North Lebanon Research Articles

A new species of Melitaea from Israel, with notes on taxonomy, cytogenetics, phylogeography and interspecific hybridization in the Melitaea persea complex (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae).

Specimens with intermediate morphology are often considered to be the result of ongoing interspecific hybridization; however, this conclusion is difficult to prove without analysis of chromosomal and/or molecular markers. In the butterfly genus Melitaea, such an intermediacy can be detected in male genitalia, and is more or less regularly observed in localities where two closely related, presumably parental species are found in sympatry. Here I analyze a high altitude Melitaea population from Mt. Hermon in north Israel and show that its male genitalia are clearly differentiated from those found in phenotypically similar M. persea and M. didyma, but in some aspects intermediate between them. This hybrid-like population is unique because, although M. didyma is present on Mt. Hermon, the true, low-altitude M. persea has never been reported from Israel. Cytogenetic analysis revealed no apomorphic chromosomal characters to distinguish the Mt. Hermon population from other known taxa of the M. persea and M. didyma species groups. At the same time, DNA barcode-based phylogeographic study showed that this population is ancient. It was estimated to originate 1–1.6 million years ago in the Levantine refugium from a common ancestor with M. persea. Generally, the data obtained are incompatible with interpretation of the studied population as a taxon conspecific with M. persea or M. didyma, or a swarm of recent hybrids between M. persea and M. didyma, although the possibility of ancient homoploid hybrid speciation cannot be ruled out. I also argue that the name Melitaea montium assigned to butterflies from north Lebanon cannot be applied to the studied taxon from Mt. Hermon. Here I describe this morphologically and ecologically distinct entity as a new species Melitaea acentria sp. n., and compare it with other taxa of the M. persea complex.

Prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility of ear pathogens isolated from patients in Tripoli, north of Lebanon

Background. Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a severe public health problem. However, infected patients are usually treated empirically without preceding culture or antibiotics susceptibility testing, which may increase the antibiotic resistance level. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of common bacterial uropathogens isolated in Akkar governorate, North Lebanon.
 Methods. Spot midstream from urine samples from 9662 patients presenting UTI symptoms who came to Youssef Hospital Center located in Akkar governorate, were collected in sterile plastic cups. Culture, identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing were performed through conventional tools according to the manufacturer’s recommended procedures and the recommendations of the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing.
 Results. Overall, a total of 1009 bacterial uropathogens were isolated. Escherichia coli was predominant and represented 72.5% of all isolates , followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (8.2%), Enterococcus spp. (5.5%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4.5%), Proteus spp. (3%), Enterobacter spp. (2%), Staphylococcus aureus (2%), Streptococcus agalactiae (1.6%), Staphylococcus saprophyticus (0.4%), Acinetobacter baumannii (0.2%) and Providencia rettgeri (0.1%). Moreover, the mean antibiotic resistance rates of isolates was relatively high, but similar to previous investigations reported in our country.
 Conclusion. To our knowledge, this is the first investigation reporting epidemiological data regarding the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of uropathogens isolated from patients in Akkar governorate. Our data indicated the urgent need of a strategic plan to tackle antibiotic resistance, particularly in deprived regions with poor healthcare structures such as Akkar governorate.
 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3823/801

The Medieval Hawale: The Legal Nature of the Suftaj and Other Islamic Payment Instruments

By the middle of the eighth century CE the Arabs established their dominion from the Atlantic Ocean to west of the Persian Gulf. In the process, they spread Islam and established Islamic law as the law of the land throughout this entire vast territory. Until the rise of the Turkish Ottoman Empire between the 13th the 16th centuries CE, that territory included North Africa (both Egypt and the Maghreb), Israel/Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Arabia.

Molecular detection of genes responsible for macrolide resistance among Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated in North Lebanon.

