[Anti-tetanus immunity among university students and health staff in North Lebanon and administration of anti-tetanus serums in two hospitals]

Tetanus is a serious illness that kills about one million people a year globally. This study aimed to i] evaluate immunity against tetanus [by antibodies titres in blood] among health staff and students at the Public Health Faculty, Lebanese University, ii] explore the determinants of the anti-tetanus immunity by a questionnaire and iii] estimate anti-tetanic serum use in the emergency departments of two hospitals [1 private, 1 public] in Tripoli. Most of the participants [76.6%] had anti-tetanus antibody titres >/= 0.1 UI/mL. There was no association between immune status and gender [P = 0.614] but more participants =/< 25 years were immunized than those > 25 years [P < 0.001] and more students were immunized than employees [P = 0.032]. There was an inverse association between anti-tetanus immunity and having visited a physician in the past year [P = 0.009]. In 2011, 1037 people received anti-tetanus immunoglobulins at the hospitals, 73% at the private hospital. Vaccination campaigns targetting adults > 25 years may be warranted to assure good anti-tetanus protection and avoid administration of anti-tetanus immunoglobulins in emergency departments

Preliminary study on the prevalence of Campylobacter in childhood diarrhoea in north Lebanon

Campylobacter species are a major cause of human diarrhoeal disease worldwide. In Lebanon, the true prevalence of Campylobacter infections and the species distribution in childhood diarrhoea are not known. This study in 2010 investigated the prevalence of Campylobacter species and its possible etiologic role in childhood diarrhoea in north Lebanon. A total of 90 stool samples from children [aged 1 month to 10 years] presenting with diarrhoea were collected from 5 hospitals. A polymerase chain reaction technique [PCR] was used for each sample for the amplification of all Campylobacter species followed by 5 PCR reactions for the amplification of C. jejuni, C. hyointestinalis, C. coli, C. fetusand C. upsaliensis. Of the 90 samples, 10 were positive for Campylobacter species [11.1%]: 1 for C .coli, 1 for C. jejuni, 2 for both C. jejuni and C. coli, and 6 could not be identified to the species level with the available primers. Campylobacter species is frequently associated with childhood diarrhoea in north Lebanon but Campylobacter infection may be significantly underdiagnosed because the search for Campylobacteria not part of the routine stool culture

[Infections with respiratory syncytial virus in North Lebanon-prevalence during winter 2008]

Between 1 December 2007 and 31 May 2008, we analysed 120 nasopharyngeal swabs for the presence respiratory syncytial virus [RSV] infection in 120 children aged 15 days to 6 years, hospitalized in 2 hospitals in North Lebanon. Of the 120 samples, 32 were positive [26.7%] for RSV. There was a peak in January which progressively disappeared from February to May. Being positive for RSV was significantly associated with the presence of rhinorrhoea and dyspnoea as clinical symptoms and the absence of pneumonia signs on chest X-ray and the diagnosis of bronchitises or bronchiolitis. Testing for RSV is important in cases of respiratory infections in children as it may limit unnecessary prescription of antibiotics

[Biological analysis of workers in the food sector in north Lebanon]

We investigated the prevalence of bacterial and parasitic infections among workers in a pastry factory in North Lebanon in 2004. We found 39% of the workers [n = 196] had nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus. Resistance of S. aureus isolates was 98.7% to penicillin G, 24.7% to fusidic acid, 14.3% to pefloxacine and tetracycline, 11.7% to erythromycin, 6.5% to oxacillin and amoxicillin-clavulanate. Salmonella typhi was not found in any of the workers. Prevalence of intestinal parasites was 57.8% [n = 308]. Amoebae comprised 72.5% [68.3% Entamoeba coli, 15.5% E. histolytica], followed by flagellates [18.0%] [37.5% Dientamoeba fragilis, 31.3% Giardia lamblia] and nematodes [7.8%] [only Ascaris lumbricoides]. The tuberculin test was positive in 16.3% of the workers [n = 301]