Background and Aim:Q fever Coxiella burnetii is a worldwide zoonotic disease, and C. burnetii was detected in mammals and ticks. Ticks play an important role in the spread of C. burnetii in the environment. Therefore, the aims of this study were to detect Q fever C. burnetii in camels and ixodid ticks by molecular tools and identification of Hyalomma dromedarii and Hyalomma excavatum using molecular and immunological assays.Materials and Methods:A total of 113 blood samples from camels and 190 adult ticks were investigated for the infection with C. burnetii by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing the targeting IS30A spacer. The two tick species H. dromedarii and H. excavatum were characterized molecularly by PCR and sequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) and cytochrome oxidase subunit-1 (CO1) genes and immunologically by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and western blot.Results:A total of 52 camels (46%) were positive for Q fever infection. Only 10 adult ticks of H. dromedarii were infected with C. burnetii. The IS30A sequence was around 200 bp in length for C. burnetii in H. dromedarii ticks with a similarity of 99% when compared with reference data in GenBank records. The length of 16S rDNA and CO1 was 440 and 850 bp, respectively, for both H. dromedarii and H. excavatum. The phylogenetic status of H. dromedarii was distant from that of H. excavatum. SDS-PAGE revealed seven different bands in the adult antigens of either H. dromedarii or H. excavatum with molecular weights ranged from 132.9 to 17.7 KDa. In western blot analyses, the sera obtained from either infested camel by H. dromedarii or infested cattle by H. excavatum recognized four immunogenic bands (100.7, 49.7, 43.9, and 39.6 kDa) in H. dromedarii antigen. However, the infested camel sera identified two immunogenic bands (117 and 61.4 kDa) in H. excavatum antigen. Furthermore, the sera collected from cattle infested by H. excavatum recognized three immunogenic bands (61.4, 47.3, and 35 kDa) in H. excavatum antigen.Conclusion:Molecular analyses indicated that both camels and ticks could be sources for infection of animals and humans with Q fever. Furthermore, the molecular analyses are more accurate tools for discriminating H. dromedarii and H. excavatum than immunological tools.

Background: Gastrointestinal parasitic diseases remain an obstacle in goat industry in Egypt and worldwide. This study was conducted for assessing the prevalence of the gastrointestinal parasitic infections among goats in Giza Governorate, Egypt. To fulfill this study, examination of 225 fecal samples of live animals kept by small holders was done, as well as postmortem investigation of 135 random slaughtered goats' gastrointestinal tracts was achieved during the period from March to May 2018. Results: The examination of fecal samples revealed that overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasitic infections among goats was 89.33%. The respective prevalence of kids, yearling, and adults were 89.16%, 98.44%, and 82.05%. The common parasitic infections prevalent were Coccidia spp. (76.89%), Entamoeba spp. (26.22%), Moniezia spp. (18.22%), Strongyle group (12.88%), Trichuris ovis (5.33%), Strongyloides papillosus (3.55%), Balantidium coli (2.66%), and Fasciola spp. (0.89%), successively. Mixed infection was recorded as 61.77% in the examined goats. The present study showed that the prevalence of infection by Coccidia spp., Moniezia spp., and Strongyle group was the highest in the yearling age group. In contrary, the infection prevalence of Entamoeba spp. was significantly high in the adult age group. No significant difference was found relying on the sex of the goats. The post-slaughtering finding showed that Haemonchus contortus was the most prevalent nematode followed by Trichuris ovis and Trichostrongylus axei. Remarkable infection percentage of Taenia hydatigena metacestode (Cysticercus tenuicolli) is recorded in the omentum of the intestine (31.85%). Conclusions: The present study provides basic data about the most prevalent GIP diseases among goats in Giza Governorate, Egypt, which required for evaluation of the followed management and control measures. This work elicited the risk of transmission of some zoonotic diseases via goats. Fecal examination and postmortem finding-based surveys remain of choice particularly in the deprived investigating areas.

Egyptian propolis extracts have an activity on cryptosporidiosis in rats. Moreover, propolis modulated the immunity in dexamethasone-immunosuppressed rats.

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