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Several studies demonstrated a high seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in schizophrenicpatients than healthy individuals. This case control study determined the serprevalence of T.gondii among schizophrenic patients and healthy individuals at Kafrelsheikh UniversityHospitals and to estimate its effect on serum dopamine level. T. gondii IgG was detected in52.2% &23.9% of schizophrenic patients and healthy individuals respectively with significance(P value = 0.005). Serum dopamine level was higher in schizophrenic patients thanhealthy individuals with statistical significance (P =

The zoonotic intestinal protozoan parasites and Helicobacter pylori) are worldwide distributedhuman pathogens. This study evaluated the co-infection between H. pylori and the commonestintestinal protozoan parasites. A total of 240 stool samples were collected over one yearfrom patients attending outpatients' clinics of Kafrelsheikh University Hospitals, after verbalconsent for participation. Samples were subjected to microscopic examination directly beforeand after formol ether concentration. Samples were examined using merthiolate iodine formalin(MIF) direct smears to detect G. intestinelis and permanent modified trichrome and modifiedacid-fast cold kinyoun's stained smears to detect E. histolytica/dispar and Cryptosporidium spp.respectively. Screening with immune-chromatographic test (ICT) detected H. pylori infection.The results showed that H. pylori were in 160/240 (66.7%). Univariate analysis showed significanceassociation between H. pylori and protozoan causing diarrhea (P = 0.015). These protozoanparasites were with G. intestinalis ((P=0.002), E. histolytica/dispar (P= 0.041), Cryptosporidiumparvum (P =0.018) and Blastocystis hominis (P= 0.040).

Cryptosporidiosis is a recognized child infectious killer and the second cause of diarrheal disease and death in infants. Assessing Cryptosporidium spp. genetic diversity is a real goal to elucidate its transmission dynamics and to design preventive measures in absence of effective treatment. Cryptosporidium isolates in stool of Egyptian children were detected using Acid Fast (AF) staining, copro-nPCR/RFLP assay and real time PCR high-resolution melting (HRM) curve analysis assay. Stool samples were collected from 335 children complaining of diarrhea and other GIT symptoms, attending the outpatient clinic of Abu El Reesh hospital, Kasr Al-Ainy School of Medicine, Cairo University. Two genotypes C. hominis and C. parvum were identified in 43 isolates from Egyptian children by copro-nPCR targeting COWP gene and HRM assay. Real time PCR HRM curve analysis, a closed-tube genotyping method, targeting ITS-2 gene confirmed the results of copro-nPCR/RFLP. It is simple, rapid, has more sample throughput, analysis capacities and data storage with less carry-over contamination and cost.

Cryptosporidium is one of the most common, worldwide diarrheal diseases caused by parasites. Due to absence of an effective treatment, determining the prevailing species of Cryptosporidium is a key in identifying its transmission dynamics and a necessary precursor required for the planning and implementation of effective preventive and control strategies. This PCR-RFLP study was done to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium species in the stool of a cohort of Egyptian children and evaluate/assess associated risk factors for susceptibility to cryptosporidiosis, due to the lack of existent studies addressing Cryptosporidium transmission dynamics in humans and assessed risk factors in Egypt. Stool samples were collected from 431 children; 331 diarrheic and 100 apparently healthy non-diarrheic children; their data were recorded. Samples were processed for Copro-nPCR targeting Hsp90 gene and PCR-RFLP analysis for species identification. Variables which showed statistical significance for Cryptosporidium were included in a logistic regression analysis to identify the estimated risk. Out of 84 (19.5%) Cryptosporidium-positive samples (78 diarrheic and 6 non-diarreic), 75 (89.3%) were Cryptosporidium hominis, 6 (7.1%) were Cryptosporidium parvum, and 3 (3.6%) were non-typed. There was a significant association between Cryptosporidium detection in stool and the estimated risk factors: diarrhea, soft stool, and drinking from tap water. Cryptosporidium is an indigenous, prevailing intestinal parasite among children in Cairo that physicians must consider, especially in diarrheic, preschool-aged children, who drink from tap water. The finding of a predominance of C. hominis indicates anthroponotic rather than zoonotic transmission.

Cryptosporidium is a significant cause of diarrhea worldwide especially in children. Infection may end fatally in immunocompromised patients. Multi-attribute analysis was used to determine the lab utility of 4 diagnostics; coproscopy of AF stained fecal smear, fecal immunoassays by ICT and ELISA and copro-nPCR assay targeting Hsp90 gene, for detection of Cryptosporidium in stool of 250 Egyptian children (150 diarrheic and 100 non-diarrhaeic children). Also, to determine Cryptosporidium molecular prevalence. Cryptosporidium was an important enteric pathogen among both diarrheic and non-diarrheic study children with a clearly high prevalence of 16.4 % (n = 41). Conventional methods had perfect specificity (100 %) but couldn`t be used as a consistent single detection method due to their lowered sensitivities. Multi-attribute analysis ranked nPCR the highest test for lab use. Being the test with the best diagnostic yield, nPCR is a reliable diagnostic test and is going to replace conventional methods for reliable detection of Cryptosporidium.