Background: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease commonly managed using salbutamol inhalers. Prolonged exposure to inhaled medications may induce genotoxic alterations, including micronucleus (MN) formation in buccal epithelial cells. Limited data exist regarding such effects among Sudanese asthmatic patients. Objective: To assess the frequency of micronuclei in buccal mucosa among asthmatic patients using salbutamol inhalers and compare the findings with healthy controls in Shendi City. Methods: A descriptive comparative cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 participants: 50 asthmatic patients using salbutamol inhalers and 50 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Buccal smears were collected, fixed with 95% ethanol, and stained using the Papanicolaou technique. Micronuclei were examined microscopically, and data were analyzed using SPSS employing Chi-square and ANOVA tests. Results: Micronucleus positivity was detected in all asthmatic patients (100%) compared with 80% among controls (p = 0.000). MN frequency increased significantly with age group 20–40 years (52%, p = 0.026) and with duration of inhaler use (p = 0.000). No significant association was found between MN frequency and gender (p = 0.072). Conclusion: Long-term use of salbutamol inhalers is associated with a significant increase in micronucleus frequency in buccal epithelial cells, suggesting potential genotoxic effects. Further studies using DNA-specific stains, such as Feulgen, are recommended to validate these findings.

Backgrounds: Rubella (German measles) is a common mild illness signs’ by fever, mild intoxication, rash, swelling, and soreness of the lymph nodes. It affects children and teenagers worldwide and can also affect young adults. Rubella virus infects pregnant women, and can be transmitted to the fetus and causing birth defects or Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS). The study designed to scrutinize the role of the Rubella virus in spontaneous abortion by comparing Immunological and molecular tests used in diagnosing the virus in Iraqi aborted women. Methods: A total of sixty women were enrolled from two Baghdad maternity hospitals from December 2023 to February 2024. Thirty serum samples were gathered from spontaneously miscarriage women, and thirty from healthy as a control group. Serological tests, Chemi-Luminescence (TORCH) and Enzyme Immunoassay were performed for diagnosis of Rubella virus infection followed by molecular detection by Reverse Transcriptase-PCR. Results: Revealed that out of 30 specimens, 26 tested positive for rubella virus. Both Enzyme Immunoassay and Chemi-Luminescence assay detected anti-Rubella virus IgG, but the Immunoassay test showed superiority over the Chemi-Luminescence assay by 54%, and IgM anti-Rubella virus was slightly high by only 3%. Conclusions: Molecular detection was more reliable diagnostic method of rubella virus.

Ovis aries (Sheep) is one of the earliest animals domesticated by man. They are distributed worldwide with higher concentrations in tropical areas and in dry zones. The study was aimed to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites of Ovis aries (Sheep) in Kano Main Abattoir, Kano State, Northern Nigeria. A total of 230 fecal samples were collected from male and female sheep brought to the Abattoir for slaughter from January through July, 2023. Flotation technique was employed for the detection/isolation of gastrointestinal parasites eggs in the fecal samples using microscope. The result indicated six parasites ova from different genera in the samples examined. These include; Strongyloides sp, Haemonchus sp, Trichuris sp, Eimeria sp, Monieza sp and Entamoeba sp. Haemonchus sp. was the most prevalent parasite encountered 34 (26.8%), followed by Strongyloides sp 23 (18.1%), Eimeria sp 22 (17.3%), Trichuris sp 21 (16.1%) while Entamoeba sp 16 (12.6%) and Moniezia sp was the least prevalent 11 (8.7%). It was also found that female sheep are more susceptible to gastrointestinal parasite than male counterpart. Similarly, more parasites are found among adult sheep than younger ones. Statistical analysis of the result showed no significant difference in the prevalence of gastrointestinal among different categories of sheep examined at p<0.05.

This study investigated the microbial dynamics, diversity, and succession patterns of yoghurt enriched with baobab (Adansonia digitata) fruit pulp during a 15-hour fermentation period. Baobab pulp was incorporated at 10% (w/v) into pasteurized milk, and fermentation was carried out at 45°C. Microbial analyses included serial dilution, cultural characterization, biochemical tests, and molecular identification using 16S and 18S rRNA sequencing. Results showed a progressive and significant (p < 0.05) increase in microbial populations over time. Total bacterial counts rose from 1.2 × 10² CFU/mL at 0 hours to 6.00 × 10⁵ CFU/mL at 15 hours, while Lactobacillus populations increased from 0 to 5.62 × 10⁵ CFU/mL. Fungal counts also increased significantly from 0 to 1.32 × 10⁴ CFU/mL across the fermentation period. The predominant beneficial bacteria identified were Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Leuconostoc sp., confirming active lactic acid fermentation. Fungal isolates included Aspergillus niger, Mucor sp., Botrytis cinerea, and Penicillium maximae. The detection of Staphylococcus aureus suggests possible contamination, emphasizing the need for strict hygiene during processing. Overall, the findings demonstrate that baobab-enriched yoghurt supports robust fermentative microbial activity and contains diverse microbial communities, while highlighting the importance of aseptic production conditions to ensure product safety and quality.

