Serum hepcidin is elevated in children with β-thalassemia; but this elevation is more evident in TM patients with severe iron overload. Thus, hepcidin can be a potential marker of severe iron overload in patients with TM. Further studies are recommended to compare serum hepcidin and serum ferritin in the prediction of severe iron overload in steady state and during infection or inflammation.

Amyloodiniosis and vibriosis are serious diseases in European seabass ( Dicentrarchus labrax ) hatcheries with noticeable high mortality. This study was conducted on tank-cultured D. labrax frys at a private marine hatchery near Mariout Lake (Alexandria, Egypt). Frys showed a high mortality rate (70%), lethargy, darkening, asphyxia, ascites, and velvety skin appearance. Both infectious agents were presumptively identified in all investigated frys. The identities of the two recovered agents were confirmed by molecular assay and phylogenetic analysis. On the tissue level, histopathological examination of skin, splenic, and renal tissue indicated severe alterations due to the direct impacts of both infections. On the cellular level, scanning electron micrographs showed both protozoal and bacterial pathogens on/in gill epithelial cells in solitary and colonial forms. Vibrio alginolyticus showed variable results for tested antibiotics, with a higher sensitivity to florfenicol. A successful control strategy was strictly adopted to overcome infections and stop mortalities. Copper sulphate and hydrogen peroxide were efficiently applied to tank water to overcome A. ocellatum infections. Further, florfenicol was effectively used to overcome systemic V. alginolyticus infections. The efficacy of treatments was confirmed by the absence of infectious agents in randomly collected fish samples. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the earliest Egyptian studies that dealt with the dilemma of mass kills associated with external parasitic/systemic bacterial infections among hatchery-reared European seabass.

Background: Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major health issue and it is linked to high rates of morbidity and mortality. MRSA is a multidrug resistant organism therefore, several new antimicrobial agents against MRSA are urgently needed such as those based on nanoparticles (NPs). Objectives: Detection of the antimicrobial activity of ZnO and TiO2 NPS on MRSA if used alone then evaluating their effect when combined with different types of antibiotics. Methodology: This study was carried out on 150 pus samples collected from patients with infected wounds in different wards of Benha University hospitals. Identification of MRSA isolates was performed by chromogenic media and cefoxitin disc diffusion test. The antibacterial activity of ZnO and TiO2 NPs and the effect of their combination with antibiotics were tested by measuring their inhibition zones on MRSA isolates. The effect of NPs on MRSA isolates was traced by using electron microscope. Results: The prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus) among samples in the present study was 61(40.6%) and the percentage of MRSA among S. aureus isolates was 60.7%. This study detected a significant antibacterial activity of ZnO and TiO2 on MRSA isolates. There was a significant increase in the mean diameters of the inhibition zones of tested antibiotics on MRSA isolates when they were conjugated with ZnO and TiO2 NPs. Conclusion: ZnO and TiO2 NPs have a significant antibacterial activity on MRSA isolates. Our results support marked synergy between NPs (ZnO and TiO2) and antibiotics when both combined against MRSA isolates.