Diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis using Ziehl-Neelsen stain or cold staining techniques?

Background: Acid-fast bacilli microscopy is the first step in the diagnosis and screening of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in developing countries. It remains a rapid and inexpensive diagnostic tool for diagnosing a large number of PTB cases with limited resources.

Objective: To evaluate three different staining techniques used in the detection of acid-fast bacilli.

Evaluation of an intervention program to prevent hospital-acquired catheter-associated urinary tract infections in an ICU in a rural Egypt hospital.

Aim: Catheter associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) are the most common hospital-acquired infection in ICUs. The aim of this study was to estimate the effectiveness of an intervention program by implementing urinary catheter bundle elements to reduce the CAUTI frequency in an ICU.

Methods: The intervention study was conducted over a period of 6 months.

Is it safe to eat raw seafood? Prevalence of Salmonella in some seafood products sold in Alexandria markets.

Background: Salmonella is a significant microbial hazard in seafood. Salmonella-contaminated seafood usually looks and smells normal; it is therefore essential that every effort is made toward the rapid detection of Salmonella as an important criterion in quality control of seafood.

Aims: This study aims to determine the percentage of Salmonella in some Egyptian seafood sold in Alexandria markets and to study the validity of Chromagar Salmonella Plus (CASP) agar versus xylose lysine desoxycholate and Salmonella-Shigella agar for the isolation and identification of Salmonella in seafood.

The dilemma of widal test - which brand to use? a study of four different widal brands: a cross sectional comparative study.

Background: Serodiagnosis of typhoid fever by Widal test based on demonstrating the presence of agglutinins (antibodies) in the serum of an infected patient, against the H (flagellar) and O (somatic) antigens of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi has been associated with many debates. This is why the aim of this study was to: (i) Compare the diagnostic accuracy of four different commercial kits used to perform Widal test (Remel, BioSystems, Dialab and Biotec). (ii) Compare the sensitivity and specificity of both anti-O and anti-H antibodies.

TUBEX Test Versus Widal Test In The Diagnosis Of Typhoid Fever In Kafr El -Shekh, Egypt.

Background: The value of the Widal test for the diagnosis of typhoid fever has been debated for as many years as it has been available. TUBEX test is a serological test which was stated to have the advantages of the Widal test without its controversies. The aim of this study was to evaluate TUBEX test versus the Widal test regarding sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of typhoid fever in an endemic area like Kafr El -Shekh, Egypt.

Assessment of the quality of water from some public coolers in alexandria, egypt.

Drinking water from bottle-less coolers may pose some public health risks to consumers due to either chemical or microbiological contamination. This study was carried out aiming at assessing the quality of water dispensed from some public coolers in order to determine its compliance with the drinking water standards (Egyptian, EPA) and with the WHO guidelines. Twenty water coolers were selected randomly from different districts.

Assessment of hand washing facilities, personal hygiene and the bacteriological quality of hand washes in some grocery and dairy shops in alexandria, egypt.

Unlabelled: Food produced with satisfactory hygienic standards is one of the essential conditions for promoting and preserving health. A total of 15 grocery and dairy shops were randomly selected from Alexandria, Egypt to assess their hand washing facilities and personal hygiene of food handlers using a pre-designed sanitation checklist. Also the bacteriological profile of the handlers' hand washes was determined.

Evaluation of two enrichment broths, three plating media and ELISA technique for the isolation of salmonella from dairy products.

Salmonella is one of the most important food-borne pathogens that can be transmitted through the consumption of contaminated milk and milk products. Early detection of Salmonella in food is important for food safety. Two selective media, brilliant green agar (BGA) and xylose lysine desoxycholate (XLD) agar are commonly used in diagnostic laboratories for the isolation of Salmonella, often after enrichment of the samples in a broth before plating on the solid medium.

Bacteriological quality of some dairy products (kariesh cheese and ice cream) in alexandria.

The present study estimated the total viable bacterial density, total and faecal coliforms, and E. coli in Kariesh cheese and ice cream. The study included 160 ice cream and kariesh cheese samples (80 samples each).

Detection of coagulase positive staphylococci in meat products sold in Alexandria using two different media.

Microbiological examination of 200 meat products collected from 30 supermarkets in Alexandria revealed that CHROMagar Staph aureus yielded higher counts than Baird Parker medium that were significant in all examined products except sausage. The prevalence of coagulase positive staphylococci was 4%, moreover, CHROMagar Staph aureus showed higher recovery rate and specificity (87.5% and 98.