In recent years, the increased use of macrolides was linked with the emergence of resistance Streptococcus pneumoniae worldwide. The main aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of S. pneumoniae resistant to macrolides and to identify the macrolide resistance genotypes among clinical isolates collected in North Lebanon. Disk diffusion susceptibility method was performed for 132 strains of S. pneumoniae isolated over a period of 5 years in North Lebanon. Polymerase Chain Reaction followed by pyrosequencing was carried out for confirmation of phenotypic diagnosis. The macrolide resistance genotypes were also identified by using PCR amplification of genes implicated in this resistance: erm(A), erm(B), erm(C), msr(A), lin(A) and mef(A/E). Macrolide resistance was found in 34.1% of S. pneumoniae isolates. We observed that the cMLSB phenotype (31/45, 68.9%) was the most common in these pneumococci and erm(B) was the most common resistance gene (32/45, 71.1%). This study shows that macrolide resistance in S. pneumoniae in North Lebanon is mainly related to target site modification with predominance of cMLSb phenotype but is also mediated by efflux pumps. lin(A) gene was reported for the first time in one S. pneumoniae strain in combination with erm(B) and mef(A/E) genes.

Prevalence, antibiotic susceptibility and characterization of antibiotic resistant genes among carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacilli and yeast in intestinal flora of cancer patients in North Lebanon.

The emergence and spread of carbapenem-resistant bacteria are a significant clinical and public health concern. The aim of the study is to determine the prevalence of intestinal carriage of carbapenem-resistant bacteria and yeasts in cancer patients under chemotherapy. 41 stool samples collected from cancer patients in Nini hospital in Tripoli, North Lebanon have been analyzed. After isolating yeasts and carbapenem-resistant bacteria, a biochemical identification and antimicrobial susceptibility profile were determined. The mechanism of enzymatic carbapenem-resistance was detected by searching for carbapenemases by both Hodge test and PCR assays. The association of several mechanisms of resistance was also searched. 46.3% (19/41) of patients were colonized by yeast. Candida glabrata (6/19) was the major species. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant bacteria was 24.4% (10/41) including Escherichia coli (5/10), Enterobacter cloacae (1/10), Enterobacter aerogenes (1/10) Edwardsiella hoshinae (1/10) Pantoea agglomerans (1/10) and Pseudomonas stutzeri (1/10). PCR and sequencing of the amplified fragments revealed that Pseudomonas stutzeri (1/1) carried VIM gene and Enterobacter aerogenes (1/1) and E. coli (1/5) carried OXA-48 gene. The other Enterobacteriaceae were resistant to carbapenems by mechanisms other than a carbapenemase including hyperproduction of cephalosporinase (4/10), extended spectrum beta-lactamases (1/10) and both cephalosporinase and extended spectrum beta-lactamases (2/10). High prevalence of intestinal carriage of carbapenem-resistant bacteria and yeasts were detected in cancer patients under chemotherapy. In order to prevent the development of endogenous infection and the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance, an implementation of antibiotic stewardship programs and infection control measures is required in hospitals particularly in the department of chemotherapy.

Exploration of the Risk Factors of Generalized and Central Obesity among Adolescents in North Lebanon.

Adolescents' obesity is an emerging public health problem globally and in the Arab countries. Alarming rates of overweight/obesity have been rising progressively in Lebanon. However, the risk factors for the development of adolescents' obesity have not yet been thoroughly explored in North Lebanon. To determine the dietary and lifestyle risk factors associated with generalized and central obesity among adolescents living in Tripoli, a cross-sectional survey was conducted including a representative sample of 311 students aged 11–16 years from both sexes chosen from public and private schools in Tripoli. Data were collected using a standardized questionnaire to determine sociodemographic characteristics, dietary patterns, and physical activity and sedentary behaviors. Body mass index (BMI) was evaluated using the Center for Disease Control BMI for age percentiles. Central obesity was assessed using both waist-to-height ratio and gender-specific waist circumference for age indices. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that skipping breakfast and physical inactivity were the most significant independent risk factors associated with both generalized and central obesity. In addition, higher screen time and male gender were associated with increased risk for generalized and central obesity, respectively. Intervention strategies to prevent the development of obesity should be implemented among adolescent students to encourage regular breakfast intake and adopting healthy dietary and lifestyle behaviors.

Prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility of ear pathogens isolated from patients in Tripoli, north of Lebanon

Prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility of ear pathogens isolated from patients in Tripoli, north of Lebanon

Prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of bacteria causing urinary tract infections in Youssef Hospital Center: first report from Akkar governorate, North of Lebanon

Prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of bacteria causing urinary tract infections in Youssef Hospital Center: first report from Akkar governorate, North of Lebanon

The Dual Burden of Malnutrition and Associated Dietary and Lifestyle Habits among Lebanese School Age Children Living in Orphanages in North Lebanon.

Childhood is a crucial period affecting physical and intellectual development. Although children living in orphanages are among the most vulnerable groups at risk of malnutrition, there is scarcity of data concerning their nutritional status in Lebanon. To investigate these data, a cross-sectional survey was conducted including a sample of 153 institutionalized children aged 5–14 years from all orphanages in Tripoli. Nutritional status was assessed using anthropometric, clinical, and dietary tools. Interpretation of anthropometric data showed that 13.8% were stunted while the prevalence of overweight/obesity was 9.2% according to the World Health Organization (WHO) reference criteria. Physical signs suggesting nutritional deficiencies were detected in about 25% of the sample. Dietary intake evaluation showed that about half of the participants had inadequate dietary intakes of proteins, fruits, and vegetables and 92% had inadequate milk and dairy intakes recommended for their age specific needs. Multivariate regression analysis revealed statistically significant positive association of age, skipping breakfast, and increased screen time with stunting while it showed statistically significant negative association of inadequate protein intake with overweight/obesity. The coexistence of under- and overnutrition among institutionalized children calls for implementation of comprehensive intervention strategies committed to reducing undernutrition while simultaneously preventing overnutrition through improving diet quality and physical activity of these children.

Detection of pathogenic bacteria in diarrheal stool collected from children in North Lebanon by using conventional stool culture and microarray technique « CLART® Enterobac »

Detection of pathogenic bacteria in diarrheal stool collected from children in North Lebanon by using conventional stool culture and microarray technique « CLART® Enterobac »

Using correlative data analysis to develop weather index that estimates the risk of forest fires in Lebanon & Mediterranean: Assessment versus prevalent meteorological indices

Forest fires are among the most dangerous natural threats that bring calamities to a community and can turn it totally upside down. In this paper, to enable a prevention mechanism, we rely on analytics to build a novel fire danger index model that predicts the risk of a developing fire in north Lebanon. We use correlation methods such as statistical regression, Pearson, Spearman and Kendall’s Tau correlation to identify the most affecting parameters on fire ignition during the last six years in north Lebanon. The correlations of these attributes with fire occurrence are studied in order to develop the fire danger index. The strongly correlated attributes are then derived. We rely on linear regression to model the fire index as function of a reduced set of weather parameters that are easy to measure. This is critical as it facilitates the application of such prevention models in developing countries like Lebanon. The outcomes resulting from validation tests of the proposed index show high performance in the Lebanese regions. An assessment versus common widespread weather models is then made and has showed the significance the selected parameters. It is strongly believed that this index will help improve the ability of fire prevention measures in the Mediterranean basin area.

Is the Grammar-Instruction Approach an Old-Fashioned Method in Comparison to the Communicative Approach in Non-Native Contexts? A Case Study of Students and Teachers’ Perceptions

With the height of the new and updated approaches in English Language Teaching (ELT), the communicative approach rises among them as the ultimate solution against the so-called oldfashioned methods. Therefore, in a globalized world, institutions in the non-native realms started to adopt the new trends to cope with the international change that occurred in the English teaching field. Grammar Translation was and is still used at an educational level because it is considered to be more effective in teaching a foreign level with restricted opportunities of use. Thus in English Foreign Language (EFL) circumstances, can a communicative approach fulfill its effectiveness in terms of proficiency without grammar instruction? Are EFL students fully adept to acquire a foreign language without a focus on its rules? Do teachers promote the communicative approach to be solely used in their classrooms? This paper examines this concern by taking into account those questions from students and teachers’ perceptions in an English language course in a private university in North Lebanon. This paper will discuss both students and teachers’ attitudes towards both the communicative and grammar approaches in terms of learning and teaching the English language in an EFL context

Spatial and temporal assessment of surface water quality in the Arka River, Akkar, Lebanon.

