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Background: Candida auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen that represents a current serious threat to healthcare settings., Objective: The objective was to determine the prevalence of C. auris in a Riyadh hospital since its initial detection in late 2019., Methods: Using an adapted risk assessment tool, we reviewed the charts and medical files of all suspected and confirmed cases of C. auris infections reported at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, between November 2019 and December 2022. Anonymized data were retrieved in a pre-established datasheet and analyzed to determine the epidemiological characteristics of C. auris infections in our facility. We analyzed prevalence by age, gender, risk factors, and according to sampling source., Results: Of the 53 confirmed C. auris -positive cases during the study period, 33 (62%) were males. Their ages ranged between 15 and 98, with most positive cases occurring in those aged 50 and above. Only one of the confirmed cases was hospital-acquired. All patients had at least one risk factor, and urine samples yielded the greatest number of positive cases, while admission to healthcare facilities constituted the highest risk in our study., Conclusion: Establishing a local prevalence pattern could serve as a baseline/benchmark to compare with regional and international benchmarks.

Introduction: Severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) among pilgrims continues to be an important healthcare issue. The aim of this study was to describe the viral aetiology of patients admitted to hospitals in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah during the 2022 peri-Hajj period., Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of patients admitted to hospitals with SARI. Patients were tested with multiplex polymerase chain reaction for the most common viral aetiologies., Results: In total, 179 cases of SARI were identified during the study period. Of these, 101 (56.4%) were males, 78 (43.6%) were females, and 78 (43.6%) were Saudi. The mean age was 58.60 years (standard deviation 20.5) years. The most common age group was ≥65 years ( n =68, 36%), followed by 55-59 years ( n =37, 19%). The most common comorbidities were diabetes mellitus ( n =67, 36%), hypertension ( n =65, 35%) and chronic lung disease ( n =34, 18%). Eighty-five (47.5%) patients tested negative and 94 (42.5%) tested positive for various viral aetiologies. The most frequently detected viruses were severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) ( n =28, 15%) and influenza ( n =22, 12%); of the influenza cases, 16 were influenza A (6 (43%) were H3N2), and six were influenza B. The only case of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was in a citizen, and none of the visitors or residents had MERS-CoV. Of the total cases, 27 (14%) died during the follow-up period. In a binary regression analysis, only age was associated with mortality ( P =0.002)., Conclusion: The most commonly detected viruses among patients admitted to hospital with SARI were SARS-CoV-2 and influenza. It is important to continue surveillance of admitted and non-admitted patients in different Hajj periods to identify any shift in the aetiologic agents., Competing Interests: None declared., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Background: The 2022 Monkeypox virus (Mpox) outbreak had involved multiple countries around the globe. Here, we report clinical features and outcome of human Mpox of the first cases in Saudi Arabia., Methods: We obtained records of confirmed Mpox cases in Saudi Arabia from the public electronic health information system, Health Electronic Surveillance Network (HESN) and the healthcare providers completed a de-identified structured clinical data collection form., Results: The reported seven cases were travel-related and all were males between 24 and 41 years of age (mean age + SD) was 30.14 (+ 6.69) years. Of the cases, three (43 %) had heterosexual contact and the others had other intimate encounters while traveling abroad. They presented with skin lesions (100 %), fever (86 %), and lymphadenopathy (71 %). The illness was mild to moderate, did not require antiviral medications, and lasted 7-15 days. The mean duration of skin rash (+ SD) was 10 (+ 2.68) days. Routine laboratory tests (CBC, BUN, serum electrolytes, and liver enzymes) were within normal limits, and initial screening for HIV was negative. Expanded contact tracing did not reveal secondary cases of Mpox in the community or the healthcare setting., Conclusion: The current study showed heterosexual transmission of Mpox and the clinical course was mild and non-complicated. Therefore, clinicians and public health professionals should consider Mpox among individuals presenting with skin rash especially in the context of the investigation of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)