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Rhinovirus (RV)-specific surveillance studies in the Middle East are limited. Therefore, we aimed to study the clinical characteristics, outcomes, and seasonality of RV-associated acute respiratory infection among hospitalized young children in Jordan. We conducted a prospective viral surveillance study and enrolled children <2 years old admitted to a large public hospital in Amman, Jordan (2010-2013). Demographic and clinical data were collected by structured interviews and chart abstractions. Nasal and/or throat swabs were collected and tested for a panel of respiratory viruses, and RV genotyping and speciation was performed. At least one virus was detected in 2641/3168 children (83.4%). RV was the second most common virus detected (n = 1238; 46.9%) and was codetected with another respiratory virus in 730 cases (59.0%). Children with RV codetection were more likely than those with RV-only detection to have respiratory distress but had similar outcomes. RV-A accounted for about half of RV-positive cases (54.7%), while children with RV-C had a higher frequency of wheezing and reactive airway disease. RV was detected year-round and peaked during winter. In conclusion, though children with RV codetection had worse clinical findings, neither codetection nor species affected most clinical outcomes., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Respiratory syncytial viruses (RSVs) are an important cause of mortality worldwide and a major cause of respiratory tract infections in children, driving development of vaccine candidates. However, there are large gaps in our knowledge of the local evolutionary and transmission dynamics of RSVs, particularly in understudied regions such as the Middle East. To address this gap, we sequenced the complete genomes of 58 RSVA and 27 RSVB samples collected in a paediatric cohort in Amman, Jordan, between 2010 and 2013. RSVA and RSVB co-circulated during each winter epidemic of RSV in Amman, and each epidemic comprised multiple independent viral introductions of RSVA and RSVB. However, RSVA and RSVB alternated in dominance across years, potential evidence of immunological interactions. Children infected with RSVA tended to be older than RSVB-infected children [30 months versus 22.4 months, respectively ( P value = 0.02)], and tended to developed bronchopneumonia less frequently than those with RSVB, although the difference was not statistically significant ( P value = 0.06). Differences in spatial patterns were investigated, and RSVA lineages were often identified in multiple regions in Amman, whereas RSVB introductions did not spread beyond a single region of the city, although these findings were based on small sample sizes. Multiple RSVA genotypes were identified in Amman, including GA2 viruses as well as three viruses from the ON1 sub-genotype that emerged in 2009 and are now the dominant genotype circulating worldwide. As vaccine development advances, further sequencing of RSV is needed to understand viral ecology and transmission, particularly in under-studied locations.

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of acute respiratory infections in children worldwide and a frequent cause of hospitalization. Rapid diagnostic assays (RDAs) are available for RSV and they help guide management; however, they are underutilized in developing countries. We compared molecular diagnostics to RSV RDA in hospitalized children in Amman, Jordan., Materials and Methods: Children under 2 years of age, admitted with fever and/or respiratory symptoms were enrolled prospectively from March 2010 to 2012. Demographic and clinical data were collected through parent/guardian interviews and medical chart abstraction. RSV RDAs were performed, and nasal/throat swabs were tested for RSV using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR)., Results: RSV RDA and PCR were performed on specimens from 1271 subjects. RSV RDA had a sensitivity of 26% and a specificity of 99%, with positive and negative predictive values of 98.6% and 43%, respectively. RDA-positive patients had fewer days of symptoms at presentation and were more likely to have a history of prematurity, lower birth weight, require supplemental oxygen, and a longer hospitalization as compared with subjects with negative RDA. Multivariate analysis showed only lower birth weight, lack of cyanosis on examination, and lower cycle threshold to be independently associated with positive RDA (p ≤ .001)., Conclusion: RSV RDAs had high specificity, but low sensitivity as compared with qRT-PCR. Positive RDA was associated with patients with a more severe disease, as indicated by oxygen use, longer length of stay, and higher viral load. Implementation of RDAs in developing countries could be an inexpensive and expedient method for predicting RSV disease severity and guiding management., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Little is known of the burden of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) colonization among pregnant women in Jordan. We conducted a pilot study to determine the prevalence of GBS among pregnant women in Amman, Jordan, where GBS testing is not routine. We also explored GBS serotypes and the performance of a rapid GBS antigen diagnostic test., Methods: We collected vaginal-rectal swabs from women who presented for labor and delivery at Al-Bashir Hospital. Three methods were used to identify GBS: Strep B Rapid Test (Creative Diagnostics), blood agar media (Remel) with confirmed with BBL Streptocard acid latex test (Becton Dickinson), and CHROMagar StrepB (Remel). Results were read by a senior microbiologist. We defined our gold standard for GBS-positive as a positive blood agar culture confirmed by latex agglutination and positive CHROMagar. PCR testing determined serotype information. Demographic and clinical data were also collected., Results: In April and May 2015, 200 women were enrolled with a median age of 27 years (IQR: 23-32); 89.0% were Jordanian nationals and 71.9% completed secondary school. Median gestational age was 38 weeks (IQR: 37-40); most women reported prenatal care (median 9 visits; IQR: 8-12). Median parity was 2 births (IQR: 1-3). Pre-pregnancy median BMI was 24.1 (IQR: 21.5-28.0) and 14.5% reported an underlying medical condition. Obstetric complications included gestational hypertension (9.5%), gestational diabetes (6.0%), and UTI (53.5%), of which 84.5% reported treatment. Overall, 39 (19.5%) of women were GBS-positive on blood agar media and CHROMagar, while 67 (33.5%) were positive by rapid test (36% sensitivity, 67% specificity). Serotype information was available for 25 (64%) isolates: III (48%), Ia (24%), II (20%), and V (8%). No demographic or clinical differences were noted between GBS+ and GBS-negative women., Conclusions: Nearly one in five women presenting for labor in Jordan was colonized with GBS, with serotype group III as the most common. The rapid GBS antigen diagnostic had low sensitivity and specificity. These results support expanded research in the region, including defining GBS resistance patterns, serotyping information, and risk factors. It also emphasizes the need for routine GBS testing and improved rapid GBS diagnostics for developing world settings.

