ABU DHABI // Doctors called yesterday for urgent action to halt the spread of MRSA after a study found 730 people contracted the life-threatening superbug in public hospitals in Abu Dhabi last year.
The number is the equivalent of 30.5 cases per 100,000 population in the emirate - "a very concerning high level", delegates to a medical conference in the capital were told.
"From our perspective, based on the evidence that we have collected here, there is urgent action required to prevent and control the further development and spread and to hopefully reverse this trend," said Dr Jens Thomsen, the head of occupational and environmental health at the Health Authority-Abu Dhabi.
MRSA, or Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is a bacterium that resists most antibiotics and is a leading cause of potentially fatal infections.
S.aureus on its own is often present in skin and nostrils. It can cause a range of conditions, from minor infections to life-threatening illnesses such as pneumonia and meningitis, but can be successfully treated with antibiotics.
Healthy people may also carry MRSA with no ill effects but it is when they become ill or have an open wound that the bacterium becomes dangerous.
Speaking on the first day of the Abu Dhabi Medical Congress, Dr Thomsen revealed the results of the Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance Report, the first study of its kind in the GCC.
"Overall, this report demonstrates that antimicrobial resistance levels of the 16 most relevant groups of human pathogens against the key antibiotics needed for treatment … have reached a very concerning high level compared with other countries and compared with published historical local data," he said.
Dr Thomsen said patients who contract MRSA can expect longer than expected hospital stays, more treatment and possible complications with their infections. "They have also a slightly increased risk of death - that's why we are so concerned," he said. The death rate among the 730 people infected was not available in the report.
However, the doctor also urged people to not be too fearful as there are antibiotic drugs available to treat MRSA. His concern is preserving the effectiveness of these drugs for future generations by not overusing them now.
Dr Mansour Al Zarouni, a medical and molecular microbiologist and head of laboratories at Sharjah Medical District, said: "The whole issue, the problem, is once you get MRSA, a whole class of drugs that normally can be used are excluded. So what you do? You go to a very different class of antibiotics."
The main problem, he said, is the way some doctors prescribe medicine. "Doctors do not realise that they are one of the main sources of the problem. The problem arises because they are not prescribing the antibiotics correctly.
"And the main reason they are not prescribing antibiotics correctly - other than lack of awareness - is that they use medicines when the infection is not established.
"Only with wise choice of antibiotics for the right infection will many of these issues not come about."
A study last year by doctors at Tawam Hospital and UAE University researchers found the incidence of MRSA at the hospital, between 2003 and 2008, had risen from 5.2 to 12.3 per cent, meaning that 12.3 per cent of S.aureus is MRSA. Yesterday's report shows that the rate for healthcare facilities across the emirate is 34 per cent - almost triple that at Tawam.
The report looked at results from 61 Seha (Abu Dhabi Health Services Company) facilities but did not take into account the level of bacterial resistance to antibiotics at private hospitals, something that researchers aim to address by next year.
In July 2011, all hospitals - public and private - must monitor antibiotic resistance levels and report the data to the health authority, said Dr Thomsen.
In total, 19,119 patients were included in the 2011 report, the full details of which have not yet been made public.
Researchers focused on 10 bacterium present in hospitals. Alongside MRSA, several strains of pneumonia and tuberculosis bacteria showed 49 per cent and 17 per cent resistance to antibiotics respectively.
Without historical emirate-wide data to compare, the authority is unable to say whether there is an increase in antibiotic resistance overall.
A major concern, said Dr Thomsen, was the indication that other bacteria such as E.coli were starting to show resistance.
The report showed that 0.4 per cent of E.coli strains were showing resistance to drugs, a level that appears incremental but is of big concern, he said.
zalhassani@thenational.ae
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
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Specs
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Range: 400km
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
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PRO BASH
Thursday’s fixtures
6pm: Hyderabad Nawabs v Pakhtoon Warriors
10pm: Lahore Sikandars v Pakhtoon Blasters
Teams
Chennai Knights, Lahore Sikandars, Pakhtoon Blasters, Abu Dhabi Stars, Abu Dhabi Dragons, Pakhtoon Warriors and Hyderabad Nawabs.
Squad rules
All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.
Tournament rules
The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.
