Hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver, has a number of infectious and non-infectious causes. Two of the viruses that cause hepatitis (hepatitis A and E) can be transmitted through water and food; hygiene is therefore important in their control. First, to assess the importance of HAV and HEV as a possible diagnosis for clinically diagnosed patients with acute viral hepatitis. Second, to assess the prevalence of hepatitis A and E in all provinces of Iraq and study its association with age, gender. This study consisted of two groups: The first group consisted of 2975 patients with a clinical diagnosis of acute viral hepatitis. The second group consisted of a total of 9610 persons, which were recruited by surveying a nationally representative random sample of households. A stratified random sample proportional to size of each of the 18 Iraqi governorates, both urban and rural areas was employed. Blood samples were taken from study subjects. The relative frequency of positive anti-HAV IgM antibodies was 41.0%, while anti- HEV IgM represented 19.4 % of patients with a clinical suspicion of acute viral hepatitis. The prevalence of hepatitis A-IgG antibodies in Iraqi population is 96.4% (95% confidence interval is 96-96.8%), while that of Hepatitis E-IgG antibodies was 20.3 % (95% confidence interval is 19.4-21.2%). The sero-prevalence showed a steady and significant increase with age for hepatitis E, while it showed an obvious increase between the first and second decade of life for HAV. No significant sex variation was observed for HAV, while males had a higher risk (by 15%) for HEV. The after war situation in Iraq is disastrous, due to the damage to water supply infrastructure and its contamination with sewage, Hepatitis A is hyper endemic in Iraq, while hepatitis E is endemic. Among patients with a clinical diagnosis of acute viral hepatitis, two fifths had serologic evidence of type A and another one fifth had type E viral hepatitis
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains one of the most pervasive viral threats worldwide, posing a significant risk to millions. Due to the absence of proofreading activity during reverse transcription, HBV exhibits a high genetic variability. To date, ten distinct HBV genotypes have been identified globally, associated with varying disease outcomes, including progression to cirrhosis and carcinoma, as well as responses to antivirals. Consequently, genotypic analysis and molecular characterization of HBV are critical for optimizing therapeutic strategies. This study aimed to investigate the distribution of HBV genotypes among Iraqi patients and to characterize their molecular profiles. Therefore, a modified protocol was used to improve seq
... Show MoreBackground: Inflammation of the brain parenchyma brought on by a virus is known as viral encephalitis. It coexists frequently with viral meningitis and is the most prevalent kind of encephalitis. Objectives: To throw light on viral encephalitis, its types, epidemiology, symptoms and complications. Results: Although it can affect people of all ages, viral infections are the most prevalent cause of viral encephalitis, which is typically seen in young children and old people. Arboviruses, rhabdoviruses, enteroviruses, herpesviruses, retroviruses, orthomyxoviruses, orthopneumoviruses, and coronaviruses are just a few of the viruses that have been known to cause encephalitis. Conclusion: As new viruses emerge, diagnostic techniques advan
... Show MoreBackground and Aim: Canine parvovirus 2 (CPV-2) is a highly contagious virus that infects wild and domestic canines. Despite the use of a routine vaccination protocol, it is endemic in Iraq. The genetic drift of CPV-2 is a major issue worldwide because it abrogates virus control. In Iraq, there is a knowledge gap regarding the genetic sequences of asymptomatic and symptomatic CPV-2 cases. Therefore, this study aimed to perform a genetic analysis of viral capsid protein 1 (VP1) and viral capsid protein 2 (VP2), two major capsid-encoding genes, to demonstrate the possible role of certain mutations in triggering infection. Materials and Methods: Symptomatic and asymptomatic cases (n = 100/each) were tested by a polymerase chain reacti
... Show MoreTo determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis B markers in chronic hepatitis B patients, 75 patients with chronic hepatitis B virus of ages (8-70) years have been investigated and compared with 50 apparently healthy individuals. All the studied groups were carried out to measure (HBsAg), (HBsAb), (HBeAg), (HBeAb), and (Total HBcAb) by Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. The percentage distribution of HBsAg was (86.67%) and HBsAb was (1.33%) in sera of CHB patients and there were a highly significant differences (P<0.01) when compared between studied groups, while, the percentage distribution of HBeAg was (22.67%) in sera of CHB patients and the significant represent the difference in distribution of HBeAg as infection but no
... Show MoreAim This study is an overview of NPEV investigated during AFP surveillance programs for the period 2010–2017 in Iraq. Methods Stool samples from 4296 AFP cases and 2933 healthy contacts among children less than 15 years of age were processed for virus isolation as a part of AFP surveillance for the Global Polio Eradication Program in Iraq at National Polio Laboratory. NPEV detection was performed by virus isolation on cell culture according to WHO recommendations. Results The NPEV isolation rate was 14% of total AFP cases and 14.5% of healthy contacts. The infection rate was higher in males than females with a male/female ratio of 1.5: 1. The highest NPEV infection rate was observed among the children aged 1-2 years and decrease significa
... Show MoreHepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a serious disease of the liver and signifies a major worldwide health concern. HBV Genotyping is vital for further epidemiological study, predicting the disease outcome and response to treatment. The current study aimed to determine hepatitis B virus genotypes in patients with chronic hepatitis B, and to validate possible associations with the baseline characteristics of the disease. A total of 90 patients with chronic hepatitis B infection were enrolled in this study. Liver function tests, hepatitis B virus markers and DNA viral load were done using routine standardized procedures. HBV genotyping was performed using real time PCR. Genotype D was the most predominant in 64 (71.1%) of samples, while
... Show MoreBackground: Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) is an idiopathic condition aggravated by exogenous or endogenous glucocorticoids. Vascular deregulation in the choroid is a new hypothesis regarding central serous chorioretinopathy occurrence. The inhibition of choroidal mineralocorticoid receptors has a great role in shortening the duration of CSCR by inhibiting choroidal vasodilatation and leak.
Objective: To assess the effect of oral spironolactone on subretinal fluid, central macular thickness and visual acuity in patients with acute CSCR compared to observation.
Subjects and Methods: a hospital based, randomized clinical trial carried out at outpatient clinic in Ibn-Alhaitham Teaching E
... Show MoreBackground: It is well known that mycotic antigens have an important
role in atopy and the induction of asthma. Now one of the important
subjects is the relation between respiratory bacterial and viral
infections in the inflammatory reactions accompanied with bronchial
asthma viruses Bacteria or their metabolites act as trigger for asthma
or increase it's intensity .
Objectives: To show the relation between asthma and some viral
infections serologically.
Methods: Direct ELISA test was employed to detect lgG specific for
Respiratory Syncytial virus (Rsv) parainfluenza virus type (p13) and
influenza virus in sera of (100) asthmatic patients of two age groups.
(10-17) and(18-50) years old. Serum samples from
The significance of the research conducted in northern Iraq comes despite the expansion of afforestation projects; yet, the suffering of the forests has increased due to their lack of scientific study, unpredictability of the climate, and adverse effects on the spread and growth of plant species Therefore, the goal of the study is to understand the effects of afforestation through a statistical analysis of plant diversity in northern Iraq and its distinctivenessThe analysis revealed that natural groupings had improved qualitatively more than other groups, particularly some dwindling species that are able to compete and occupy new areas. drought-prone vegetation, vegetation, and climat