Brucellosis outbreak in Chouf district of Lebanon in 2009: a case-control study

A study was conducted to determine risk factors associated with brucellosis infection in an outbreak in Chouf district of Lebanon during summer 2009. Cases of brucellosis reported to the Ministry of Public Health were identified, and for each case 2 controls were matched by sex, age and residence. Sociodemographic data, exposure to animals and animal products, knowledge about brucellosis, symptoms and history of past brucellosis infections were collected. Consumption of raw cheese was a significant risk factor for contracting brucellosis [matched OR = 29.5], whereas wearing gloves when in contact with animals and animal products and self-preparing dairy products were protective factors [OR = 0.08 and 0.13 respectively]. Low and inaccurate knowledge about brucellosis was prevalent among subjects, with a common misconception about human-human transmission. Ensuring animal vaccination, educating people on correct ways of milk pasteurization and handling meat products, and elevating food safety monitoring threshold are key elements in controlling brucellosis

Unintended pregnancy in Egypt: evidence from the national study on women giving birth in 1999

The current study aimed to estimate the prevalence and correlates of unintended pregnancy among ever-married women. The study sample was 2349 ever-married women aged 15-49 years who gave birth in 1999. Unintended pregnancy was defined as unwanted and mistimed pregnancies. Of these, 431 [18.5%] women reported unintended pregnancy: 137 were mistimed [5.9%] and 294 were unwanted [12.6%]. Women of older age, living in frontier governorates, with poor knowledge of the ovulatory cycle, having a more than ideal family size, using contraceptive methods and having 4 or more children were at increased odds of reporting unintended pregnancies. Fewer antenatal care visits and low child weight at birth were significantly associated with unintended pregnancy

Patterns of antenatal care in low-versus high-risk pregnancies in Lebanon

We studied patterns of antenatal care in low- versus high-risk pregnancies in Lebanon comparing 538 women after delivery in urban Beirut with rural Baka'a. Most women had 9 antenatal care visits with an obstetrician, starting in the first trimester. Care for high-risk and low-risk pregnancies was similar in terms of type of provider, number of visits and timing of first visit. More high-risk women had advice about special diets, supplements and laboratory tests. Maternal and fetal outcomes showed that, controlling for area and pregnancy risk, more antenatal visits were associated with fewer preterm deliveries, more caesarean sections and fewer cases of postpartum depression. Overall, differences between risk groups were small