Surface water quality monitoring constitutes a crucial and important step in any water quality management system. Twenty-three physicochemical and microbiological parameters were assessed in surface water samples collected from the Arka River located in the Akkar District, north of Lebanon. Eight sampling locations were considered along the river and seven sampling campaigns were performed in order to evaluate spatial and temporal influences. The extraction of relevant information from this relatively large data set was done using principal component analysis (PCA), being a very well established chemometric tool in this field. In a first step, extracted PCA loadings revealed the implication of several physicochemical parameters in the discriminations and trends highlighted by PCA scores, mainly due to soil leaching and seawater intrusion. However, further investigations showed the implication of organic and bacterial parameters in the discrimination of stations in the Akkar flatland. These discriminations probably refer to anthropogenic pollution coming from the agricultural area and the surrounding villages. Specific ultraviolet absorption (SUVA) indices confirmed these findings since values decreased for samples collected across the villages and the flatland, indicating an increase in anthropogenic dissolved organic matter. This study will hopefully help the national and local authorities to ameliorate the surface water quality management, enabling its proper use for irrigation purposes.

Awareness Campaign for the Early Detection of Growth Disorders in Public School Children in North Lebanon.

To detect and screen growth anomaly among children in North Lebanon, raise awareness on the importance of regular height check, and establish recommendations for the authorities. 18-month campaign. 230 public schools in North Lebanon. 41,347 children, aged 5-15 years. Weight was measured using a standardized stadiometer and compared with French curves of height-for-age. Awareness was raised by promoting early detection of growth disorders in Lebanon. The follow-up phase was intended to secure referral and treatment of the detected short stature children. Age, sex, height, societal issues. 40,023 students were recruited from 228 schools; of these, 63.7% of the screened children were aged 5-10 years. Four percent (1,631 children) of the screened population presented short stature, of whom 50% were aged 5-10 years and 41% were more severely affected and referred to specialists; 59% were first directed to the school physician/pediatrician. The follow-up phase was not achieved because of the patients' low socioeconomic level. We also found that many children were too old for the attended level at school, mainly because of low socioeconomic levels and educational backwardness. Our screening campaign confirms the need for more awareness on the importance of early detection of growth retardation in Lebanon. It highlights the need for making efforts to reduce poverty and its consequences in North Lebanon. Our future goal is to expand our campaign throughout Lebanon and cooperate with health authorities to lower the cost of work-up on the patient.

The Ehden massacre of 1978 in Lebanon: The creation of a resistance myth

ABSTRACTOn June 13, 1978, mercenaries of the Maronite leader Bashir Gemayel brutally assassinated Antoine (Tony) Frangieh, the son of the Lebanese ex-president Suleiman Frangieh, his wife, and daughter, along with some thirty of his supporters in the town of Ehden in north Lebanon. This massacre was part of Bashir Gemayel’s attempts to unite the Maronite community under his leadership and gain control over Lebanon. Although intra-Maronite clashes were common, the Frangieh family turned the Ehden massacre into a resistance myth. According to the family, the entire event was an American-Israeli plot to divide Lebanon, and the Ehden victims died while resisting these schemes. This article examines the evolution of the resistance myth, its importance for the family’s political aspirations, and its relevance in the years following the massacre.

