Publications by authors named "Mourad Said"

The taxa and are sympatric in Tunisia. The genetics underlying their morphological differences are unresolved. In this study, ticks collected in Jouza-Amdoun, Tunisia, were morphologically identified and sequenced using Oxford Nanopore Technologies.

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  • Pakistan has a diverse rodent population, but until now, there has been no research on the presence of Haemogregarines in these animals, highlighting a gap in understanding their epidemiology and genetic variation in this region.
  • The study collected blood samples from four rodent species in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, finding a 2.86% prevalence of Haemogregarines, with sequencing confirming the presence of Hepatozoon spp. and Lankesterella spp.
  • Results showed that Rattus rattus had the highest infection rates, especially among female rodents, and infected individuals exhibited abnormal blood cell counts and oxidative stress indicators compared to uninfected rodents.
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Background: In camels, thelaziosis is mainly caused by Thelazia leesei Railliet & Henry, 1910, a little-known eyeworm species. Given the paucity of scientific data, this study aimed to provide new insights into the morphology, molecular characterization, and phylogenetic relationship of T. leesei and its occurrence in camels from Iran, where animals suffer from the high burden of eyeworms.

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  • Coccidiosis is a major issue in poultry farming, particularly in District Swabi, Pakistan, where data on its prevalence and species distribution in chickens is scarce.
  • A study collected 900 fecal samples from broiler and egg-laying chickens, revealing a 44.4% infection rate, with broilers, younger birds, and females showing higher infection rates.
  • The findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to manage coccidiosis and suggest future research into sampling methods and the clinical impact of the identified parasites.
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  • Trypanosomiasis is a parasitic disease significantly affecting livestock and human health in Southern Punjab, Pakistan, prompting a study to gauge its prevalence among camels, cattle, buffaloes, goats, and sheep.* -
  • The study analyzed 240 blood samples and found an overall infection rate of 22.08%, with camels showing the highest rates of infection (45.83%) compared to other ruminants, while the prevalence varied by district.* -
  • Different methods, including microscopy and PCR, were used to confirm infections, revealing varying positivity across species and districts, but no substantial differences in PCR results among the species tested.*
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  • A study in Narowal, Punjab, found that 72.92% of ruminants slaughtered were infected with gastrointestinal parasites, with goats having the highest infection rate at 78.63%.
  • Female ruminants experienced significantly higher infection rates (85.62%) than males (65.13%).
  • The research revealed a severe economic impact, estimating annual losses of approximately Pak. Rs. 405.09 million (around USD 1.43 million) due to organ condemnation from GI parasites.
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  • * A study conducted from May 2020 to March 2021 in Pakistan involved 100 CRC patients and 100 controls, using advanced genetic testing methods to analyze SNPs in different genes.
  • * Results indicated that variations in the FABP2, CYP2E1, and TP53 genes are associated with CRC development, while factors like smoking, marital status, lack of exercise, and family history increase risk, highlighting the importance of these genetic markers in the local population.
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  • - This study builds on previous research about how antibiotics affect the tick microbiota, particularly the transmission of Babesia microti, by comparing antibiotic-treated (AT) and control-treated (CT) Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks to observe changes in their microbial community interactions.
  • - Results indicated that AT ticks had a more connected but less interactive microbial community, showing significant differences in network centrality measures, which reflect how different bacteria interact within the community.
  • - The findings highlight that certain bacteria like Coxiella and Acinetobacter play key roles in maintaining network stability, and the antibiotic treatment made these networks less robust, indicating a higher susceptibility to disturbances.
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Tick-borne rickettsioses, caused by Gram-negative bacteria of the Rickettsia genus, pose a growing global threat, with various arthropod vectors contributing to their transmission. Understanding the complex interactions within tick microbiota, including the role of Rickettsia species, is crucial for elucidating the dynamics of rickettsial diseases. Here, we investigate the taxonomic profiles and co-occurrence networks of Rickettsia in Rh.

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  • Artificial intelligence in medicine usually faces challenges related to small, non-diverse patient data due to privacy concerns, but federated learning (FL) offers a solution by allowing training across different hospitals without sharing sensitive data.
  • The newly developed FL-PedBrain platform is specifically designed for pediatric brain tumors, enabling collaborative training for tumor classification and segmentation across 19 international centers, addressing the lack of diverse datasets in this area.
  • FL-PedBrain shows impressive performance metrics, maintaining almost equivalent accuracy to centralized data training while significantly improving segmentation performance by 20 to 30% at external sites, and allows for the examination of data variability in real-world situations.
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The honeybee (Apis mellifera) is a key pollinator critical to global agriculture, facing threats from various stressors, including the ectoparasitic Varroa mite (Varroa destructor). Previous studies have identified shared bacteria between Varroa mites and honeybees, yet it remains unclear if these bacteria assemble similarly in both species. This study builds on existing knowledge by investigating co-occurrence patterns in the microbiomes of both Varroa mites and honeybees, shedding light on potential interactions.

