Humoral immunogenicity and efficacy of a single dose of ChAdOx1 MERS vaccine candidate in dromedary camels

MERS-CoV seronegative and seropositive camels received a single intramuscular dose of ChAdOx1 MERS, a replication-deficient adenoviral vectored vaccine expressing MERS-CoV spike protein, with further groups receiving control vaccinations. Infectious camels with active naturally acquired MERS-CoV infection, were co-housed with the vaccinated camels at a ratio of 1:2 (infected:vaccinated); nasal discharge and virus titres were monitored for 14 days. Overall, the vaccination reduced virus shedding and nasal discharge (p = 0.0059 and p = 0.0274, respectively). Antibody responses in seropositive camels were enhancedby the vaccine; these camels had a higher average age than seronegative. Older seronegative camels responded more strongly to vaccination than younger animals; and neutralising antibodies were detected in nasal swabs. Further work is required to optimise vaccine regimens for younger seronegative camels

Prevalence, Clinical Characteristics and Determinants of Unsuccessful Treatment Outcomes Among Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients: A 5-Year Registry-Based Retrospective Cohort Study

Hind M AlOsaimi,1 Mohammed K Alshammari,2 Ghadah K Almijlad,3 Nawaf M Alotaibi,3 Dhafer A Alqahtani,4 Mohammed M Alshamrani,5 Tariq A Shutur,6 Mansior F Alhazmi,6 Mohammed A Hurubi,6 Kutayd S ALShammari,6 Khalid M Alzahrani,7 Hadeel M Aldaghriri,7 Anood A Alshammari,8 Oudah S Alatawi,8 Reema A Alharbi9 1Department of Pharmacy Services Administration, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Clinical Pharmacy, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 3Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Northern Border University, Rafha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Pharmacy, Security Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 5Department of Respiratory Care, Northern Armed Area Forced Hospital, Hafar al Batin, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 6Department of Supply and Logistics, Northern Armed Area Forced Hospital, Hafar Al Batin, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 7Department of Radiology, Northern Armed Area Forced Hospital, Hafar Al Batin, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 8Pharmaceutical Services Department, Northern Area Armed Forces Hospital, King Khalid Military, Hafr Al Batin, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 9Department of Medicine, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Mohammed K Alshammari, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Email [email protected]: Despite the existence of effective medications, pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) remains a significant global public health concern, The evaluation and feedback of national TB control programs are crucial, requiring diligent monitoring of TB treatment outcomes and analysis of the factors influencing these outcomes. This study aims to provide valuable insights into the challenges faced by TB patients, which can inform better strategies for treatment and management in the future.Patients and Methods: We conducted a study in King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2023. The study was a registry-based retrospective cohort study. Patients’ data were sourced from the National Tuberculosis Registry database of Saudi Arabia. Treatment outcomes were determined as either success or failure, considering clinical evaluation, changes in chest X-rays, and the results of subsequent sputum examinations during follow-up. To evaluate the data, SPSS version 28.0 was used.Results: A total of 427 PTB patients participated in the study. The results show successful treatment outcomes among 88.5% of patients. Among the patients, males exhibited a higher likelihood of treatment failure as compared to females (aOR 1.3; 95%Cl 1.2– 1.5, p < 0.001). Patients with positive sputum smear (aOR 1.3; 95%Cl 1.1– 1.3 p < 0.00) and the presence of cough were associated with an increased risk of treatment failure (aOR1.5; 95%Cl 1.1– 1.4, p < 0.001).Conclusion: This study shows that the percentage of unsuccessful treatment outcomes is high, ie, 11.5%, due to patients’ deaths and loss to follow-up. Enhanced supervision and treatment monitoring for tuberculosis patients at high risk of treatment failure can lead to improved treatment success rates in Saudi Arabia.Keywords: tuberculosis, treatment outcomes, retrospective study, Saudi Arabi

Epidemiology and Clinical Impact of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (2015&ndash;2022): Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Mortality

Jawahir A Mokhtar,1– 3 Dalya Attallah,2 Mohammed W Al-Rabia,1 Mona Abdulrahman Alqarni,1 Khalil K Alkuwaity,3,4 Yousef Almoghrabi,5,6 Hussam Daghistani,5,6 Mazen A Ismail,7 Asim T Sharif,7 Bayan Redwan,7 Alyaa M Ajabnoor,8 Ohood S Alharbi,9 Ibrahim Mohammed Abu,10 Wafaa Alhazmi,4 Mohammed Mufrrih,4,11 Ahmad M Sait,4,6 Abdelbagi Alfadil,1,12 Yassir Daghistani,13 Hattan Jamal Momin,14 Karem Ibrahem1,2 1Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia; 3Vaccines and Immunotherapy Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia; 5Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia; 6Regenerative Medicine Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia; 7Department of Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia; 8Department of pharmacy practice, Faculty of pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 9Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; 10Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia; 11Special Infectious Agents Unit BSL-3, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 12Centre of Research Excellence for Drug Research and Pharmaceutical Industries, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 13Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 14Medical Service Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Karem Ibrahem, Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80205, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia, Tel +966562525685, Email [email protected]: Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium are part of the human microbiota but pose significant risks in clinical settings due to increasing antimicrobial resistance. Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are a growing concern, linked to high morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients.Aim: This study is the first comprehensive investigation of VRE prevalence and associated risk factors at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH) from 2015 to 2022.Methods: Clinical samples were collected, and VRE isolates were identified using VRE Card GeneXpert, BioFire PCR, and the VITEK 2 system. Descriptive statistical analysis with Stata version 17 summarized patient characteristics, including demographics, comorbidities, hospital exposure, and laboratory findings. Categorical variables were reported as frequencies/percentages, while continuous variables were expressed as mean ± SD or median [IQR].Results: Among 254 adult patients with VRE infections, the median age was 61 years. The most common comorbidities were diabetes, hypertension, and kidney disease. VRE infections peaked in 2021, with urine cultures being the most frequent source. Most patients had prior antibiotic exposure, particularly to vancomycin and carbapenems. Enterococcus faecium was the predominant species, with the VanA phenotype being most common. Alarmingly, 61.8% of VRE-infected patients died during the study period.Conclusion: These findings underscore the critical need for enhanced infection control measures and antimicrobial stewardship to combat VRE and improve patient outcomes.Keywords: vancomycin-resistant enterococci, AMR, mortality, risk factors, hospital infection

