Longdom Conferences

Speaker

Mar 19-20, 2020    London, UK

World Summit on Infectious Diseases and Therapeutics

Hejer Harrabi
11:45 AM-12:15 PM

Hejer Harrabi

Tunisia

Title: Outbreak of Measles in Tunisian adults in 2019

Abstract:

Introduction- Measles is an acute viral illness. It is one of the most transmissible viral infections. From 1 January through 30 April 2019, the Tunisian Health Ministry responded to a large measles outbreak in the country. A total of 3 141 suspected cases, of which 909 (28.9%) were laboratory confirmed and 1 236 (39.4 %) epidemiologically linked cases including 30 deaths (case fatality ratio=1.0 %), have been reported in all of the 24 governorates.

Objective- The objective of our study is to report the cases of measles that were hospitalized in our department.

Methods and materials- We conducted a retrospective study (March-June 2019) in the department of infectious diseases at La Rabta University hospital in Tunis.  All the adults (aged>15) with a suspected case of measles were hospitalized. The diagnosis was confirmed by positivity for IgM antibodies against measles virus and/or reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in blood in the laboratory of  virology of Charles Nicolle university hospital.

 Results- We report here 21 adult patients, with sex ratio of 1.1 (11/10). The mean age was 38 (29-58) years. The vaccination rate against measles was very low. Only 10% of the patients were vaccinated against this virus. The clinical features included fever, fatigue, cough, coryza, conjunctivitis and maculopapular rash. The diagnosis was confirmed in all the patients by positivity of IgM antibodies against measles (17 cases) and PCR (4 cases). All the patients were isolated, and the treatment was symptomatic. Pulmonary complication was reported in 9 cases (42.8%). One patient was hospitalized in the intensive care unit for respiratory failure. No case of death was reported.

Conclusion- Early diagnosis with subsequent isolation and registration of patients are important measures to prevent local outbreaks of the disease as well as immunization. The vaccine coverage in the general population should be as high as 95% to provide herd protection.

Biography:

Hejer Harrabi is Born in 20 June 1980, Kairouan,Tunisia; Single Medical Studies: University of Medicine Sfax, Tunisia; François Rabelais University of Tours, France; El Manar University Tunis, Tunisia Diploma: Doctor in medicine in 2009, specialist in infectious diseases in 2010, University diploma (U.D) “Vaccinology”, U.D of Washington University “ Clinical Management of HIV”, UD “Reanimation in infectious diseases”, U.D “Antibiotherapy”, U.D “Geriatric medicine”, U.D. “Medical pedagogy” Career: Referring doctor in infectious diseases and clinical researcher in the infectious diseases department, CHRU Tours, France (2009-2011); Public health doctor specialized in infectious diseases, CHU Ibn ElJazzar (2012-2014); University hospital assistant in the infectious diseases department, CHU La Rabta, El Manar University, Tunis (2014 - to now).

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Single dose of antibodies can knock out HIV in newborns

2020-01-07

A single dose of an antibody-based treatment can prevent HIV transmission from mother to baby, new nonhuman primate research suggests for the first time. This is the first time a single dose of broadly neutralizing antibodies given after viral exposure has been found to prevent infection in nonhuman primate newborns.

A molecular switch for stomach disease

2020-01-08

A research team has revealed a new mechanism which controls the causes of infection with H. pylori, triggering the development of stomach diseases. It is hoped that these findings will lead in time to new therapies.

First robust cell culture model for the hepatitis E virus

2020-01-13

A mutation switches the turbo on during virus replication.

New strategy in the fight against antibiotic resistance

2020-01-14

Bioscience engineers have developed a new antibacterial strategy that weakens bacteria by preventing them from cooperating. Unlike with antibiotics, there is no resistance to this strategy.

New species of antibiotic-resistant bacteria found in infected wound

2020-01-21

A hitherto unknown antibiotic-resistant bacteria species, in the same family as E. coli and Salmonella spp., has been found and classified in Sweden. The proposed taxonomic name of the species -- the first of the new genus -- is Scandinavium goeteborgense, after the city of Gothenburg, Sweden, where the bacterium was isolated and the research was done.

Researchers reverse HIV latency, important scientific step toward cure

2020-01-22

Overcoming HIV latency -- induction of HIV in CD4+ T cells that lay dormant throughout the body - is a major step toward creating a cure for HIV. For the first time, scientists have shown that a new approach can expose latent HIV to attack in two different animal model systems with little or no toxicity.

Exposure to diesel exhaust particles linked to pneumococcal disease susceptibility

2020-01-23

A new study shows that exposure to diesel exhaust particles (DEPs) can increase an individual's susceptibility to pneumococcal disease.

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