Publications by authors named "Sonia Boughattas"

The Persian Gulf hosts the second-largest population of Dugongs. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists them as Vulnerable to Extinction species. Incidental fishing, vessel strikes, environmental pollution, habitat degradation, and infectious diseases currently threaten these sirenians.

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The human gastrointestinal microbiota contains a diverse consortium of microbes, including bacteria, protozoa, viruses, and fungi that are involved in many physiological and metabolic as well pathogenetic processes. However, microbiological research is dominated by studies describing the impact of prokaryotic bacteria on gut microbiome with a limited understanding of their relationship with other integral microbiota constituents as protozoa. Here, we investigated the gut microbiome composition using Oxford Nanopore Technology approach in relation to protozoan colonization of Giardia duodenalis, Cryptosporidium parvum, Blastocystis sp.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The review assesses the presence and distribution of certain species and cysts in the water resources of ten MENA countries, revealing significant prevalence rates in various water categories.
  • - Notably, raw wastewater and surface water are identified as the most affected types, with documented parasite prevalence rates of 24.5% for one species and 37.7% for another, despite the absence of reported waterborne outbreaks.
  • - The findings highlight the need for stakeholders to implement stricter water contamination legislation to address the underreported presence of these parasites in MENA drinking water systems.
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The Arabian Peninsula's endemic ungulate, , was on the verge of extinction at the end of the 1970s. Despite the different reintroduction programs, the International Union for Conservation of Nature is still classifying it as Vulnerable. Among other factors, their vulnerability lies in their susceptibility to specific etiological agents that affect livestock, necessitating health monitoring and strict preventive/biosecurity measures.

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Plasticizers are considered as newly emerged contaminants. They are added to plastics to increase their flexibility and softness. Phthalate plasticizers including the Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalates (DEHP) are toxic and induce adverse effects on the different organization levels of the environment.

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The hyperarid mangrove in the Middle East is characterised by the absence of rivers or freshwater inputs and is one of the most extreme settings of this ecosystem on Earth. Endemic to Qatar's hyperarid mangroves, a Palaemon shrimp is uniquely confined to a sole mangrove site in the Arabian Gulf. Within these mangrove channels, we unveiled brine groundwater sources exceeding 70 ppt salinity, contrasting the local marine standard of 42 ppt.

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Article Synopsis
  • Gastrointestinal pathogens (GPs) are a major cause of illness globally, and diarrhoea may be an early symptom of COVID-19, but research on the link between GPs and SARS-CoV-2 is lacking.
  • A study conducted in Italy over two years analyzed stool samples from patients with diarrhoea to assess the prevalence of GPs among those infected and not infected with SARS-CoV-2.
  • Results showed that 37% of COVID-19-positive patients had GPs, with protozoan parasites being the most common, while viral pathogens were more prevalent in COVID-19-negative patients, indicating a potential interaction between GPs and COVID-19.
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Article Synopsis
  • A study conducted in Southern Italy from February 2022 to June 2023 examined the prevalence and genetic diversity of Blastocystis sp. among hospitalized patients with gastrointestinal symptoms, finding that 3.9% tested positive.
  • The research revealed a significant link between positivity rates and patients of African origin, particularly those over 18 years old, while identifying different subtypes of the pathogen among local and immigrant patients.
  • Additionally, it was noted that 33% of the positive cases had co-infections with other pathogens such as Giardia duodenalis and Clostridioides difficile, highlighting the need for further exploration of the interactions between these infections and Blastocystis sp. in diverse patient populations.
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Marine habitats are Earth's largest aquatic ecosystems, yet little is known about marine organism's genomes. Molecular studies can unravel their genetics print, thus shedding light on specie's adaptation and speciation with precise authentication. However, extracting high molecular weight DNA from marine organisms and subsequent DNA library preparation for whole genome sequencing is challenging.

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Qatar, a country with a strong health system and a diverse population consisting mainly of expatriate residents, has experienced two large waves of COVID-19 outbreak. In this study, we report on 2634 SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome sequences from infected patients in Qatar between March-2020 and March-2021, representing 1.5% of all positive cases in this period.

