of the waterfowl and broiler chicken isolates with human and aquatic isolated sequences retrieved from the GenBank databases. From the obtained data, we hypothesized that waterfowl act as a potential vector for the intermediate transmission of cholera. Therefore, continuous monitoring of Nile water quality and mitigation of Nile River pollution, in addition to following good managemental practices (GMPs), general hygienic guidelines, and biosecurity in the field of animal production and industry, might be the way to break this cyclic transmission between human, aquatic, and animal sectors.

Background: Camels harbouring multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria are capable of transmitting various microorganisms to humans. This study aimed to determine the distribution of anti-microbial resistance among Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolated from the feces of apparently healthy camels in Egyptian abattoirs. Additionally, we sought to characterize Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) strains, assess their virulence potential, and investigate the possibility of camels spreading carbapenem- and colistin-resistant E. coli. Methods: 121 fecal swaps were collected from camels in different abattoirs in Egypt. Isolation and identification of E. coli were performed using conventional culture techniques and biochemical identification. All isolates obtained from the examined samples underwent genotyping through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the Shiga toxin-encoding genes (Stx1 and Stx2), the carbapenemase-encoding genes (bla_KPC, bla_OXA−48, bla_NDM, and bla_VIM), and the mcr genes for mcr-1 to mcr-5. Result: Bacteriological examination revealed 75 E. coli isolates. PCR results revealed that one strain (1.3%) tested positive for Stx1, and five (6.6%) were positive for Stx2. Among the total 75 strains of E. coli, the overall prevalence of carbapenemase-producing E. coli was 27, with 7 carrying bla_OXA48, 14 carrying bla_NDM, and 6 carrying bla_VIM. Notably, no strains were positive for bla_KPC but a high prevalence rate of mcr genes were detected. mcr-1, mcr-2, mcr-3, and mcr-4 genes were detected among 3, 2, 21, and 3 strains, respectively. Conclusion: The results indicate that camels in Egypt may be a primary source of anti-microbial resistance (AMR) E. coli, which could potentially be transmitted directly to humans or through the food chain.

| The alterations in cell density of the bacteria as a result of the gene expression mechanism is called quorum sensing and these changes in Salmonella has been an essential issue for a long time. The quorum sensing gene (sdiA) found in Salmonella spp. is an important regulatory gene for Salmonella survival, colonization and communication with other bacteria and hosts. Salmonella live in the human intestine, which harbors a great density and variety of bacterial cells, in addition to the other flora exist in the colon and all of them communicate amongst themselves and with the host itself to make a change for adaptive processes, such as antibiotic production, invasion of host cells and biofilm formation . Twenty-eight local Egyptian Salmonella isolates from different localities and different sources in Egypt such as, human stool, Egyptian cattle egrets and storks and grilled chicken from electric grills, were tested for the presence of sdiA gene by using PCR and compared with four non-Salmonella local isolates. All Salmonella isolates were PCR-positive for the sdiA gene (274-bp product). All non-Salmonella isolates were PCR-negative for the sdiA gene. Sequencing of sdiA gene revealed thet there were more than 99 % similarity to sdiA gene sequences existing in the GenBank database of different serotypes of Salmonella enterica strains. Therefore, it can be suggested that the SdiA gene is conserved among Salmonella enterica strains regardless of their serotypes. This work provide evidence that the sdiA gene is necessary for Salmonella virulence and the (sdiA) PCR assay is a unique, highly specific molecular marker for the diagnosis and detection of Salmonella .