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PubMed1996

Lower consumption of wine and fish as a possible explanation for higher ischaemic heart disease mortality in Spain's Mediterranean region.

BACKGROUND: There is an apparent paradox in the geographical distribution of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) mortality in Spain. The Mediterranean regions, those with the lowest consumption of total and saturated fats, register the highest mortality due to IHD. This paper seeks to explain this paradox by examining the provincial distribution of IHD mortality in Spain and their known risk factors, dietetic and non-dietetic. METHODS: The study was based on data aggregated by province. Mortality data were taken from official vital statistics, while data on diet and other lifestyle habits were obtained from representative, large-scale, sample-based population surveys. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were run on standardized IHD mortality ratios for the period 1983-1987 and potential dietetic and non-dietetic determinants in 1989-1981. RESULTS: Intake of total lipids, saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, fish and wine were lower in Spain's southern and eastern provinces. Consumption of wine, fish, chicken, dairy products, vegetables and blond cigarettes, as well as unemployment, explained 53% of the variation in IHD mortality. Consumption of fish and wine alone exhibited a statistically significant relationship (P < 0.05) with IHD mortality. Moderate consumption of wine was negatively associated with IHD mortality, whereas heavy consumption patterns revealed a positive association. CONCLUSIONS: Based on correlation analyses of ecological data, lower consumption of wine and fish may explain the apparent paradox of higher IHD mortality in the presence of a lower intake of saturated fats in Spain's Mediterranean regions.

Aged↗

PubMed2000

Water-conscious development and the prevention of water misuse and wastage in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

Many countries of the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region suffer from severe water shortage, primarily as a result of population growth. The problem will undoubtedly worsen in the future with possibly drastic consequences. This paper outlines the current situation in the Region and the possible impact of water scarcity on health and the environment. Water conservation in agricultural, commercial and domestic areas is discussed from the perspective of water-conscious development and possible strategies are proposed.

Attitude to Health↗

PubMed2006

Research ethics: challenges in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

The foundations of ethical principles in the Eastern Mediterranean Region can be found within the 3 major religions of the Region; Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Today, there are numerous ethical issues that have emerged as result of the technological advances of the 20th century and this paper addresses some of those related to biomedical research. The Islamic principles in relation to medicine and biomedical research are described, and in particular research involving human subjects. The paper also outlines the endeavours being made by the Islamic Organization for Medical Sciences to address such issues and draw up recommendations and rulings.

Abortion, Legal↗

PubMed2007

Distribution of flower morphs, ploidy level and sexual reproduction of the invasive weed Oxalis pes-caprae in the western area of the Mediterranean region.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Oxalis pes-caprae is a widespread invasive weed in regions with a Mediterranean climate. In its native habitat (southern Africa) this species has been reported as heterostylous with trimorphic flowers and a self- and morph-incompatible reproductive system. In most of the areas invaded, only a pentaploid short-styled morphotype that reproduces mainly asexually by bulbils is reported, but this has only been confirmed empirically. This study aims to analyse the floral morph proportions in a wide distribution area, test the sexual female success, and explain the causes of low sexual reproduction of this species in the western area of the Mediterranean Basin. METHODS: Fifty-five populations of O. pes-caprae were sampled in the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco to evaluate the floral morph ratio and individual fruit set. In plants from a dimorphic population, hand-pollination experiments were performed to evaluate the effect of the pollen source on pollen tube growth through the style. The ploidy level and genome size of individuals of each floral morph were analysed using flow cytometry. KEY RESULTS: From the populations studied 89.1 % were monomorphic, with most of them containing the short-styled (SS) floral morph, and 10.9 % were dimorphic containing long-styled (LS) and SS morphs. In some of these, isoplethy was verified but no fruit production was observed in any population. A sterile form was also recorded in several populations. Hand-pollination experiments revealed that pollen grains germinated over recipient stigmas. In intermorph crossings, pollen tubes were able to develop and fruit initiation was observed in some cases, while in intramorph pollinations, pollen tube development was sporadic and no fruit initiation was observed. All individuals within each floral form presented the same DNA ploidy level: SS plants were pentaploid and LS and the sterile form were tetraploid. CONCLUSIONS: The low or null sexual reproduction success of this species in the area of invasion studied seems related with the high frequency of monomorphic populations, the unequal proportion of floral morphs in dimorphic populations and the presence of different ploidy levels between SS and LS morphs. The discovery of the occurrence of an LS floral morph and a sterile form, whose invading capacity in these areas is as yet unknown, will be valuable information for management programmes.

