Outcome of complicated osteoarticular brucellosis in a tertiary care center in Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the outcome of complicated osteoarticular brucellosis. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. All patients aged more than 14 who have been diagnosed with complicated brucellosis with osteoarticular disease between July 2016 and December 2022 were included. RESULTS: A total of 82 (10.7%) patients met the criteria, with a male predominance of 66 (80.4%), and their mean age was 56.4 ± 19.3 years. A positive blood culture was found in 33 (40.2%). The most common clinical presentation was fever (57.3%). All patients received a doxycycline-based regimen except one. 62 (75.60%) patients were treated with three or more medication regimens, while 20 (24.40%) patients received two drug regimens. The mean duration of therapy was 94.2 days for two-drug therapy and 116.4 days for three-drug therapy. A total of 78 out of 82 (95.1%) cases were cured at the end of treatment. Unfavorable outcomes were documented in four cases (two relapses and two treatment failures). Neither using three drugs regimen nor longer duration of therapy was associated with better outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Unfavorable outcomes have been noticed to be minimal in our cohort of patients with osteoarticular brucellosis, treated mainly with a three-drug regimen and a longer duration of therapy.

Epidemiology and clinical characteristics of Morganella morganii infections: A multicenter retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Morganella morganii is a Gram-negative, opportunistic pathogen that can cause a variety of infections, including bloodstream infections, especially in those with compromised immune systems. It is often resistant to antibiotics, making it a difficult organism to treat. Limited studies have addressed M. morganii, but the organism is becoming increasingly recognized as a public health threat. More research is needed to understand the epidemiology and virulence factors of M. morganii in Saudi Arabia, as well as to develop effective treatment strategies. METHODS: This retrospective study included all M. morganii bloodstream infections patients admitted to five tertiary care hospitals in Saudi Arabia between 2015 and 2022. RESULTS: The study population included 75 patients (45 males and 30 females) between the age of 53-72 with a 54% ICU admission rate. The most comorbidities were hypertension followed by diabetes. The most common symptoms were fever, cough, shortness of breath, vomiting, and fatigue. The study also found that M. morganii was often resistant to multiple antibiotics, including ciprofloxacin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, gentamicin, amoxicillin, nitrofurantoin, and colistin. The most common treatment for M. morganii bacteremia was carbapenems, followed by aminoglycosides, ciprofloxacin, and colistin. Source control measures, such as surgery, line removal, drainage, and tissue removal, were also used in some cases. The study found that the in-hospital mortality rate for M. morganii bacteremia was 41%. The risk of mortality was increased in patients who were admitted to the ICU, who were older than 65 years, and who had Klebsiella pneumoniae co-infection. CONCLUSION: M. morganii bacteremia is a serious infection that is often resistant to antibiotics. Elderly patients and patients with comorbidities are at increased risk of mortality. Source control measures and appropriate antibiotic therapy are important for improving outcomes.

Outcome of Respiratory Viral Infections in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory viral infections (RVIs) commonly cause morbidity and mortality in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients. This study aimed at the prevalence of RVIs in adult HSCT recipients and their outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective observational cohort study was conducted on all adult patients who underwent HSCT in the period between January 2016 and December 2020. Data were retrospectively abstracted from electronic medical records from a total of 400 patients. All cases with polymerase chain reaction-confirmed RVIs based on real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction were included in the data analysis. RESULT: A total of 79 patients had positive results. Sixty-three patients had allogeneic stem cell transplants. Women were 53% of the patients, and the mean age was 32 years (±13.5). The prevalence of documented respiratory virus infections was around 20% during the 4 years of the study. The most common virus was rhinovirus (60.76%), followed by respiratory syncytial virus (15.19%), then parainfluenza (11.39%). Among the 9 patients (11%) who required intensive care unit admission, 67% had lymphopenia (P = .03), 71% had abnormal chest computed tomography scan with pleural effusion (P = .03), 22% required renal support (P = .057), and 2 patients (22%) died (P = .057). CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the associated morbidity and mortality with RVIs among HSCT recipients and the need for more preventive measures and treatment studies.

