Tarek Sanouri - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Tarek Sanouri

Research paper thumbnail of Seroprevalence of Human Brucellosis among Syrian Refugees in Jordan, 2022

Journal of pathogens, Dec 15, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of Meningococcal disease in the Middle East: A report from the Global Meningococcal Initiative

Research paper thumbnail of Real-Time Reverse Transcription-PCR Assay Panel for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 2013

A new human coronavirus (CoV), subsequently named Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV, wa... more A new human coronavirus (CoV), subsequently named Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV, was first reported in Saudi Arabia in September 2012. In response, we developed two real-time reverse transcription-PCR (rRT-PCR) assays targeting the MERS-CoV nucleocapsid (N) gene and evaluated these assays as a panel with a previously published assay targeting the region upstream of the MERS-CoV envelope gene (upE) for the detection and confirmation of MERS-CoV infection. All assays detected ≤10 copies/reaction of quantified RNA transcripts, with a linear dynamic range of 8 log units and 1.3 × 10 −3 50% tissue culture infective doses (TCID 50 )/ml of cultured MERS-CoV per reaction. All assays performed comparably with respiratory, serum, and stool specimens spiked with cultured virus. No false-positive amplifications were obtained with other human coronaviruses or common respiratory viral pathogens or with 336 diverse clinical specimens from non-MERS-CoV cases; specimens from two confir...

Research paper thumbnail of Emergence of plasmid-mediated multidrug resistance in epidemic and non-epidemic strains of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi from Jordan

The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, 2008

Research paper thumbnail of The epidemiology of meningococcal meningitis: multi-center, hospital-based surveillance of meningococcal meningitis in Iraq

Research paper thumbnail of Influenza Hospitalization Epidemiology from a Severe Acute Respiratory Infection Surveillance System in Jordan, January 2008-February 2014

Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses, 2015

Background Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality world... more Background Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Influenza typically contributes substantially to the burden of ARI, but only limited data are available on influenza activity and seasonality in Jordan. Methods Syndromic case definitions were used to identify individuals with severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) admitted to four sentinel hospitals in Jordan. Demographic and clinical data were collected. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs were tested for influenza using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and typed as influenza A or B, with influenza A further subtyped.

Research paper thumbnail of Hospital-Associated Outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus: A Serologic, Epidemiologic, and Clinical Description

Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2014

Background. In April 2012, the Jordan Ministry of Health investigated an outbreak of lower respir... more Background. In April 2012, the Jordan Ministry of Health investigated an outbreak of lower respiratory illnesses at a hospital in Jordan; 2 fatal cases were retrospectively confirmed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) to be the first detected cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV). Methods. Epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of selected potential cases were assessed through serum blood specimens, medical record reviews, and interviews with surviving outbreak members, household contacts, and healthcare personnel. Cases of MERS-CoV infection were identified using 3 US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention serologic tests for detection of anti-MERS-CoV antibodies. Results. Specimens and interviews were obtained from 124 subjects. Seven previously unconfirmed individuals tested positive for anti-MERS-CoV antibodies by at least 2 of 3 serologic tests, in addition to 2 fatal cases identified by rRT-PCR. The case-fatality rate among the 9 total cases was 22%. Six subjects were healthcare workers at the outbreak hospital, yielding an attack rate of 10% among potentially exposed outbreak hospital personnel. There was no evidence of MERS-CoV transmission at 2 transfer hospitals having acceptable infection control practices. Conclusions. Novel serologic tests allowed for the detection of otherwise unrecognized cases of MERS-CoV infection among contacts in a Jordanian hospital-associated respiratory illness outbreak in April 2012, resulting in a total of 9 test-positive cases. Serologic results suggest that further spread of this outbreak to transfer hospitals did not occur. Most subjects had no major, underlying medical conditions; none were on hemodialysis. Our observed casefatality rate was lower than has been reported from outbreaks elsewhere.

Research paper thumbnail of Influenza Hospitalization Epidemiology from a Severe Acute Respiratory Infection Surveillance System in Jordan, January 2008-February 2014

Influenza and other respiratory viruses, Jan 27, 2015

Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Influ... more Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Influenza typically contributes substantially to the burden of ARI, but only limited data are available on influenza activity and seasonality in Jordan. Syndromic case definitions were used to identify individuals with severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) admitted to four sentinel hospitals in Jordan. Demographic and clinical data were collected. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs were tested for influenza using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and typed as influenza A or B, with influenza A further subtyped. From January 2008-February 2014, 2,891 SARI cases were tested for influenza, and 257 (9%) were positive. While 73% of all SARI cases were under five years old, only 57% of influenza-positive cases were under five years old. Eight (3%) influenza-positive cases died. An annual seasonal pattern of influenza activity was observed. The proportion of influenz...