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Background: Gram-negative bacteria with quinolone resistance and extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) present significant treatment challenges. This study evaluated the prevalence and characteristics of quinolone resistance in Gram-negative strains, investigating the relationship between plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR), ESBLs, and integrons.

Methods And Results: We collected 146 Gram-negative isolates from patients in three Palestinian hospitals.

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  • Bovine papular stomatitis virus (BPSV) is a virus affecting cattle, leading to skin lesions mainly on the udder and mouth, and little research has been done on it in Iraq.
  • A study in Al-Qadisiyah, Iraq, examined 264 cattle, finding that 79.9% (211 cows and calves) with lesions tested positive for BPSV using PCR.
  • The BPSV strains identified in Iraq were genetically similar to those found in the USA, suggesting the need for further research on the virus's evolution and spread in the area.
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Soft ticks pose significant health risks as vectors of various pathogens. This study explored the spatio-temporal distribution and genetic relationships of the soft tick species Argas persicus infesting domestic hens (Gallus gallus domesticus) across different districts in Pakistan. An examination of 778 hens revealed a notable tick infestation prevalence of 70.

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This study investigates the molecular prevalence and phylogenetic characteristics of two prominent blood-borne pathogens, Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) and Plasmodium spp., in common quails (Coturnix coturnix) sampled from both wild (N = 236) and farmed (N = 197) populations across four districts (Layyah, Dera Ghazi Khan, Lahore, and Multan) in Punjab, Pakistan, during the hunting seasons from 2021 to 2023.

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  • * A study involving 119 bed bug samples found DNA from bacteria Rickettsia and Ehrlichia, showing strong genetic similarities to strains present in dogs and ticks from other countries.
  • * This research is the first of its kind in Tunisia and emphasizes the importance of further exploring how bed bugs may contribute to the spread of these diseases.
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spp. are responsible for ovine and caprine theileriosis, leading to significant morbidity and mortality in small ruminants. The present study aims to investigate spp.

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Anaplasmosis is an emerging infectious disease that is being recognised all over the world, with impact on animal health.This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the rate infection of Anaplasma spp. infection in Algerian ruminants.

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  • - This study examines the flea species Ctenocephalides canis, which infests mammals and birds in Iran, focusing on genetic identification and characterization.
  • - Researchers collected 918 flea samples from 10 locations, identifying 71 off-host fleas and collecting additional samples from humans and domestic animals, followed by morphological and molecular analysis.
  • - The findings confirmed the presence of C. canis and revealed some genetic diversity among isolates, contributing to our understanding of their taxonomy and potential role in transmitting diseases in the region.
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Background: Until now, there has been limited information on the prevalence and the phylogeny of sensu lato in ticks in Tunisia, particularly in .

Methods: The present study aimed to determine the prevalence and the phylogeny of s.l.

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Epigenetics plays a vital role in the interaction between living organisms and their environment by regulating biological functions and phenotypic plasticity. Considering that most aquaculture activities take place in open or natural habitats that are vulnerable to environmental changes. Promising findings from recent research conducted on various aquaculture species have provided preliminary evidence suggesting a link between epigenetic mechanisms and economically valuable characteristics.

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In this study, we used techniques to identify available parasite treatments, representing a promising therapeutic avenue. Building upon our computational initiatives aimed at discovering natural inhibitors for various target enzymes from parasites causing neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), we present novel findings on three turmeric-derived phytochemicals as inhibitors of pteridine reductase I (PTR1) through methodologies. PTR1, a crucial enzyme in the unique folate metabolism of trypanosomatid parasites, holds established therapeutic significance.

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Trace metals are naturally occurring metals found in very small concentrations in the environment. In the context of fish flesh, metals such as copper, calcium, potassium, sodium, zinc, iron, and manganese are absorbed by fish and play vital roles in various physiological functions. However, if these metals exceed the recommended limits set by WHO/FAO, they are termed 'toxic metals' due to their harmful impacts on both the fish and its consumers.

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