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This paper focuses on studying whether entrepreneurship affects or is affected by unemployment, economic growth, and inflation in Egypt during the period 1993-2013. In the empirical analysis, an econometric time series model is presented by applying the Vector Autocorrelation (VAR) modelling approach in order to estimate the desired relationship and capture the short run dynamics. Self-employment rate is used as a proxy for entrepreneurship, and real GDP growth rate is used as a proxy for economic growth. Empirical results suggest that entrepreneurship has a significant positive effect on both economic growth and inflation, while it has a significant negative effect on unemployment; which supports the Schumpeter effect, but not vice versa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Acute Respiratory Infections ( ARI) are responsible for nearly two million childhood deaths worldwide. A limited number of studies have been published on the epidemiology of viral respiratory pathogens in Egypt. Methods A total of 6113 hospitalized patients >1 month of age with suspected ARI were enrolled between June 23, 2009 and December 31, 2013. Naso- and oropharyngeal specimens were collected and tested for influenza A and B, respiratory syncytial virus, human metapneumovirus, adenovirus, and parainfluenza viruses 1-3. Blood specimens from children 1-11 months were cultured and bacterial growth was identified by polymerase chain reaction. Results from a healthcare utilization survey on the proportion of persons seeking care for ARI was used to calculate adjusted ARI incidence rates in the surveillance population. Results The proportion of patients with a viral pathogen detected decreased with age from 67% in patients age 1-11 months to 19% in patients ≥65 years of age. Influenza was the dominant viral pathogen detected in patients ≥1 year of age (13.9%). The highest incidence rates for hospitalized ARI were observed in children 1-11 months (1757.9-5537.5/100 000 population) and RSV was the most commonly detected pathogen in this age group. Conclusion In this study population, influenza is the largest viral contributor to hospitalized ARIs and children 1-11 months of age experience a high rate of ARI hospitalizations. This study highlights a need for surveillance of additional viral pathogens and alternative detection methods for bacterial pathogens, which may reveal a substantial proportion of as yet unidentified etiologies in adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Acute respiratory infections ( ARIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Influenza typically contributes substantially to the burden of ARI, but only limited data are available on influenza activity and seasonality in Jordan. Methods Syndromic case definitions were used to identify individuals with severe acute respiratory infections ( SARI) admitted to four sentinel hospitals in Jordan. Demographic and clinical data were collected. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs were tested for influenza using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and typed as influenza A or B, with influenza A further subtyped. Results From January 2008-February 2014, 2891 SARI cases were tested for influenza, and 257 (9%) were positive. While 73% of all SARI cases were under 5 years of age, only 57% of influenza-positive cases were under 5 years of age. Eight (3%) influenza-positive cases died. An annual seasonal pattern of influenza activity was observed. The proportion of influenza-positive cases peaked during November-January (14-42%) in the non-pandemic years. Conclusions Influenza is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality in Jordan. The seasonal pattern of influenza aligns with known Northern Hemisphere seasonality. Further characterization of the clinical and financial burden of influenza in Jordan will be critical in supporting decisions regarding disease control activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Severe acute lower respiratory infections (SARIs) are one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in young children, especially in developing countries. The present study focused on detection of risk factors for prolonged hospital stays among children with viral SARIs. Methodology: A sentinel surveillance study was conducted at Cairo University Hospital (CUH) between February 2010 and May 2011. Nasopharyngeal (NP) and oropharyngeal (OP) swabs were collected from all children admitted with SARIs. Viruses were identified using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: Out of 1,046 children, 380 (36%) were positive for one or more viruses; these included respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (22.9%), adenovirus (6.2%), parainfluenza viruses (PIVs1-3) (5.1%), human metapneumovirus (HMPV) (4.5%), influenza A (1.4%), and influenza B (0.6%). Viral etiology was mainly detected in children under one year of age (88.9%). Prolonged length of stay was independently associated with the presence of cyanosis and underlying chronic illness (OR 7.4, CI: 1.8-30.32 [p = 0.005], OR 2.5, CI: 1.36-4.64 [p = 0.004], respectively). Virus type did not affect the length of hospital stay (p > 0.05). Oxygen therapy was required in 91% of the patients. A total of 43 patients (11.6%) required intensive care admission. Twenty-one patients (5.5%) died, and 15 of them (71.4%) had an underlying chronic illness. Conclusions: The study demonstrated the important burden of respiratory viruses as a cause of SARI in hospitalized children in a tertiary Egyptian hospital. Cyanosis and underlying chronic illness were significantly associated with prolonged length of stay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Characterizing the epidemiology of circulating respiratory pathogens during the COVID-19 pandemic could clarify the burden of acute respiratory infections and monitor outbreaks of public health and military relevance. The US Department of Defense supported 2 regions for influenza-like illness and severe acute respiratory infections surveillance, one in the Middle East through US Naval Medical Research Unit EURAFCENT, and another in Latin America through US Naval Medical Research Unit SOUTH. During 2020‒2022, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic, we collected a total of 16,146 nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab samples from sentinel sites in Jordan (n = 11,305) and Latin America (n = 4,841). Samples were tested for SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and other respiratory pathogens. SARS-CoV-2 was the most frequently detected pathogen during 2020; other respiratory pathogens had distinct temporal and frequency distributions according to geographic location. Our findings support the need for continued sentinel surveillance as a vital tool for assessing the burden of respiratory diseases globally.

Surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in Kenya, Uganda, and Jordan identified multidrug-resistant high-risk bacterial clones: Escherichia coli sequence types 131, 1193, 69, 167, 10, 648, 410, 405 and Klebsiella pneumoniae sequence types 14, 147, 307, 258. Clones emerging in those countries exhibited high resistance mechanism diversity, highlighting a serious threat for multidrug resistance.