Assessing the influence of COVID-19 on influenza prevalence: A multicenter time series study.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, countries around the world implemented various interventions to manage the spread of respiratory illnesses, including influenza. However, there is a lack of studies that have assessed the influence of COVID-19 on influenza prevalence in Saudi Arabia. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence of positive influenza cases before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to the mitigation measures and policy initiatives in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A multicenter, time-series cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate influenza prevalence before and during the COVID-19 pandemic between 01/01/2017 and 31/12/2021. This study included all patients who were screened for influenza infection at healthcare facilities across Saudi Arabia using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The primary outcome was to determine the prevalence of influenza infections before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, while the secondary outcome was to describe the demographic data and comorbidities of the included patients in both periods. RESULTS: During the study period, 5238 cases were identified based on a positive PCR result for influenza virus. The yearly number of influenza cases in the pre-COVID-19 period was 1123 (2.03 %), 1075 (1.63 %), and 1883 (2.20 %) cases in 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively. On the other hand, the number of cases during the COVID-19 pandemic was 417 (0.63 %) and 740 (1.27 %) in 2020 and 2021, respectively, with a comparable number of performed tests. Patients infected with the influenza virus between 2020 and 2021 were older than patients who were infected before the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSION: The study found a lower number of influenza cases during the COVID-19 pandemic, with no clear peak during November and December 2020 and 2021.

Microbiological and Clinical Outcomes of Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Isolated in Lung Transplant Perioperative Donor and Recipient Respiratory Cultures.

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common organisms isolated from respiratory secretions in lung transplant donors and recipients perioperatively. Within the first 90 days after lung transplantation, methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) infections have been associated with increased mortality and acute and chronic rejection. However, it is unclear whether respiratory cultures positive for MSSA at the time of transplantation can lead to clinically significant infection. The aim of this study was to assess the microbiological and clinical outcomes for lung transplant recipients (LTRs) with positive perioperative donor or/and recipient respiratory cultures for MSSA. A retrospective study was conducted evaluating MSSA-positive respiratory cultures at the time of lung transplantation from donors and/or recipients from January 1, 2008, to December 30, 2019. Patients who did not have a bronchoalveolar lavage at 2 weeks after the lung transplant or died within 2 weeks of lung transplant were excluded. The main outcome was MSSA eradication at 2-week bronchoscopy. Recipients were evaluated for MSSA infections at the 12-week period after the transplant. Of the 1,678 individuals who underwent lung transplantation, 218 LTRs had S. aureus isolated in perioperative donor or recipient respiratory cultures, and 29 were subsequently excluded. Of the remaining 189 LTRs, MSSA eradication at the 2-week bronchoscopy was achieved in 186 (98.4%) recipients. During the 12-week follow-up, 15 (7.9%) recipients were diagnosed with MSSA pneumonia; concurrent MSSA bacteremia was noted in one recipient. No anastomotic infection, empyema, or lung abscess related to MSSA was diagnosed during the follow-up period.In LTRs, the rate of MSSA eradication at 2-week post-transplant recipients is high, and it is associated with a low rate of infectious complication within the first 12 weeks after transplant. Most of the recipients received a combination therapy with at least one agent active against MSSA. More studies to evaluate the optimal antimicrobial stewardship policies regarding the regimen and duration of antibiotic therapy for these patients are needed.

Case Report: COVID-19 Infection of a Transplanted Heart Simulating Cellular Rejection.

Contemporary reports showed that solid organ transplantation patients who contract SARS-CoV-2 infection have a high mortality rate. There are sparse data about recurrent cellular rejections and the immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus in patients after heart transplantation. Herein, we report a case of a 61-year-old male post-heart transplant patient who tested positive for COVID-19 and developed mild symptoms 4 months after transplantation. Thereafter, a series of endomyocardial biopsies showed histologic features of acute cellular rejection despite optimal immunosuppression, good cardiac functions, and hemodynamic stability. Demonstration of SARS-CoV-2 viral particles by electron microscopy in the endomyocardial biopsy confirmed the presence of the virus in the foci of the cellular rejection, pointing to a possible immunologic reaction to the virus. To our knowledge, there is limited information regarding the pathology of COVID-19 infection in immunocompromised heart transplant patients, and there are no well-established guidelines for treating such patients. Based on the demonstration of SARS-CoV-2 viral particles within the myocardium, we concluded that myocardial inflammation visible on endomyocardial biopsy might be attributed to the host's immune response to the virus, which mimics acute cellular rejection in newly heart transplanted patients. We report this case to increase awareness of such events post-transplantation and to add to knowledge regarding the management of patients with ongoing SARS-CoV-2 infection that proved to be challenging.

