This study was conducted to investigate the presence of Enterococcus spp. in meat, meat products and seafood. A hundred and four samples were randomly collected from different geographic localities in Libya. The samples were subjected to microbiological analysis for enumeration and isolation of Enterococcus spp. by conventional cultural and molecular identification using PCR and partial sequencing of 16S rDNA techniques. Out of 104 samples, 73 (70.2%) isolates were found to be enterococci based on their cultural characteristics on ESD medium. However, out of 36 samples subjected to molecular identification, only six isolates were confirmed to be Enterococcus spp. using PCR and partial sequencing of 16S rDNA technique. All enterococci strains tested for their antibiotic sensitivity profiles showed high percentage of multi-resistance phenotype. These results can be used for further studies on enterococci as an emerging food borne pathogen and its role in human infection in Libya and would suggest that meat, meat products and seafood might play a role in the spreading of enterococci through the food chain with antimicrobial resistance characteristics.
Ibrahim Eldaghayes(6-2017)

Background: This study was conducted to investigate the presence of Bacillus cereus in meat, meat products, and some seafood in Libya. Materials and Methods: One hundred and thirty-one samples were collected from different geographic localities in Libya. The samples were subjected to microbiological analysis for enumeration and isolation of B. cereus by conventional cultural, biochemical, and molecular identification using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and partial sequencing of 16S rDNA techniques. Results: Of 131 samples, only 38 (29%) isolates were found to be B. cereus based on their cultural characteristics on Mannitol Egg-Yolk Polymyxin (MYP) medium that included 30% beef, 38.2% beef products (minced, burger, kabab, and sausage), 31.8% camel meat, and 48% chicken products (burger, sausage, kabab, and liver). However, B. cereus was not detected from mutton and seafood samples. Seventeen isolates were subjected to molecular identification using PCR and partial sequencing of 16S rDNA technique and confirmed to be B. cereus. The confirmed B. cereus strains were tested for their antibiotic sensitivity profiles and showed a high percentage of multiresistance phenotype. Conclusions: The results provide a better understanding of B. cereus isolated from food of animal origin in Libya and suggest that meat and meat products might play an important role in the spreading of B. cereus through the food chain with antimicrobial resistance characteristics.
Ibrahim Eldaghayes(6-2018)

Aims: The aim of the study was to characterize a spirochaete isolated from thelesions of a cow with digital dermatitis (DD).Methods and Results: The characterization was on the basis of its light andelectron microscopic appearance, enzymic profile and DNA sequence analysisof its flagellin and 16S rRNA genes. The spirochaete was 6–8-lm long and 0Æ2–0Æ3 lm in diameter, and possessed seven to eight periplasmic flagella, withthree to five helical turns. The enzymic profile of the bacterium resembles, butis not identical to that of Treponema brennaborense. Its flagellin gene sequencewas identical to that of Treponema phagedenis but distinct from that of anovine spirochaete. Analysis of a 1477-bp region of the 16S rRNA genes indica-ted that this is a Treponema species and that it is indistinguishable from someisolates made from cases of bovine DD in the United States. Finally, electronmicroscopy revealed the presence of myovirus-like bacteriophage particles in allcultures of the treponeme examined.Conclusions: The spirochaete isolate was identified as a Treponema species clo-sely related to some isolates from the United States (by 16S rDNA) and to T.phagedenis (by flagellin gene sequence) and is associated with bacteriophageparticles.Significance and Impact of the Study: The fact that the isolates with the sameor very similar 16S rDNA sequences have been obtained from cases of bovineDD in cattle in different countries at different times, lends further support tothe hypothesis that treponemes play a role in the pathogenesis of this disease arabic 10 English 72
Abdulgader Dhawi Alfitouri Dhawi(1-2021)