Foodborne bacterial pathogens recovered from contaminated shawarma meat in northern Jordan.

Introduction: The purpose of the study was to isolate, identify, and determine the antimicrobial resistance of the bacterial pathogens recovered from shawarma (donair) sandwiches served to the public in Jordan.

Methodology: Bacterial contamination of 100 shawarma sandwiches with pathogenic bacteria was studied by culture on selective media, serology, PCR assay, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing.

Results: One hundred and forty-five bacterial isolates were identified.

Anti-ENA antibody profile in hepatitis C patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is increasing all over the world, especially among hemodialysis patients. HCV is one of the major autoantibody inducing viruses, where anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA), anti-smooth muscle antibodies (ASMA), anti-liver kidney microsome antibodies (LKM-1), and rheumatoid factor (RF) have been related to HCV. Few studies have investigated the presence of anti-extractable nuclear antigens (ENA) antibodies in chronic liver diseases, especially in chronic hepatitis C cases, but none investigated its immunostimulation role in hemodialysis units.

Molecular characterization of Bacillus cereus toxigenic strains isolated from different food matrices in Jordan.

Background: Bacillus cereus is increasingly recognized as one of the causative agents of food poisoning in different parts of the world.

Methods: In this study, molecular characterization of B. cereus toxigenic strains isolated from food in Jordan was performed.

Detection of mutations associated with multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates.

Antimicrobial resistance was studied in 100 Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains selected randomly from sputum cultures of newly diagnosed tuberculosis patients. Resistance of the isolates to rifampicin, isoniazid, and ethambutol was tested by both drug susceptibility testing (DST) and allele-specific PCR (AS-PCR). A total of 19 (19%) isolates were found resistant to at least one of the antituberculosis drugs investigated by PCR compared with 14 (14%) resistant isolates detected by DST.

Extended Spectrum beta-Lactamases among Gram-Negative Bacterial Isolates from Clinical Specimens in Three Major Hospitals in Northern Jordan.

Background and Objectives. Extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production is increasing all over the world, and organisms other than E. coli and K.

Etiology of community-acquired pneumonia in hospitalized patients in Jordan.

Objective: To ascertain the causative organisms of community acquired pneumonia (CAP) in Jordanian patients requiring hospital admission.

Methods: A prospective study of both adults and children admitted to Princess Basma and Princess Rahma Teaching Hospitals in Irbid, Jordan with a diagnosis of CAP over a 6-month period from April to October 2002.

Results: A total of 35 adult patients were admitted with a mean age of 47 years, and 63 children with a mean age of 3 years.

Polymicrobial infections in children with diarrhoea in a rural area of Jordan.

Polymicrobial infections associated with diarrhoea are common in developing countries. Stool specimens were collected from 220 patient children and 100 controls. Potential pathogenic agents isolated from 143 (65%) children were identified by molecular and standard microbiological methods.