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Background: is a common human intestinal parasite worldwide, and the causative agent of diarrhea, with the severity of disease ranging from asymptomatic to intense and debilitating infection. is known to consist of eight genetically distinct assemblages, named from A to H. No data available on the genotypes and genetic diversity of circulating in Qatar.

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Background: Regarding the antimonial-resistant of spp., understanding of related mechanism is necessary. One of the most important involved molecules is aquaglyceropin1 (AQP1).

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Background: The World Health Organization WHO has estimated that in developed countries, up to 30% of the population may suffer from foodborne diseases each year, and that in developing countries up to 2 million deaths per annum can be attributed to cryptosporidiosis. Reports have already emphasized the role of immigrants in outbreaks of parasitic diseases especially those working in food processing industries.

Methodology/principal Findings: Herein we assessed Cryptosporidium spp.

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Background: Intestinal parasitosis is one of several health concerns about immigrants who travel from endemic to non-endemic regions. Reliable rapid sensitive diagnostic tools, for use in non-endemic regions, are urgently required to enable frequent assessment of immigrant workers in jobs where risk of local transmission is a particular concern (e.g.

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Pediatric diarrhea is a common cause of death among children under 5 years of age. In the current study, we investigated the frequency of intestinal parasites among 580 pediatric patients with chronic diarrhea. Parasitic protozoa (all species combined) were detected by molecular tools in 22.

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Background: Cats are essential in the life cycle of Toxoplasma gondii as they can shed the environmentally resistant oocysts after acquiring infection. Human populations living in cities with high densities of feral cats are therefore likely to be at risk of infection. The current study is the first to estimate the seroprevalence of T.

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Background: In the last decades, the enormous influx of immigrants to industrialized countries has led to outbreaks of parasitic diseases, with enteric infections being amongst the most frequently encountered. In its strategy to control such infection, Qatar has established the Pre-Employment Certificate (PEC) program which requires medical inspection before arrival in Qatar and which is mandatory for immigrant workers travelling to the country. To assess the reliability of the PEC, we conducted a survey of intestinal parasites, based on examination of stool samples provided by immigrant workers (n = 2,486) recently arrived in Qatar.

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Background: The World Health Organization estimates that about 3.5 billion people worldwide are affected by intestinal parasitic infections. Reports have already emphasized the role of immigrants in outbreaks of parasitic diseases in industrialized countries.

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Background: Travel and migration from developing regions, where tropical diseases are common, to more developed industrialised nations can contribute to the introduction and subsequent spread of infections. With its rapidly expanding economy, Qatar has attracted vast numbers of immigrant workers in the last two decades, often from countries with poor socio-economic levels. Many used to arrive with patent intestinal parasitic infections.

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Toxoplasmosis is the most widespread infection worldwide. It occurs within congenital contamination, organ transplant or immune system depression. Primary infection is mainly foodborne with the ingestion of raw or undercooked meat, unwashed fruit-vegetables, unhygienic water or contaminated milk.

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The increasing use of organophosphorus pesticides in the environment constitutes an ecotoxicological hazard especially for humans and non-target animals. Hereby, we analyzed the toxic effects of malathion on the histological structure of liver and biochemical parameters in male rats. Three groups received daily different amounts of malathion: 1/1000, 1/100, and 1/10 LD50 for 30 days.

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Salt stress limits crop yield and sustainable agriculture in most arid and semiarid regions of the world. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are considered bio-ameliorators of soil salinity tolerance in plants. In evaluating AMF as significant predictors of mycorrhizal ecology, precise quantifiable changes in plant biomass and nutrient uptake under salt stress are crucial factors.

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Toxoplasmosis has been recognized as parasitic zoonosis with the highest human incidence. The human infection by the parasite can lead to severe clinical manifestations in congenital toxoplasmosis and immunocompromised patients. Contamination occurs mainly by foodborne ways especially consumption of raw or undercooked meat.

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We report the identification and typing of a congenital toxoplasmosis case in a diabetic pregnant young woman living in Tunis. The Toxoplasma DNA extracted from amniotic fluid was detected by Real Time PCR and subjected to a multilocus genetic characterisation of the strain at markers: 3'SAG2, 5'SAG2, New SAG2, SAG3, GRA6, BTUB, APICO, PK1, KT850 and UPRT1. An atypical genotype of T.

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