Nasopharyngeal Carriage, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Serotype Distribution of in Children Under Five in Lebanon: Baseline Data Prior to PCV13 Introduction.

Background: The nasopharyngeal carriage of can be the source of transmission between humans and the starting step towards invasive pneumococcal diseases. Data on the carriage of pneumococci in children before and after the pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) integration in a country are essential for monitoring any change in pneumococcal carriage serotypes and their antimicrobial-resistance profiles.

Methods: We investigated the epidemiology of carriage among children younger than five years old in Tripoli, Lebanon, in 2016, the same year of integration of PCV13 in the country's Expanded Program on Immunization.

Effect of vine leaves processing on Azoxystrobin, Fenazaquin and Indoxacarb residues dissipation: processing factors and consumer safety assessment.

The effect of vine leaves processing techniques on Azoxystrobin, Fenazaquin, and Indoxacarb residues was investigated. Residue extraction following field application of pesticides and leaf processing was carried out using the QuEChERS method, with analysis conducted by LC-MS/MS. In dry conservation, Azoxystrobin's half-life was estimated to exceed a year, Fenazaquin's was 18 days, and Indoxacarb's was 142 days.

Multidrug-resistant pathogens contaminate river water used in irrigation in disenfranchised communities.

Objectives: The contamination of fresh surface waters poses a significant burden on human health and prosperity, especially in marginalized communities with limited resources and inadequate infrastructure. Here, we performed in-depth genomic analyses of multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDR-B) isolated from Al-Oueik river water that is used for irrigation of agricultural fields in a disenfranchised area that also hosts a makeshift Syrian refugee camp.

Methods: A composite freshwater sample was filtered.

The occurrence of the carbapenemase gene, bla, on a transmissible IncX3 plasmid in multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli isolated from a farm dog.

Objectives: In-depth phenotypic and genomic analyses on a carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli isolate, recovered from the faeces of a farm dog in Lebanon, focusing on its antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns and the underlying resistome.

Methods: E. coli strain EC-106 was identified using MALDI-TOF-MS.

Assessment of the Microbiological Acceptability of White Cheese (Akkawi) in Lebanon and the Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Associated .

Dairy foods are a staple in Lebanon, a low- and middle-income country that has been experiencing serious challenges to food safety and antimicrobial stewardship among other issues. The microbiological acceptability of dairy products has been of increasing concern. This is partially due to the failing economy and prolonged power outages that affect the quality of raw material and disrupt the dairy cold chain, respectively.

Zoonotic Tuberculosis: A Neglected Disease in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region.

is the etiologic agent of bovine tuberculosis (BTB), a serious infectious disease in both humans and animals. BTB is a zoonotic disease primarily affecting cattle and occasionally humans infected through close contact with infected hosts or the consumption of unpasteurized dairy products. Zoonotic tuberculosis is strongly associated with poverty and poor hygiene, and low- and middle-income countries bear the brunt of the disease.

Pepsin and Trypsin Treatment Combined with Carvacrol: An Efficient Strategy to Fight and Biofilms.

Biofilms consist of microbial communities enclosed in a self-produced extracellular matrix which is mainly responsible of biofilm virulence. Targeting this matrix could be an effective strategy to control biofilms. In this work, we examined the efficacy of two proteolytic enzymes, pepsin and trypsin, to degrade P.

Hurdle technology based on the use of microencapsulated pepsin, trypsin and carvacrol to eradicate and biofilms.

The biofilm lifestyle plays a major role in the resistance and virulence of and . In this study, two microencapsulated proteases (pepsin ME-PEP and trypsin ME-TRYP) were evaluated for their biofilm dispersal activity and their synergistic effect with microencapsulated carvacrol (ME-CARV). Spray-drying was used to protect enzymes and essential oil and enhance their activities.

Catch-22: War, Refugees, COVID-19, and the Scourge of Antimicrobial Resistance.