Objective: To describe characteristics and outcomes of Jordanian newborns admitted to a large governmental neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)., Methods: Newborns born at the government hospital, Al Bashir, in Amman, Jordan were prospectively enrolled. The study focused on newborns admitted to the NICU and a retrospective chart review was performed. Abstraction included in-hospital mortality, antibiotic days, ventilation, oxygen use, and CRP levels. Rank sum and chi-squared tests were used to compare across outcomes. Logistic regression of hypothesized risk factors with death adjusted for gestational age., Results: Of the 5,466 neonates enrolled from 2/10-2/11, medical records were available for 321/378(84.9%) infants admitted to the NICU. The median gestational age was 36 weeks, median birth weight was 2.3 kg, and 28(8.7%) infants died. The two most common reasons for admission and mortality were respiratory distress syndrome and prematurity. Low Apgar scores and positive CRP were predictors of mortality. Risk factors associated with increased use of antibiotics, oxygen hood, and mechanical ventilation included lower gestational age and prematurity., Conclusion: Infants admitted to the Jordanian NICU have significantly higher median gestational age and birth weights than in developed countries and were associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Continuations of global efforts to prevent prematurity are needed.

Hospitalized children < 2 years of age in Amman, Jordan, admitted for fever and/or respiratory symptoms, were tested for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV): MERS-CoV by real-time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR). This was a prospective year-round viral surveillance study in children <2 years of age admitted with acute respiratory symptoms and/or fever from March 2010 to September 2012 and enrolled from a government-run hospital, Al-Bashir in Amman, Jordan. Clinical and demographic data, including antibiotic use, were collected. Combined nasal/throat swabs were collected, aliquoted, and frozen at -80°C. Specimen aliquots were shipped to Vanderbilt University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and tested by rRT-PCR for MERS-CoV. Of the 2433 subjects enrolled from 16 March 2010 to 10 September 2012, 2427 subjects had viral testing and clinical data. Of 1898 specimens prospectively tested for other viruses between 16 March 2010 and 18 March 2012, 474 samples did not have other common respiratory viruses detected. These samples were tested at CDC for MERS-CoV and all were negative by rRT-PCR for MERS-CoV. Of the remaining 531 samples, collected from 19 March 2012 to 10 September 2012 and tested at Vanderbilt, none were positive for MERS-CoV. Our negative findings from a large sample of young Jordanian children hospitalized with fever and/or respiratory symptoms suggest that MERS-CoV was not widely circulating in Amman, Jordan, during the 30-month period of prospective, active surveillance occurring before and after the first documented MERS-CoV outbreak in the Middle East region., (© 2013 The Authors Clinical Microbiology and Infection © 2013 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.)

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) has recently been identified as an important cause of acute respiratory infections (ARI) in children worldwide. However, there is little systematic data on its frequency and importance as a cause of ARI in the Middle East. We conducted a viral surveillance study in children <5 years of age admitted with respiratory symptoms and/or fever at two major tertiary care hospitals in Amman, Jordan from 1/18-3/29/07. Nose and throat swabs were collected and tested for HMPV and other respiratory viruses by real-time RT-PCR. A total of 743 subjects were enrolled. Forty-four (6%) subjects were positive for HMPV, 467 (64%) were positive for RSV and 13 (1.3%) had co-infection with both HMPV and RSV. The frequency of HMPV in January, February, and March was 4.1%, 3.0%, and 11.9% respectively. Clinical features associated with HMPV infection were similar to those of other respiratory viruses, except children with HMPV were more likely to present with fever than children not infected with HMPV. Children with HMPV and RSV co-infection were administered supplemental oxygen and were admitted to the ICU more frequently than children infected with HMPV alone or RSV alone, though these differences did not reach statistical significance. We conclude that HMPV is an important cause of acute respiratory infections in children in Amman, Jordan. Longer surveillance studies are needed to better understand the seasonal epidemiology of HMPV and to assess if co-infection with HMPV and RSV leads to more severe illness., ((c) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)