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) is a important source of morbidity with mortality worldwide. The increasing prevalence from antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among HAI pathogens complicates empirical therapy and infection control. This study characterizes the antimicrobial resistance patterns of bacterial isolates recovered from HAIs at a tertiary-care hospital. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study of bacterial isolates obtained from patients with HAIs between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024. Clinical specimens (blood, urine, wound/tissue, respiratory secretions, and catheter tips) submitted to the microbiology laboratory were included if cultures met criteria for HAI. Species identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) were performed using standard laboratory methods and interpreted according to CLSI/EUCAST guidelines. Data were analyzed for pathogen distribution, resistance rates to key antibiotic classes, multidrug resistance (MDR) prevalence, and trends by specimen type and ward. A total of 400 non-duplicate isolates from 380 patients met inclusion criteria. Gram-negative bacteria comprised 72% (n=288) of isolates; Gram-positive bacteria comprised 28% (n=112). The most common organisms were Escherichia coli (22%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (18%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12%), Acinetobacter baumannii complex (10%), Staphylococcus aureus (9%), and Enterococcus spp. (6%). Resistance to third-generation cephalosporins was observed in 56% of E. coli isolates and 62% of K. pneumoniae isolates. For carbapenems, resistance rates were 14% in E. coli, 24% in K. pneumoniae, 28% in P. aeruginosa, and 46% in A. baumannii. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) phenotype was detected in 48% of Enterobacterales. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) accounted for 36% of S. aureus isolates. Overall MDR (resistance to ≥3 antibiotic classes) prevalence was 39%. Intensive care unit (ICU) isolates had significantly higher MDR rates (58%) compared to general wards (31%) (p<0.001). This study reveals high rates of resistance among common HAI pathogens, particularly Gram-negative organisms and ICU isolates. Strengthened antimicrobial stewardship, targeted infection control measures, and continual local surveillance are essential to optimize empirical therapy and limit AMR spread.

Wound infection is a significant health problem in many parts of the world especially, Africa. It complicates the recovery of the patient, increases trauma care, prolongs hospital stay and has economic consequences on the patient. This study was aimed to isolate, Identify and determine the antibiotic susceptibility profile of some bacteria associated with deterioration of infected wound in Kano State, Northern Nigeria. The study involved 170 patients attending Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital Kano for treatment of infected wound. Isolation and identification of the isolates was conducted using standard microbiological techniques. The bacteria isolates were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing using the agar disk diffusion method. The results showed that total of 6 different species were identified. S. aureus has the highest frequency with total of occurrence 90 (26.9%), followed by Pseudomonas with total frequency of 66 representing (20.3%), then E. coli with frequency of 54 (16.1%). Klebsiella, S. epidermidis and Proteus spp has percentage occurrence of 15.2%, 12.5% and 09.0% respectively. Generally, antibiotic resistivity of isolates to commonly used antibiotics was low; the results showed that 15 out of 355 isolates were multidrug resistant representing 4.5%. Ciprofloxacin, Augmentin and Gentamycin. It is concluded that several bacteria were responsible for wound infection.

Climate change central and southern Iraq, for instance, has the rise of mean and minimum temperatures, changed precipitation regimes, more droughts, and extreme events with high intensity. Consequently, the ecological conditions that govern the population of Phlebotomus sandflies and disease transmission dynamics of both cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis have also been affected. This review provides a summary of the latest evidence on the mechanistic pathways that connect climate drivers to the physiology of the sandfly, the formation of the microhabitat, the dynamics of the reservoir host, and the human exposure. Furthermore, it emphasizes how these processes, through land use change, water scarcity, and sociopolitical stressors, interact to create novel risk landscapes in Iraq's drought prone governorates. An increase in temperature not only shortens but can also lengthen the period during which the vector is active seasonally, while changing rainfall and irrigation practices produce varying microhabitats which either provide refugia or serve as breeding sites that are filled up by transients or pulses, producing strong populations through short periods. Heavy rainfall occurring now and then after a long dry period can lead to short population growth, while gradual drying favors the establishment of xerictolerance Phlebotomus species and the connection between them and humans living nearby. Different studies on regional spatiotemporal and nichemodelling analyses show that there might be changes in the distribution of species and their life cycles could be extended in a way that they invade human habitats with leishmaniasis where the reservoirs are present or become local transmission areas with visceral leishmaniasis. There are still major gaps in surveillance that are critical: there is very little long term species level entomology in central and southern Iraq; molecular diagnostics and sentinel networks are not developed at all; and integrated One Health strategies are applied only sometimes in the case of humanitarian or displaced population settings. The review concludes by giving upfront, operational priorities: in high risk microhabitats, set up sentinel entomological sites, make climate driven early warning indicators operational, increase moleculary species and parasite diagnostics, apply targeted One Health reservoir interventions, and test climate triggered response packages in high risk governorates. Coordinated research and policy action are urgent. Without such measures, ongoing warming and resource stress will increasingly favor vector persistence and localized leishmaniasis emergence in Iraq’s droughtprone heartlands.