Staphylococcus aureus Among Athletes In Zakho City, Kurdistan Region, Iraq: Nasal Carriage Rate, Risk Factors, and Antibiotic Sensitivity Profile

Background and aims: Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of infectious diseases and responsible for outbreaks among athletes’ team. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence rate of S. aureus among athletes, and evaluate the antibiotic resistance and risk factors associated with S. aureus isolates. Materials and methods: We performed a cross-sectional study to determine the S. aureus nasal carriage rate among athletes practicing different sports. Swabs were collected from the anterior nares of 510 athletes aged between 14-55 years. Conventional bacteriological tests were used for the identification of the S. aureus isolates. The antibiotic sensitivity test was performed according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). Results:Out of recruited samples, S. aureus carriage rate among athletes was 156 (30.2%). The highest infection rate was reported among boxing athletes 8/24(33.33%) and gym 80/245 (32.65%). S. aureus colonization was significantly higher among the athletes who had low body mass index (p=0.001), longer duration of training/day (p=0.001) and higher number of training session /week (p=0.012). S. aureus carriage was significantly higher among male athletes 119 (77.27%) than female athletes 35 (22.73%) (p=0.002). The oxacillin resistance rate was estimated at 26.61%. S. aureus isolates were highly susceptible to rifampicin, gentamycin and fusidic acid. Conclusion: Nasal carriage of S. aureus is relatively high and this bacterial was predominant among male athletes and a relevant resistance to antibiotics used for treatment of S. aureus infection. It is recommended that the prevention control practices be implemented to reduce nasal colonization, and risk factors associated with S. aureus among athletes. Further studies on S. aureus carriage should include throat sampling among athlete

False Beliefs About Diabetes Mellitus in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq: A Population-Based Study

Background. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic, non-transmissible health condition distinguished by high blood glucose levels caused by faulty insulin secretion and impaired insulin activity. People play an essential role in preventing and managing their illnesses. Thus, the misconceptions may negatively influence the prevention and management of DM. The aim of this study was to gauge the extent of knowledge among the general population concerning DM, to determine the prevalence of misconceptions about DM in the community, and to find the factors influencing them. Methods. A population-based study was conducted in Duhok Province, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. A total of 2,305 adults were enrolled in the study. The study data were collected by face-to-face interview. The survey questionnaire comprised two sections: the first section included basic demographic characteristics of participants, while the second section consisted of ten questions to identify common misconceptions about DM among participants. Results. Among the participants, there were 1,406 (61.0%) females. Participants’ age ranged from 18 to 90 years (the mean age: 54 ± 13.69 years). The most common misconceptions positively responded to were “Will I become addicted to insulin if I start taking it?”, followed by“ Does DM occur because of increased sugar intake?”. Male gender was associated with higher level of misconceptions. In addition, the misconceptions were more prevalent among diabetics as they might seek treatment from non-professionals. There was a significant association between education status and the prevalence of misconceptions. Healthcare workers were found to have a better knowledge about DM compared to the general population. Surprisingly, certain myths were prevalent even among healthcare workers. Conclusions. Certain myths and misconceptions have been pervasive in our society. Actions must be taken to dispel these misconceptions as they lead to an avoidable burden of disease. Therefore, people’s knowledge of DM needs to be enhanced through educational programs, social media, television, newspapers and campaigns

A Cross-sectional Study of Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes among Adults with Laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 Infection with Omicron Variant

The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant has raised concerns due to its increased transmissibility and potential implications on clinical characteristics and outcomes in infected individuals. The aims of this report were to study the profile of SARS-CoV-2 infection with omicron variant, investigate the infection outcome, reinfection rates with associated factors, antibody levels, and explore the associations between biochemical markers and disease severity. This prospective cohort study was conducted in Duhok city in the Northern of Iraq. All volunteers with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 RT–PCR and confirmed Omicron infection who were older than 18 years old and agreed to participate were recruited for this study. The study was carried out from January to April 2022. There were 234 cases of confirmed SARS-CoV-2 RT–PCR Omicron infection. The mean age was 48.12±17.3 years, 43.2% were vaccinated, and 40.2% were male. Among the recruited patients, 99.1% recovered and did not need hospitalization. In this study, (38.9%) had a history of previously confirmed COVID-19 infection. Reinfection was significantly higher in females than males (p=0.04; OR= 0.56). It was found that the IgG antibody levels were higher in patients who received Pfizer-BioNTech than in those who received other vaccines (p=0.001). The levels of IgG were also significantly higher in patients with mild infection (p=0.046), whereas the levels of D-dimer were significantly higher in patients with severe cases of the infection compared to those with mild or moderate cases (p=0.001). Additionally, the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) were observed to be higher in individuals with moderate cases of infection than in mild and severe cases (0.001). Individuals who contracted the Omicron strain generally had positive outcomes. Reinfection with the Omicron variant was relatively high. IgG levels were higher in patients with mild disease, implying that they were associated with decreased disease severity. We found significant associations between D-dimer levels and the severity of the disease. Additional research is required to investigate the long-term effects of Omicron infection

Mapping B-cell responses to Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium and Enteritidis in chickens for the discrimination of infected from vaccinated animals

