Day 2 :
Keynote Forum
Stef Stienstra
Royal Netherlands Navy, Netherlands
Keynote: The threat of zoonotic diseases and Ebola virus disease specifically
Time : 10:00 AM to 11: 00 AM
Biography:
Stef Stienstra works internationally for several medical and biotech companies as Scientific Advisory Board Member and is also an active reserve-officer of the Royal Dutch Navy in his rank as Commander (OF4). For the Dutch Armed Forces he is CBRNe specialist with focus on (micro) biological and chemical threats and medical and environmental functional specialist within the 1st CMI (Civil Military Interaction) Battalion of the Dutch Armed Forces. For Expertise France he is now managing an EU CBRN CoE public health project in West Africa. He is visiting Professor at the University of Rome His natural business acumen and negotiation competence helps to initiate new successful businesses, often generated from unexpected combinations of technologies.
Abstract:
Public health systems are not always prepared for outbreaks of infectious diseases. Although in the past several public health institutes, like the French ‘Institut Pasteur’ and the Dutch ‘Tropeninstituut‘, were prominent surveyors of infectious diseases, the investments in worldwide public health have decreased. Now more attention is given to curative healthcare compared to preventive healthcare. The recent Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa initiated a new wave of interest to invest in Worldwide Public Health to prevent outbreaks of highly contagious diseases. And now we have concerns to limit the spreading of the new 2019 variant Corona virus COVID-19. Public health systems have to be prepared for these potential outbreaks of emerging zoonotic diseases. Zoonotic diseases are threatening as the population does not have natural nor artificial (from vaccination) immune response to new diseases like in the Ebola virus disease outbreak in 2014. The new strain of the Ebola virus in West Africa was slightly less lethal, compared to other Ebola virus strains, but the threat of spreading was far bigger as it had a longer incubation time. Most public health systems are not trained well enough to mitigate highly infectious and deadly disease outbreaks. NGO’s helping to fight the outbreak are often better trained in curative treatments and have less experience with biological (bioweapon) threats for which the military are trained for. The UNMEER mission was unique in this. It was a setting in which military and civilian actors cooperate in fighting a biological threat. Protection is essential for health workers. Smart systems have to be developed to prevent further spreading of the disease, but it is not only the biosafety, which has to be considered, but also the biosecurity, as misuse of extremely dangerous strains of microorganisms cannot be excluded. Several zoonotic infectious diseases, like anthrax, smallpox and hemorrhagic fevers are listed as potential bioweapons. Therefore both biosafety and biosecurity have to be implemented in all measures to fight outbreaks of highly infectious diseases.
- Neurological Infectious Diseases | Pediatric Infectious Diseases | Infectious Diseases Treatment and Control | Antimicrobial Drug Resistance | Respiratory Tract Infections
Location: Dubai, UAE
Session Introduction
Aparna Shukla
King George Medical University, India
Title: Appraisal and prospective analysis of bacteriological surveillance of operation theatres of Integral Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Lucknow
Time : 14:30-15:00
Biography:
Dr Khan is Professor of Viral Pathology, and Chair of the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, College of Medicine & Health Sciences, UAE University. He did his undergraduate and postgraduate training in London, followed by postdoctoral training at Tufts University School of Medicine, USA and then LRF Virus Centre, University of Glasgow. He is Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists (FRCPath), and held faculty positions in universities in UK before moving to UAE. Dr Khan’s primary research interest is in tumour virology. His secondary interest is in emerging viral infections and public health. He has over 85 publications, with total citations of over 13,700.
Abstract:
Emerging and re-emerging viral infections are not new. However, the recent outbreak of a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has attracted extensive media coverage worldwide. The first cluster of cases associated with this virus were detected at the end of December 2019 in China. Patients presented with symptoms of fever, cough and severe lower respiratory tract infection, now referred to as coronavirus disease (COVID-2019). Since then, the virus has spread to more than two dozen counties, infected over 75,000 people and killing over 2,000 (as of 18th Feb). Although an enormous body of information on this outbreak has been circulated, it is important to distinguish facts from speculations. This seminar aims to outline what we currently know about this new virus and its associated disease based on scientific data. The seminar will be of interest to a broad audience, specialist and non-specialist alike.
Marah El Beeli
Sultan Qaboos University, Oman
Title: Hospital acquired blood stream infections: Epidemiology, risk factors, & infection control measures
Time : 15:00-15:30
Biography:
Marah El Beeli completed B.Sc in Medical laboratory science and M.Sc in Medical microbiology and immunology. She is a PhD in Epidemiology and Public health ( infectious diseases) (infection control) current.
Abstract:
Introduction & Objective: Hospital Acquired Bloodstream Infections (HA-BSIs) are one of the most serious hospital acquired infections. Surveys have shown that HA-BSIs were responsible for 20%-60% of hospitalization related deaths. Despite the high morbidity and fatality, and enormous burden of health care costs of HA-BSIs, to our knowledge, there are no published studies on HA-BSI in the Middle East. The study aims to enhance the knowledge about HA-BSI and to advance scientific knowledge and improve services in Oman Hospitals. The main objective of the study are: Estimate the prevalence of HA-BSI in Oman, evaluate the risk factors profile of occurrence of HA-BSI in Oman and also to assess the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) among healthcare providers towards infection control strategies related to HA-BSI in Oman.
Method: This research is including four studies. The first study is ‘Prevalence of HA-BSIs in a Tertiary Hospital in Oman’. It is a cross-sectional study ambidirectional (retrospective and prospective) follow up. The study will retrieve data on hospital acquired infections from the infection control surveillance database at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH). The prevalence rate of patients with HA-BSIs and the prevalence rate of HA-BSI isolates (HA-BSI events) will be calculated by dividing the number of cases with index by number of monthly inpatient admissions for the whole year. The prevalence rates will be reported per 1,000 admissions. The second study is ‘Risk factors profile of occurrence of HA-BSIs’. It is a case-control study will be conducted to compare between HA-BSI cases and matched non-HA-BSI controls. HA-BSI Cases will be recruited from the registry to be established in study-1. Suitable controls will be recruited using risk set sampling technique. Controls will be matched to the cases based on important confounding factors. The third study is ‘Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice among Healthcare Providers towards Infection Control Strategies related to HA-BSIs”. It is a cross-sectional study. A random sample of healthcare providers among medical, nursing, and technical staff working at SQUH is enrolled using clustered random selection scheme. KAP questionnaire is designed according to elements required in the infection control strategies related to HA-BSI, and in reference to internationally-recognized standardized and validated KAP instruments.
Results: A total of 1396 cases of HA-BSI occurred during the time between January 2014 and December 2018. A pilot study has been conducted on150 HA-BSI cases and 150 controls. Initial results indicated high response rate (92%) and cooperation rate (94%). Data collection tools have been standardized to the local setup (Cronbach’s a=0.06). Pilot assessment indicated high inter-rater reliability (Pearson’s r coefficient=0.88) and high validity parameters (content, construct and criterion).
Conclusion: Study protocol has been designed and validated to explore HA-BSI prevalence estimation, risk factors profile. Initial piloting indicated high applicability of study tools to local context.
Abdul Wahhab Mohammed Kamil Jawad
Baghdad Medical University, Iraq
Title: Epidemiological characteristics of under-five measles cases at Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf Province, Iraq: 2006-2018
Time : 15:30-16:00
Biography:
Abdul Wahhab Mohammed Kamil Jawad completed his M.B.CH.B., Higher Diploma (Epidemiology) FETP at Baghdad Universtty, IRAQ currently serving as CDC Section Manager at Al Najaf Al Ashraf Hospital.
Abstract:
Introduction & Aim: Measles is a highly contagious disease and it is one of leading causes of death among young children. In Iraq, extensive efforts are in place to achieve measles elimination but still sporadic cases and limited outbreaks continued to occur. The main objective of the study is to describe epidemiological characteristics of under five years measles cases in Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf Province, Iraq, 2006-2018.
Method: Review of surveillance records of all suspected measles cases reported to Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf Directorate of Health from 2006 to 2018. Basic demographic data, vaccination status and lab results were sought.
Results: Total suspected measles cases during this period was 418; 196 (47%) were males; median age was 24 months; and 219 (52%) live in urban areas. Only 201 (48%) had at least one dose of measles vaccine; 112 (56%) of vaccinated children live in urban area. Lab results were available for all the cases, 202 (48%) were measles IgM positive. Of the lab confirmed cases, 105 (52%) lived in rural area and 158 (78%) reported in 2009. Comparing lab confirmed cases with others, unvaccination to measles vaccine was the only statistically significant risk factor (P=0.001; odds ratio=1.87; 95% CI: 1.27- 2.75).
Conclusion: Although this is not a vaccine coverage survey, but we found that measles vaccine coverage is extremely low that increase risk of outbreaks. Improvement of routine immunization coverage and intensified measles campaign are recommended.