Characteristics, Management, and Outcomes of Community-Acquired Pneumonia due to Respiratory Syncytial Virus: A Retrospective Study.

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a well-known cause of bronchiolitis in children, can cause community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in adults, but this condition is not well studied. Hence, we described the characteristics and outcomes of patients hospitalized for CAP due to RSV. Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients admitted to a tertiary-care hospital between 2016 and 2019 with CAP due to RSV diagnosed by a respiratory multiplex PCR within 48 hours of admission. We compared patients who required ICU admission to those who did not. Results: Eighty adult patients were hospitalized with CAP due to RSV (median age 69.0 years, hypertension 65.0%, diabetes 58.8%, chronic respiratory disease 52.5%, and immunosuppression 17.5%); 19 (23.8%) patients required ICU admission. The median pneumonia severity index score was 120.5 (140.0 for ICU and 102.0 for non-ICU patients; p = 0.09). Bacterial coinfection was rare (10.0%). Patients who required ICU admission had more hypotension (systolic blood pressure < 90 mmHg) and a higher prevalence of bilateral infiltrates on chest X-ray (CXR) (89.5% versus 32.7%; p < 0.001). Systemic corticosteroids were used in 57.3% of patients (median initial dose was 40 mg of prednisone equivalent) with ICU patients receiving a higher dose compared to non-ICU patients (p = 0.02). Most (68.4%) ICU patients received mechanical ventilation (median duration of 4 days). The overall hospital mortality was 8.8% (higher for ICU patients: 31.6% versus 1.6%, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Most patients with CAP due to RSV were elderly and had significant comorbidities. ICU admission was required in almost one in four patients and was associated with higher mortality.

The clinical outcomes of COVID-19 critically ill patients co-infected with other respiratory viruses: a multicenter, cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that non-critically ill COVID-19 patients co-infected with other respiratory viruses have poor clinical outcomes. However, limited studies focused on this co-infections in critically ill patients. This study aims to evaluate the clinical outcomes of critically ill patients infected with COVID-19 and co-infected by other respiratory viruses. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted for all adult patients with COVID-19 who were hospitalized in the ICUs between March, 2020 and July, 2021. Eligible patients were sub-categorized into two groups based on simultaneous co-infection with other respiratory viruses throughout their ICU stay. Influenza A or B, Human Adenovirus (AdV), Human Coronavirus (i.e., 229E, HKU1, NL63, or OC43), Human Metapneumovirus, Human Rhinovirus/Enterovirus, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), Parainfluenza virus, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) were among the respiratory viral infections screened. Patients were followed until discharge from the hospital or in-hospital death. RESULTS: A total of 836 patients were included in the final analysis. Eleven patients (1.3%) were infected concomitantly with other respiratory viruses. Rhinovirus/Enterovirus (38.5%) was the most commonly reported co-infection. No difference was observed between the two groups regarding the 30-day mortality (HR 0.39, 95% CI 0.13, 1.20; p = 0.10). The in-hospital mortality was significantly lower among co-infected patients with other respiratory viruses compared with patients who were infected with COVID-19 alone (HR 0.32 95% CI 0.10, 0.97; p = 0.04). Patients concomitantly infected with other respiratory viruses had longer median mechanical ventilation (MV) duration and hospital length of stay (LOS). CONCLUSION: Critically ill patients with COVID-19 who were concomitantly infected with other respiratory viruses had comparable 30-day mortality to those not concomitantly infected. Further proactive testing and care may be required in the case of co-infection with respiratory viruses and COVID-19. The results of our study need to be confirmed by larger studies.

