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Dromedary camels are the biological reservoir of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). These camels were carrying this virus for over 30 years, which was overlooked by the scientists. The current systematic review will identify the prevalence and distribution of MERS-CoV among camels. The study also will identify the associated risk factors of prevalence and possible intervention program of MERS-CoV in camels.

Rodents carry many ectoparasites, such as ticks, lice, fleas, and mites, which have potential public health importance. Middle Eastern countries are hotspots for many emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, such as plague, leishmaniasis, Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever, and Q fever, due to their ecological, socioeconomic, and political diversity. Rodent ectoparasites can act as vectors for many of these pathogens. Knowledge of rodent ectoparasites is of prime importance in controlling rodent ectoparasite-borne zoonotic diseases in this region. The current systematic review and meta-analysis performs a comprehensive synthesis of the available knowledge, providing an evidence-based overview of the ectoparasites detected on rodents in Middle Eastern countries. Following a systematic search in Pubmed, Scopus, and Web of Science, a total of 113 published articles on rodent ectoparasites were studied and analyzed. A total of 87 rodent species were documented, from which Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus, and Rattus rattus were found to be the most common. Fleas were the most reported ectoparasites (87 articles), followed by mites (53), ticks (44), and lice (25). Xenopsylla cheopis, Polyplax spinulosa, Ornithonyssus bacoti, and Hyalomma rhipicephaloides were the most commonly described fleas, lice, mites, and ticks, respectively. Based on the reviewed articles, the median flea, louse, mite, and tick indices were highest in Israel (4.15), Egypt (1.39), Egypt (1.27), and Saudi Arabia (1.17), respectively. Quantitative meta-analysis, using a random-effects model, determined the overall pooled flea prevalence in the Middle East as 40% (95% CI: 25–55, I2 = 100%, p < 0.00001), ranging between 13% (95% CI: 0–30, I2 = 95%, p < 0.00001) in Iran and 59% (95% CI: 42–77, I2 = 75%, p < 0.00001) in Israel. The overall pooled louse prevalence was found to be 30% (95% CI: 13–47, I2 = 100%, p < 0.00001), ranging between 25% in Iran (95% CI: 1–50, I2 = 99%) and 38% in Egypt (95% CI: 7–68, I2 = 100%). In the case of mites, the pooled prevalence in this region was 33% (95% CI: 11–55, I2 = 100%, p < 0.00001), where the country-specific prevalence estimates were 30% in Iran (95% CI: 4–56, I2 = 99%) and 32% in Egypt (95% CI: 0–76, I2 = 100%). For ticks, the overall prevalence was found to be 25% (95% CI: 2–47, I2 = 100%, p < 0.00001), ranging from 16% in Iran (95% CI: 7–25, I2 = 74%) to 42% in Egypt (95% CI: 1–85, I2 = 100%). The control of rodent ectoparasites should be considered to reduce their adverse effects. Using the One Health strategy, rodent control, and precisely control of the most common rodent species, i.e., Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus, and Rattus rattus, should be considered to control the rodent-borne ectoparasites in this region.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection currently remains one of the biggest global challenges that can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (CARDS) in severe cases. In line with this, prior pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is a risk factor for long-term respiratory impairment. Post-TB lung dysfunction often goes unrecognized, despite its relatively high prevalence and its association with reduced quality of life. In this study, we used a metabolomics analysis to identify potential biomarkers that aid in the prognosis of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality in post-TB infected patients. This analysis involved blood samples from 155 SARS-CoV-2 infected adults, of which 23 had a previous diagnosis of TB (post-TB), while 132 did not have a prior or current TB infection. Our analysis indicated that the vast majority (~92%) of post-TB individuals showed severe SARS-CoV-2 infection, required intensive oxygen support with a significantly high mortality rate (52.2%). Amongst individuals with severe COVID-19 symptoms, we report a significant decline in the levels of amino acids, notably the branched chains amino acids (BCAAs), more so in the post-TB cohort (FDR

The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) emerged in 2012. The objective of the study was to describe the epidemiology, risk factors, clinical characteristics, and outcome of MERS-CoV in Qatar. A total of 28 cases of MERS-CoV were identified, corresponding to an incidence of 1.7 per 1,000,000 population. Most patients had a history of contact with camels 15, travel to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 7 or known contact with individuals with confirmed MERS-CoV infection 7. Majority of patients had acute kidney injury (AKI) 17 and 9 needed renal replacement therapy. All patients were hospitalized, 14 required critical care support. Overall, total of 10 died. The immediate cause of death was multiorgan failure with acute respiratory syndrome (ARDS) 9. MERS-CoV is a rare infection in the State of Qatar. There was no hospital outbreaks or healthcare worker reported infection. The infection causes severe respiratory failure and acute renal failure. Patients with AKI and on ventilator support carry higher risk of mortality.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 reinfection investigation is on rise, and despite the fact that reviews and studies have attempted to study and define reinfection, none have compared it with all documented conditions in the literature. Therefore, in the quest to better understand COVID-19, this study aims to develop assessment criteria for SARS-CoV-2 reinfection and distinguish other post COVID-19 conditions based on a scoping review, and further study characteristics of reinfected cases in Qatar through a cross-sectional study. Methods: A scoping review of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection was performed and was reported using the PRISMA-ScR checklist. Eight electronic databases were searched from inception to June 2021, and studies where selected based on a priori identified inclusion criteria. Outcomes compared with reinfection were reactivation, relapse, recurrence, repositive, and persistence. A cross sectional study was further conducted to study characteristics of reinfected cases in Qatar between March and June 2021, intending to use the developed criteria. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression and ordinal logistic regression models were utilized for studying the association between preventive and risk practices with symptomatic status of reinfection and time interval until reinfection. Results: A total of 96 studies were included in the scoping review. Published evidence varied in the used definition for reinfection while others did not use any. Other post COVID-19 conditions (persistence, relapse, recurrence, reactivation, repositive) were mainly distinguished from reinfection in terms of age, asymptomatic status, time interval, and seroconversion. The key findings in determining SARS-CoV-2 reinfection are occurrence of reinfection after ?3 months with at least three negative PCR tests for a confirmed recovery to ensure viral clearance. Subsequently in Qatar, 411 reinfected cases (0.73%) were identified after least 90 days from the first infection. Always performing all combined preventive practices (wearing masks, social distancing, and hand hygiene) had a significant inverse association with symptomatic status of reinfection (adjusted prevalence odds ratio (aPOR)= 0.41, 95% CI= 0.24,0.72, P= 0.002), while engaging in some or all risk practices (physical contact and attending social gatherings) had a significant positive association with symptomatic status of reinfection (aPOR= 1.94, 95% CI= 1.21,3.12, P= 0.006). Combined preventive practices was borderline associated with longest time interval (>332 days) until reinfection (aOR=1.57, 95% CI= 1.00,2.48, P=0.051), however, risk practices showed insignificant association with shorter time interval to reinfection (