Serological surveillance and vaccination are important strategies for controlling infectious diseases of food production animals. However, the compatibility of these strategies is limited by a lack of assays capable of di erentiating infected from vaccinated animals (DIVA tests) for established killed or attenuated vaccines. Here, we used next generation phage-display (NGPD) and a 2-proportion Z score analysis to identify peptides that were preferentially bound by IgY from chickens infected with Salmonella Typhimurium or S. Enteritidis compared to IgY from vaccinates, for both an attenuated and an inactivated commercial vaccine. Peptides that were highly enriched against IgY from at least 4 out of 10 infected chickens were selected: 18 and 12 peptides for the killed and attenuated vaccines, respectively. The ten most discriminatory peptides for each vaccine were identi ed in an ELISA using a training set of IgY samples. These peptides were then used in multi-peptide assays that, when analysing a wider set of samples from infected and vaccinated animals, diagnosed infection with 100% sensitivity and speci city. The data describes a method for the development of DIVA assays for conventional attenuated and killed vaccines

Prebiotic and probiotic agents enhance antibody-based immune responses to Salmonella Typhimurium infection in pigs

Salmonellosis causes significant economic losses to the pig industry and contaminated pork products are an important source of Salmonella for humans. The EU ban on the use of antibiotic growth promoters in pig production, and the emergence of antibiotic resistance has meant there is a pressing need for alternative control strategies for pathogenic bacteria such as S. Typhimurium in pigs. Here, we determined the effects of prebiotic, probiotic and synbiotic diet regimes on antibody responses to oral Salmonella challenge of pigs. The data demonstrate that the inclusion of the probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum B2984 in the diet of piglets (∼1 × 1010 cfu/animal/day) enhanced serum IgM (P<0.001), IgG (P=0.001) and IgA (P=0.039) responses to S. Typhimurium infection including cross-reacting antibodies to S. Enteritidis. Similarly, inclusion of the prebiotic lactulose at 1% (w/w) of the feed on a daily basis in the diet enhanced serum IgM (P=0.010), IgG (P=0.004) and IgA (P=0.046) responses to S. Typhimurium infection and also cross-reacting antibodies to S. Enteritidis. Inclusion of both additives in the synbiotic diet also elicited an enhanced immune response with IgM (P=0.009) and IgG (P=0.046) levels being increased, however a significant interaction of the pre and probiotics was observed when considering the immune responses to S. Typhimurium (IgM P=0.004; IgG and IgA, P<0.001 for interaction). With respect to immune responses, the effects of pre or probiotic administration were the same or reduced in the synbiotic diet compared to when used in isolation. The data support the use of Lactobacillus plantarum B2984 or lactulose as strategies to contribute to the protection of weaned piglets from zoonotic bacterial pathogens, but caution must be taken when combining dietary supplements as combinations can interact

Hepatitis B vaccination status and knowledge, attitude, and practice towards Hepatitis B virus among medical sciences students: A cross-sectional study.

Background and aimsHealthcare staff are at high risk of occupational exposure to Hepatitis B and other blood-borne diseases. Lack of education about the knowledge of Hepatitis B virus contributes to an increase in cases. This study aims to determine the knowledge of the Hepatitis B virus among the medical professionals in Duhok province, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and to determine their knowledge of the importance of vaccination.Materials and methodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in Duhok province, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, among medical science students from November 2022 to February 2023 and a total of 511 students participated in the study. A Self-administered questionnaire comprising 22 items categorized into five sections was distributed to the students either electronically or by paper and pen method. The survey utilized a Five-point Likert scale when assessing respondents' opinions on knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP). Microsoft Excel and GraphPad Prism 9 were used for statistical analysis.ResultsA total of 511 responses were collected from medical, dental, pharmacy, and laboratory students. The average age of the participants was 20.74 ±1.43 years. Among the respondents, only 96 (18.8%) were fully vaccinated against the Hepatitis B virus (received 3 or more doses of the vaccine), while 294 (57.5%) were not vaccinated. Lack of vaccination programs was the major reason for not receiving a vaccination (n = 182, 62%). About 286 (55.96%) of the participants had good knowledge, attitude, and practice on Hepatitis B, manifesting median scores of 26, 18, and 20, respectively.ConclusionIn our study, half of the students were found to be unvaccinated, mainly due to the absence of vaccination programs. Vaccinated students exhibited better knowledge, attitude, and practice toward the infection than non-vaccinated students. Therefore, we recommend the implementation of a vaccination program as well as training on infection prevention guidelines to increase awareness and encourage vaccination

The Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on Medical Students: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices towards E-Learning: An Online Cross-Sectional Study in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq

Background. After COVID-19 emergence, medical education witnessed a shift from face-to-face education to digital education, which inevitably affected medical students. Globally, due to the closure of schools and universities, medical education was shifted to electronic learning (E-learning). This paper aimed to assess the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical education and determine medical students’ knowledge, attitude, and practices towards E-learning in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Materials and Methods. An online cross-sectional study was conducted among 500 undergraduate students of seven medical colleges in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, in November 2021, to assess their state during the COVID-19 pandemic and how this affected their education. Results. There were 50.6% of males and 49.4% of females. The mean age was 20.6 (± 1.5 SD) years. Approximately 17% of participants mentioned having financial issues, while 19.2% of students experienced health-related problems. As many as 67% of participants reported that the Internet quality was good or very good, whereas 46.8% of students disagreed that E-learning was a possible substitute for traditional learning. About two-thirds of participants agreed or were neutral that downloadable content was better than live content; however, only 19.2% of students agreed that E-learning could be used in the clinical aspect. A total of 52.2% of participants disagreed that E-testing could replace traditional learning methods. Surprisingly, 86.4% of students stated that they regularly used the Internet in their study. Conclusions. E-learning was the main adjustment made in the educational system, including medical education. The study concluded with insights into how different circumstances could have different consequences on the efficacy of medical education. E-learning showed effective results in continuing learning until the educational system switched to a blended system. Training programs for medical education personnel are vital in effective E-learning opportunities