Marine macroalgae are considered as an excellent source of bioactive compounds which has a broad range of biological activities including antibacterial and antioxidant. Crude methanolic and water extracts of 19 marine algal species (6 Chlorophyta, 8 Phaeophyta and 5 Rhodophyta) collected from the western coast of Libya were evaluated for antibacterial activity against pathogenic bacteria (4 Gram-positive, 4 Gram-nega- tive). The extracts showed a significant antibacterial activity against Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus spp., and Staphylococcus epidermidis) as well as Gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Klebsiella spp., and Pseudomonas aerugi- nosa). The algal aqueous and methanolic extracts displayed different degrees of antimicrobial activities against different bacteria, in some cases methanolic extracts showed higher antibacterial activity than aqueous extracts. Among tested algae, Brown algae namely Cystoseira crinite exhibited the highest antibacterial activity among tested algal species.
Salah M. Azwai(1-2013)

Abstract The purpose of the study was to investigate the molecular characteristics and genetic relatedness of the first reported cases of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) from the Tripoli Medical Center, Libya. In total, 43 VRE isolates were obtained from various clinical sites throughout the years 2013-2014, including 40 vanA-type and 2 vanB-type vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium isolates and 1 vanC1-type Enterococcus gallinarum. Of the 42 E. faecium, 19 isolates were subjected to whole genome sequencing. Core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) analysis revealed three sequence clusters (SCs) of clonally related isolates, which were linked to different hospital wards. The first two VRE isolates, isolated early 2013 from patients in the medical intensive care unit, were grouped in SC1 (MLST [ST] 78, vanB) and differed in only 3 of 1423 cgMLST alleles. The SC2 (n = 16, special care baby unit, neonatal intensive care unit, pediatric surgery ward, and oncology ward) and SC3 (n = 1, antenatal ward) were all ST80 vanA-VRE, but the single SC3 isolate differed in 233 alleles compared with SC2. Within SC2, isolates differed in 1-23 alleles. Comparison with a larger database of E. faecium strains indicated that all isolates clustered within the previously defined hospital clade A1. A combination of Resfinder and mlplasmid analysis identified the presence of resistance genes on different plasmid predicted genetic elements among different SCs. In conclusion, this study documents the first isolates causing outbreaks with VRE in the Libyan health care system. Further surveillance efforts using molecular typing methods to monitor spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria in the Libyan health care system are urgently needed.
Mohamed O. Ahmed, Et Al.(10-2020)

Grouper fish mortality at the East Cost Libyan area of the Mediterranean Sea is one of the major problems encountered at autumn season starting from October. Sudden environmental changes associated with water pollution were recorded. Adult fish especially the grouper types were affected. This phenomenon was previously recorded in Libya at 1985. The present study was carried out to demonstrate the most prevalent isolates that may lead to this phenomenon. It was found that the gram negative oxidase positive bacterial group (Pasteurella, Vibrio and Aeromonas spp.) were the most isolated bacteria with high incidence refers especially to Pasteurella piscicida with an incidence of 64%. Black or metallic colour cysts (Microspordiosis, Glugea spp. and Plistophora spp.) representing spores or larvae of this parasite were observed on the visceral organs and abdominal cavity. Other parasites included larval stages of Contracaecum spp. and Gonapodasmius epinepheli (Didymozoid digenes). The clinical and postmortem lesions were mostly characterized by unilateral or bilateral corneal opacity and haemorrhagic spots on the skin with ulcer formation in some cases. Abdominal distension and anal prolaps were also recorded. All the internal organs were congested. The swim bladder was greatly swollen and filled with gas.
Ibrahim Eldaghayes(9-2011)