Leishmaniasis is one of the most important health dilemmas facing the World Health Organization (WHO), due to it being widespread and the great diversity of sand flies that transmit it. This study aimed to detect the presence of Leishmania parasites in the sand flies spread in Refugee camps by PCR- RLFP technique. A total of 437 sandflies were collected and classified into two species Phlebotomus papatasi and Phlebotomus sergenti. DNA was extracted from the female fly species, then the PCR reaction was amplified by two primers (LITSR, L5.8S) that transcribed a partial internal transcribed spacer (ITS)-1 gene for Leishmania parasite with a length of 320 bp. PCR showed the presence of Leishmania DNA in females of both P. papatasi (10%) and P. sergenti (20%). To determine Leishmania species transmitted by the two previous fly species, the RFLP-PCR technique was performed by the HaeIII enzyme for Leishmania DNA extracted from them. RFLP-PCR showed that P. papatasi females transmitted Leishmania major and P. sergenti females transmitted Leishmania tropica in Refugee camps. It could be concluded that leishmaniasis is widely distributed in Refugee camps due to the presence of its vector.

Culex pipiens complex members have been known as important vectors of medical and veterinary arthropod-borne diseases for many pathogens (viral, bacterial, parasitic). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate natural bacterial flora within the Culex pipiens pipiens (Linnaeus,1758) collected from Aleppo City, Syria. Specimens of Cx. p. pipiens were identified based on a pictorial key. The presence of bacterial species was investigated using the PCR technique and special culture media. Results indicated the presence of mine bacterial species, including Wolbachia pipiens, Moraxella catarrhalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Corynebacterium kutsceri, Clostridium tetani, and Acinetobacter baumannii. Wolbachia controls the sexual behavior of mosquitoes and therefore can be used in biocontrol.

Background/Objectives: Adolescents undergoing treatment for cancer face both physical and psychological challenges, including depression and anxiety, yet local prevalence data remain limited in Saudi Arabia. The primary objective was to determine the prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms among adolescents with cancer at a tertiary center in Riyadh; a secondary, exploratory objective was to examine associations with socio-demographic and clinical factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary oncology center in Riyadh. Using convenience sampling, 86 adolescents aged 12–18 years with a confirmed tumor diagnosis completed a study-developed questionnaire and the validated Arabic PHQ-9 and GAD-7; analysis was restricted to the 59 participants with malignant disease. Results: Depressive symptoms of any severity were reported by 52.5% of participants (95% CI 40.0–64.7%), and anxiety symptoms by 37.3% (95% CI 26.1–50.0%). In secondary, exploratory analyses using a clinically meaningful threshold, both depression and anxiety were significantly more common among females than males (depression: 36.8% vs. 10.0%, p = 0.027; anxiety: 52.6% vs. 10.0%, p = 0.0006); anxiety was also significantly associated with age (highest at 14–16 years; p = 0.024). Most participants had no prior formal mental health diagnosis. Conclusions: Over half of adolescents with cancer in this Saudi sample experienced depressive symptoms, and over a third experienced anxiety symptoms; female gender was associated with both outcomes, and age with anxiety specifically, though these associations remain exploratory given the small sample. These findings support routine screening for all adolescents with cancer, with particular attention to female patients.