In vitro activity of cefiderocol against clinically important carbapenem non-susceptible Gram-negative bacteria from Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: Cefiderocol is a novel catechol-substituted siderophore cephalosporin with broad-spectrum activity against Gram-negative pathogens. However, variation of its activity among carbapenemase producers from various regions and countries has been reported. Here, we checked the in vitro activity against Gram-negative carbapenem non-susceptible bacteria collected in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: Cefiderocol MICs were determined using the iron-depleted cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton broth and interpreted according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. Isolates (n = 288) included carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli (n = 46), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 98), Acinetobacter baumannii (n = 65), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 79) clinical isolates. RESULTS: Cefiderocol inhibited 73.26% (211/288) of the isolates studied at concentrations of ≤ 4 mg/L. Cefiderocol inhibited all carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii isolates (65/65, 100%) producing OXA-23-like, OXA-24-like, and NDM, and nearly all P. aeruginosa isolates (75/79, 94.94%), including those producing VIM and NDM. In contrast, the carbapenemase-producing isolates from the Enterobacterales group demonstrated significantly higher MICs with only 53.06% (52/98) of K. pneumoniae and 41.3% (19/46) of E. coli isolates exhibiting MICs of ≤4 mg/L. Isolates showing elevated MICs (73/144, 50.69%) included NDM (20/29, 68.97%), NDM/OXA-48-like (34/59, 57.63%), OXA-48-like (18/52, 34.62%), and KPC (1/4, 25%) producers, thus showing no clear association with the production of serine-type or metallo-type carbapenemases. However, high cefiderocol MICs (≥ 32mg/L) were associated with isolates producing NDM, and in particular, among those coproducing the OXA-232-type enzyme. CONCLUSIONS: Cefiderocol had excellent activity against multi-drug resistant non-fermenting Gram-negative pathogens. Reasons behind the high cefiderocol MICs in certain Enterobacterales isolates need further investigation.

Comparing Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis Mortality Between Liposomal Amphotericin B and Voriconazole in Patients With Hematological Malignancy or Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Objectives We evaluated liposomal amphotericin B versus voriconazole for the treatment of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in patients with hematological malignancy or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Methods This retrospective cohort, single-center study included patients with compatible radiological diagnosis of IPA between 2016 and 2021. Results Forty-six patients with hematological malignancy or HSCT were diagnosed with IPA. Thirty-nine of them fulfilled the criteria for comparing liposomal amphotericin B (n=15) with voriconazole (n=24). Their median age was 48.5 years. Stem cell transplant recipients were 45.65%, and nearly half of the patients (47.83%) had acute myeloid leukemia. Twenty-six (56.52%) of the patients did not require oxygen therapy. The 12-week mortality was 13.33% (two out of 15) in patients who received liposomal amphotericin B compared to 25% (six out of 24) in patients who received voriconazole. There was no mortality judged to be related to IPA. Success or global clinical response was not different between the two drugs: 80% for liposomal amphotericin B versus 83.33% for voriconazole. However, the safety profile favored liposomal amphotericin B. Conclusion In this small cohort, there was an equipoise in the mortality and clinical and radiological outcomes obtained using liposomal amphotericin B or voriconazole for the treatment of IPA in hematological malignancy or HSCT.

