ObjectiveTo present the molecular characterization of Cysticercus tenuicollis (C. tenuicollis) of Taenia hydatigena (T. hydatigena) from livestock isolates in Egypt, and to introduce a detailed image of C. tenuicollis infection in ruminant animals in Upper Egypt.MethodsThe prevalence rates of C. tenuicollis infections among the slaughtered animals from different organs were determined using the amplification of sequencing of the MT-CO1 gene.ResultsIn the present study the infection rates of C. tenuicollis were found to be 16% and 19% in sheep and goat samples respectively. Firstly we report one larval stage of T. hydatigena detected in the camel liver in Egypt. C. tenuicollis infection manifested a higher prevalence in females than in males. Those above two years of age manifested a higher infection rate than younger animals. The preferred site for the infection was the omentum: a 70% preference in sheep and a 68% preference in goats. The molecular characterization using the MT-CO1 gene of isolates from sheep, goats and camels corresponded to T. hydatigena. For this study, molecular characterizations of T. hydatigena were done for the first time in Egypt. Molecular tools are of great assistance in characterizing the C. tenuicollis parasite especially when the morphological character cannot be detected, because the metacestodes are frequently confused with infection by the hydatid cyst, especially when these occur in the visceral organs. In the present study, C. tenuicollis manifested high identity in the goat and sheep samples, while differences were found more frequently in the camel samples (10 base pair).ConclusionsClearly molecular diagnosis for C. tenuicollis infection significantly helps to differentiate it from such other metacestodes as hydatidosis, which manifests a completely different pathogenicity and requires different control programs

Background and Aim: Ovine theileriosis caused by Theileria ovis and Theileria lestoquardi is an important infectious disease affecting small ruminants in regions of the tropic and subtropic zones. There is limited studies about ovine theileriosis in Egypt; so the present study aims to assess the occurrence of ovine theileriosis in Egypt at the molecular level. Materials and Methods: Blood samples were collected from 115 randomly selected sheep, which were apparently healthy; the ages of the sampled sheep ranged from 1 to 5 years old, from a local breed (barkae and balade), and showed no symptoms indicating infection with Theileria spp. The study was conducted in three governorates representing Lower Egypt (Menoufia and Beheira) and Upper Egypt (El-Wady El-Geded). All blood samples were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and semi-nested PCR to target Theileria spp. 18S rRNA genes. Positive samples were sequenced, and these sequences were analyzed using nucleotide basic local alignment search tool (BLAST). Results: Six animals (5.22%) were PCR-positive carriers for ovine theileriosis. Nucleotide BLAST and phylogenetic analyses of the six obtained sequences showed that T. ovis was present in five animals (4.37%) in Menoufia (n=2) and El-Wady El-Geded (n=3), whereas T. lestoquardi was detected in 1 animal (0.87%) in El-Wady El-Geded. Conclusion: This study is the first to provide molecular evidence, genetic characterization, and phylogenetic analysis of ovine Theileria spp. in Egypt. Specifically, T. lestoquardi and T. ovis carrier statuses of sheep were confirmed. These results highlight the importance of developing an effective control strategy against ovine theileriosis carriers that might develop and/or spread theileriosis.

Trichomonas vaginalis is a parasitic protozoan that infects the urogenital tract of individuals globally, affecting both women and men. There are various methods to detect T. vaginalis, including clinical diagnosis and laboratory examination. "The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of T. vaginalis among married women in Al-Khums, Libya. The comparison between four different diagnostic methods to detect T. vaginalis, vaginal swab samples from women who visited Souq Al-Kamlesh Hospital during the period from February 2022 to July 2022 from different regions of the city (Al-Khums, Lebdah, Seline, Souq AlKhamees, Kaam and Caucasus) and collected 350 samples and analyzed them. The highest infection rate is recorded at pH < 7 in 68.75% of cases. The Whiff test resulted in 13 positive samples (3.71%), the culture medium method Cystine-Peptone-Liver infusion- Maltose (CPLM) recorded 16 positive samples (4.57%), and the Giemsa dye staining method recorded 16 positive samples (4.57%). The age groups were more affected by women aged 45 years (28.5%), followed by the age groups between 35 and 45 years at a rate of 4.59%. The lowest infection rate was in the 15-25 (1.90%) age group, with significant differences (P ? 0.05). Furthermore, the most common injuries among women were from Al-Khums region (7.76%), followed by Souq Al-Khamees region (3.94%) and finally Kaam region (2.94%). Cases of miscarriage (10.15%) are found more frequently in this study. The culture and staining methods were used to detect the highest infection rate of Trichomonas vaginal and achieve better results than other methods.

Background: Cognitive impairment and attention deficit disorder have been on the rise among generations in recent times. A significant portion of the brain involved in learning and cognition is the hippocampus. Its development begins in utero till weaning. The mother's body mass index (BMI) before pregnancy indicates her health; however, little data links maternal BMI before pregnancy to fetal hippocampal health outcomes. Aim: The study aimed to estimate the extent to which pre-pregnancy maternal body mass index (BMI) relates to their offspring brain status, and thus to what extent to this stage of life may be an opportunity for mental and cognitive development. Methods: Thirty-six naive female albino rats (Rattus norvegicus) at 8 weeks of age with average weight 190-220g body weight were obtained and assigned to three experimental groups according to their body mass index into; under-, over- and normal weight. Following one week of habituation, all females were allowed to mate (3 female/ 1 male). On postnatal day1, pups were randomly adjusted to 8/dam with equal gender ratio. On 15 day postpartum, all pups were sacrificed. Hippocampi were removed and processed for histological investigations, GFAP immunohistochemically and flow cytometric assessments of apoptosis. Measurements of cognitive brain were carried out. Results: The present findings manifested elevation in the inflammatory and apoptotic markers in the hippocampus of underweight mothers-offspring yielding a lower cognitive ability than overweight mothers-offspring compared to those whose mothers with normal weight before conception. The male offspring were more affected than female offspring especially those born to pre-pregnancy underweight mothers. Conclusion: The study concluded that there may be a connection between a mother's pre-pregnancy BMI and her offspring's cognitive capacities, which calls for more study to gain a deeper knowledge and to create interventions that target the physical health of the mother prior to pregnancy in order to enhance their offspring's health and cognitive outcomes.