Middle east

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a mosquito-borne virus endemic to Africa and the Middle East. RVFV infection can cause encephalitis, which is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Studies of RVFV encephalitis following percutaneous inoculation, as would occur following a mosquito bite, have historically been limited by a lack of consistent animal models. In this review, we describe new insights into the pathogenesis of RVFV and the opportunities provided by new mouse models. We underscore the need to consider viral strain and route of inoculation when interpreting data obtained using animal models...

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the global scientific output related to the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) between 2012 and 2022. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Web of Science database was searched for articles on MERS-CoV published between 2012 and 2022 for bibliometric analysis. The parameters such as publication year, publication type, funding agencies, research institutions, journals, impact factors, language, and citation numbers of articles were analyzed...

Spinach ( Spinacia oleracea ) is an important leafy crop possessing notable economic value and health benefits. Current genomic resources include reference genomes and genome-wide association studies. However, the worldwide genetic relationships and the migration history of the crop remained uncertain, and genome-wide association studies have produced extensive gene lists related to agronomic traits. Here, we re-analysed the sequenced genomes of 305 cultivated and wild spinach accessions to unveil the phylogeny and history of cultivated spinach and to explore genetic variation in relation to phenotypes...

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is recognized globally as a significant health challenge, but its extent remains unclear in many regions. It is crucial to prioritize a foundational evaluation of AMR prevalence to facilitate the implementation of laboratory-based surveillance. Adopting a One Health perspective, this study outlines the present AMR status in the Middle East. AIM: To synthesize the current state of knowledge on AMR in the Middle East, delineate the contributions of different sectors (human health, animal health, and environment), and discern the effectiveness of One Health interventions in mitigating AMR...

Middle East is a diverse and developing exotic animal market. Undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing professional development (CPD) education are noticeably absent except in few countries. Avian species are the most commonly kept due to traditional falconry or aviculture. Small mammal and reptile pet numbers are increasing. Endangered wildlife is still illegally kept and trafficked. Common diseases are similar to other continents related heavily with poor diet and husbandry due to uneducated, financially restrained, and prejudiced owners...

The burden of neurological disease disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries, where the lowest number of neurologists are located. Building local training opportunities in resource-limited settings is a foundational step to enhancing the neurological workforce and improving access to neurological care in these regions. In this article, we describe the development and growth of the first neurology residency program in East Africa, which was established in 2006 at Zewditu Memorial Hospital and the Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia...

Alkhumra hemorrhagic fever virus (AHFV) has spread beyond the Middle East. However, the actual global prevalence of the virus is yet unknown. This systematic review and meta-analysis, thus, followed the standard reporting guidelines to provide comprehensive details on the prevalence of Alkhumra virus infection globally. The pooled prevalence of AHFV globally was estimated at 1.3% (95% CI: 0.3-6.3), with higher prevalence in humans (3.4%, 95% CI: 0.4-25.0) compared to animals (0.7%, 95% CI: 0.3-1.8). The prevalence in ticks and camels were 0...

During the 14th century CE, a pivotal shift took place in the world of medicine as its epicenter transitioned from the Middle East to Europe. The emergence of the European Renaissance sparked skepticism regarding the significance of Avicenna's contributions to the advancement of medicine. This paper explores how the rise of secularization and the Renaissance in Europe marked significant cultural transformations, fostering the spread of literacy. These societal shifts influenced the trajectory of medical thought, and Avicenna's "Canon of Medicine" received both praise and condemnation amidst the evolving intellectual landscape...

Systems for disease vector control should be effective, efficient, and flexible to be able to tackle contemporary challenges and threats in the control and elimination of vector-borne diseases. As a priority activity towards the strengthening of vector control systems, it has been advocated that countries conduct a vector-control needs assessment. A review was carried out of the perceived needs for disease vector control programs among eleven countries and subnational states in South Asia and the Middle East...

BACKGROUND: Understanding the current practice and the associated challenges in applying monitoring tools is essential to improving football performance in the Middle East, thus the purpose was to translate and culturally adapt a published questionnaire that assessed the practice and perception of High-Level football teams toward Training Load and Player Monitoring to be used in the Arabic context, aiming to contribute to the enhancement of football performance, player welfare, and training quality in the region...

The external spatiotemporal evolution and intrinsic impact mechanisms of ecosystem service value are of great significance for understanding regional ecosystem issues and enhancing human ecological well-being. Based on grid data, this study used the equivalent factor method and NDVI to measure the ecosystem service value of the Yellow River Basin, analyzed the spatial-temporal evolution of urban ecosystem service value along the basin, and established a GWR model to explore the spatial heterogeneity of each influencing factor on the basis of determining the main influencing factors via geographic detector...