Clinical characteristics and outcome of Covid-19 illness and predictors of in-hospital mortality in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Patients' race and ethnicity may play a role in mortality from Covid-19. Studies in China, the US, and Europe have been conducted on the predictors of Covid-19 mortality, yet in the EMR countries, such studies are scarce. Therefore, we aimed to describe the hospitalization rate, ICU-admission, and in-hospital mortality of Covid-19 and predictors of in-hospital mortality in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: E-medical records were examined for all Covid-19 patients diagnosed in five tertiary hospitals affiliated with the Saudi-National Guard-Health Affairs during March 21, 2020, and September 12, 2021, based on a positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test, (n = 35,284). Data were collected on patients' characteristics, comorbidities, laboratory findings, hospitalization, ICU admission, and in-hospital and overall mortality. Logestic regressions were used to identify the independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. The best laboratory parameters cut-off values to predict in-hospital mortality were identified using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Significance was considered at p < 0.05. RESULTS: Of all 35,284 Covid-19 patients, 81.8% were adults and 21.7% were hospitalized. Compared to non-hospitalized patients, hospitalized patients were more of female gender (52.1% versus 47.3%, p < 0.001) and had higher mean age (p < 0.001), higher mean BMI (p < 0.001), and higher rates of: diabetes (p < 0.001), hypertension (p < 0.001), ischemic heart disease (p < 0.001), cancer (p < 0.001), COPD (p < 0.001) and asthma (p = 0.011). The study showed 3.1% overall case-fatality, 20.3% ICU admission rate, and 9.7% in-hospital mortality. Predictors of in-hospital mortality among adult patients were; patients' age ≥ 70 years (OR = 6.93, 95% CI 1.94-24.79), ischemic heart disease (OR = 1.80, 95% CI 1.05-3.09), ICU admission (OR = 24.38, 95% CI 15.64-38.01), abnormal C-reactive protein "CRP" (OR = 1.85, 95% CI 1.08-3.16), abnormal D-dimer (OR = 1.96, 95% CI 1.15-3.36), lymphopenia (OR = 2.76, 95% CI 2.03-3.3.76), high neutrophil count (OR = 2.10, 95% CI 1.54-2.87), and abnormal procalcitonin (OR = 3.33, 95% CI 1.88-5.90). The best laboratory parameters cut-off values to predict in-hospital mortality were CRP > 72.25 mg/L (AUC = 0.64), D-dimer > 1125 µg/L (AUC = 0.75), neutrophils count > 5,745 × 10^9/L (AUC = 0.70), lymphocytic count < 1.10 × 10^9/L (AUC = 0.72), and procalcitonin > 0.18 ng/mL (AUC = 0.76). CONCLUSIONS: Rates of hospitalization, ICU-admission, in-hospital mortality and overall case fatality were nearly comparable to the rates in western countries. Early interventions are necessary for high-risk Covid-19 patients, especially elderly patients and those with cardiac diseases.

Characteristics, Management, and Outcomes of Community-Acquired Pneumonia Due to Human Rhinovirus-A Retrospective Study.

Introduction: Human rhinovirus (HRV) can lead to a variety of respiratory illnesses; it is also an uncommon cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). We described the characteristics and outcomes of patients hospitalized for CAP due to HRV. Methods: We retrospectively studied consecutive adult patients admitted to King Abdulaziz Medical City-Riyadh with CAP due to HRV between 2016 and 2019. The diagnosis was made by respiratory multiplex PCR within 48 hours of hospitalization. We compared patients requiring ICU admission to those who did not. Results: One-hundred-and-six patients were studied (peak hospitalization between November and January, median age 71.5 years, hypertension 59%, diabetes 50%, and chronic respiratory disease 44.3%); 16 (15.1%) patients required ICU admission. The median pneumonia severity index score (PSI) was 107, with no significant difference between ICU and nonICU patients. ICU patients had a higher prevalence of tachypnea (62.5% vs. 26.7%, p=0.005), hemoptysis (12.5% vs 0%, p=0.001), and lymphopenia (71.4% vs 26.3%, p=0.01). Chest X-ray on presentation showed bilateral infiltrates in 47/101 (46.5%) patients and unilateral infiltrates in 26/101 (25.7%) patients. Systemic corticosteroids were used in 54.7% of patients (the median initial dose was 120 mg of prednisone equivalent and was higher in nonICU patients). Most (69.2%) ICU patients received mechanical ventilation (median duration of 8 days). Bacterial coinfection (6.6%) and superinfection (3.8%) were rare. The overall hospital mortality was 9.4% (higher for ICU patients: 37.5% vs. 4.4%, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Most patients with CAP due to HRV were elderly and had significant comorbidities. ICU admission was required in almost one in six patients and was associated with higher mortality.

Evaluation of ceftazidime/avibactam for treatment of carbapenemase-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales with OXA-48 and/or NDM genes with or without combination therapy.

