Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute systemic vasculitis that and a leading cause of acquired heart disease in children. In infants younger than 6 months, incomplete forms are frequent and are associated with a higher risk of coronary complications due to delayed diagnosis. We report the case of a 3-month-old infant presenting with prolonged high-grade fever, initially treated as a severe bacterial infection. Retrospective identification of transient mucocutaneous signs, together with persistent inflammatory syndrome and extreme thrombocytosis, led to further investigations. Echocardiography revealed multiple coronary aneurysms. A diagnosis of incomplete Kawasaki disease was established. Combined treatment with intravenous immunoglobulins, corticosteroid therapy, aspirin, and anticoagulation resulted in rapid improvement. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges of incomplete KD in young infants and shows that a favorable outcome with partial regression of coronary lesions can be achieved, even in the presence of a giant coronary aneurysm, when appropriate management is instituted.

Brucellosis is a zoonosis acquired direct contact with infected animals or by consumption of unpasteurized animal by-products. The most common complications involve the musculoskeletal system, such as sacroiliitis or vertebral osteomyelitis. However, skin and soft tissue involvement is uncommon, and cervical abscess are rarely reported. We report the case of a 19-year-old male patient, with no medical history, from the metropolitan region of Caracas, Venezuela, with no history of travel or direct contact with farm animals, but regular consumption of cheese. In July 2024, he presented with undulating fever, hypor1exia and general malaise. One month later his fever intensified, preceded by chills, followed by the development of a painful, erythematous, warm swelling in the anterior neck, which evolved into an abscess requiring drainage. Purulent material yielded Brucella abortus biovar 1 confirmed by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The patient received Rifampicin and Doxycycline with full recovery. To our knowledge, this is the first recorded case of human brucellosis with this presentation in Venezuela, and the first reported case of cervical abscess caused by Brucella abortus. These findings underscore the importance of maintaining epidemiological surveillance of brucellosis and strengthening quality control and hygiene measures throughout the dairy production and distribution chain.

Prompt diagnosis of group A streptococcal pharyngitis is essential for primary prevention of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease, yet affordable point-of-care diagnostics remain limited in low-resource settings. We conducted a prospective study among Ugandan children 5-15 years of age presenting with sore throat, comparing smartphone-acquired oropharyngeal videos analyzed using an artificial intelligence-based image recognition model-trained and validated using combined data from Ugandan and US-based cohorts-with microbiologic culture as the reference standard. Among 82 children evaluated with the optimized model, 12 (15%) had culture-confirmed group A streptococcal pharyngitis. The smartphone-based approach demonstrated 100% sensitivity (95% confidence interval [CI]: 73.5%-100%), 95.7% specificity (95% CI: 88.0%-99.1%) and an overall accuracy of 96.6% (95% CI: 90.0%-99.3%), with an area under the receiver operating curve of 0.93 (95% CI 0.83-1.00). These findings support the potential of smartphone-based artificial intelligence as a rapid, noninvasive diagnostic tool for primary prevention in rheumatic heart disease-endemic settings.

This study describes the epidemiological, clinical, and seasonal characteristics of hospitalized dengue fever (DF) cases in Muscat Governorate, Oman (2022-2023) and identifies factors associated with wet-season dengue occurrence. A retrospective analytical study was conducted using national dengue surveillance data of 345 laboratory-confirmed DF patients admitted to Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH) and the Royal Hospital (RH). Sociodemographic, clinical, and laboratory data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression to identify factors independently associated with wet-season dengue cases. The results showed that of 345 patients, 54.8% were male, and 94.5% were Omani nationals. Most admissions occurred at RH (56.8%) and during the dry season (58.3%). Adults aged 41-60 years comprised the largest age group (44.6%). A distinct seasonal pattern was observed, with peaks in April-May of both years. Seeb Wilayat accounted for 69.3% of cases, followed by Bawshar (26.1%) (p = 0.027). Clinically, 84.6% had dengue with warning signs, while 15.4% developed severe dengue. Locally acquired infections represented 98.6% of cases. Hypertension (31.9%) and diabetes mellitus (25.2%) were the most common comorbidities. PCR positivity and hospital admission were more frequent during the wet season; however, these patterns are likely to reflect differences in testing and referral practices rather than increased dengue transmission. Overall, 96.2% of patients recovered, and 3.8% (n = 13) died. Multivariable analysis indicated that wet-season admissions were more likely to occur at SQUH (aOR = 1.72; 95% CI = 1.06-2.82; p = 0.030) and among PCR-confirmed cases (aOR = 1.38; 95% CI = 1.02-1.87; p = 0.040); these associations likely reflect hospital referral and diagnostic practices rather than increased transmission risk. In conclusion, hospitalized dengue cases in Muscat Governorate exhibited clear seasonal and geographic clustering, while associations with PCR positivity and hospital of admission reflect health-system and diagnostic patterns rather than increased dengue incidence. The predominance of locally acquired infections indicates ongoing endemic transmission. Strengthening vector surveillance, particularly in Seeb and Bawshar, and enhancing hospital preparedness prior to seasonal peaks remain important public health strategies, supported by existing literature rather than this study alone.