Classical Education and the Brothertown Nation of Indians

Classical Education and the Brothertown Nation of Indians E. J. Vance (bio) The Brothertown Nation of Indians has long fascinated scholars of eighteenth-century America, and for good reason. Brothertown was a composite tribe created by Christian members of seven Algonquian towns located around the Long Island Sound: Mohegan, Montauk, Charlestown (Narragansett), Niantic, Groton (Pequot), Stonington (Pequot), and Farmington (largely Tunxis). These settlements had close historical and cultural ties to one another and had encountered many of the same challenges over the course of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. As these communities witnessed colonists seizing their land and interfering in internal tribal politics, the idea of leaving New England became increasingly appealing. Beginning in the 1770s, influential community leaders rallied Christian members of the towns and purchased land from the Oneidas, one of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Six Nations of central New York. The Revolution cut short their initial attempt to migrate in 1775, but in 1783 they left New England and established Brothertown, a town organized around a combination of Algonquian principles and Connecticut town laws.1 Brothertown has provided ample fuel for studies of how Native Americans adapted Anglo-American concepts such as Christianity and literacy to their own needs.2 However, scholars have chosen not to emphasize an important instance of cultural adaptation that powerfully shaped the Brothertown movement: classical education, that is, formal training in Latin and Greek (also known as Latin education).3 Only a minority of Algonquians from around the Long Island Sound immigrated: in 1784 Brothertown boasted just 150 immigrants, less than 10 percent of the southern New England Indian population.4 Many of these [End Page 138] immigrants had studied at Moor’s Indian Charity School, a Connecticut grammar school for Native Americans, and a significant portion of the movement’s leaders had received a classical education.5 A close examination of their lives and writing reveals the extent to which their classical education shaped their decision to immigrate and the community that resulted. Moor’s Indian Charity School, named after an early donor, was established in 1754 by Eleazar Wheelock, a Congregationalist minister in North Lebanon, Connecticut. Since 1737 Wheelock had supplemented his salary by operating a grammar school, or Latin school, where he prepared Anglo-American boys for college according to the standard classical curriculum of the time. In 1743 he received an unexpected student. Samson Occom, a Mohegan Indian from nearby, had converted to Christianity in 1741 and had taught himself to read using the Bible. However, his literacy was imperfect, and he sought Wheelock out for further training. An arrangement both men thought would last a few weeks lasted four years. Occom proved to be such an exceptional scholar that Wheelock taught him Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, and he would likely have gone on to college had his eyesight not failed. Instead, he was ordained by the Long Island Presbytery in 1759 and became a famous minister, a leader of the Mohegan people, and America’s first published Native American author.6 Occom’s success encouraged Wheelock to replicate the experiment. From 1754 to 1769 Wheelock provided a free education to sixty-six Indians, fifty of them male, and twenty-six of them from the seven settlements that would eventually participate in Brothertown (the remaining forty students were predominantly Delawares, Oneidas, and Mohawks). All the while, he continued to teach Anglo-American boys who paid tuition (“independent scholars”) and others who promised to serve as missionaries in exchange for an education (“charity scholars”).7 The publicity from Moor’s, along with nearly £12,000 that Occom raised in Great Britain between 1766 and 1768, gave Wheelock the financial and political capital to open Dartmouth College in 1769 (a move that even his contemporaries recognized as a shift away from Indian education, despite the fact that Wheelock continued to operate Moor’s in New Hampshire).8 For the most part, Wheelock’s approach to Native American education was typical of Anglo-American and British missionary efforts. He subscribed to the British Protestant conviction that Indians had to assimilate [End Page 139] to a British style of civilization before they could become Christians, and, thus, his primary concern was instilling cultural...

Carriage of beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae among nursing home residents in north Lebanon

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Enterobacteriaceae can cause severe infections with high morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. Individuals can be fecal carriers of these resistant organisms. Data on the extent of MDR Enterobacteriaceae fecal carriage in the community setting in Lebanon are very scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate the fecal carriage of MDR Enterobacteriaceae among the elderly residents of two nursing homes located in north Lebanon. Over a period of 4 months, five fecal swab samples were collected from each of 68 elderly persons at regular intervals of 3-4 weeks. Fecal swabs were subcultured on selective media for the screening of resistant organisms. The phenotypic detection of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL), AmpC, metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL), and Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) production was performed using the beta-lactamase inhibitors ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, phenylboronic acid, and cloxacillin. A temocillin disk was used for OXA-48. Multiplex PCRs were used for the genotypic detection of ESBL and carbapenemase genes, and sequencing was performed to identify CTX-M-15. The medical records of each subject were reviewed on a regular basis in order to assess the risk factors associated with MDR Enterobacteriaceae fecal carriage. Over the study period, 76.5% of the recruited elderly persons were at least one-time carriers. A total of 178 isolates were obtained. Phenotypic testing revealed that 91.5% of them were ESBL producers, 4% were AmpC producers, 2.8% were co-producers of ESBL and AmpC, and 1.7% were co-producers of OXA-48 and ESBL. Recent antibiotic intake was found to be the only independent risk factor associated with the fecal carriage of MDR Enterobacteriaceae. The high prevalence of MDR Enterobacteriaceae detected in this study and the emergence of carbapenem resistance is alarming. Efficient infection control measures and antibiotic stewardship programs are urgently needed in these settings in order to limit the spread of resistant strains.

