Kurdistan Abdullah Saeed’s scientific contributions

Background/Objectives: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an emerging viral respiratory disease that has currently reached a pandemic status. This study aimed to assessCOVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and practices among the Kurdish population in Iraq. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from July 15 to September 15, 2020 among the Kurdish population in Iraq. A total of 885 subjects were interviewed. All subjects were aged 15-75 years. Knowledge scores, attitudes, and practices of subjects were analyzed according to demographic characteristics. Results: The study subjects were largely male, the average age was31.79 years, and 41.92% subjects were from Erbil province. Approximately 85.31% subjects had enhanced knowledge regarding disease prevention and control. The lowest subscale scores were related to clinical manifestations of the disease. Knowledge scores were significantly associated with age, place of current residence, and level of education. A large number of participants believed COVID-19 would be controlled and the fight against the pandemic would be won. Subjects' attitudes toward success differed significantly by demographic characteristics, except marital status. Approximately 40.03% subjects reported that they had not visited a crowded place, and 60.22% of these subjects wore face masks when leaving home. Conclusions: This study found good knowledge, positive attitudes, and proper practices among the general population regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. However, community-based health campaigns in the region should encourage optimistic attitudes and appropriate practices regarding virus

Background/Objectives: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an emerging viral respiratory disease that has currently reached a pandemic status. This study aimed to assessCOVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and practices among the Kurdish population in Iraq. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from July 15 to September 15, 2020 among the Kurdish population in Iraq. A total of 885 subjects were interviewed. All subjects were aged 15-75 years. Knowledge scores, attitudes, and practices of subjects were analyzed according to demographic characteristics. Results: The study subjects were largely male, the average age was31.79 years, and 41.92% subjects were from Erbil province. Approximately 85.31% subjects had enhanced knowledge regarding disease prevention and control. The lowest subscale scores were related to clinical manifestations of the disease. Knowledge scores were significantly associated with age, place of current residence, and level of education. A large number of participants believed COVID-19 would be controlled and the fight against the pandemic would be won. Subjects' attitudes toward success differed significantly by demographic characteristics, except marital status. Approximately 40.03% subjects reported that they had not visited a crowded place, and 60.22% of these subjects wore face masks when leaving home. Conclusions: This study found good knowledge, positive attitudes, and proper practices among the general population regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. However, community-based health campaigns in the region should encourage optimistic attitudes and appropriate practices regarding virus

Background/Objectives: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an emerging viral respiratory disease that has currently reached a pandemic status. This study aimed to assessCOVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and practices among the Kurdish population in Iraq. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from July 15 to September 15, 2020 among the Kurdish population in Iraq. A total of 885 subjects were interviewed. All subjects were aged 15-75 years. Knowledge scores, attitudes, and practices of subjects were analyzed according to demographic characteristics. Results: The study subjects were largely male, the average age was31.79 years, and 41.92% subjects were from Erbil province. Approximately 85.31% subjects had enhanced knowledge regarding disease prevention and control. The lowest subscale scores were related to clinical manifestations of the disease. Knowledge scores were significantly associated with age, place of current residence, and level of education. A large number of participants believed COVID-19 would be controlled and the fight against the pandemic would be won. Subjects' attitudes toward success differed significantly by demographic characteristics, except marital status. Approximately 40.03% subjects reported that they had not visited a crowded place, and 60.22% of these subjects wore face masks when leaving home. Conclusions: This study found good knowledge, positive attitudes, and proper practices among the general population regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. However, community-based health campaigns in the region should encourage optimistic attitudes and appropriate practices regarding virus

Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common infectious diseases at the community level, worldwide. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of the main pathogens responsible for male UTI in the community. Methods: Urine samples were collected from 211 subjects with UTI between January 2017 and February 2020. The samples were inoculated directly on MacConkey and Blood agar and then incubated at 37°C for 24 h. Samples with a colony count of ≥ 105 CFU/mL bacteria were considered positive. Bacterial colonies were determined by standard culture and biochemical characteristics, and their susceptibility to different antibiotics was identified by the Vitek-2 compact equipment. Results: The vast majority of the bacteria were Gram-negative (170 [80.6%]), while 41 (19.4%) of them were Gram-positive. The highest infection was by Escherichia coli (52.6%), followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (14.2%). Staphylococcus spp. were the most common Gram-positive bacteria (13.8%). The highest susceptibility of Escherichia coli isolates was found to imipenem (96.4%), and the highest resistance rate was to ampicillin (96.4%). Pseudomonas aeruginosa was resistant to all commonly used antibiotics, and around 86% was susceptible to ertapenem (86.7%). It was also found that Staphylococcus strains were resistant to benzylpenicillin (100%) and sensitive to linezolid (100%), tigecycline (100%), and nitrofurantoin (100%). Conclusions: E. coli isolates were the most frequent pathogens causing UTI in males, followed by P. aeruginosa and Staphylococcus spp. The vast majority of isolates were resistant to commonly prescribed antibiotics such as ampicillin, ceftriaxone, cefepime, benzylpenicillin, oxacillin, and erythromycin. This is an alarming situation, and an urgent plan to control antibacterial resistance is required in the region.

Background: Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) are one of the most common bacterial infections worldwide. The study of bacterial uropathogens in a local area and their susceptibility to antimicrobial agents is required to determine empirical therapy. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the profile and antibiotic resistance patterns of bacteria, causing urinary infections isolated from female patients in Duhok province, Iraq. Methods: A total of 530 urine samples were collected from females clinically suspected of UTIs over three years between January 2017 and February 2020. The samples were inoculated directly on MacConkey and Blood agar media and then incubated aerobically

Background: Escherichia coli (E. coli) is one of the most common causative agents of bacterial infections. The emergence of multidrug-resistant E. coli is a major public health threat worldwide. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the antibiotic susceptibility profile of clinical isolates of E. coli from different samples. Methods: A total number of 454 clinical samples, including urine, wound, cervical swab, blood, semen, ascetic, and cerebral spinal fluid samples were collected from patients between January 2017 and February 2020. Then, E. coli was confirmed and susceptibility to different antibiotics was determined using the Vitek-2 compact system. Results: Escherichia coli isolates were more frequent in females (70.7%) than in males (29.3%). In the case of urine samples, E. coli was found to be highly susceptible to ertapenem (97.6%) and imipenem (96.4%) but resistant to ampicillin (87.8%). For wound and cervical swabs, E. coli was 100% resistant to ampicillin and cefepime but 100% sensitive to ertapenem and imipenem. It was found that E. coli isolates from blood samples were 100% resistant to ampicillin, ceftriaxone, and cefoxitin, and around 75% of them were sensitive to ertapenem, ciprofloxacin, and levofloxacin. Finally, E. coli isolated from other clinical samples were highly sensitive to ertapenem, imipenem, levofloxacin, nitrofurantoin, and cefazolin. Conclusions: Escherichia coli isolated from various clinical specimens showed differences in antibiotic sensitivity patterns, with high resistance to commonly used antibiotics. The most effective antibiotics against E. coli isolates were ertapenem, imipenem, and nitrofurantoin. However, the clinical isolates of E. coli displayed high resistance rates to ampicillin, ceftriaxone, and cefepime. Therefore, it is proposed to perform antibiotic sensitivity testing by physicians to select the most effective antibiotics.