Για περισσότερο από έναν αιώνα, οι εντερόκοκκοι προβληματίζουν τους ερευνητές ως προς την ταξινόμηση, τη λοιμογόνο ικανότητα, την επιδημιολογία και την ανθεκτικότητα τους στα αντιβιοτικά, αλλά και ως προς τη διασπορά τους στο περιβάλλον, αφού αυτή συνδέεται άμεσα με τη Δημόσια Υγεία. Οι εντερόκοκκοι, αποτελούν μέρος της φυσιολογικής εντερικής χλωρίδας ανθρώπων και ζώων και μπορούν να επιβιώσουν στο υδάτινο περιβάλλον για μεγάλο χρονικό διάστημα, κάτω από αντίξοες περιβαλλοντικές συνθήκες. Στον άνθρωπο προκαλούν βακτηριαιμία, ενδοκαρδίτιδα, λοιμώξεις του ουροποιητικού και άλλων συστημάτων. Μέσο διασποράς τους μπορεί να είναι και το περιβάλλον, γεγονός που καθιστά τη μελέτη της οικολογίας τους και την επιδημιολογική τους επιτήρηση ζωτικής σημασίας. Κατά τη χρονική περίοδο 10/2009-7/2010 στο νομό Αχαΐας, από 2115 δείγματα θαλάσσιου, επιφανειακού και πόσιμου ύδατος, 168 δείγματα βρέθηκαν θετικά για παρουσία εντερόκοκκων μετά από καλλιέργεια σε SB agar, δοκιμασία υδρόλυσης εσκουλίνης, αρνητική αντίδραση καταλάσης, ανάπτυξη σε 6,5% NaCl και βιοτυπία με Vitek. Επιπλέον, προσδορίστηκε η αντοχή στα αντιβιοτικά Penicilin, Erythromycin, Vancomycin, Teicoplanin, Chloramphenicol, Ciprofloxacin και Quinupristin/Dalfopristin. Ακολούθησε Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis για την τυποποίηση των στελεχών σε κλώνους. Τέλος, πραγματοποιήθηκε συσχέτιση με αντίστοιχα κλινικά στελέχη ασθενών από το ΠΓΝΠ. Τα 121 από τα 168 δείγματα ανήκουν στο γένος των εντεροκόκκων, σύμφωνα με τον βιοχημικό φαινότυπο (50 E. faecalis, 43 E. faecium, 10 E. villorum, 9 E. gallinarum, 5 E. casseliflavus και 4 E.durans). To 85% των εντεροκόκκων ήταν ευαίσθητα στην Ρenicillin, το 17% στην Erythromycin, το 95% στην Vancomycin, το 100% στην Teicoplanin, το 70% στην Chloramphenicol και το 1% στην Ciprofloxacin. Συνολικά ταυτοποίηθηκαν σε κλώνους 76 από τα 105 στελέχη. Τα E. faecalis σε 2 ομάδες, τα E. faecium σε 5, τα E. gallinarum σε 3, τα E. villorum σε 1, τα E. casseliflavus σε 1 και τα E.durans σε 1. / For more than a century, there is great concern about enterococci, regarding the classification, pathogenicity, epidemiology and resistance to antibiotics, but also the distribution into the environment, since this fact is directly linked to Public Health. Enterococci are part of the normal intestinal flora of humans and animals and can survive in the aquatic environment for long periods under adverse environmental conditions. In humans, enterococci are leading causes of bacteraemia, endocarditis and urinary tract infections.. The environment is involved in their distribution, which makes the study of their ecology and the epidemiological surveillance of vital importance. During the period 10/2009-7/2010, in the geographic area of the prefecture of Achaia, 2115 samples from marine, surface and drinking water were collected and 168 of them were positive for the presence of enterococci according to inoculation in SB agar, bile-aesculin agar, negative catalase reaction, growth in 6,5% NaCl and biotyping with Vitek. Moreover, resistance to Penicillin, Erythromycin, Vancomycin, Teicoplanin, Chloramphenicol, Ciprofloxacin and Quinupristin / Dalfopristin was determined. Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis was applied for clonal identification. Finally, a correlation with corresponding clonal types isolated from patients hospitalised at the University Hospital of Patras was performed. One hundrend and twenty-one out of 168 isolates were identified as enterococci, according to their biotypes (50 E. faecalis, 43 E. faecium, 10 E. villorum, 9 E. gallinarum, 5 E. casseliflavus and 4 E.durans). 85% of enterococci were sensitive to Penicillin, 17% to Erythromycin, 95% to Vancomycin, 100% to Teicoplanin, 70% to Chloramphenicol, and 1% to Ciprofloxacin. Overall 76 of the 105 strains were grouped. E. faecalis strains were classified into two PFGE types, E. faecium into five, E. gallinarum into three, E. villorum into one, E. casseliflavus into one and E.durans into one.

The phenotypic characteristics, level of production, management system and contribution of the local chickens to household studied in the north central Namibia. The study involved both qualitative and quantitative methods to gather the data. The questionnaire was used for survey while phenotypic characteristics and egg production forms were used to collect the actual data. The findings revealed that farmers in the study area regarded chicken production as their primary source of domestic animal protein, with the domestic fowl being the most widely kept poultry species. Other uses are participation in socio-cultural ceremonies, selling for money and gifts. The average number of eggs per clutch ranged from 10 to 15. The hatchability ranged between 50% and 60%). Phenotypic characteristics measures revealed the absence of pure white plumage colour that can be associated with the introduction of White Leghorn to the flock. Generally, normal feather cover was the main feather morphology of local chicken populations in north central Namibia. However, features like crested heads, naked necked, frizzling, and feathered shanks occurred sporadically among local chickens in the study area. Fifty-seven percentages of chickens in the surveyed region had single comb, while 29.6% and 13.8% had rose and pea combs respectively. The most frequent shank colour was black followed by yellow, whitish, orange, and reddish shank. The wing span had positive correlation with body weight and chest circumference at (r = 0.994). Other researchers discover the strong correlation of chest circumference with length shank at (r = 0.827). The current study attained the mean body weight of 1.7 to 2.1 kg of both sexes combined which falls within the range of 1.6 to 2.18 kg reported by (Alabi et al. 2012). In conclusion, the current study revealed large variation of phenotypical characteristics with poor correlation to their productivity due to lack of record keeping although production forms were made available to the farmers. The part of productivity according to their identified phenotypic characteristics is not accepted nor rejected due to poor records, but recommended for further study with training on record keeping by farmers / College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences / M. Sc. (Agriculture)