Alpha and Beta Thalassemia are autosomal recessive anemias that cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region where carrier rates reach up to 50%. We report the case of two siblings of Palestinian origin born who presented to our tertiary healthcare center for the management of severe transfusion dependent hemolytic anemia. Before presentation to our center, the siblings were screened for a-thalassemia using the Alpha-globin StripAssay. They were found to carry the α2 polyA-1 [AATAAA > AATAAG] mutation in the heterozygous form, which was insufficient to make a diagnosis...

The influences of oceanographic changes on diet composition and trophic level for pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) inhabiting the East Sea off the Korean coast were examined based on stomach content and stable isotope analyses during 2016 and 2017. The diets of pollock consisted mainly of benthic crustaceans (particularly carid shrimps and euphausiids) and cephalopods, with a predominance of teleosts in the diets of larger individuals in deeper habitats. In 2016, amphipods, carid shrimps and cephalopods featured strongly in pollock diets, and the contribution of amphipods decreased in the diets of larger individuals and deeper depths...

Greater Cairo, the largest megacity of the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region, is currently suffering from major aerosol pollution, posing a significant threat to public health. However, the main sources of pollution remain insufficiently characterized due to limited atmospheric observations. To bridge this knowledge gap, we conducted a continuous 2-month field study during the winter of 2019-2020 at an urban background site, documenting for the first time the chemical and physical properties of submicron (PM1 ) aerosols...

Swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV) is a newly discovered swine coronavirus with potential cross-species transmission risk. Although SADS-CoV-induced host cell apoptosis and innate immunity antagonization has been revealed, underlying signaling pathways remain obscure. Here, we demonstrated that infection of SADS-CoV induced apoptosis in vivo and in vitro , and that viral protein NS7a is mainly responsible for SADS-CoV-induced apoptosis in host cells. Furthermore, we found that NS7a interacted with apoptosis-inducing factor mitochondria associated 1 (AIFM1) to activate caspase-3 via caspase-6 in SADS-CoV-infected cells, and enhanced SADS-CoV replication...

OBJECTIVES: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a member of a class of highly pathogenic coronaviruses. The large family of coronaviruses, however, also includes members that cause only mild symptoms, like human coronavirus-229E (HCoV-229E) or OC43 (HCoV-OC43). Unravelling how molecular (and cellular) pathophysiology differs between highly and low pathogenic coronaviruses is important for the development of therapeutic strategies. METHODS: Here, we analysed the transcriptome of primary human bronchial epithelial cells (PBEC), differentiated at the air-liquid interface (ALI) after infection with SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)-CoV and HCoV-229E using bulk RNA sequencing...

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused substantial morbidity and mortality, and serious social and economic disruptions worldwide. Unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated older individuals with underlying diseases are especially prone to severe disease. In patients with non-fatal disease, long COVID affecting multiple body systems may persist for months. Unlike SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, which have either been mitigated or remained geographically restricted, SARS-CoV-2 has disseminated globally and is likely to continue circulating in humans with possible emergence of new variants that may render vaccines less effective...

BACKGROUND: During health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, shortages of health care workers often occur. Recruiting students as volunteers could be an option, but it is uncertain whether the idea is well-accepted. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to estimate the global rate of willingness to volunteer among medical and health students in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar for studies reporting the number of health students willing to volunteer during COVID-19 from 2019 to November 17, 2023...

OBJECTIVE: Escalating global challenges such as disasters, conflict, and climate change underline the importance of addressing Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) terrorism for sustainable public health strategies. This study aims to provide a comprehensive epidemiological analysis of CBRN incidents in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, emphasizing the necessity of sustainable responses to safeguard healthcare infrastructures. METHODS: Utilizing a retrospective approach, this research analyzes data from the Global Terrorism Database (GTD) covering the period from 2003 to 2020...

The highest financial and symptom burdens and the lowest health-related quality-of-life scores are seen in people with kidney failure. A total of 11 countries in the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) Middle East region responded to the ISN-Global Kidney Health Atlas. The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the region ranged from 4.9% in Yemen to 12.2% in Lebanon, whereas prevalence of kidney failure treated with dialysis or transplantation ranged from 152 per million population (pmp) in the United Arab Emirates to 869 pmp in Kuwait...