Community Foodborne of Outbreak at Northern Governorate, Sultanate of Oman.

Objectives: To investigate the course of a community gastroenteritis outbreak by and implement interventional activities and roles to prevent occurring such an outbreak in the future.

Methods: From August 27 to 2 September 2015, 101 individuals were reported among a local community. All affected individuals had a history of food consumption at a local restaurant.

Global burden of influenza-associated lower respiratory tract infections and hospitalizations among adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Influenza illness burden is substantial, particularly among young children, older adults, and those with underlying conditions. Initiatives are underway to develop better global estimates for influenza-associated hospitalizations and deaths. Knowledge gaps remain regarding the role of influenza viruses in severe respiratory disease and hospitalizations among adults, particularly in lower-income settings.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Related to HIV Stigma and Discrimination Among Healthcare Workers in Oman.

Objectives: Stigma and discrimination undermine the quality of life of people with HIV and their access to health services. This study aimed to assess HIV-related knowledge, attitudes and practices among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Oman.

Methods: This cross-sectional study took place between July and November 2016.

Clinical and molecular epidemiology of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in Oman.

Background: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a serious disease with a high fatality rate reported in many countries. The first case of CCHF in Oman was detected in 1995 and serosurveys have suggested widespread infection of humans and livestock throughout the country.

Methodology: Cases of CCHF reported to the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Oman between 1995 and 2017 were retrospectively reviewed.

Epidemiology of Meningitis in Oman-Implications for Future Surveillance.

Objectives: This study aimed to understand the epidemiology of meningitis cases admitted to hospitals in Oman and to identify any changing microbial patterns from the introduction of the new vaccines.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of all cases of meningitis reported through a national surveillance system. Meningitis is a notifiable disease.

HIV viral suppression in Oman: Encouraging progress toward achieving the United Nations 'third 90'.

Objective: To assess the impact of capacity-building interventions introduced by the Oman National AIDS Programme on the quality of HIV care in the country.

Methods: HIV viral load (VL) suppression and loss to follow-up (LTFU) rates were calculated for the period before (in December 2015; n=1098) and after (in June 2017; n=1185) the introduction of the interventions: training, support, and care pathway development. Three HIV VL cuts-offs at last measurement in the year of interest were used to define VL suppression.

Effective vaccine management and Oman's healthcare system's challenge to maintain high global standards.

The prevention of infection through vaccination has been among the most successful public health interventions. Nearly 2.5 million deaths per year globally are saved by immunization against vaccine-preventable disease (VPD) (WHO, 2013) [1].

Surveillance of adverse events following immunization in Oman, 2006-2015.

Background: In 1996, Oman launched its surveillance programme for adverse events following immunization (AEFI) to address vaccine safety concerns. In 2010, an analysis of surveillance activities for AEFI was done for 10 years (1996-2005).

Objectives: The main objective of the study was to describe the trend of AEFI over the 10-year period, 2006-2015, and compare the findings with a previous report in Oman and reports from other countries.

Estimating the burden of influenza-associated hospitalization and deaths in Oman (2012-2015).

Background: Influenza is a serious vaccine-preventable disease with high incidence, hospitalization, and mortality in high-risk groups. The epidemiology, seasonality, and risk factors for influenza are well defined in most of the temperate countries, but estimating influenza burden in the World Health Organization (WHO) Region for the Eastern Mediterranean is scarce. In Oman, despite the advancements in influenza surveillance, the clinical burden and seasonality of influenza remain not fully understood.

Current status of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region: issues, challenges, and future directions.

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is the most widespread, tick-borne viral disease affecting humans. The disease is endemic in many regions, such as Africa, Asia, Eastern and Southern Europe, and Central Asia. Recently, the incidence of CCHF has increased rapidly in the countries of the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region (WHO EMR), with sporadic human cases and outbreaks of CCHF being reported from a number of countries in the region.

Incidence and economic burden of acute otitis media in children aged up to 5years in three Middle Eastern countries and Pakistan: A multinational, retrospective, observational study.

Epidemiological data on acute otitis media (AOM), an infectious disease frequently affecting children, are lacking in some countries. This study was undertaken to assess the incidence of AOM in children ≤5years in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Pakistan, and Turkey, as well as the economic burden from a parent/caregiver perspective. Medical records of 4043 children (Saudi Arabia=1023, Oman=998, Pakistan=1022, Turkey=1000) were retrospectively reviewed and the incidence of AOM episodes calculated from suspected and confirmed cases.

Decline in transmission of schistosomiasis mansoni in Oman.

Background: Intestinal schistosomiasis due to Schistosoma mansoni was first reported in Oman in 1979. We describe the trend in parasitological and serological prevalence of human infection with S. mansoni in the endemic area over the period 1982-2014, and the compliance of data generated by the national monitoring and evaluation system with schistosomiasis elimination criteria set by the Ministry of Health of Oman.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding travel health among Muscat International Airport travelers in Oman: Identifying the gaps and addressing the challenges.

Although the majority of travel-associated communicable diseases can be prevented, the public health burden of these diseases remains significant. Relatively little is known about how travelers know and perceive the health risks associated with travel and how they utilize preventive measures before and while traveling abroad. This study was conducted to determine the level of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of Muscat International Airport travelers about travel health in order to assess the knowledge gap and the need for travel health services in Oman.

Epidemiology of travel-associated infections in Oman 1999-2013: A retrospective analysis.

Background: The number of travelers in Oman has increased significantly in the last 2 decades with an increase in the expatriate population workforce leading to the emergence of infections related to travel. This paper aims to highlight the burden of travel-related infections in Oman.

Method: Our study is a descriptive record-based review and analysis of travel-associated diseases over a 14 year time period from 1999 to 2013.

Shigellosis Outbreak in Al Batinah South Governorate, Oman: Case-control study.

Objectives: An outbreak of acute gastroenteritis due to Shigella flexneri occurred in August 2012 in the catchment area of the Wadi Sahtan Health Center in Rustaq, Al Batinah South Governorate, Oman. The aim of this study was to discover possible causes of this outbreak in the villages of Fassa, Rogh and Amk and to measure the risk of exposure among cases and controls.

Methods: A case-control study was conducted in September 2012 in Fassa, Rogh and Amk.

Acute Renal Failure in a Patient with both Leptospirosis and Dengue Fever.

The spectrum of tropical nephropathies includes Acute Renal Failure (ARF) or Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) due to infective agents that are endemic in the tropics which include Leptospira (LS) and Dengue Viruses (DV). The major histological feature is Acute Tubular Necrosis (ATN).(1, 2)We report the case of a patient who presented ARF with co-infection with both agents.