Draft Genome Sequences of Acinetobacter baumannii Strains Harboring the blaNDM-1 Gene Isolated in Lebanon from Civilians Wounded during the Syrian Civil War.

We present here the draft genome sequences of multidrug-resistant blaNDM-1-positive Acinetobacter baumannii strains ACMH-6200 and ACMH-6201, isolated in north Lebanon from civilians wounded during the Syrian civil war. The draft genomes were contained in 217 contigs for ACMH-6200 and 83 contigs for ACMH-6201, including a combined 3,997,237 bases for ACMH-6200 and 3,983,110 bases for ACMH-6201, with 39% and 38.9% G+C content, respectively.

Exploration of the Dietary and Lifestyle Behaviors and Weight Status and Their Self-Perceptions among Health Sciences University Students in North Lebanon.

University students may experience significant environmental changes that exert a negative influence on the quality of their diet and lifestyle. There is scarcity of data concerning the dietary and lifestyle behaviors and weight status of students in the health field in North Lebanon. To investigate these data, a cross-sectional survey was conducted including 369 health sciences students aged 18–25 chosen from four public and private universities in North Lebanon. Data were collected using a standardized interview questionnaire to determine sociodemographic, dietary, and lifestyle behaviors, appetite changes, stress related dietary behaviors, and food cravings, as well as self-perceptions of dietary adequacy, physical activity levels, and weight status. Body mass index was assessed. Results had revealed significant differences in some of the dietary consumption patterns and weight status among seniors compared to juniors. However, the overall prevalence of overweight and obesity recorded 32.2% and the dietary consumption patterns fall below recommended levels. Multivariate regression analysis showed that parental obesity, comfort eating, increased appetite, food cravings, and stressful eating were associated with increased risk of obesity while a healthy diet score was associated with decreased risk. The study's findings call for tailoring culture specific intervention programs which enable students to improve their dietary and lifestyle behaviors and control stress.

Antibiotic Susceptibility of Salmonella spp., Shigella spp. and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains isolated from diarrheic children in Tripoli, North Lebanon

Background. – Enteric infections are a leading cause of diarrheal disease and death in infants and young children, particularly in the developing regions. The aim of this study is to determine the antibiotic susceptibility of three Enterobacteriaceae enteropathogens (Salmonella spp., Shigella spp. and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC)) isolated from hospitalized diarrheic children in North Lebanon during the period of 7 years.Methods and Findings. – 172 Enterobacteriaceae enteropathogens strains were isolated from fecal or blood specimens of 158 hospitalized diarrheic children collected at Nini hospital in Tripoli, North Lebanon. Culture, identification and antibiotic susceptibility of strains were carried out through conventional tools according to standard protocols proposed by the REMIC group and the recommendations of the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing. Out of 172, 158 (91.9%) Enterobacteriaceae enteropathogens strains were isolated from stool samples and only 14 (8.1%) were isolated from blood cultures. EPEC were predominant (78/172; 45.3%), followed by Salmonella spp. (64/172; 37.2%) and Shigella spp. (30/172; 17.5%). According to API identification and immunological serotyping reports of Salmonella isolates, Salmonella Typhi was the predominant serotype (32/64; 50%). During the study period, antibiotics susceptibility testing showed that around 50% and 25% of the isolates were resistant to ampicillin and extended-spectrum cephalosporins, respectively. Overall, Salmonella Typhi strains were the most susceptible to antibiotics.Conclusion. – Our study revealed a relatively high antibiotic resistance rate of EPEC, Shigella spp. and non-Typhi Salmonella strains among studied population. The findings of this study provide useful information to survey, prevent and control diarrheal disease and antimicrobial resistance in Lebanon.