Background: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) is an urgent public health threat of significant global concern. Few observational studies have evaluated the clinical outcomes for treatment of CRE harbouring OXA-48 or NDM genes with ceftazidime/avibactam. Previous findings showed lower 30 day mortality with ceftazidime/avibactam ranges between 8.3% and 22%. Method: This single-centre retrospective cohort study included adult patients aged ≥18 years admitted to King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC) who had received ceftazidime/avibactam for at least 72 h for infections caused by CRE with genes encoding for carbapenemase production (CP-CRE). Results: A total of 211 patients, mostly male (57%), having CP-CRE infections treated with ceftazidime/avibactam were included, with an average age of 62 years. More than 50% of patients were critically ill, for which 46% received invasive ventilation and 36% were on inotropes. The most frequent infectious disease was hospital/ventilator-acquired pneumonia with Klebsiella pneumoniae being the most frequent causative pathogen. The majority of isolates harboured OXA-48 (81%), followed by NDM ±â€ŠOXA-48 (19%). The overall clinical cure and 30 day mortality was 78% and 21% respectively (stratified per gene: 79% and 21.6% for OXA-48 and 75% and 17.5% for NDM ±â€ŠOXA-48). Conclusions: This was the largest study that evaluated clinical outcomes associate with CP-CRE harbouring OXA-48 gene infections treated with ceftazidime/avibactam. Clinical cure and 30 day mortality were consistent with those of previous studies. Findings suggested that combination therapy with ceftazidime/avibactam had no direct impact on clinical outcomes for CP-CRE with OXA-48.

Risk factors of SARS-CoV-2 infection in cancer patients pre- and post-vaccination.

BACKGROUND: Severe complications from COVID-19 and poor responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination were commonly reported in cancer patients compared to those without cancer. Therefore, the identification of predisposing factors to SARS-CoV-2 infection in cancer patients would assist in the prevention of COVID-19 and improve vaccination strategies. The literature lacks reports on this topic from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Therefore, we studied clinical and laboratory data of 139 cancer patients from King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, KSA. METHODS: The cancer patients fall into three categories; (i) uninfected with SARS-CoV-2 pre-vaccination and remained uninfected post-vaccination (control group; n = 114; 81%), (ii) pre-vaccination infected group (n = 16; 11%), or (iii) post-vaccination infected group (n = 9; 6%). Next, the clinical and lab data of the three groups of patients were investigated. RESULTS: Comorbidity factors like diabetes and hemodialysis were associated with the risk of infection in cancer patients before the vaccination (p<0.05). In contrast to breast cancer, papillary thyroid cancer was more prevalent in the infected patients pre- and post-vaccination (p<0.05). Pre-vaccination infected group had earlier cancer stages compared with the control group (p = 0.01). On the other hand, combined therapy was less commonly administrated to the infected groups versus the control group (p<0.05). Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio was lower in the post-vaccination infected group compared to the control group (p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Collectively, this is the first study from KSA to report potential risk factors of SARS-CoV-2 infection in cancer patients pre- and post-vaccination. Further investigations on these risk factors in a larger cohort are worthwhile to draw a definitive conclusion about their roles in predisposing cancer patients to the infection.

Immunogenicity of High-Dose MVA-Based MERS Vaccine Candidate in Mice and Camels.

The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a zoonotic pathogen that can transmit from dromedary camels to humans, causing severe pneumonia, with a 35% mortality rate. Vaccine candidates have been developed and tested in mice, camels, and humans. Previously, we developed a vaccine based on the modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) viral vector, encoding a full-length spike protein of MERS-CoV, MVA-MERS. Here, we report the immunogenicity of high-dose MVA-MERS in prime-boost vaccinations in mice and camels. METHODS: Three groups of mice were immunised with MVA wild-type (MVA-wt) and MVA-MERS (MVA-wt/MVA-MERS), MVA-MERS/MVA-wt, or MVA-MERS/MVA-MERS. Camels were immunised with two doses of PBS, MVA-wt, or MVA-MERS. Antibody (Ab) responses were evaluated using ELISA and MERS pseudovirus neutralisation assays. RESULTS: Two high doses of MVA-MERS induced strong Ab responses in both mice and camels, including neutralising antibodies. Anti-MVA Ab responses did not affect the immune responses to the vaccine antigen (MERS-CoV spike). CONCLUSIONS: MVA-MERS vaccine, administered in a homologous prime-boost regimen, induced high levels of neutralising anti-MERS-CoV antibodies in mice and camels. This could be considered for further development and evaluation as a dromedary vaccine to reduce MERS-CoV transmission to humans.

