International Journal of Enteric Pathogens
Volume:12 Issue: 1, Feb 2024

 Oral mucositis is a painful and uncomfortable complication and affects the quality of life and tolerance of patients for continued treatment. Therefore, the prevention and treatment of this problem are important.

 This study aimed to compare the effect of nystatin cocktail with normal saline in the prevention of oral mucositis in children with cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

 Overall, 50 children undergoing chemotherapy were randomly divided into an experimental nystatin cocktail group and a control normal saline mouthwash group, each containing 25 patients. The patients were evaluated for 3 weeks on days 0, 3, 7, 14, and 21 for oral mucositis. In addition, to calculate the average oral health status, the debris score of each tooth was recorded separately according to the presence or absence of plaque and debris and its amount.

 In total, 64%, 28%, and 8% of patients receiving normal saline had no mucositis, grade-I mucositis, and grade-II mucositis, respectively. In contrast, 60%, 32%, and 8% of patients in the nystatin group had no mucositis, grade-I mucositis, and grade-II mucositis, respectively (P=0.952). No statistically significant difference was detected in the hygiene status in terms of the plaque index (PI) among children in the two groups (P=0.896). In patients using normal saline, the mean severity of mucositis on the third and seventh days after chemotherapy was higher than children in the nystatin group (P=0.629).

 The findings showed that normal saline and nystatin cocktail were effective in preventing and reducing the oral mucositis severity in patients undergoing chemotherapy.

 Poultry by-products are a rich protein source that has the potential for recycling valuable products. Considering that poultry by-products are an important problem for the environment, it is necessary to find some ways to convert them into valuable products. Identifying and introducing microbial sources with the appropriate protease ability that can be used in the fermentation and conversion of non-useful waste into beneficial ones are highly important in medical and environmental terms.

 The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antioxidant properties of fermented poultry by-products using proteolytic isolates.

 The samples were collected from a poultry slaughterhouse in Karaj, and proteolytic microorganisms were screened. Finally, two isolates (R and D) with proteolytic activity were selected for fermentation. The fermentation was performed on poultry by-products with 12.5% inoculation, 150 rpm, 1% D-glucose, and 37° C. The antioxidant activity was assessed on fermented poultry protein hydrolysates (FPPH) by some methods, such as scavenging free radicals and the ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay.

 The results showed that after 24 hours of fermentation, FPPH by D with 37.7% degree of hydrolysis demonstrated 72.3% DPPH scavenging and 7.975 ± 0.36 µmol Fe (II)/L, and after 48 hours, fermented samples with 52.6% degree of hydrolysis represented 95.9% radical scavenging activity and 3.483 ± 0.28 µmol Fe (II)/L in the FRAP assay. In addition, after 24 hours of fermentation, FPPH by R with a 33.7% degree of hydrolysis illustrated 64% DPPH scavenging and 5.992 ± 0.28 µmol Fe (II)/L. After 48 hours, hydrolysates had a 54.4% degree of hydrolysis, and radical scavenging was calculated at 95.3% and 7.286 ± 0.39 µmol Fe (II)/L in the FRAP assay.

 Since poultry by-products are used for feeding, fermentation is a suitable way to improve the quality of feed.

 Despite the advancements in medical sciences, healthcare-associated infections continue to pose significant threats to human health.

 This research was carried out to assess the prevalence of healthcare-associated intestinal protozoan parasites among admitted patients of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital in Awka.

 Two stool samples were collected from each of 159 patients and analyzed using saline wet mount test, formol ether concentration technique, and modified Ziehl Neelsen technique. Other data concerning demography and risk factors were obtained with the aid of a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Pearson’s chi-square test and a P value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

 Overall, 25 samples (15.7%) were positive for nosocomial intestinal protozoan infection. Females had the highest prevalence of this infection (18.3%). Additionally, the age group 10- 19 years had the highest prevalence (31.6%). Patients who were hospitalized for more than 30 days revealed the highest prevalence (87.5%), and patients admitted to the pediatric ward also had a high prevalence (23.5%). Moreover, patients who drank well water had a prevalence of 33.3%, and those who did not sanitize their hands revealed a prevalence of 22.2%. Nosocomial infection was strongly associated with duration of hospital stay and stool consistency (P ˂ 0.000). In this study, 5 parasites were isolated, among which Entamoeba histolytica was the most prevalent parasite (52.0%).

 Hence, improved patient and medical personnel hygiene, safer health practices, and hospital sanitation should be adopted to curtail the spread of infection.

