Entamoeba histolytica is a cosmopolitan, parasitic protozoan of human large intestine, which is a causative agent of amoebiasis. Amoebiasis manifests with persistent diarrhea containing mucus or blood, accompanied by abdominal pain, flatulence, nausea and fever. In some cases amoebas may travel through the bloodstream from the intestine to the liver or to other organs, causing multiple abscesses. Amoebiasis is a dangerous, parasitic disease and after malaria the second cause of deaths related to parasitic infections worldwide. The highest rate of infections is observed among people living in or traveling through the tropics. Laboratory diagnosis of amoebiasis is quite difficult, comprising of microscopy and methods of molecular biology. Pathogenic species Entamoeba histolytica has to be differentiated from other nonpathogenic amoebas of the intestine, so called commensals, that very often live in the human large intestine and remain harmless. Other intestinal commensals are Entamoeba dispar and Entamoeba moshkovskii, morphologically the same as pathogenic species Entamoeba histolytica sensu stricto. The differential diagnosis of these three amoebas is possible with detection of their DNA

Introduction: Due to the emergence of multidrug/extensively drug-resistant TB and the lack of new anti-TB drugs, tracing the infectious source and monitoring the transmission of drug-resistant TB strains have become critically important.

The bacterial planktonic growth and the removal of bacterial cells grown on polypropylene surface coated with covalently immobilized proteases (subtilisin Carlsberg or a-chymotrypsin) was investigated for Enterococcus hirae, Staphyloccocus epidermidis and Eschericha coli. Immobilization of both proteases on plasma-treated polypropylene was carried out using as cross-linking agent i) glutaraldehyde or ii) N’-diisopropylcarbodiimide and N-hydroxysuccinimide. In the presence of immobilized proteases a higher bacterial planktonic growth (up to 40 %) was observed. Instead, a different effect was observed on cell removal, and it varied according to the bacteria strain, the immobilized protease and the immobilization procedure.

A sputum sample was received from a young woman with a past history of pulmonary mycobacterial disease (< 6 months). She has treated 6 month with first line anti tuberculosis drugs based on clinical symptoms and AFB microscopy (AFB positive) and she has cured. Next time, she came with cough and mild fever again. Molecular based laboratory identification of the sputum specimen confirmed that she has Mycobacterium abscessus infection. After treating with sodium hydroxide (4%) (Sigma), it was centrifuged at 3000 g under refrigerated conditions (at 4°C). The centrifuged deposit was diluted in 1 ml of sterile distilled water to prepare the bacterial suspension. Two slopes of the Lowenstein–Jensen (L-J) medium (Difco), one containing paranitrobenzoic acid (PNB, Sigma) and 7H9 broth medium were inoculated with 100 µl of the bacterial suspension. A small portion of the bacterial suspension (~20 µl) was examined microscopically, using the Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) stain, to determine the presence of acid fast bacilli (AFB). The inoculated media were incubated at 37°C in a 5% CO2 incubator. The phenotypic characters of colonies were observed and smears were prepared from cultures grown on all 3 media. Culture isolates were tested by nitrate reductase test.

Background: The assessment of the bacteriological quality of coastal marine waters through the search of Escherichia coli as an indicator of fecal pollution is a topic of public concern. The context and purpose of the study: During a coastal monitoring program, the abundance and distribution of the actively respiring and dead fraction within the total E. coli population along the Messina coastline (Sicily, Italy) were investigated using a fluorescent-antibody method coupled with the stains 5-cyano-2,3-ditolyl tetrazolium chloride (CTC) or propidium iodide (PI) in order to assess the potential risk related to the viability of this microorganism. Results: This study confirm that the proposed analytical protocols are suitable for E. coli monitoring in seawater, providing in a short time (less than 2 hours from sampling) results comparable to plate count methods currently in use. Main findings: The obtained E. coli counts showed spatial and temporal variations - although not significant - in the percentage of CTC+ cells, suggesting that some cells were still retaining their viability properties, and their abundance was affected by the presence of streams and by the hydrodynamic regimen of the Messina Straits. Conclusions: This study is a contribution to the knowledge of the distribution and viability properties of E. coli present in the waters of Messina coastline in terms of its active and dead components. Brief summary: The cell viability assay through fluorescent antibody and viability dyes offers an interesting research perspective, with important implications for a more reliable estimate of the bacteriological quality of seawater. Any potential implications: The determination of the different physiological states coexisting within the E. coli population is of great significance for human health protection, since it may provide information on the effective risk played by the living component of this microorganism.