Epidemiological and Clinical Insights into Acinetobacter baumannii: A Six-Year Study on Age, Antibiotics, and Specimens

Yousef Almoghrabi,1,2,&ast; Hussam Daghistani,1,2,&ast; Hanouf A Niyazi,3,&ast; Hatoon A Niyazi,3,&ast; Hind AbdulMajed,3,&ast; Noha A Juma,3,&ast; Noura Daffa,3,&ast; Noof R Helmi,3,&ast; Mohammed W Al-Rabia,3,4,&ast; Jawahir A Mokhtar,3,5,6,&ast; Bandar Hasan Saleh,3,&ast; Dalya M Attallah,5 Maram Matar,5 Hani Ahmed Shukri,5 Shahd A Moqaddam,5 Sara Alamoudi,5 Khalil K Alkuwaity,6,7,&ast; Turki Abujamel,6,7,&ast; Ahmad M Sait,2,7 Mohammed Mufrrih,7,8 Ibrahim A Al-Zahrani,7,8,&ast; Stephen O’hagan,9 Mazen A Ismail,10,&ast; Ohood S Alharbi,11,&ast; Hattan Jamal Momin,12,&ast; Ibrahim Mohammed Abu,13,&ast; Abdelbagi Alfadil,3,4,&ast; Karem Ibrahem3 1Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia; 2Regenerative Medicine Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia; 3Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 4Centre of Research Excellence for Drug Research and Pharmaceutical Industries, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 5Department of Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia; 6Vaccines and Immunotherapy Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia; 7Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia; 8Special Infectious Agents Unit BSL-3, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 9Department of Chemistry, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; 10Department of Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia; 11Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; 12Medical Service Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia; 13Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Karem Ibrahem, Email [email protected]: This six-year retrospective study provides an in-depth analysis of the epidemiological and clinical patterns associated with Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) infections, focusing on age distribution, antibiotic resistance profiles, and specimen types.Aim: The research examines the incidence and characteristics of both non-Multi-Drug Resistant (non-MDR) and Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) A. baumannii strains by reviewing patient records from January 2016 to December 2022.Methods: Through a statistical analysis, the study highlights the incidence rates across diverse age groups and explores the impact of antibiotic treatment regimens on infection outcomes. Additionally, it identifies the primary clinical specimen types for each strain, noting an association between non-MDR A. baumannii and midstream urine samples, while MDR A. baumannii strains were more frequently found in respiratory, wound, peripheral, and central line swaps/specimens.Results: The results indicate that in 2016, non-MDR A. baumannii infections were notably more frequent compared to MDR A. baumannii cases. However, a significant shift occurred in 2021 and 2022, with a marked decrease in non-MDR A. baumannii cases and an increase in MDR A. baumannii infections. Antibiotic susceptibility testing revealed that non-MDR strains were commonly tested against cefazolin, ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, nitrofurantoin, oxacillin, piperacillin/tazobactam, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. In contrast, MDR strains were frequently tested against amikacin, cefepime, colistin, meropenem, imipenem, and tigecycline.Conclusion: This study enhances the understanding of A. baumannii clinical behaviour and resistance patterns, offering valuable insights to support future research and inform strategies for infectious disease management and control.Keywords: Acinetobacter baumannii, MDR, the epidemiological and clinical pattern

The applicability of evaluable wastes for the adsorption of Reactive Black 5

In this study, it is proposed that pumpkin seed hulls and eggshells that are household wastes are low-cost materials to remove the Reactive Black 5 from water media. Through a number of experiments, the influences of the contact time, adsorption quantity, temperature, and pH of the solution were studied. Characterization of pumpkin seed hulls and eggshells was done by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Adsorption of the experimental data well fitted with both the models called Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm. The maximum experimental capacities of adsorption related to pumpkin seed hulls and eggshells were 9.18 and 18.46 mg g -1 , respectively. The optimum conditions were determined as adsorbent amount = 0.5 g L -1 , pH = 6, and contact time = 15 min for the eggshells adsorption process and adsorbent dosage = 1 g L -1 , pH = 2, and contact time = 30 min for the pumpkin seed hulls adsorption system. In addition, pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, and intraparticle diffusion kinetics were used to study the adsorbing dynamics of Reactive Black 5 onto pumpkin seed hulls and eggshells. In this study, it was observed that the pseudo-second-order kinetic was appropriate. Calculation of the thermodynamic parameters, such as changes in the free energy, enthalpy, and entropy of adsorption, was performed. According to the thermodynamic parameters, these processes were less spontaneous, practicable, and exothermic. To remove the dye from aqueous solutions, the pumpkin seed hulls and eggshells can be used as an alternative cheap adsorbent. © 2018, Islamic Azad University (IAU)