Publications by authors named "Ben Moussa Mohamed"

Article Synopsis
  • A novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has caused a global pandemic with varying health impacts across different waves; this study focuses on comparing COVID-19 patients hospitalized during the second and third waves at the Military Hospital of Tunis.
  • The study analyzed 1,527 patients, revealing a slight increase in hospitalizations from 636 during the second wave to 891 during the third wave, with average ages remaining around 63-66 years and a consistent gender ratio across both periods.
  • Notable findings included a significant increase in the average duration from symptom onset to hospitalization and a decrease in the percentage of severely ill patients from the second to the third wave, though overall comorbidity rates remained similar.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 clearly demonstrated the potential of zoonotic diseases to cause severe harm to public health. Having limited access to medical care combined with severe underreporting and a lack of active surveillance, Africa carries a high burden of neglected zoonotic diseases. Therefore, the epidemiological monitoring of pathogen circulation is essential.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae spp. (kp) are emerging agents of severe infections of the respiratory, urinary tract and wounds that can progress to fatal septicemia. The use of bacteriophages is currently being considered as an effective alternative or adjuvant to antibiotic therapy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Free-roaming camels, especially those crossing national borders, pose a high risk for spreading Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). To prevent outbreaks, active surveillance is necessary. We found that a high percentage of dromedaries in Tunisia are MERS-CoV seropositive (80.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: Diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection is a major public health issue. In a context of limited diagnostic capacity with the reference technique (real-time RT-PCR), many manufacturers have developed rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). Although very promising in theory, these tests have raised many questions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In the present work, two complete genome sequences of SARS-CoV-2 were obtained from nasal swab samples of Tunisian SARS-CoV-2 PCR-positive patients using nanopore sequencing. The virus genomes of two of the patients examined, a Tunisian soldier returning from a mission in Morocco and a member of another Tunisian family, showed significant differences in analyses of the total genome and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Phylogenetic relationships with known SARS-CoV-2 genomes in the African region, some European and Middle Eastern countries and initial epidemiological conclusions indicate that the introduction of SARS-CoV-2 into Tunisia from two independent sources was travel-related.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Carbapenem-resistance is frequently detected in isolated from patients in Tunisia. The study was performed to identify frequent carbapenemases in Tunisian isolates.

Methods: Between May 2014 and January 2018, 197 ertapenem-resistant were isolated at the microbiological department of the Military Hospital of Tunis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae have become of particular concern, since they were quickly disseminated in various areas in the world. The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of carbapenemase production among clinical isolates of Enterobacteriaceae recovered from the Military Hospital of Tunisia. Bacterial isolates (n = 125) were recovered from patients in diverse services from March 2014 to February 2016 and identified by Vitek II Compact.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Identifying the infecting bacterial flora is one of the main rules to be followed to ensure the success of antibiotherapy in the treatment of the infected diabetic foot. The aim of the work was to define the bacteriological profile of the bacteria causing the infection of the diabetic foot at the surgery unit B of Charles Nicolle's hospital in Tunis and determine the prognostic factors of this condition.

Methods: It was an open prospective study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: CTX-M-15 is the dominant type of extended-spectrum β-lactamase in clinical isolates. This enzyme constitutes the most widespread enzymes in Tunisia. In this study, we were interested to understand the causes of the evolutionary success of CTX-M-15 in a Tunisian university hospital.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The Emergence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) in Enterobacteriace species imparting resistance to thirdgeneration cephalosporins is a growing concern worldwide. aims: This study was undertaken to characterize ESBL producers from clinical isolates of Providencia stuartii in Tunisia. methods: We analysed ten non-duplicate ESBL positive, P.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Klebsiella pneumoniae ML2011, a multiresistant isolate, was isolated from the Military Hospital of Tunis (Tunisia). The determination of the minimal inhibitory concentrations exhibited by K. pneumoniae ML2011 was performed by Etest.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A clinical Providencia stuartii isolate SM662 was recovered from a patient hospitalized in the intensive care unit at the Military hospital, Tunisia. This isolate was resistant to penicillins, cephalosporins, aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones. A marked in vitro synergy between ceftazidime or cefotaxime and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid on Mueller-Hinton agar plates suggested the presence of an extended-spectrum-β-lactamase.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and the emergence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance among broad-spectrum beta-lactam-resistant Proteus mirabilis and Morganella morganii clinical isolates recovered in the Military Hospital in Tunisia.

Methods: Of 200 strains examined, 50 exhibited resistance to quinolones. Quinolone resistance determinants (qnr and aac(6')-Ib-cr) were characterized by multiplex PCR and sequencing.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This study investigated the genetic environment of bla(CTX-M) genes and associated resistance genes in seven Proteus mirabilis and six Morganella morganii extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-positive isolates. The isolates were recovered from hospitalized patients with respiratory or urinary tract infections at the Military Hospital of Tunis, Tunisia. Twenty-one of the 200 strains exhibited non-susceptibility to third generation cephalosporins and, among these strains, the double-disk synergy test confirmed the ESBL phenotype in 13 isolates.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A collection of seven multidrug-resistant clinical isolates of Enterobacter cloacae with reduced susceptibility to ceftazidime and cefepime recovered from 2009 to 2010 at the University Hospital of Mahdia, Tunisia, was analysed. PCR analysis and sequencing demonstrated that all study isolates harbored SHV-12 β-lactamase that was transferred by conjugation. Characterization of the regions surrounding the bla(SHV-12) showed that this gene was flanked by two IS26 elements.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) is a herpesvirus that is always associated with Kaposi sarcoma. An enzyme-linked immunoenzymatic assay was used to detect antibodies to the latent nuclear antigen of HHV8 in kidney transplant patients and kidney transplant candidates from Tunisia. A significantly high HHV8 seroprevalence was documented; 17% of kidney transplant patients and 23% in kidney transplant candidates were seropositive.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Escherichia coli (E.coli) with a CTX-M resistance phenotype was selected from hospitalized patients in a university Hospital of Tunisia between January 2010 and June 2010. PCR analysis and sequencing demonstrated that it harboured CTX-M-14 β-lactamase.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The occurrence of bleeding complications secondary to the development of pancreatic pseudocysts is rare but associated with high mortality.

Aim: To report a case of pancreatic pseudocyst complicated by hemorrhage and infection.

Case Report: A 62 years old patient with history of severe acute pancreatitis two months ago consulted for abdominal pain associate with fever and internal bleeding.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The Bardet-Biedl syndrome is an autosomal recessive disease, characterised by obesity, retinal degeneration, hypogenitalism in men, polydactylism and an often moderate mental retardation. With these cardinal features, others clinical findings (secondary features) including diabetes, congenital heart defects, hypertension or syndactyly can be seen. Renal involvement is almost constant, but varies from a moderate impairment of the tubular functions to chronic renal failure caused by malformative uropathy or glomerulopathy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To explore the physical symptoms and radiological findings for the diagnosis of posterior urethral valves (PUV), to point of the therapeutic snags depending on gravity and delay of lesions.

Methods: We reviewed the records of 44 patients with PUV. Mean age: 2 years 1/2 (range 1 day-13 years).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Infective endocarditis is an uncommon but potentially lethal complication of permanent cardiac pacing. Infection is mainly caused by local contamination during the implantation procedure. The most frequently detected causative microorganisms were staphylococci.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Klebsiella pneumoniae ML1708 exhibited a multiresistance phenotype, including resistance to all beta-lactams tested, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, nalidixic acid, tetracycline, and streptomycin. The double-disk synergy test was positive. ML1708 harbored a 50 kb conjugative plasmid that encoded a beta-lactamase of pI 5.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF