Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Infectious Diseases
 Journal metrics
See full report
Acceptance rate10%
Submission to final decision132 days
Acceptance to publication12 days
CiteScore3.100
Journal Citation Indicator-
Impact Factor-

The Decreased Treg Cells Number Associated with Retinal Lesion Size in Ocular Toxoplasmosis

Read the full article

 Journal profile

Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Infectious Diseases publishes original research articles and review articles related to all aspects of infectious diseases.

 Editor spotlight

Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Infectious Diseases maintains an Editorial Board of practicing researchers from around the world, to ensure manuscripts are handled by editors who are experts in the field of study.

 Special Issues

Do you think there is an emerging area of research that really needs to be highlighted? Or an existing research area that has been overlooked or would benefit from deeper investigation? Raise the profile of a research area by leading a Special Issue.

Latest Articles

More articles
Research Article

Knowledge and Willingness to Utilize Hepatitis B Preventive Measures among Pregnant Women in Ado-Ekiti, Southwest, Nigeria

Introduction. Mother-to-child transmission remains an important mode of transmission of hepatitis B infection particularly in endemic areas. The knowledge and practices of pregnant women about mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) may influence the uptake of strategies to reduce mother-to-child transmission of infection. Objectives. This study assessed the knowledge and willingness to uptake hepatitis B virus infection preventive services among pregnant women in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. Methods. This was a cross-sectional study that involved 373 pregnant women at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) and Maternal Child Specialist Clinics, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was used to assess their knowledge, practices, and perceptions about MTCT of hepatitis B infection. Results. Only 52.5% (196) of the respondents had good knowledge, although the majority 290 (77.7%) had heard of hepatitis B infection prior to the survey. Only 147 (39.4%) of the respondents had ever had hepatitis B screening. More persons with professional jobs had good knowledge about hepatitis B infection compared with other occupations (). However, more respondents aged 30–34 years had poor knowledge about hepatitis B infection compared with other age groups (). Respondents with good knowledge about hepatitis B infection were willing to uptake hepatitis B infection prevention services () Conclusion. This study showed that respondents with professional jobs had good knowledge about hepatitis B infection and those who had good knowledge about the infection were willing to utilize hepatitis B preventive measures. Awareness of MTCT of HBV did not translate into good practice as only few respondents had screened for hepatitis B. There is a need to intensify education about modes of transmission of hepatitis B infection with an emphasis on promoting good preventive practices.

Research Article

Mortality in ICU COVID-19 Patients Is Associated with Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR): Utility of NLR as a Promising Immunohematological Marker

Background. Achieving a suitable medical laboratory index is very important for the prediction of clinical outcome of COVID-19 patients hospitalized to the intensive care unit (ICU). The correlation between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and unfavorable outcome of COVID-19 patients hospitalized to ICU was the aim of this study. Methods. We evaluated a cross-sectional study of 312 COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized to the ICU (confirmed by PCR and CT-Scan), in Babol city, Mazandaran province. WBC, RBC, lymphocyte, neutrophil, monocyte, platelet count, NLR, C-reactive protein (CRP), ESR, MCV, MHC, and other factors were evaluated. Results. Our findings indicated that all patients aged 56 to 69 years with COVID-19 had a significant difference () in neu, lymph, PLT count, NLR, ESR, Hb, and CRP. Also, NLR was significantly () correlated with the death or discharge of the ICU hospitalized patients. The cut-off of NLR was 7.02 and the mean of NLR was 11.3 ± 10.93 and 5.8 ± 7.45 in death and discharge COVID-19 patients hospitalized to ICU, respectively. ROC curve indicated that, for NLR, the area under curve was 0.76. Conclusions. Our findings showed that NLR can be utilized as a clinical laboratory predictive parameter for mortality of COVID-19 patients admitted to ICU.

Research Article

Glycemic Characteristics and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with COVID-19 Admitted to Referral Shahid Sayad Shirazi Hospital in Gorgan, North of Iran

Background. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most common chronic diseases, the main manifestation of which is hyperglycemia, and is accompanied by many complications. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, several studies have reported the occurrence of various complications associated with different degrees of hyperglycemia in COVID-19 patients. The aim of the present study was to investigate the glycemic characteristics and clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Methods. In this cross-sectional study, 418 patients with COVID-19 were evaluated in terms of hyperglycemia and its related factors, as well as the relationship between hyperglycemia and the outcome of the disease. Data were statistically analyzed using SPSS software. Results. In the present study, 350 (83.7%) out of 418 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 had hyperglycemia and 193 (55.1%) of the patients with hyperglycemia were women. 169 (48.4%) of patients with hyperglycemia during hospitalization were already diabetic. The mean age was higher in COVID-19 patients with hyperglycemia ( < 0.001), and systolic blood pressure and respiratory rate were also higher in them ( = 0.005 and  = 0.013, respectively). In patients with hyperglycemia, oxygen saturation (SpO2) at the time of admission and discharge was lower than other patients ( < 0.001). The frequency of hypertension in the patients with hyperglycemia was significantly higher than in nonhyperglycemic patients ( < 0.001 vs. 0.014). The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of hyperglycemic patients was significantly lower than other patients ( < 0.001). Also, there was a significant inverse relationship between eGFR values and fasting (FBS) and random blood sugar (BS) (r = 0.328 and r = 0.310,  < 0.001). On the other hand, there was a direct relationship between FBS and random BS in patients with hyperglycemia with the dose of corticosteroids (r = 0.146 and r = 0.158,  < 0.01). In total, 8.2% of the patients died, although the FBS and random BS and a history of DM were not risk factors for the death of patients ( < 0.05). Conclusion. The findings of our study showed that hyperglycemia is highly prevalent in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Hyperglycemia in previously nondiabetics appears to be associated with decreased eGFR in COVID-19 patients.

