scholarly journals Bat-Borne Coronaviruses in Jordan and Saudi Arabia: A Threat to Public Health?

Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1413
Author(s):  
Laith N. AL-Eitan ◽  
Amneh H. Tarkhan ◽  
Mansour A. Alghamdi ◽  
Denise A. Marston ◽  
Guanghui Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Emerging Pathogens ◽  
Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia ◽  
Mass Gatherings ◽  
Mass Migration ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Hajj Season

Emerging infectious diseases are of great concern to public health, as highlighted by the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Such diseases are of particular danger during mass gathering and mass influx events, as large crowds of people in close proximity to each other creates optimal opportunities for disease transmission. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are two countries that have witnessed mass gatherings due to the arrival of Syrian refugees and the annual Hajj season. The mass migration of people not only brings exotic diseases to these regions but also brings new diseases back to their own countries, e.g., the outbreak of MERS in South Korea. Many emerging pathogens originate in bats, and more than 30 bat species have been identified in these two countries. Some of those bat species are known to carry viruses that cause deadly diseases in other parts of the world, such as the rabies virus and coronaviruses. However, little is known about bats and the pathogens they carry in Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Here, the importance of enhanced surveillance of bat-borne infections in Jordan and Saudi Arabia is emphasized, promoting the awareness of bat-borne diseases among the general public and building up infrastructure and capability to fill the gaps in public health preparedness to prevent future pandemics.

scholarly journals Agent-Based Simulation Framework for Epidemic Forecasting during Hajj Seasons in Saudi Arabia

Information ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 325
Author(s):  
Sultanah Mohammed Alshammari ◽  
Mohammed Hassan Ba-Aoum ◽  
Nofe Ateq Alganmi ◽  
Arwa AbdulAziz Allinjawi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Simulation Framework ◽  
Agent Based Simulation ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
The World ◽  
Hajj Season ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Epidemic Forecasting

The religious pilgrimage of Hajj is one of the largest annual gatherings in the world. Every year approximately three million pilgrims travel from all over the world to perform Hajj in Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The high population density of pilgrims in confined settings throughout the Hajj rituals can facilitate infectious disease transmission among the pilgrims and their contacts. Infected pilgrims may enter Mecca without being detected and potentially transmit the disease to other pilgrims. Upon returning home, infected international pilgrims may introduce the disease into their home countries, causing a further spread of the disease. Computational modeling and simulation of social mixing and disease transmission between pilgrims can enhance the prevention of potential epidemics. Computational epidemic models can help public health authorities predict the risk of disease outbreaks and implement necessary intervention measures before or during the Hajj season. In this study, we proposed a conceptual agent-based simulation framework that integrates agent-based modeling to simulate disease transmission during the Hajj season from the arrival of the international pilgrims to their departure. The epidemic forecasting system provides a simulation of the phases and rituals of Hajj following their actual sequence to capture and assess the impact of each stage in the Hajj on the disease dynamics. The proposed framework can also be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the different public health interventions that can be implemented during the Hajj, including size restriction and screening at entry points.

The role of wildlife in transboundary animal diseases

2011 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Siembieda ◽  
R. A. Kock ◽  
T. A. McCracken ◽  
S. H. Newman
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Disease Ecology ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Domestic Animal ◽  
Animal Origin ◽  
Public Health Programs ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Domestic Livestock

AbstractThis paper identifies some of the more important diseases at the wildlife–livestock interface and the role wildlife plays in disease transmission. Domestic livestock, wildlife and humans share many similar pathogens. Pathogens of wild or domestic animal origin that can cause infections in humans are known as zoonotic organisms and the converse are termed as anthroponotic organisms. Seventy-seven percent of livestock pathogens and 91% of domestic carnivore pathogens are known to infect multiple hosts, including wildlife. Understanding this group of pathogens is critical to public health safety, because they infect a wide range of hosts and are most likely to emerge as novel causes of infection in humans and domestic animals. Diseases at the wildlife–livestock interface, particularly those that are zoonotic, must be an area of focus for public health programs and surveillance for emerging infectious diseases. Additionally, understanding wildlife and their role is a vital part of understanding the epidemiology and ecology of diseases. To do this, a multi-faceted approach combining capacity building and training, wildlife disease surveillance, wildlife–livestock interface and disease ecology studies, data and information sharing and outbreak investigation are needed.

scholarly journals Psychological Responses to the COVID-19 Outbreak are Related to Trust in Public Institutions: Implications for Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aida Mencía-Ripley ◽  
Robert Paulino-Ramírez ◽  
Leandro Féliz-Matos ◽  
Carlos B. Ruiz-Matuk ◽  
Laura V. Sánchez-Vincitore
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Public Institutions ◽  
Psychological Responses ◽  
Emerging Pathogens ◽  
Healthy Behaviors ◽  
Public Health Authorities

Emerging pathogens, especially those related to infectious diseases require behavior change as well as engaging the population in participating in healthy behaviors. Psychological responses are thus of vital importance to disease prevention. While the stress of a pandemic has been associated to many psychological symptoms, these symptoms have not been systematically explored in a broader sociopolitical context. Psychological responses may be linked to the perceptions of health professionals and may also relate to trust in public institutions. As such, psychopathology is not only a consequence of stress associated with pandemics but rather, the result of an interplay of personal and sociopolitical contexts. This study showed that members of the general population are experiencing significant symptoms of psychological distress. Regression analyses showed that psychological distress was associated with negative attitudes towards healthcare professionals as well as distrust in public health authorities. This study is relevant because a lack of trust in health officials may impact the degree to which the population adheres to public health guidelines to prevent and manage COVID-19.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document