Flow Cytometry↗

PubMed1990

Monitoring and evaluation of the health-for-all strategy: experience in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

This article is an account of the activities undertaken by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean in relation to reporting on monitoring and evaluation of progress in the implementation of the strategy for health for all by the year 2000, and the resulting effect on improving coverage and the quality of data. Tables 1-3 compare the completeness of items in the Eastern Mediterranean Region's reports on the three cycles (1983, 1985 and 1988) to that for other regions and for the global level. The comparison is based on the respective global reports presented to the World Health Assembly.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Tuberculosis and HIV in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

Tuberculosis (TB) is an important public health problem in the Eastern Mediterranean Region of the World Health Organization. Every year the disease kills 136,000 people and affects 630,000 more. HIV is the most significant risk factor for progression from subclinical infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis to active TB. Although the HIV/AIDS threat in the Region appears to be relatively modest and so far there has been no evidence of an impact of HIV on TB epidemiology in the Region, there is a need to jointly address HIV infection and TB more effectively. In this paper the TB situation in the Region and the measures being taken to combat it are outlined. The impact of HIV infection on TB and the repercussions this could have on theTB situation in the Region are also discussed. Actions that are needed to tackle this double burden are suggested.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

PubMed2000

Fifty years of veterinary public health activities in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

This paper reviews the activities in veterinary public health in the Eastern Mediterranean Region over the past 50 years. It outlines the training and research carried out in the Region, with reference to the High Institute of Public Health in Alexandria and the Mediterranean Zoonoses Control Centre in Athens. It gives an overview of the activities carried out by the World Health Organization for the control of the different zoonoses prevalent in the Region and also looks at emerging and re-emerging zoonoses.

Academies and Institutes↗

PubMed2004

Overweight and obesity in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: can we control it?

Obesity has become an epidemic problem worldwide, and in the Eastern Mediterranean Region the status of overweight has reached an alarming level. A prevalence of 3%-9% overweight and obesity has been recorded among preschool children, while that among schoolchildren was 12%-25%. A marked increase in obesity generally has been noted among adolescents, ranging from 15% to 45%. In adulthood, women showed a higher prevalence of obesity (35%-75%) than men (30%-60%). Several factors, such as change in dietary habits, socioeconomic factors, inactivity and multiparity (among women) determine obesity in this Region. There is an urgent need for national programmes to prevent and control obesity in the countries of the Region.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Occurrence of Philometra lateolabracis (Nematoda: Philometridae) in the gonads of marine perciform fishes in the Mediterranean region.

Gravid females of the nematode Philometra lateolabracis (Yamaguti, 1935), a parasite of gonads of marine perciform fishes, were found in wild and cultured dusky grouper Epinephelus marginatus (Lowe) from waters near the Balear Islands (Spain, Mediterranean Sea) and Sicily (Italy, Thyrrenean Sea), and in the greater amberjack Seriola dumerili (Risso) in Croatia (south-eastern Adriatic Sea). In wild E. marginatus in Spain, the overall prevalence was 21% and the intensity of infection 1 nematode per fish. The nematodes are briefly described and illustrated. The species Sanguinofilaria jordanoi López-Neyra, 1951, described from the ovary of Epinephelus gigas Brünich from Morocco, is synonymized with P. lateolabracis. This is the first documented record of P. lateolabracis from fishes of the Mediterranean region and its finding in S. dumerili represents a new host record. The possible importance of this pathogenic parasite for cultures of marine perciform fishes in the region is stressed.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Fever, hepatosplenomegaly and pancytopenia in a patient living in the Mediterranean region.

A 24 year old woman living in the Mediterranean region of Turkey present with a three-month history of weight loss and irregular fever that was peaking at 40 degrees C with shivering. No definite aetiology could be identified in a local hospital. A bacterial infection had been suspected, but antibiotic therapy, at first with sulbactam-ampicillin and later with azithromycin, had no influence on the fever. Physical examination revealed an emaciated patient with fever (39 degrees C), pallor, and hepatosplenomegaly (spleen 9 cm and liver 5 cm palpable below the costal margin). No peripheral lymphadenopathy was present. The laboratory examinations are summarised in the table. Notably, a prominent increase of macrophages containing intracellular micro-organisms (figures 1 and 2) was seen in the bone marrow smears. The same micro-organisms were also identified within the Kupffer cells in liver biopsy.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Fibrocalculous pancreatic diabetes in patient residing in the Mediterranean region.

A 40-year old male residing in the Mediterranean region and afflicted with chronic pancreatitis and diabetes is presented. This is a case of chronic calcific non-alcoholic pancreatitis with characteristic intraductal calculi on abdominal X-ray. Five years following the initial episode of pancreatitis, the patient developed insulin-requiring diabetes mellitus. This case accords with the criteria for fibrocalculous pancreatic diabetes with the unique feature of the patient having been born in Greece and being a resident of Greece.

Abdominal Pain↗

PubMed2025

Broad geographical circulation of a novel vesiculovirus in bats in the Mediterranean region.

Bats are the natural reservoirs for a variety of emerging and re-emerging viruses. Among them, rabies virus (genus Lyssavirus, family Rhabdoviridae) is one of the first and most emblematic described in these animals. Since its first description, several new bat lyssaviruses have been regularly identified. In addition to lyssaviruses, other bat rhabdoviruses have also been discovered, including members of the genera Vesiculovirus, Ledantevirus and, more recently, Alphanemrhavirus and Tupavirus. However, the family Rhabdoviridae is one of the most abundant and diverse viral families, with 434 officially recognized species, divided into 5 subfamilies and 56 different genera. The number of rhabdoviruses associated with bats is therefore probably higher than that currently available. In this study, we first developed and validated a combined nested RT-qPCR technique (pan-rhabdo RT-nqPCR) dedicated to the broad detection of animal rhabdoviruses. After validation, this technique was used for a large retrospective screening of archival bat samples (n = 1962), including blood (n = 816), brain (n = 723) and oral swab (n = 423). These samples were collected from various bat species over a 12-year period (2007-2019) in 9 different countries in Europe and Africa. A total of 23 samples (1.2%) from bat species Miniopterus schreibersii, Rhinolophus euryale and Rhinolophus ferrumequinum tested positive for rhabdovirus infection, including 17 (2.1%) blood and 6 (1.4%) oral swab samples, all collected from bats originating from the Mediterranean region. Complete virus genome sequences were obtained by next-generation sequencing for most of the positive samples. Molecular and phylogenetic analysis of these sequences demonstrated that the virus isolates, named Mediterranean bat virus (MBV), were closely related and represented a new species, Mediterranean vesiculovirus, within the genus Vesiculovirus. MBV was more specifically related to other bat vesiculoviruses previously described from China and North America, together clustering into a distinct group of bat viruses within this genus. Interestingly, our results suggest that MBV is widespread, at least in the western part of the Mediterranean region, where it circulates in the blood of several bat species. These results expand the host range and viral diversity of bat vesiculoviruses, and pave the way for further studies to determine the transmission route and dissemination dynamics of these viruses in bat colonies, as well as to assess their potential threat to public health.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Information needs assessment for HIV/AIDS and STIs in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

We assessed information needs about HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections (STI) in the Eastern Mediterranean Region by surveying a sample of people considered knowledgeable about the subject. Respondents felt that information on certain areas of HIV/AIDS/STIs was much needed. Health care workers were perceived to see a high need for information and services generally. Religious and community leaders were perceived to see less need for some information and services (such as condom promotion, sex education for young people). All groups were perceived to see a need for education and services for people living with AIDS and drug users. Television and radio were considered the best channels for health education while training was seen as the most effective method for information exchange.

Attitude to Health↗

PubMed2003

Overview of the epidemiological situation on echinococcosis in the Mediterranean region.

