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J Mokhbat

Publications and source records attributed to J Mokhbat.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Mucormycosis in the Eastern Mediterranean: a seasonal disease.

Mucormycosis is a fairly rare fungal infection caused by ubiquitous fungi of the order Mucorales and primarily affects immunocompromised hosts. A series of 16 cases of invasive mucormycosis admitted to three referral centres in Beirut, Lebanon between 1981 and 1999 is described. It includes 12 patients with rhinocerebral, three with cutaneous, and one with pulmonary infection. Onset of symptoms occurred in the summer and autumn in 15 out of 16 patients, showing a statistically significant seasonal variation (P=0.007) A recent report of 19 patients from Tel Aviv describes a strikingly similar seasonal pattern. Studies on atmospheric concentration of Mucorales spores in the Eastern Mediterranean are lacking. Weather pattern analysis in Beirut revealed clustering of onset of invasive mucormycosis at the end of a dry, warm period, which begins around May and ends in October. Mucormycosis incidence appears to be seasonal in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Exposure rates to hepatitis C and G virus infections among HIV-infected patients: evidence of efficient transmission of HGV by the sexual route.

The importance of sexual transmission in the epidemiology of hepatitis G virus (HGV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) was evaluated in two groups of HIV-1-positive Lebanese patients. Members of one group (90 patients) were HIV-1-infected via sexual route and denied intravenous drug (IVD) use, while members of the other group (28 patients) became HIV-1-infected parenterally and confessed frequent IVD use. The overall prevalence of HGV infection was relatively high in both groups and with no statistically significant difference between them (28% among IVD users vs 32% among the non-IVD users) despite the fact that non-IVD users were significantly older (32.7 +/- 1.7 years) than the IVD users (24.0 +/- 1.4 years) (P < 0.01). Conversely, there was a clear association between IVD use and HCV infection (25% for IVD users vs 7% for non-IVD users) despite the significantly lower age of the IVD users. These results point to the efficient transmission of HGV via the sexual route, while the transmission of HCV is mainly via the parenteral route. CD4+ lymphocyte counts were known on only 82 HIV1-infected patients. Although the number of HGV-RNA-positive patients (three) was small compared with anti-HGV-positive patients (24), a relationship was not found between CD4+ lymphocyte counts and the presence of HGV-RNA in the HIV-1-positive patients. The role of HGV in causing significant liver disease is still under dispute.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

HTLV-I and HTLV-II infections in volunteer blood donors and high-risk groups in Lebanon.

A serosurvey for Human T-cell Lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-I)/HTLV-II was conducted in 1,900 blood donors, 120 pregnant women and 436 high-risk group patients in Beirut, Lebanon. One of the 1,900 blood donors was anti-HTLV-I/II-seroreactive on screening by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) but was indeterminate by Western blot and negative by polymerase chain reaction. None of the other 556 subjects studied was seroreactive by EIA. The credibility of the zero prevalence of HTLV-I/II infection among the Lebanese blood donors is supported by the absence of seroreactivity of antibodies in the multiply transfused patients. It seems therefore that the prevalence of HTLV-I/II appears to be less than 1 in 2,456 in the Lebanese population and hence, HTLV-I/II infection does not appear to require routine screening in Lebanon.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Human rabies in Lebanon: lessons for control.

Human rabies is known to be endemic in countries bordering Lebanon, but its prevalence in Lebanon has not been studied before. All eight cases of human rabies reported to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health between 1991 and 1999 were reviewed, as well as three other cases admitted to the American University of Beirut Medical Center. A total of 1102 cases of animal bites to humans, the majority of which were dog bites, were reported to the Ministry of Public Health between 1991 and 1996. In this period, 2487 doses of rabies vaccine were administered to the above group, as post-exposure prophylaxis. Veterinarians, a high risk and educated group, were interviewed, and only 7 out of 72 were found to have been vaccinated. Major improvements in surveillance and reporting, better control of animal rabies, more awareness especially among high risk groups, and regional cooperation, are all needed to prevent and control this deadly infection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

[Screening of Streptococcus agalactiae (group B) in the perinatal period].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the carriage rate of Streptococcus agalactiae in a group of pregnant women and evaluate its role in a neonatal infections. DESIGN: Prospective study between December 1992 and May 1993. SETTING: University hospital. PARTICIPANTS: 166 patients aged 17 to 41 years (m = 28 yrs) with a gestational age of 32 to 42 wks (m = 39.99 +/- 1.73) were admitted to the delivery suite. All patients had a vaginal swab on admission before any lavage. RESULTS: The recovery rate of Streptococcus agalactiae (group B) was found to be 7.8% (13/166) in our population. Twelve of the thirteen newborn to colonized mothers (92%) were term newborn as compared to 141 of 153 (92.1%) newborn to non-colonized mothers (p = 0.72). Three of thirteen (23%) colonized mothers had premature rupture of membranes and 23% (3/13) had prolonged labor > 12 h as compared to of 38 (25.1%) and 8 (5.1%) non-colonized mothers (respectively p = 0.58; NS; p = 0.035). No intra-partum fever was reported. All neonates born to colonized mothers had a birth weight > 2,800 g, an average Apgar score of 8.6 while neonates of non-colonized women had a weight > 2,800 g in 89.4% of cases and an average Apgar of 8.8 (p = 0.9). Two (15.4%) newborn infants born to colonized mothers had an early neonatal infection: one had a pneumonia and had a favorable outcome, the other one developed sepsis and meningitis and died on day 3. CONCLUSION: Despite the low rate of Streptococcus agalactiae (group B) colonization (found in our population), regular identification of the organism is recommended because of the high risk of neonatal infection with a high mortality. Further studies on a larger group are needed to confirm such an approach.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Non Hodgkin's lymphoma of the maxilla as a first clinical manifestation of HIV infection. Report of a case.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) of the oral cavity is rare. When it occurs, one should be suspicious of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). NHL is the second most common malignancy associated with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). This report describes the occurrence of a maxillary NHL as a primary clinical manifestation of HIV infection.

Adult↗