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Acute respiratory infections (ARI) play a major role in hospitalizations in the Middle East, but the specific viral causes are unknown. We conducted prospective viral surveillance in children <5 y of age admitted with ARI and/or fever at 2 dissimilar hospitals in Amman, Jordan during peak respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season. We collected prospective clinical and demographic data and obtained nose/throat swabs for testing for RSV by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). We obtained clinical and laboratory data for 728/743 (98%) subjects enrolled. The children's median age was 4.3 months, 58.4% were males, 87% were breastfed, 4% attended day care, 67% were exposed to smokers, 7% were admitted to the intensive care unit, and 0.7% died ( n = 5). Out of 728 subjects, 467 (64%) tested positive by RT-PCR for RSV. Comparing RSV-positive with RSV-negative subjects, the RSV-positive subjects had lower median age (3.6 vs 6.4 months, p < 0.001) and fewer males (55% vs 64%, p = 0.02). RSV-positive children had higher rates of oxygen use (72% vs 42%, p < 0.001), a longer hospital stay (5 vs 4 days, p = 0.001), and higher hospital charges (US$538 vs US$431, p < 0.001) than RSV-negative children. In young hospitalized Jordanian infants, the medical and financial burden of RSV was found to be high. Effective preventive measures, such as an RSV vaccine, would have a significant beneficial impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This retrospective study includes all newborn patients with culture proved candidaemia who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Jordan University Hospital through the period January 1995 to June 2006. Among 24 patients included, 13 (54.2%) died. The incidence of candidaemia was 0.27%, the mean age at diagnosis 25.9 d and the mean gestational age at birth 34.6 weeks. Species most frequently isolated were Candida albicans (50%) and C. krusei (20%). Previous gastrointestinal pathology was present in 41.7% of the cases. A comparison of cases due to C. albicans with those due to other species of Candida revealed no statistical differences in terms of demographic factors, age at onset of disease, mortality, clinical manifestations or risk factors. Based on our results, empirical antifungal therapy should be considered in neonates who have gastrointestinal pathology and other risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rotavirus is recognized to be a very important cause of GE in younger children in both developed as well as developing countries, but causes most of the mortality and morbidity in the latter. The recent introduction of a rotavirus vaccine in some parts of the world makes it necessary for us to determine the impact of this organism in our population with the aim of determining the need for the vaccine. In order to determine this, a study was conducted at the JUH and 3 other private hospitals. At the JUH, 64/256 (25%) of children with GE had rotavirus in 1995. The proportions of cases attributed to rotavirus in the other 3 y were 70/199 (35.2%), 69/279 (24.7%) and 76/294(25.8%) for 2002, 2003 and 2004, respectively. The cumulative proportion of cases attributable to rotavirus gastroenteritis in all the y was 27.14%. With regard to the 3 private hospitals, rotavirus accounted for 38/225 (16.9%), 140/664(21%) and 668/1496(44.6%) at the Khalidy, Jordan and Islamic hospitals, respectively. It is concluded that rotavirus is a significant cause of GE in Jordanian children regardless of their social background, and attempt at controlling this infection may be warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over a 1-y period, 26 inpatients at the Jordan University Hospital in Amman were detected with bacteraemia (23 cases) or respiratory tract colonized with B . cepacia (3 cases). A combination of genetic identification and molecular typing has proved that all cases were caused by a single epidemic strain of B. cepacia genomovar IIIa. Nosocomial infections could be documented in 21/26 (81%) patients, mostly with severe underlying or malignant diseases other than cystic fibrosis, but the source of infection was undetected. The overall mortality related to infection with B. cepacia was 42%. All B. cepacia isolates were resistant to ampicillin, amikacin, carbenicillin and gentamicin; and mostly susceptible to piperacillin, chloramphenicol, cotri-moxazole, tetracycline, ceftazidime, and tazocin (62-88%). This study demonstrates the nosocomial and high fatality of B. cepacia genomovar IIIa in Jordanian patients suffering from diseases other than cystic fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]