Research paper thumbnail of Seroprevalence of Human Brucellosis among Syrian Refugees in Jordan, 2022

Journal of pathogens, Dec 15, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of Meningococcal disease in the Middle East: A report from the Global Meningococcal Initiative

Research paper thumbnail of Real-Time Reverse Transcription-PCR Assay Panel for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 2013

A new human coronavirus (CoV), subsequently named Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV, wa... more A new human coronavirus (CoV), subsequently named Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV, was first reported in Saudi Arabia in September 2012. In response, we developed two real-time reverse transcription-PCR (rRT-PCR) assays targeting the MERS-CoV nucleocapsid (N) gene and evaluated these assays as a panel with a previously published assay targeting the region upstream of the MERS-CoV envelope gene (upE) for the detection and confirmation of MERS-CoV infection. All assays detected ≤10 copies/reaction of quantified RNA transcripts, with a linear dynamic range of 8 log units and 1.3 × 10 −3 50% tissue culture infective doses (TCID 50 )/ml of cultured MERS-CoV per reaction. All assays performed comparably with respiratory, serum, and stool specimens spiked with cultured virus. No false-positive amplifications were obtained with other human coronaviruses or common respiratory viral pathogens or with 336 diverse clinical specimens from non-MERS-CoV cases; specimens from two confir...

Research paper thumbnail of Emergence of plasmid-mediated multidrug resistance in epidemic and non-epidemic strains of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi from Jordan

The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, 2008

Research paper thumbnail of The epidemiology of meningococcal meningitis: multi-center, hospital-based surveillance of meningococcal meningitis in Iraq

Research paper thumbnail of Influenza Hospitalization Epidemiology from a Severe Acute Respiratory Infection Surveillance System in Jordan, January 2008-February 2014

Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses, 2015

Background Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality world... more Background Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Influenza typically contributes substantially to the burden of ARI, but only limited data are available on influenza activity and seasonality in Jordan. Methods Syndromic case definitions were used to identify individuals with severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) admitted to four sentinel hospitals in Jordan. Demographic and clinical data were collected. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs were tested for influenza using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and typed as influenza A or B, with influenza A further subtyped.

Research paper thumbnail of Hospital-Associated Outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus: A Serologic, Epidemiologic, and Clinical Description

Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2014

Background. In April 2012, the Jordan Ministry of Health investigated an outbreak of lower respir... more Background. In April 2012, the Jordan Ministry of Health investigated an outbreak of lower respiratory illnesses at a hospital in Jordan; 2 fatal cases were retrospectively confirmed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) to be the first detected cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV). Methods. Epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of selected potential cases were assessed through serum blood specimens, medical record reviews, and interviews with surviving outbreak members, household contacts, and healthcare personnel. Cases of MERS-CoV infection were identified using 3 US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention serologic tests for detection of anti-MERS-CoV antibodies. Results. Specimens and interviews were obtained from 124 subjects. Seven previously unconfirmed individuals tested positive for anti-MERS-CoV antibodies by at least 2 of 3 serologic tests, in addition to 2 fatal cases identified by rRT-PCR. The case-fatality rate among the 9 total cases was 22%. Six subjects were healthcare workers at the outbreak hospital, yielding an attack rate of 10% among potentially exposed outbreak hospital personnel. There was no evidence of MERS-CoV transmission at 2 transfer hospitals having acceptable infection control practices. Conclusions. Novel serologic tests allowed for the detection of otherwise unrecognized cases of MERS-CoV infection among contacts in a Jordanian hospital-associated respiratory illness outbreak in April 2012, resulting in a total of 9 test-positive cases. Serologic results suggest that further spread of this outbreak to transfer hospitals did not occur. Most subjects had no major, underlying medical conditions; none were on hemodialysis. Our observed casefatality rate was lower than has been reported from outbreaks elsewhere.

Research paper thumbnail of Influenza Hospitalization Epidemiology from a Severe Acute Respiratory Infection Surveillance System in Jordan, January 2008-February 2014

Influenza and other respiratory viruses, Jan 27, 2015

Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Influ... more Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Influenza typically contributes substantially to the burden of ARI, but only limited data are available on influenza activity and seasonality in Jordan. Syndromic case definitions were used to identify individuals with severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) admitted to four sentinel hospitals in Jordan. Demographic and clinical data were collected. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs were tested for influenza using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and typed as influenza A or B, with influenza A further subtyped. From January 2008-February 2014, 2,891 SARI cases were tested for influenza, and 257 (9%) were positive. While 73% of all SARI cases were under five years old, only 57% of influenza-positive cases were under five years old. Eight (3%) influenza-positive cases died. An annual seasonal pattern of influenza activity was observed. The proportion of influenz...