ABSTRACT
Cattle in tropical and Mediterranean regions are susceptible to theileriosis, a serious tick-borne disease that impairs animal health and productivity and causes significant financial losses. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Theileria spp. infection among crossbred cattle in Assiut Province, Upper Egypt, using microscopic examination and molecular PCR confirmation. A total of 200 blood samples were collected from crossbred cattle, including 84 apparently healthy animals and 116 animals presenting clinical signs suggestive of theileriosis. Microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained blood smears revealed an overall prevalence of Theileria spp. infection of 38.5% (77/200). Infected animals were more frequently observed among the clinically suspected group, with a significantly higher prevalence of 54.31%, compared to the apparently healthy group. Analysis of epidemiological factors revealed that age-related analysis showed that cattle older than one year had a higher infection rate (47.5%), and females exhibited greater prevalence than males. Seasonal variation was evident; infection rates peaked during the hot season at 44.23% and declined to 32.29% in the cold season, although these factors (age, sex and season) were not statistically significant (P> 0.05). Tick infestation was significantly associated with Theileria spp. infection (P< 0.05), indicating its crucial role in disease transmission. Molecular confirmation of selected heavily infected samples was performed using PCR targeting the Tams1 gene, successfully amplifying a 721 bp fragment, confirming the presence of T. annulata. This study concludes a moderate prevalence of Theileria spp. infection in crossbred cattle in Assiut Province, highlighting the critical need for integrated tick management and diagnostic surveillance to mitigate health and economic impacts.
Key words: Cattle, Epidemiology, Molecular identification, PCR, Theileria annulata, Ticks, Assiut, Egypt.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by immune mediated tissue damage affecting a wide range of organs. The pathogenesis of SLE is complex. Infectious agents, including viruses, can act as environmental triggers, inducing or promoting onset and exacerbations of autoimmune disease in genetically predisposed individuals. Viral infections may be involved in the pathogenesis of SLE. To date, there is no published data about role of herpes simplex virus (HSV) in pathogenesis of SLE in Egyptian population. This study was designed to investigate a possible role of HSV in pathogenesis of SLE and its relation to disease activity. This study included 90 SLE female patients and 83 apparently healthy age-matched female subjects. SLE disease activity was assessed using SLEDAI-2K score. Qualitative assessment of anti-HSV antibodies (HSV1/2 IgM and IgG) was performed using ELISA kits. There was no statistically significant difference in frequency of HSV1/2 IgG positive test between SLE patients (97.6%) and control subjects (94.4%). There was a statistically significant increase in frequency of HSV1/2 IgM positive test in SLE patients compared to control subjects (P< 0.001). There was no difference in the frequency of HSV1/2 IgM and HSV1/2 IgG positive test results between SLE patients with higher disease activity score (60% and 95.6%, respectively) and those with lower disease activity score (60% and 93.3%, respectively). High prevalence of HSV1/2 IgG antibodies was observed among Egyptians. The lack of significant difference in frequency of HSV1/2 IgG between SLE patients and control 

Abstract

Background: Rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) remains a leading cause of severe infant diarrhea worldwide, with growing evidence supporting the role of the gut microbiome in modulating the disease. However, the interplay between early-life demographic factors, the gut microbiome, and their combined impact on RVGE clinical severity remains inadequately characterized, particularly in specific geographic populations. Aim: We aimed to investigate how demographic determinants shape gut microbiome composition and function in RVGE and how these features relate to clinical severity. Methods: In our comprehensive case–control study of 165 infants (120 RVGE cases and 45 healthy controls, aged 0–12 months), we utilized 16S rRNA sequencing combined with advanced statistical modeling and machine learning to investigate how demographic factors influence microbiome composition and clinical outcomes. Results: RVGE cases exhibited significantly reduced bacterial diversity (Kruskal–Wallis, Static = 14.85, p < 0.001) and distinct patterns, with community structure most strongly associated with dehydration severity (PERMANOVA; R² = 0.15, p < 0.001). Substantial taxonomic alterations were identified characterized by depletion of beneficial commensals including Akkermansia (LDA score = 3.8, p < 0.001), Faecalibacterium (Random Forest AUC = 0.82, p < 0.001), and Bifidobacterium (r = −0.42 with breastfeeding, p < 0.001), alongside enrichment of inflammation-associated taxa such as Escherichia-Shigella (WBC; r = 0.49, p < 0.001, and CRP; r = 0.56, p < 0.001), Streptococcus (LDA score = 4.2, p < 0.001), and Staphylococcus. Proteobacteria was the top potential biomarker of severe outcomes (Random Forest AUC = 0.85), with abundance positively correlated with systemic inflammation (CRP: r = 0.51, p = 0.003). Functional predictions revealed increased lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis (ko00540) and reduced butanoate metabolism (ko00650, p < 0.001) in severe disease. Importantly, demographic factors significantly modulated clinical outcomes: cesarean-delivered, formula-fed infants presented the most dysbiotic profiles and experienced 3.2-fold longer hospitalization (95% CI: 1.8–5.6, p < 0.001) than vaginally delivered, breastfed infants did. Conclusions: Collectively, these findings demonstrate that early-life demographic factors potentially shape the gut microbiome composition and function, may influence RVGE severity and recovery trajectories, thus providing candidate biomarkers for risk stratification and identifying targets for microbiota-based interventions.