Antimicrobial Resistance in Qatar: Prevalence and Trends before and Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global healthcare challenge with substantial morbidity, mortality, and management costs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a documented increase in antimicrobial consumption, particularly for severe and critical cases, as well as noticeable travel and social restriction measures that might influenced the spectrum of AMR. To evaluate the problem, retrospective data were collected on bacterial infections and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in Qatar before and after the pandemic from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2021, covering 53,183 pathogens isolated from reported infection episodes.

Rapid Visual Detection of Methicillin-Resistant in Human Clinical Samples via Closed LAMP Assay Targeting and Genes.

The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), particularly methicillin-resistant (MRSA), poses a significant global health threat as these bacteria increasingly become resistant to the most available therapeutic options. Thus, developing an efficient approach to rapidly screen MRSA directly from clinical specimens has become vital. In this study, we establish a closed-tube loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method incorporating hydroxy-naphthol blue (HNB) colorimetric dye assay to directly detect MRSA from clinical samples based on the presence of and genes.

Assessment of Indoor Air Quality of Four Primary Health Care Centers in Qatar.

Airborne bacteria pose a potential risk to human health upon inhalation in the indoor environments of health care facilities. Airborne bacteria may originate from various sources, including patients, workers, and daily visitors. Hence, this study investigates the quantity, size, and identification of airborne bacteria indoors and outdoors of four Primary Health Care Centers (PHCC) in Doha, Qatar.

Resurgence of influenza A infections in children after the relaxation of COVID-19-related social distancing measures and normalization of international travel in Qatar.

We report an off-season surge of influenza A infections among children in Qatar coinciding with the relaxation of COVID-19 related social restrictions and the normalization of international travel. The unusual surge may be related to population waning immunity after a prolonged reduced influenza A activity in Qatar.

Transmissibility and Persistence of the Plasmid-Borne Mobile Colistin Resistance Gene, , Harbored in Poultry-Associated .

Colistin, a last-resort antibiotic, is used to treat infections caused by multi-drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Colistin resistance can emerge by acquiring the mobile colistin gene, , usually plasmid borne. Studies on and its transmissibility are limited in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Retail Chicken Carcasses as a Reservoir of Multidrug-Resistant .

is a major cause of foodborne disease outbreaks worldwide, mainly through poultry. Recently, there has been an increase in multidrug-resistant (MDR) infections globally. The increased drug resistance results in increased costs and poorer health outcomes due to unavailability or delayed treatment.

Bacterial indoor air contaminations in hospitals in MENA region: a systematic review.

Poor indoor air quality in healthcare settings has been tied with the increase in hospital-acquired infections. Thus, this systematic review was conducted to assess the levels and compositions of bacteria in indoor hospital air in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. We examined results provided by different search engines published between 2000 and 2021.

Fecal Carriage and Molecular Characterization of Carbapenemase-Producing in the Pediatric Population in Qatar.

Whole-genome sequencing was used to characterize carbapenemase-producing (CPE) strains recovered from rectal screening swab samples obtained from children at a tertiary-care pediatric hospital in Qatar during a 3-year period. A total of 72 CPE isolates recovered from 61 fecal carriers were characterized. Escherichia coli (47 isolates [65.

Molecular Characterization of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase-Producing and Among the Pediatric Population in Qatar.

Introduction: Although extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacterales are a public health problem in the Arabian Peninsula, data on the molecular characteristic of their antimicrobial resistance determinants in children is limited.

Aim: To determine the molecular characteristics of ESBL-producing and in the pediatric population of Qatar.

Methods: Whole-genome sequencing was performed on ESBL-producing and isolates recovered from screening and clinical specimens from pediatric patients at Sidra Medicine in Doha from January to December 2018.

Identification of in Clinical Isolates From Qatar and Evaluation of Their Antimicrobial Profiles.

This study was performed to investigate the genotypic causes of colistin resistance in 18 colistin-resistant ( = 13), ( = 3) and ( = 2) isolates from patients at the Hamad General Hospital, Qatar. MIC testing for colistin was performed using Phoenix (BD Biosciences, Heidelberg, Germany) and then verified with SensiTest Colistin (Liofilchem, Zona Ind. le, Italy).

Draft Genome Sequence of an Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase-Producing Klebsiella oxytoca Strain Bearing from Qatar.

is an opportunistic human pathogen causing nosocomial infection. We report the draft genome of an extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing isolate harboring an gene, a recently discovered colistin resistance analog, from Qatar. The genome statistics, along with the sequence type and resistance mechanisms, are predicted for the assembled genome.

The Current Status of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Prevalence in the MENA Region: A Systematic Review.

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a highly prevalent herpesvirus worldwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), CMV infects people of all ages, and by the age of five, approximately one-third of children in the United States are infected. Although the infection is generally asymptomatic, it can cause severe disease in immunocompromised patients, transplant and transfusion recipients, as well as newborn neonates.

Draft Genome Sequences of Two Streptococcus pneumoniae Strains Causing Invasive Infections in Children in Qatar.

Invasive pneumococcal infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population. We report the draft genomes of two clinical isolates associated with severe infections in children in Qatar. The genome statistics are described, along with the strain types and serotypes predicted from the assembled genomes.

A novel real-time PCR assay panel for detection of common respiratory pathogens in a convenient, strip-tube array format.

Commercial multiplex assays, built on different chemistries and platforms are widely available for simultaneous detection of pathogens that cause respiratory infections. However, these tests are often difficult to implement in a resource limited setting because of high cost. In this study, we developed and validated a method for simultaneous testing of common respiratory pathogens (Respanel) by real-time PCR in a convenient, strip-tube array format.