Health innovations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: perspectives from the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

BACKGROUND: This paper aims to document the numerous health innovations developed in response to the COVID-19 crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) using a scoping review approach. METHODS: A literature search was conducted using PubMed, the Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, the Index Medicus for EMR to identify peer-reviewed articles between December 2019 and November 2020 and WHO and ministries of health websites for grey literature. Following an initial review, full-text screening identified studies reporting on health innovations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the region. RESULTS: This review describes 82 health innovations reported from 20 countries across the region: 80% (n = 66) were digital and technology-based products and services including health care delivery (n = 25), public health informatics (n = 24) and prevention (n = 17); 20% (n = 16) were innovative processes including health care delivery (n = 8), educational programmes (n = 6) and community engagement (n = 2). CONCLUSION: The speed with which these technologies were deployed in different contexts demonstrates their ease of adoption and manageability and thus can be considered as the most scalable. Strengthened frameworks to protect users' privacy, documentation and evaluation of impact of innovations, and training of health care professionals are fundamental for promoting health innovations in the EMR.

First report of an outbreak of ovine septicaemic listeriosis in Saudi Arabia.

Although a case of human listeriosis has recently been reported in Saudi Arabia, the disease has not been reported in animals to date. The authors describe an outbreak of septicaemic listeriosis in sheep, which occurred during winter. Adult animals and pregnant ewes were principally affected, with a morbidity rate of 7.1% and a mortality rate of 2.4%; no abortions were recorded during the outbreak. Clinical signs included inappetence, weakness, fever, respiratory distress, keratoconjunctivitis and compulsive circling. Listeria monocytogenes was isolated in pure culture from affected sheep. Pathological findings indicated septicaemic listeriosis with encephalitis. Hygienic measures and antibiotics were successful in treating the rest of the flock. Aspects of the outbreak and public health implications are discussed.

Dot immunobinding assay for detection of bovine herpesvirus 4 antibodies in rabbits.

A dot immunobinding assay (DIA) was used for the detection of antibody against bovine herpesvirus 4 (BHV-4) in experimentally infected specific-pathogen-free male and female rabbits. A semipurified virus preparation was used as the antigen, and protein A/G-horseradish-peroxidase conjugate and diaminobenzidine tetrahydrochloride were used as the detection system. Results of the DIA procedure on serum samples of experimentally infected male and female rabbits were compared with those of a complement-dependent virus neutralization (VN) test. None of the tested sera (0/60 samples) from either male or female rabbits were positive by the complement-dependent VN test. Results of the DIA procedure for the same tested sera were positive in 35 of 60 samples (58%) from BHV-4 infected rabbits, indicating higher sensitivity of DIA procedure as compared with the complement-dependent VN test.

Epidemiology and control of scabies in an Egyptian village.

BACKGROUND: Some studies have addressed the epidemiology of scabies among rural populations in developing countries; however, the epidemiology of scabies among the rural population in Egypt is unknown. We sought to determine the magnitude of scabies infestation in an Egyptian village and to evaluate the control measures after 1 year. METHODS: This study was carried out on 3147 residents of Mit-Moaned village in Dakahlia govemorate, Egypt. It was a cross-sectional follow-up study where the same individuals examined in round I were re-examined in round III. The two rounds were separated by a period of 1 year, during which infested patients were followed up and new cases were discovered (round II). Patients and their household contacts received treatment with topical permethrin. Patients showing resistance to permethrin received a single oral dose of ivermectin. RESULTS: In round III, the overall prevalence rate of scabies was reduced from 5.4% in round I to 1.1%. The incidence of new cases among susceptible persons during round II was 1.1%. Scabies was significantly (P < 0.05) more prevalent among families of large size, high crowding index at night, low socioeconomic standards, and those receiving their water supply from a hand pump. Children younger than 10 years showed the highest prevalence. CONCLUSIONS: Our data provide the first complete picture of the epidemiology of scabies in rural Egypt. The epidemiologic characteristics of the disease should be considered in the design of disease control programs for other villages with scabies epidemics. Our findings revealed that good control was achieved with the following: increased awareness and better case finding, education of the staff at the rural health unit, improved hygiene measures, and massive treatment campaigns using effective drugs such as topical permethrin and oral ivermectin.

Porphyrins and nucleic acid in some photosensitive skin diseases.

This study was suggested to evaluate the possible role of porphyrins and DNA, and their interaction, in some photosensitive premalignant and malignant dermatoses. Twenty-five patients with photosensitive skin diseases viz. xeroderma pigmentosum and basal cell carcinoma, were randomly selected at the outpatient clinic of Dermatology in Mansoura University Hospital. Twenty-five matched normal individuals were used as a control group. In basal cell carcinoma patients, a high increase in skin DNA and decrease in skin total porphyrin, haemoglobin and haem concentrations were observed. In xeroderma pigmentosum, a significant decrease in both skin DNA and skin total porphyrin were found, at the same time, there were elevations in urinary total porphyrin, PBG and ALA concentrations, and a high decrease in haemoglobin and haem levels.