Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards Prevention of Respiratory Tract Infections among Hajj and Umrah Pilgrims from Malaysia in 2018.

Respiratory tract infection (RTI) is a major public health challenge during the Muslim pilgrimage to Makkah. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of Malaysian Hajj and Umrah pilgrims towards the prevention of RTIs in 2018 and determine correlations among three domains. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 225 Umrah and Hajj pilgrims. Knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) towards RTI prevention was assessed by using a validated self-administered questionnaire among pilgrims attending a weekly orientation course organized by private Hajj/Umrah companies. Out of 225 participants, 65.9% of respondents were female with the mean (SD) age of 46.74 (13.38) years. The interquartile range (IQR) score for knowledge is 18.0 (6.0), the mean scores of attitude and practice are 32.65 (4.72) and 25.30 (4.9). respectively. Significant and negative linear correlations between knowledge and practice (r = -0.232, p < 0.001), and attitude and practice (r = 0.134, p = 0.045) were observed. Results from the current study showed good knowledge of RTIs among Malaysian pilgrims. However, a poor attitude was reflected in their preventive practice behaviors. This will further help in the prevention and management of RTIs during Hajj and Umrah. Therefore, an extensive educational health campaign should be provided to pilgrims to create awareness.

Occurrence of multidrug resistant (MDR) Campylobacterspecies isolated from retail chicken meats in Selangor, Malaysia and their associated risk factors

@#Aims:Campylobacter infection is one of the leading bacterial food-borne illness and most frequently reported in humans in developed countries. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of multidrug resistant (MDR) Campylobacterand the risk factors associated with their occurrence in broiler chicken meat retailed in markets. Methodology and results:A total of 210 samples consisting of 140 chicken meat and 70 swabs from weighing scales and cutting boards were collected. Isolates were cultured by passive filtration method, identified by biochemical tests and confirmed using PCR assay.Thirty-two(32/210) 15.2% were positive for Campylobacterof which (25/210) 11.9%, (6/210) 2.9% and (1/210) 0.5% were Campylobacter jejuni, C.coli andC.upsaliensis respectively. The isolates showed high resistance to ampicillin (62.5%), enrofloxacin (56.3%) and nalidixic acid (50.0%), while only 3.1% were resistant to streptomycin. Multidrug resistant isolates (resistance to at least one antibiotics in three classes or more) was high at 71.9%. The risk factors significantly (p<0.05) associated with Campylobactercontamination on chicken’smeat included poor workers hygiene {OR: 5.250 (95% CI: 0.988-27.895)}, wearing improper work attire {OR: 2.700 (95% CI: 1.144-6.374)}, poor protective equipment {OR 38.50 (95% CI: 2.915-508.463)}, poor environment/stall hygiene {OR 44.00 (95% CI: 2.193-882.66)}, and using tiled counter top surface {OR 6.667 (95% CI: 0.597-74.506). Conclusion, significance and impact of study:The finding of this study affirmed that lack or poor work hygiene, unclean environmental stall and protective equipment are associated with high occurrence of multidrug resistant Campylobacterspecies isolated from chicken meat