Cystic echinococcosis due to its considerable morbidity rates, in the populations of the Mediterranean region, give rise to high economic losses both in the public health sector and the animal production industry. Medium to high infection rates in man are recorded in most of the Mediterranean countries. Public awareness of hydatid disease is rather low in most of these countries. Difficulties in early diagnosis, the prevalent occurrence in rural areas with weak systems of health care, the favourable conditions created by man, as well as the climatic and ecological ones, are factors contributing to the prevalence of the infection. Small, ill-equipped and unsupervised slaughter-houses, illegal slaughtering, high population of stray dogs, etc., are known to be the main sources of infection. Echinococcus granulosus is the species present in nearly all countries of the regions while E. multilocularis infection is limited to a few of them. Accurate data on the incidence of human hydatid disease in the region are not available as it is notifiable in only a few countries.

Animals↗

PubMed1979

A mathematical model for the 1973 cholera epidemic in the European Mediterranean region.

For the cholera epidemic that occurred in the European Mediterranean region in the summer of 1973, a simple deterministic mathematic model is proposed; it consists of a system of two ordinary differential equations which concern the evolution of the human infective population in a town community and of bacteria population in the sea. It is conjectured that the infection process obeys a non linear saturation-type law. A phase space analysis is performed for the system of equations. Conclusions are drawn which concern the evolution of the epidemic and which suggest some indications for the selection of public health policies. The validity of the model is compared with the available data for the town of Bari (Italy).

Cholera↗

PubMed2002

Coexistence of two distinct copies of naphthalene degradation genes in Pseudomonas strains isolated from the western Mediterranean region.

We analyzed the occurrence of the naphthalene degradation upper-pathway (nah) genes in the western Mediterranean region. The amplification, restriction, and sequence analysis of internal fragments for several nah genes (nahAc, nahB, nahC, and nahE) from naphthalene-degrading strains isolated from this geographical area proved the coexistence of two distinct sets of nah genes.

Bacterial Proteins↗

PubMed2006

Environmental monitoring of land-use and land-cover changes in a Mediterranean region of Turkey.

Unprecedented rates of human-induced changes in land use and land cover (LULC) at local and regional scales lead to alterations of global biogeochemical cycles. Driving forces behind LULC changes mainly include rapid growth rates of population and consumption, lack of valuation of ecological services, poverty, ignorance of biophysical limitations, and use of ecologically incompatible technologies. One of the major ecological tragedies of the commons in a Mediterranean region of Turkey is the loss of Lake Amik at the expense of increasing the area of croplands, which used to provide vital ecosystem goods and services for the region. In this study, we aimed at quantifying the effects of past land-use transitions on soil organic carbon (SOC) pools (0-20 cm) in a Mediterranean region of 3930 km(2), between 1972 and 2000. LULC changes were quantified from a time series of satellite images of Landsat-MSS in 1972, Landsat-5 TM in 1987, and Landsat-7 ETM+ in 2000 using geographic information systems. The study showed that the increase in croplands between 1972 and 1987 took place at the expense of the irreversible losses of Lake Amik and its related wetlands of over 53 km(2). In the period of 1972 to 2000, croplands, settlements, and evergreen forests increased by 174%, 106%, and 14%, respectively. The increase in settlements occurred mostly to the detriment of croplands. Given the average rates of all the land-use transitions, and associated changes in SOC density for the study region of 3930 km(2), total SOC pool was estimated to decrease by 14.1% from 130.1 Mt in 1972 to 111.7 Mt in 2000.

Agriculture↗

PubMed2000

Caring for the elderly: a report on the status of care for the elderly in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

To update our understanding of the status of elderly health care within the context of the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office's Strategy Paper on Elderly Care (1995), a short questionnaire was sent to all Member States of the Region, except Afghanistan and Somalia. The questionnaire sought information on the proportion of the elderly in the population, the status of health care and the level of economic, social, cultural and physical assistance available to the elderly. Of the 21 countries in the survey, 18 (86%) responded. The findings of the survey are discussed here under the headings of demography, national policies on elderly care, social benefits, health care, social and community services, economic burden and the role of the non-government sector.

Aged↗