SummaryOBJECTIVE To determine the incidence and type of RTI-causing bacteria and viruses during a period of epidemic infections. METHOD A total of 395 sputum specimens and 761 throat swabs were collected during the 1991 and 1992 pilgrimage seasons (Haj to Makkah Al-Mukarama, Saudi Arabia) from patients referred to one hospital and three dispensaries with symptoms of respiratory tract infections. All 761 throat swabs of both Haj seasons were also screened for the presence of viral pathogens with monoclonal antibodies specific for 7 viruses known to cause respiratory infections. RESULTS Bacterial pathogens were detected in 118 (29.9%) specimens. During the 1991 Haj season Haemophilus influenzae was the most frequent bacterial pathogen detected (10%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (5.2%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (4.8%), Staphylococcus aureus (3.8%) and Streptococcus pyogenes (2.4%). In the 1992 Haj season Klebsiella pneumoniae was predominant (15.1%), followed by Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae (12.3%). Screening of all sputum specimens for acid-fast bacteria showed that the overall incidence rate of tuberculosis was 1%. Cultures from the 761 throat swabs were largely negative for bacteria except for Streptococcus pyogenes isolated from 7 patients.

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ABSTRACT. One hundred and fifty specimens were collected from diabetic patients suffering from infections over a period of 9 months. Urine was the most frequently collected specimen from diabetic patients (50%) followed by foot swabs (24%), tracheal aspiration and sputum (12.7%), blood (6.7%), vaginal swabs (3.3%), and eye swabs and each stool represented 1.3%. A wide variety of gram-negative bacteria representing 12 different species were identified as the etiologic agents of infections in these specimens. Clearly, E. coli dominated over all the other species. Among the 150 microbes causing infections in diabetic patients, a total of 40 (26.7%) were identified as E. coli. Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the second bacterial species causing infections. They were isolated from 20%, followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (9.3%), and Proteus mirabilis (4.7%). Salmonella, Enterobacter, Acinetobacter, and Citrobacter were found in 2% of the cases. Morganella (1.3%) and Serratia were detected in less than 1%. Among gram-positive bacteria, Staphylococci were the most frequent organisms and were isolated from 20 (13.3%) specimens. Other gram-positive bacteria were Streptococcus (4%), Enterococcus faecalis (2%), Micrococcus 2 (1.3%), and Diphtheroids were detected in less than 1%. Candida albicans and Candida spp. were isolated from 12 diabetic patients.

The antimicrobial activity of 15 antibiotics against 73 Vibrio cholerae 01 strains ogawa type, El Tor biotype was determined using the disc diffusion method. Most of the isolates (91.8%) were resistant to trimethoprim/ sulphamethoxazole, 82.2% to streptomycin, 61.6% to furazolidone, 57.5% to tetracycline, 54.8% to rifampicin, 39.7% to erythromycin, and 27.4% to ampicillin. Less than or equal to 3% were resistant to gentamicin, chloramphenicol, and neomycin. All were sensitive to ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, nalidixic acid, norfloxacin, and tobramycin.

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