Cytogenetics of acute and chronic schistosomiasis mansoni.

Schistosomiasis mansoni patients with acute were examined for genetic damage using the conventional cytogenetic method to assess the frequency of chromosomal aberration (CA) in the cultured blood cells. A non-significant difference was noticed in the frequency of CA between patients (acute & chronic) and control (n = 15), but on treatment of blood cultures with bleomycin (a radiomimetic agent with a DNA alkylating effect), the percentage of induced breakage and fragmentation increased significantly 2 and 3 folds in acute and chronic patients respectively, indicating increased chromosomal fragility. The incidence of rearrangement in the form of translocation increased significantly as compared to control blood cultures treated with bleomycin.

Incidence of Parastrongylus cantonensis larvae in different fresh water snails in Dakahlia Governorate.

Samples of snails were collected from different water bodies in Dakahlia governorate to assess a survey on the naturally infected snails and their infection rate with the Parastrongylus cantonensis larvae. The nematode P. cantonensis is associated in the etiology of eosinophilic meningeoencephalitis of man.