Epidemiology of reportable infectious diseases in the Najran Health Cluster

Abstract:

BACKGROUND:
To control disease outbreaks and promote the prevention of disease, monitoring the burden of infectious illnesses and their epidemiology is essential. Keeping track of changes in disease rates and, more crucially, the effectiveness of control measures like immunization campaigns for the eradication of certain infectious illnesses depends heavily on national surveillance data.


MATERIALS AND METHODS:
This study analyzed national surveillance data to illustrate the evolving epidemiology of reportable infectious diseases in the Najran Health Cluster from 2022 to 2024. For each disease, incidence rate (per 100,000 population) with a 95% confidence interval were calculated using population census data from 2022 to 2024. For each year, number of cases were described by sex, nationality, and age. Statistical analysis were performed using SPSS; Pearson’s Chi-Square and Fisher’s exact tests assessed the association between disease incidence and population demographics.


RESULTS:
The most common bacterial diseases were brucellosis, pulmonary tuberculosis, and salmonellosis. In 2024, there were outbreaks of pertussis and cholera (incidence rate 5.2 and 7.6/100,000, respectively). The most common viral diseases were measles, hepatitis B, dengue fever, and chickenpox. In 2024, there was a marked increase in the number of confirmed hepatitis B cases, from 100 cases in 2023 to 256 in 2024. The most common parasitic diseases were scorpion sting, malaria, cutaneous leishmaniasis, and amebic dysentery. The number of reported cases of malaria almost doubled from 45 in 2023 to 88 in 2024.


CONCLUSION:
The study highlights the importance of tracing infectious disease data to identify outbreaks early and implement control measures. In 2024, there was an increase in the number of confirmed cases of hepatitis B, pertussis, cholera, and malaria, a situation that requires urgent investigation.