Wars have hidden repercussions beyond the immediate losses of life, well-being, and prosperity. Those that flee wars and seek refuge in safer locations are not immune to the tragic impacts. Of particular concern is the susceptibility of the refugee populations to infectious diseases and antimicrobial-resistant pathogens.

Microencapsulation of carvacrol as an efficient tool to fight Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis biofilms.

Biofilms are involved in serious problems in medical and food sectors due to their contribution to numerous severe chronic infections and foodborne diseases. The high resistance of biofilms to antimicrobial agents makes their removal as a big challenge. In this study, spray-drying was used to develop microcapsules containing carvacrol, a natural antimicrobial agent, to enhance its activity against P.

Hurdle technology using encapsulated enzymes and essential oils to fight bacterial biofilms.

Biofilm formation on abiotic surfaces has become a major public health concern because of the serious problems they can cause in various fields. Biofilm cells are extremely resistant to stressful conditions, because of their complex structure impedes antimicrobial penetration to deep-seated cells. The increased resistance of biofilm to currently applied control strategies underscores the urgent need for new alternative and/or supplemental eradication approaches.

Enterococcus faecium CMUL1216 an Immunobiotic Strain with a Potential Application in Animal Sector.

Antibiotic misuse in the animal sector is the first cause of the emergence and spreading of MDR bacteria. Prevention of infectious diseases and enhancement of animal growth are the main effects of antibiotics that push farmers and veterinarians to use this molecule in animal farms. Thus, the use of alternative solutions such as natural antimicrobial substances as well as probiotic strains is a crucial need in this sector.

Levels of heavy metals, total petroleum hydrocarbons, and microbial load in commercially valuable fish from the marine area of Tripoli, Lebanon.

The present study aimed at evaluating the levels of microbiological contamination, total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs), and heavy metals (As, Cd, Hg, and Pb) in the edible tissues of commonly consumed fish (8 species) collected from the marine area of Tripoli, Northern Lebanon. Total coliform levels in all sampled fish, and Escherichia coli levels in Liza ramada only, exceeded the permissible limits set by FAO/WHO 2002. Staphylococcus aureus counts were within the recommended thresholds, while sulfate-reducing bacteria levels were the highest in fish of the genus Liza.

Prevalence of methicillin-sensitive and methicillin-resistant nasal carriage in food handlers in Lebanon: a potential source of transmission of virulent strains in the community.

Purpose: To determine the prevalence and virulence determinant genes of nasal colonization by among food handlers in Tripoli, Lebanon.

Methodology: Within a cross-sectional study design, nasal swab specimens were collected. Epidemiological and microbiological investigations were performed through conventional culture and MALDI-TOF-MS.

Characterization of lactobacilli strains isolated from baby's feces for their potential immunobiotic application.

Background And Objectives: Several LAB species were evaluated and characterized for potential probiotic use. Besides the antimicrobial activity, probiotics showed recently a capacity to prevent and to alleviate inflammatory and chronic diseases. Immunomodulation effect is one of the modes of actions of such probiotics, called immunobiotics, which can be used in several chronic diseases such as Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD).

LABiocin database: A new database designed specifically for Lactic Acid Bacteria bacteriocins.

Bacteriocins from lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are successfully applied as natural alternatives to food preservation and to antibiotics; however, information on these antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is scattered through the literature and databases. Therefore, we developed the LABiocin database, a specialized database on LAB bacteriocins. The database was stored and compiled using MySQL with NetBeans IDE as the platform.

In-vitro evaluation of the antibacterial activity of the essential oils of Micromeria barbata, Eucalyptus globulus and Juniperus excelsa against strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (including MDR), Mycobacterium kansasii and Mycobacterium gordonae.

Background: Mycobacterium spp. are responsible for several diseases, particularly in immunocompromised populations. The spreading of the resistance to antimycobacterial drugs is a significant problem to the public health and requires to find out a new and innovative alternative for the treatment of drug resistant mycobacterial strains.