Clinical characteristics and outcome of mucormycosis: A multi-center retrospective analysis in Saudi Arabia over 11 years.

Background: Mucormycosis is a life-threatening fungal infection with variable epidemiology between countries. Limited data are available locally; we aim to describe the clinical spectrum and outcome of mucormycosis in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A retrospective multi-center study including all patients with clinical and pathological evidence of mucormycosis in 3 tertiary care centers in Saudi Arabia from January 2009 to December 2019. Results: Thirty-three patients were identified during the study period. The mean age was 42 years. People with diabetes accounted for 48% of the patient population. The most common site of infection was cutaneous (27%), followed by isolated sinusitis (21%) and pulmonary and rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis (each 18%). The most common isolated species were Rhizopus (50%) and Mucor (15%). Most patients received medical therapy with amphotericin B (79%), and more than half were treated surgically. The 1-year mortality rate reached 48%, with higher mortality observed in disseminated and rhino-orbital-cerebral infections than in other sites. Conclusion: Our study addressed the epidemiology of mucormycosis in Saudi Arabia and showed comparable patterns of clinical and mycological aspects to worldwide reports. Further studies are needed to evaluate mucormycosis risk factors and prognosis based on the species, site of infection and therapy type.

Comparison of Hospital Readmission and Mortality between COVID-19 and Pneumonia Patients.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) survivors can have lasting signs and symptoms, including various organ damage, indicating that COVID-19 can be a chronic illness. The current study aims to compare the 30-day hospital readmission and death rate of patients admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 and pneumonia due to other causes. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the Saudi National Guard Health Affairs (NGHA). Records of patients admitted with COVID-19 between 1 March 202 and 31 December 2020 (n = 3597) and pneumonia during 2017 and 2019 (n = 6324) were retrieved and analyzed. We compared the likelihood of 30-day hospital readmission, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and death between the two groups. Compared with the control group, COVID-19 patients had higher odds of 30-day readmission (odds ratio 1.90, 95% confidence interval 1.61-2.24), higher risk of ICU transfer (hazard ratio 1.85, 95% confidence interval 1.65-2.07), more extended hospital stay (7 vs. 4 days), but less risk of death (hazard ratio 0.18, 95% confidence interval 0.14-0.24). The findings that hospital readmission was higher in COVID-19 recovered patients than in other pneumonia patients inform the current discussion about readmission and death in COVID-19 patients.

COVID-19 reinfection: A multicenter retrospective study in Saudi Arabia.

INTRODUCTION: There are limited direct data on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) long-term immune responses and reinfection. This study aimed to evaluate the rate, risk factors, and severity of COVID-19 reinfection. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included five hospitals across Saudi Arabia. All subjects who were presented or admitted with positive SARS-CoV-2 real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests were evaluated between March 2020 and August 2021. Reinfection was defined as a patient who was infected followed by clinical recovery, and later became infected again 90 days post first infection. The infection was confirmed with a positive SARS-CoV-2 (RT-PCR). Four hundred and seventeen recovered cases but with no reinfection were included as a control. RESULTS: A total of 35,288 RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 patients were observed between March 2020 and August 2021. Based on the case definition, (0.37%) 132 patients had COVID-19 reinfection. The mean age in the reinfected cases was 40.95 ± 19.48 (range 1-87 years); Females were 50.76%. Body mass index was 27.65 ± 6.65 kg/m2; diabetes and hypertension were the most common comorbidities. The first infection showed mild symptoms in 91 (68.94%) patients; and when compared to the control group, comorbidities, severity of infection, and laboratory investigations were not statistically different. Hospitalization at the first infection was higher, but not statistically different when compared to the control group (P = 0.093). CONCLUSION: COVID-19 reinfection is rare and does not carry a higher risk of severe disease. Further studies are required, especially with the continuously newly emerging variants, with the unpredictable risk of reinfection.