The close living of humans and animals is increasing in developing and developed societies in a new way. Along with the pet-keeping benefits, disadvantages such as the possibility of transmission of infections, especially parasitic infections, are also considered in this relationship. Giardiasis, as a worldwide health problem caused by different species of Giardia protozoa, accounts for significant morbidity and mortality annually. Considering the zoonotic potential of this intestinal parasite, there is a possibility of direct transmission from animals to humans or infection acquisition from the environment, which makes it a one-health-related issue. Some species or assemblages are specific to the host and are unable to cause disease; thus, they cause symptoms in other non-specific hosts, such as humans. There are several risk factors for the occurrence and prevalence rate of giardiasis from pet owners, the most important of which are the animal (infected or suspected) contact, the levels of hygiene and health awareness of people, contact with suspected or contaminated soil, and the like. Although effective preventive and control measures have been defined, they have been neglected in some populations. The present review attempts to provide a snapshot of the giardiasis situation among pet owners.

The introduction of the gut-skin axis as a new concept casts light on the complex relationship between dermatological maladies and the human intestinal microbiome. A wealth of evidence now substantiates the crucial involvement of the gut microbiota in the development of psoriasis, emphasizing the need for further exploration in this field. The development of psoriasis involves a combination of factors, making its pathogenesis multifactorial. In addition, psoriasis has been connected to several comorbid conditions. The intricate connection between gut health and skin homeostasis is established through the alteration of immune functions, highlighting the reciprocal nature of this association. This review delves into how an imbalanced gut microbiome can have detrimental effects on psoriasis. Furthermore, this review seeks to discuss potential and emerging therapeutic interventions, encompassing dietary approaches, probiotic supplementation, orally administered engineered bacteria, and phage therapy.

 Enterococcus faecium is of great importance among Enterococcus species due to its antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation. The ability to form a biofilm on living surfaces is considered one of the most important pathogenic factors in this bacterium. E. faecium is involved in endocarditis, urinary tract infection, dental root infections, and eye infections by forming biofilms. Various factors, including the antibiotic resistance of E. faecium and the expression of genes involved in pathogenicity and biofilm formation, are involved in the stability of this bacterium in different conditions and the spread of infection.

 Considering the special importance of E. faecium in biofilm production, the aim of this study was to review the presence and role of genes effective in biofilm formation in E. faecium bacteria.

 PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched using the keywords “genes”, “biofilm formation”, “Enterococcus”, and “quorum sensing”. Studies that investigated the role of genes in the occurrence of biofilm in E. faecium were also included in the study.

 Biofilm formation in enterococci involves a complex interaction of genes and virulence factors, including gelatinase, cytolysin, secreted antigen A, pili, and MSCRAMMs (microbial surface components recognizing adhesive matrix molecules). Polysaccharides also play a role in enterococcal biofilm formation. They are secreted in the form of capsules or exopolysaccharides. The genes involved in the production of polysaccharides include Sal, atn, epa, DltA, ebpABC, and bee. These genes increase the production of biofilm and attachment to the extracellular matrix. Quorum sensing, a process of intercellular communication, mediated by peptide pheromones such as Cob, Ccf, and Cpd, by targeting gene expression and regulation, plays an important role in biofilm development. The Fsr locus contains fsrA, fsrB, and fsrC genes. Furthermore, the regulation of extracellular DNA (eDNA) release has emerged as an essential component in biofilm formation.

 Biofilm formation in E. faecium is dependent on a large number of factors, including multiple genetic factors, a series of environmental conditions, and also a series of environmental signals, many of which need to be identified and researched. A complete understanding of the role of genetic and environmental factors involved in biofilm development may lead to the improvement and development of strategies for biofilm control in enterococci.

Cryptosporidiosis caused by different species of the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium is a global health problem. Different species of these protozoa were isolated from a wide range of animals as well as human hosts. In the One Health approach, many efforts are being made for the epidemiological evaluation of infections, of which the parasitic infection caused by Cryptosporidium species is very important due to the nature of circulation in the human-animal environment. Knowledge of the factors involved in infection and its prevalence in human and animal hosts, as well as the environment (e.g., water, vegetables, etc), can be very useful in adopting preventive policies and controlling infection in animals and humans. Despite various worldwide reports, a concise but comprehensive review has not been conducted until now. In addition to pointing out the latest situation of cryptosporidiosis in the world, the present mini-review has addressed the hidden factors involved in the transmission/spread of the parasite.