Little is known about professional burnout among health-care workers in Egypt. The current study aimed to reveal the extent of burnout among physicians and nursing staff working in the emergency hospital of Tanta University and to identify some of its determinants. A cross-sectional study was carried out on all physicians (n = 266) and a systematic random sample of nurses (n = 284). Burnout was assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory and its subscales. Most of the participants (66.0%)had a moderate level of burnout and 24.9% of them had high burnout. Multivariate analysis of variables affecting burnout showed that age, sex, frequency of exposure to work-related violence, years of experience, work burden, supervision and work activities were significant predictors of burnout among the respondents. The authors recommend health education interventions during pre-employment training programmes for prevention of burnout syndrome and periodic screening for early detection and management of burnout.

Background/objectives: Scabies is a major global public health issue that might affect people from all socioeconomic levels. The primary contributing factors in contracting scabies seem to be poverty and overcrowded living conditions. Scabies often spreads among schoolchildren quite rapidly, owing to their close contact and overcrowding within the schools. However, limited information is available about its risk factors and the socioeconomic correlates among schoolchildren in Egypt. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of scabies and its risk factors among primary schoolchildren in Kafr El-Sheikh administrative area, Egypt. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on primary schoolchildren in urban and rural areas of Kafr El-Sheikh administrative area. A predesigned questionnaire was used for data collection from the randomly selected 2,104 children, and clinical dermatological examination was done for them. Results: Out of 2,104 children studied, there were 92 cases of scabies with a prevalence of 4.4%. The prevalence of scabies infestation in male students was 3.9%, while it was 4.8% in females, with no statistical significance. The results showed significant variations in the risk of scabies infestation by factors such as residence, paternal education and occupation, maternal education, sleeping with others, having animals at home, dealing with animals outside the house, type of building for living, family history of itchy rash, and sharing clothes with others. Conclusion: In our community, scabies is still an important health problem affecting schoolchildren, especially in rural areas. It is characterized by a complex web of causation, particularly poor living conditions and low level of parents’ education.

A study in Egypt determined the prevalence of hepatitis B and C virus infections among barbers (n = 308) and their clients (n = 308) in Gharbia governorate, and assessed knowledge, attitude and practices during hair-cutting and shaving. HBsAg was detected among 4.2% of barbers and 3.9% of clients (more urban than rural). Anti-HC antibodies were detected in 12.3% of barbers and 12.7% of clients. HCV-RNA prevalence was 9.1% among both barbers and clients (more rural than urban). Knowledge was high among the majority of participants and good practices during shaving and hair-cutting were observed for the majority of barbers. Barbers appeared to have no job-related risk of acquiring viral hepatitis.

To study trends in HIV case notification rates in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A ten year retrospective review of annual HIV case notification returns to the Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Annual Registry statistics covering the period 2000 to 2009 were reviewed. Annual incidence trends were stratified according to the following demographics: age, nationality, geographical region of residence, gender, and mode of disease acquisition. 10,217 new HIV cases (2,956 in Saudi nationals and 7,261 in non-Saudis) were reported. Africans of Sub-Saharan Africa origin accounting for 3,982/7,261 (53%) of non-Saudi cases constituted: Ethiopians (2,271), Nigerians (1,048), and Sudanese nationals (663). The overall average annual incidence was <4 cases per 100,000; 1.5 cases per 100,000 for Saudis (range 0.5–2.5), and 13.2 per 100,000 for non-Saudis (range 5.7–19.0). Notifications increased yearly from 2000 for both groups until a plateau was reached in 2006 at 1,390 new cases. Case notification in Saudi nationals increased from 20% in the early 2001 to 40% in 2009. 4% (124/2,956) of cases were reported in Saudi children. The male to female ratio was 1.6∶1 for non-Saudi nationals (43.8% male, 27.3% female) and 4.4∶1 for Saudis (23.5% male, 5.4% female). Whilst the numbers of reported HIV cases have stabilised since 2006, HIV/AIDS remains an important public health problem in KSA, both in migrants and Saudi nationals. HIV transmission to Saudi children is also of concern. Optimization of data collection, surveillance, and pro-active screening for HIV is required.