Browsing by Author "Salim, Sara"

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Disseminated Nocardia farcinica Infection in a Renal Transplant Patient: A Case Report
(2024-02) Alhashimi, Fatma Mustafa; Salim, Sara
Abstract: Nocardia farcinica, an aerobic, Gram-positive bacterium belonging to the genus Nocardia, is a challenging opportunistic pathogen, particularly impacting immunocompromised individuals. The prevalence of human disease has witnessed a notable rise over the past two decades, correlating with an expanding population of immunocompromised individuals and advancements in the detection and identification of Nocardia spp. within clinical laboratories. This case is of a 59-year-old male with compromised immunity due to immunosuppressive medication use following a renal transplant who had an array of presentations before confirming a diagnosis of disseminated nocardiosis. The challenges faced in our case provide valuable insights into the complexities associated with diagnosing and managing Nocardia infections in immunocompromised populations, informing future clinical practice and research endeavors.
Seasonal Prevalence of Respiratory Pathogens Among Children in the United Arab Emirates: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study in the PreCOVID-19 Era
(2023) Salim, Sara; Malik, Zainab A.
Background: Viral respiratory infections in children pose a significant burden on healthcare facilities globally. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE) these account for 15% of all healthcare encounters among children. However, the seasonal prevalence and molecular epidemiology of respiratory viral infections in the UAE remains unknown. We sought to determine trends in seasonal viral prevalence in order to monitor disease activity and optimize the timing of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) prophylaxis among high-risk infants in the UAE. Methods: This cross-sectional multicenter study included children 0-18 years of age who presented to a large private healthcare group in Dubai, UAE, and had upper respiratory samples collected for multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR) testing between January 1 st and December 31 st , 2019. Sociodemographic, clinical, and molecular data were examined for children who tested positive for any pathogen on the mPCR panel. Results: A total of three thousand and ninety-eight infants and children had mPCR assays performed during the study period, of which 2427 (78.3%) were positive for any respiratory pathogen. The median age of our sample population was 39 months and 56.8% were male. Emergency room was the most common site (34.7%) of sample collection and the vast majority of children presented with fever (85.3%). Rhinovirus/enterovirus was the most prevalent viral infection (45%) throughout the year and peaked in September, followed by Influenza (20.2%), and RSV (17.1%). RSV season, defined as an infection prevalence of >10%, occurred from August to December with a peak in October. Adenovirus (15.6%) infections peaked in June and accounted for 43% of hospitalizations in our study (p<0.05). Viral co-infections with RSV and rhinovirus/enterovirus were most common and observed in 19.9 % of children. Conclusion: Rhinovirus/enterovirus is the most prevalent viral pathogen throughout the calendar year among the pediatric population in the UAE. RSV season begins earlier than reported in other countries regionally, hence RSV prophylaxis should be initiated in August to optimize protection among high-risk infants.