SUMMARYCampylobacteriosis is a zoonotic disease which has a worldwide public health impact. The disease is endemic in Egypt; however, the epidemiology in animals and humans has not been fully characterized. The objective of this study was to compare the risk of Campylobacter faecal carriage in children exposed to Campylobacter-infected vs. non-infected backyard poultry and to identify risk factors for a backyard being classified as infected. A total of 103 households which owned backyard poultry were sampled from a rural community in Egypt. Within these households 379 poultry and 106 children were tested for C. jejuni and C. coli; 23·5% and 5·5% of poultry were positive for C. jejuni and C. coli, respectively. In the studied households; 12·3% of children were positive for C. jejuni, and 2·8% were positive for C. coli. Using logistic regression, households with poultry positive for C. jejuni had 3·86 (95% confidence interval 1·0-15·0) times the odds of having children positive for C. jejuni compared to those housed with poultry which all tested negative. Backyard poultry may present a transmission route of C. jejuni to children. Backyards with poor cleaning and disinfection, wet litter and manure disposed of within the backyard had increased odds of being positive for C. jejuni. Enhancing biosecurity and management in poultry backyards may reduce the risk of the disease.

The aim of current study was to investigate the epidemiology of Hepatitis E virus (HEV) in humans and geographically matched food animals as a novel zoonotic assessment in Egypt. Blood samples were collected from patients who had a history of jaundice and attended to fever and general hospitals. Animal blood samples were collected from cows, buffaloes, sheep and goats convenient to HEV seropositive humans. Enzyme Immuno Assay (EIA) protocol was used to determine IgG anti-HEV. Sex and pregnancy were investigated as potential risk factors for HEV infection. Of 134 examined humans, 51 (38.1%) were positive for IgG anti-HEV. The males showed 26.8% seropositivity while the recorded female seropositivity was 50.8%, with a significant difference at P = 0.005, Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.35 at 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.17-0.73. There was a significant difference at P = 0.02 between seropositivity in pregnant (25%) and non-pregnant women (59.6%); OR was 0.23 (95% CI: 0.06-0.81). Anorexia was the most common symptom whereas paraesthesia and back pain were the least within icteric seropositive HEV humans. Hepatitis E virus seropositivity was recorded in 21.6%, 14%, 4.4% and 9.4% from examined cows, buffaloes, sheep and goats, respectively. The infected food animals were convenient to positive HEV humans who may declare the epidemiological picture of potential zoonotic HEV.

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a b s t r a c tBackground/Objective: Trichophyton verrucosum is a serious zoophilic dermatophyte causing dermatophytic infections and skin lesions in humans and animals. Raising small ruminants beside cattle is a common practice in rural areas of Egypt. Therefore, the current study emphasizes the risk of T. verrucosum spreading through backyard farming, recognizing the interconnectedness of ruminants and humans. Methods: A total of 478 cattle, 215 sheep, 186 goats, and 250 human contacts were investigated for the presence of skin lesions, and then the lesions were sampled. All samples were examined by fungal cultures using Sabouraud dextrose agar. Results: The highest rate of T. verrucosum isolates was recorded in cattle that grew up along with sheep and goats (14.5%), whereas the lowest rate was observed in cattle reared as a single species (6.6%), with a significant difference of p ¼ 0.04, odds ratio ¼ 2.42 at a 95% confidence interval: 1.03e5.65. In addition, there was a borderline significant difference of p ¼ 0.05 between the presence of T. verrucosum pathogens in humans in contact with combined species of cattle, sheep, and goats (13.8%) and those in humans in contact with cattle only (3.3%); the odds ratio was 4.66 at a 95% confidence interval: 1.00e22.53. Moreover, the highest rate of T. verrucosum isolates in cattle was recorded in young cattle (calves). Tinea barbae was found in 11 human cases, while tinea corporis was determined in seven cases. Conclusion: Rearing different species of small ruminants with cattle supports the spread of T. verrucosum pathogens. Tinea barbae caused by T. verrucosum was predominant in the examined humans.

Potential sources of Toxoplasma gondii infection, as a foodborne zoonotic disease, and suggested control strategies, were investigated. Samples of fresh buffalo meat (FBM) and imported frozen buffalo meat (IFBM), raw vegetables (RVs) and irrigation water (IW) were examined for the presence of T. gondii infective stages. Serum samples from housewives, regarding their gloves usage, were serologically inspected for T. gondii antibodies. The prevalence of T. gondii tissue cysts in FBM and IFBM were 15.4 and 0%, respectively. FBM had an increased risk of 18.60 times than IFBM. The prevalence of T. gondii tissue cysts in RV and IW were 13 and 16.7%, with 0.78 times increased relative risk, respectively. The total antibodies were significantly differed between nonglove users and glove users, with seropositivities of 31 and 10.3%, respectively. Soaking of RV in water at 65C or in vinegar solution at 45C for 1 min was an effective treatment for complete elimination of the contaminant T. gondii oocysts.