A case of pitted keratolysis caused by Dermatophilus congolensis is reported. The organism was isolated from the lesion and identified by its morphological, cultural, and biochemical characteristics. A survey of the literature revealed that it rarely causes human infections, but is a common causative agent of disease in domesticated and wild animals. Human infections reported previously were traced to contact with infected animals or contaminated soil. We report pitted keratolysis in a 44-year-old physician with no known history of such a contact.

The incidence of gastroenteritis caused by rotavirus was investigated at a referral hospital in Saudi Arabia over a period of 4.5 years. Of the 1,729 patients with suspected infection, 547 (31.6%) were positive for rotavirus infection. Most were inpatients (65) and 75.7% of the patients were under 12 years of age. Of the 414 positive patients under 12 years of age, 63% were inpatients. Similarly, 74.4% of the 25-year and older group were inpatients. However, 40.3% of them were abnormal hosts because they either harbored neoplasms or had undergone bone marrow transplantation.MN Al-Ahdal, SMH Qadri, F Al-Dayel, GY Khan, BA Cunha, Incidence of Rotaviral Gastroenteritis at a Referral Centre in Saudi Arabia. 1991; 11(1): 19-22 Gastroenteritis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in developing as well as industrialized countries [1,2]. The etiology of the disease can be bacterial, parasitic, or viral. Two major viral agents are implicated; Norwalk virus is primarily associated with outbreaks of gastroenteritis in school, community, or family environments, and affects both children and adults. Rotavirus, on the other hand, has been known to cause both sporadic and epidemic cases of infantile gastroenteritis throughout the world [3]. In general, as much as 50% of the cases of diarrheal disease in hospitalized pediatric patients have been reported to be caused by rotavirus. Four reports have described the incidence of rotavirus infection among infants and children below 3 years of age in Saudi Arabia [4][5][6][7]. These studies reported 77 positive samples out of a total of 439 specimens tested. We describe our experience over a period of 4.5 years in 1,729 pediatric and adult patients at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, which is a major referral medical centre in Saudi Arabia. Material and MethodsDetection of rotavirus in the feces of patients with gastroenteritis was performed by two methods. All diarrheal stool samples were examined by electron microscopy and an enzyme immunoassay test. All formed stool samples wereexamined by the enzyme immunoassay procedure. Fecal material for electron microscopical examination was prepared by making a 20% stool suspension in 0.01M phosphate-buffered saline at pH 7.6. The suspension was sedimented at 1500 rpm for 10 min in a refrigerated Beekman TJ6 centrifuge. The supernatant was negatively stained with 2% phosphotungstic acid on a 3-mm, 400-mesh Formvar-coated grid and examined by a JOEL 100B transmission electron microscope.Enzyme immunoassay was performed to detect rotaviral antigens in all fecal specimens with a Rotazyme II kit Incidence of Rotaviral Gastroenteritis at a Referral Centre in Saudi Arabia(Abbott Diagnostics, Irvine, TX), used according to manufacturer's directions. This test employs polystyrene beads that are coated with guinea pig antirotavirus antibodies. Fecal material was prepared by making a 10% suspension in Rotazyme II sample diluent and incubated with the antibody-coated beads for 1 hr at 37°C. After washing three times with d...

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Fecal specimens from 13,216 food handlers (male) adults, representing 21 different nationalities, were analyzed for the presence of intestinal parasites at King Abdul Azeez Hospital, Al-Medinah. Approximately 14% of these individuals harbored potentially pathogenic parasites, the most common organism being Gicirdia lamblia (33%), followed by Entamoeba histolytica (23%), Trichuris trichiura (12.3%), Ascaris lumbricoides (11.8%) and others. The highest incidence of parasitic load was found in Sri Lankans (40.7%). Although G. lamblia and E. histolytica were found in almost all the nationalities, preponderance of metazoan parasites with complicated life cycles occurred in individuals from tropical countries where optimal conditions of temperature and humidity are favorable for the survival and development of these organisms. SI Ali, Khursheed Jamal, S.M. Hussain Qadri, Prevalence of Intestinal Parasites Among Food Handlers in AlMedinah. 1992; 12(1): 63-66 Intestinal parasites are estimated to infect more than one fourth of the world's population, the infestations being especially frequent in developing countries due to overcrowding, poor nutritional status, and lack of running water and sanitation facilities [1][2][3][4]. Prevalence of different parasites varies from one geographic area to another, the ones with simple life cycles having a more cosomopolitan distribution than those which have complicated life styles. It is well known that permanent or temporary migration of populations is also an important factor in the spread of parasites. Economic developments in Saudi Arabia over the past few decades have resulted in a mass influx of foreign workers mainly from third world countries. It is not uncommon to find nationals from over fifty countries in average size cities of Saudi Arabia. These people may have varying parasitic loads depending on their country of origin. Several studies in the past have looked at the incidence of parasites in various parts of Saudi Arabia [5-13], but not in Al-Medinah. In this paper we present our findings on the incidence and etiology of parasitic infestations among normal food handlers from different nationalities in Al-Medinah over a period of eighteen months. Material and MethodsAll stool specimens obtained from 13,216 healthy food handlers in Al-Medinah, were analyzed for the presence of intestinal parasites.All stools were received in tight-lid plastic containers and grossly examined for consistency and any presence of blood and mucus. All specimens, watery, soft, and normal were examined microscopically for the presence of trophozoites and cysts within 15 minutes of receipt directly and subsequent staining by iodine [14]. Soft and formed stools were examined using the above methods and following concentration by the ethyl-acetateformalin procedure [15] within one hour. ResultsDuring the 18-month period of this study, stools from 13,216 normal, healthy male food handlers were analyzed for the presence of intestinal parasites. Potential pathogenic intestinal parasites were fo...