Research Article

Prevalence of Clostridium Difficile Infection (CDI) among Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Patients in Comparison to Non-IBD Patients in King Abdulaziz Medical City in Jeddah

Background. The prevalence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) as a common complication among inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been reported to increase worldwide and has been associated with a poor IBD outcome. Objectives. In this study, our aim was to report on the prevalence of CDI among IBD vs. non-IBD patients in King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC). Methods. This retrospective descriptive study was carried out between 2016 and 2020. Data of 89 patients reported with CDI in KAMC were analyzed for demographics and correlations between various characteristics such as BMI, personal/family history of IBD, infection with CDI, diagnosis, method of diagnosis, and treatment modalities. Results. Of the total 89 CDI patients, 59 (66.3%) were adults and 30 (33.7%) were pediatric, of which 36 (40.4%) were females and 53 (59.6%) were males. PCR was the main method of choice for the diagnosis of CDI (89.9%) followed by a positive-culture result (10.0%). Seventy-eight (87.6%) CDI patients were found to be immunocompromised, with two patients diagnosed with IBDs, one with UC, and one with CD. The recurrence rate was 38.4 (30 patients) among the immunocompromised group in comparison to 27.2 (3 patients) in the immunocompetent group (). Conclusion. In this study, we found that adults were more prone to CDI infection, especially within hospital settings, and most of the CDI infections occurred in immunocompromised individuals, with cancer as the most common cause of it.

Research Article

Association of IFNAR2 rs2236757 and OAS3 rs10735079 Polymorphisms with Susceptibility to COVID-19 Infection and Severity in Palestine

The clinical course and severity of COVID-19 vary among patients. This study aimed to investigate the potential correlation between the gene polymorphisms of the interferon receptor (IFNAR2) rs2236757 and oligoadenylate synthetase 3 (OAS3) rs10735079 with the risk of COVID-19 infection and its severity among Palestinian patients. The study was conducted between April and May 2021 on 154 participants who were divided into three groups: the control group (RT-PCR-negative, n = 52), the community cases group (RT-PCR-positive, n = 70), and the critically ill cases (ICU group; n = 32). The genotyping of the investigated polymorphisms was performed using amplicon-based next-generation sequencing. The genotypes distribution for the IFNAR2 rs2236757 was significantly different among the study groups (P = 0.001), while no statistically significant differences were found in the distribution of genotypes for the OAS3 rs10735079 (P = 0.091). Logistic regression analysis adjusted for possible confounding factors revealed a significant association between the risk allele rs2236757A and critical COVID-19 illness . Among all patients, those who carried the rs2236757GA were more likely to have a sore throat (OR, 2.52 (95% CI 1.02–6.24); P = 0.011); the presence of the risk allele rs2236757A was associated with an increased risk to dyspnea (OR, 4.70 (95% CI 1.80-12.27); ), while the rs10735079A carriers were less likely to develop muscle aches (OR, 0.34 (95% CI 0.13–0.88); P = 0.0248) and sore throat (OR, 0.17 (95% CI 0.05–0.55); ). In conclusion, our results revealed that the rs2236757A variant was associated with critical COVID-19 illness and dyspnea, whereas the rs10735079A variant was protective for muscle aches and sore throat.

Review Article

Prevalence and Antimicrobial-Resistant Features of Shigella Species in East Africa from 2015–2022: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background. Shigellosis is the most common cause of epidemic dysentery found worldwide, particularly in developing countries, where it causes infant diarrhea and mortality. The prevalence of Shigella species resistant to commonly used antimicrobial drugs has steadily increased. The purpose of this review is to describe the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) characteristics of Shigella species in East Africa between 2015 and 2022. Methods. Studies were identified using a computerized search of Medline/PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science databases, with a detailed search strategy and cross-checking of reference lists for studies published between 2015 and 2022. Articles presenting data on prevalence and AMR, accessibility of the full-length article, and publication dates between 2015 and 2022 were the eligibility criteria for inclusion in the review. Original research reports written in English were considered. The heterogeneities of the studies were examined, and a meta-analysis was performed to estimate the pooled prevalence and AMR using a random effects model. Results. The pooled prevalence of Shigella species in East Africa was 6.2% (95% CI −0.20–12.60), according to an analysis of 22 studies. Shigella species prevalence was 4.0% in Ethiopia, 14.6% in Kenya, 0.7% in Sudan, 5.2% in South Sudan, and 20.6% in Somalia. The association of Shigella infection significantly varied among the countries (). Among the antibiotics tested, most Shigella isolates were susceptible to ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, nalidixic acid, and ceftriaxone. Despite the fact that the reports varied in study sites and time, Shigella species were resistant to tetracycline, ampicillin, amoxicillin, chloramphenicol, and co-trimoxazole. Conclusion. The pooled estimate indicates high burden of Shigella infection in East Africa, as well as a high proportion of drug resistance pattern to tetracycline, ampicillin, chloramphenicol, and amoxicillin. Therefore, initiating and scale-up of performing drug susceptibility test for each shigellosis case need to be considered and strengthened.

Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Infectious Diseases
 Journal metrics
See full report
Acceptance rate10%
Submission to final decision132 days
Acceptance to publication12 days
CiteScore3.100
Journal Citation Indicator-
Impact Factor-
 Submit Check your manuscript for errors before submitting

Article of the Year Award: Impactful research contributions of 2022, as selected by our Chief Editors. Discover the winning articles.