Background: Clostridium difficile is an important pathogen associated with outbreaks of diarrhea and other intestinal disorders, such as pseudomembraneous colitis. Methods: 95 pediatric patients suffering from diarrhea and 37 adult patients from Assiut University Hospital were included in this study. Stool samples were collected from each patient and were subjected to direct toxin immunoassay and culture on cycloserine/cefoxitin/fructose agar for 72hrs. Clostridium difficile isolates were confirmed by the use of API® strips. DNA was extracted from all Clostridium difficile isolates and stool samples and the presence of tcdA and tcdB (Toxin) genes were tested by the use of polymerase chain reaction. We compared the results of the toxin immunoassay and the direct detection of toxin genes with culture ofC. difficile. Results: Clostridium difficile strains were isolated from 17 (17.9 %) pediatric and 10 (27 %) adult fecal samples and all the isolates were confirmed to contain tcdA and tcdB genes that are associated with toxin production “toxigenic culture”. Considering the toxigenic culture as the “gold standard”, the sensitivities, specificities, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracies of the assays , respectively, were 100%, 89.7%, 68%, 100%, 91.6% for toxin A immunoassay in pediatric samples; 82.4%, 100%, 100%, 96.1%, and 96.7% for the direct PCR in pediatric samples; 100%, 96.3%, 90.9%, 100%, and 97.3% for toxin A immunoassay in adult samples; and 100%, 100%, 100%, 100%, and 100% the direct PCR in adult samples. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that direct detection of toxin genes in stool sample is considered a sensitive and specific method for detection of diagnosis C. difficile

Background: Clostridium difficile is an important pathogen associated with outbreaks of diarrhea and other intestinal disorders, such as pseudomembraneous colitis. Methods: 95 pediatric patients suffering from diarrhea and 37 adult patients from Assiut University Hospital were included in this study. Stool samples were collected from each patient and were subjected to direct toxin immunoassay and culture on cycloserine/cefoxitin/fructose agar for 72hrs. Clostridium difficile isolates were confirmed by the use of API® strips. DNA was extracted from all Clostridium difficile isolates and stool samples and the presence of tcdA and tcdB (Toxin) genes were tested by the use of polymerase chain reaction. We compared the results of the toxin immunoassay and the direct detection of toxin genes with culture ofC. difficile. Results: Clostridium difficile strains were isolated from 17 (17.9 %) pediatric and 10 (27 %) adult fecal samples and all the isolates were confirmed to contain tcdA and tcdB genes that are associated with toxin production “toxigenic culture”. Considering the toxigenic culture as the “gold standard”, the sensitivities, specificities, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracies of the assays , respectively, were 100%, 89.7%, 68%, 100%, 91.6% for toxin A immunoassay in pediatric samples; 82.4%, 100%, 100%, 96.1%, and 96.7% for the direct PCR in pediatric samples; 100%, 96.3%, 90.9%, 100%, and 97.3% for toxin A immunoassay in adult samples; and 100%, 100%, 100%, 100%, and 100% the direct PCR in adult samples. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that direct detection of toxin genes in stool sample is considered a sensitive and specific method for detection of diagnosis C. difficile

the objective of the present study was detection of Brucella organism in buffalos milk collected from buffalo dairy farm through isolation ,identification and typing of the isolates

the objective of the present study was detection of Brucella organism in buffalos milk collected from buffalo dairy farm through isolation ,identification and typing of the isolates

the objective of the present study was detection of Brucella organism in buffalos milk collected from buffalo dairy farm through isolation ,identification and typing of the isolates

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Background: Globally an estimated 287 000 maternal deaths occurred in 2010. Methodology: The study was observational descriptive one aimed to estimate maternal mortality ratio in Assiut Governorate in 2009 and to highlight both avoidable and non-avoidable causes of maternal deaths in order to formulate the appropriate strategies to overcome the avoidable causes of maternal mortality in Assiut Governorate. The relevant data of the study obtained through secondary analysis of data of maternal mortality records obtained from Assiut Health Directorate (Maternal and Child Health Department), 2009. Data of maternal deaths collected by the concerned medical staff through a special questionnaire designed by Ministry of Health and population (Maternal Mortality Surveillance System),this questionnaire covered all demographic data of the target women, place, date and time of death relative to pregnancy (i.e. during abortion, labor, puerperium), full obstetric history and meticulous detail of last pregnancy, type of obstetric care delivered to the target woman (i.e. place & time of initiation of last labor, associated complications, outcome of the baby …..etc). Results: Maternal mortality Ratio in Assiut Governorate in 2009 was 68 / 100,000 live births, about 44% of these deaths happened during perperium and 24% during pregnancy. 34.6% of deaths occurred at home and 25.3% occurred among nulli-prous women. Only 14% of women completed their antenatal care visits while about one-half of cases (51.5%) seek antenatal care once or twice. Hypertensive diseases of pregnancy was the first direct cause of death (27.1%), followed by unexpected sudden death which may be due to pulmonary embolism (18.6%), then postpartum hemorrhage (16.9%) and puerperal sepsis (11.9%). Conclusion: Maternal mortality still represents a major public health problem in Upper Egypt

Background: Globally an estimated 287 000 maternal deaths occurred in 2010. Methodology: The study was observational descriptive one aimed to estimate maternal mortality ratio in Assiut Governorate in 2009 and to highlight both avoidable and non-avoidable causes of maternal deaths in order to formulate the appropriate strategies to overcome the avoidable causes of maternal mortality in Assiut Governorate. The relevant data of the study obtained through secondary analysis of data of maternal mortality records obtained from Assiut Health Directorate (Maternal and Child Health Department), 2009. Data of maternal deaths collected by the concerned medical staff through a special questionnaire designed by Ministry of Health and population (Maternal Mortality Surveillance System),this questionnaire covered all demographic data of the target women, place, date and time of death relative to pregnancy (i.e. during abortion, labor, puerperium), full obstetric history and meticulous detail of last pregnancy, type of obstetric care delivered to the target woman (i.e. place & time of initiation of last labor, associated complications, outcome of the baby …..etc). Results: Maternal mortality Ratio in Assiut Governorate in 2009 was 68 / 100,000 live births, about 44% of these deaths happened during perperium and 24% during pregnancy. 34.6% of deaths occurred at home and 25.3% occurred among nulli-prous women. Only 14% of women completed their antenatal care visits while about one-half of cases (51.5%) seek antenatal care once or twice. Hypertensive diseases of pregnancy was the first direct cause of death (27.1%), followed by unexpected sudden death which may be due to pulmonary embolism (18.6%), then postpartum hemorrhage (16.9%) and puerperal sepsis (11.9%). Conclusion: Maternal mortality still represents a major public health problem in Upper Egypt

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