Health care worker contact with MERS patient, Saudi Arabia.

To investigate potential transmission of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) to health care workers in a hospital, we serologically tested hospital contacts of the index case-patient in Saudi Arabia, 4 months after his death. None of the 48 contacts showed evidence of MERS-CoV infection.

HIV transmission at a Saudi Arabia hemodialysis unit.

Background: Hemodialysis is associated with increased risk of healthcare-associated infections but considered a low-risk setting for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission. We investigated 3 hemodialysis unit (HDU) patients with new HIV infections to determine whether transmission was hemodialysis-associated and to correct factors that contributed to transmission.

Methods: Each patient was evaluated for HIV risk factors.

A National Guard outbreak of Burkholderia cepacia infection and colonization secondary to intrinsic contamination of albuterol nebulization solution.

Background: Burkholderia cepacia, a gram-negative pathogen, has been a known cause of hospital outbreaks because of a contaminated common source such as multidose medications. We describe an outbreak with Burkholderia cepacia infection in 2 major hospitals affiliated to the National Guard, related to an intrinsic contamination of a locally manufactured, multidose Albuterol nebulization solution (Tabouk Pharmaceutical Company, Tabouk, Saudi Arabia) and we report the interventions taken to interrupt this outbreak.

Methods: During the outbreak period between May 2003 and March 2004, a combined prospective surveillance and a retrospective chart and microbiologic data review were conducted in 4 major hospitals affiliated to the National Guard.