Burden of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection in Saudi Arabia.

MERS-coronavirus infection is currently responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality in Saudi Arabia. Understanding its burden, as an emerging infectious disease, is vital for devising appropriate control strategies. In this study, the burden of MERS-CoV was estimated over 31months period from June 6, 2012 to January 5, 2015. The total number of patients was 835; 528 (63.2%) patients were male, 771 (92.3%) patients were ≥25 years of age, and 210 (25.1%) patients were healthcare workers. A total of 751 (89.9%) patients required hospitalization. The median duration between onset of illness and hospitalization was 2 days (interquartile range, 0-5). The median length of hospital stay was 14 days (IQR, 6-27). The overall case fatality rate was 43.1%. Basic reproductive number was 0.9. Being Saudi, non-healthcare workers, and age ≥65 years were significantly associated with higher mortality. In conclusion, MERS-CoV infection caused a substantial health burden in Saudi Arabia.

Prevalence and predictors of hepatitis B in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia: a population-based seroprevalence study.

INTRODUCTION: Despite solid preventive strategies to reduce the risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, recent reports about its prevalence and predictors are lacking in several Saudi cities at the community level. This study aimed to assess the seroprevalence of HBV and to identify the most important predictors among the Saudi population in Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 5,584 Saudi people attending primary health-care centers in Jeddah city during 2012/2013. Sociodemographic and hepatitis-related data were collected. HBV was diagnosed by ELISA test. The seroprevalence of HBV was estimated, and appropriate statistical analyses were performed, including univariate and multivariable regression analyses. RESULTS: The seroprevalence of HBV was 2.2% (95% CI = 1.82-2.58) in the studied participants. The prevalence was higher among non-governmental workers (3.5%), male participants (3.4%) and those aged ≥ 25 years (2.4%). The most important predictors for increasing the risk of HBV in this study were HBV contacts, male sex, history of dental procedures and blood transfusion. The significant positive risks associated with these predictors were 3.3, 2.5, 2.0 and 1.65, respectively. HBV vaccination, on the other hand, was associated with a significant risk reduction of 88% (OR = 0.12; 95% CI = 0.03-0.51). CONCLUSIONS: The seroprevalence of HBV was relatively low among the Saudi population in Jeddah city reflecting the actions taken by health authorities to control HBV infection. However, more efforts, particularly in relation to health education programmes, strict control of blood banks and dental clinics, are still needed.