Infectious Diseases in the Middle East

The infections that actually circulate in this region and how to protect your family: brucellosis, leishmaniasis, tuberculosis, hepatitis, typhoid and cholera, plus food, water and insect-borne illness.

17 articles

Infectious Diseases articles

Infectious Diseases

The Aleppo Boil (Cutaneous Leishmaniasis): Why It Bears the City's Name and How to Protect Yourself

The Aleppo boil, or cutaneous leishmaniasis, is an old skin disease in Syria spread by the sandfly. Learn its cause, how it appears, why it rose during the war, and how to protect yourself.

6 August 2026 · 8 min read
Infectious Diseases

Cholera: Recognising It and Preventing Death from Dehydration

Cholera outbreaks in Yemen, Syria and Sudan make this urgently regional. Learn dehydration signs, how to make oral rehydration solution at home, and when to go to hospital.

5 August 2026 · 8 min read
Infectious Diseases

Bilharzia (Schistosomiasis): The Freshwater Parasite

Bilharzia explained: Nile and canal transmission, blood in urine as the key sign, the bladder cancer link, and the one-day praziquantel cure.

4 August 2026 · 7 min read
Infectious Diseases

Meningitis: The Signs That Mean Go to Hospital Now

How to spot meningitis fast: the glass test for the rash, neck stiffness, the Hajj vaccination requirement, and why every hour of delay in treatment costs lives.

28 July 2026 · 8 min read
Infectious Diseases

Typhoid Fever: Water, Food and the Fever That Climbs

A complete guide to typhoid fever: how it spreads through contaminated water, why the Widal test misleads in endemic regions, and how it is treated and prevented.

25 July 2026 · 7 min read
Infectious Diseases

Hepatitis C: now curable, and how treatment works

Hepatitis C is curable in over 95 percent of cases with a short pill course. Learn who needs testing and how direct-acting antivirals work.

22 July 2026 · 7 min read
Infectious Diseases

Why Antibiotics Stop Working: The Arab World's Problem

Over-the-counter antibiotic sales drive resistance across the Arab world. Learn when antibiotics help, when they do nothing, and how to use them correctly.

21 July 2026 · 8 min read
Infectious Diseases

Malaria: Symptoms, Testing and Prevention

Malaria in Sudan, Yemen and the region: warning symptoms, rapid diagnostic tests, the danger of falciparum, and protection with bed nets and repellent.

19 July 2026 · 8 min read
Infectious Diseases

Leishmaniasis: Preventing the Sandfly Bite

Sandfly bites, Aleppo boil and kala-azar: what leishmaniasis looks like, how to prevent it with nets and repellent, and when visceral disease becomes a medical emergency.

18 July 2026 · 8 min read
Infectious Diseases

Hepatitis B: transmission, testing and living with it

Decode the confusing hepatitis B serology panel, understand who needs treatment, and learn how vaccination prevents this preventable infection for life.

15 July 2026 · 7 min read
Infectious Diseases

Tuberculosis: Symptoms, Testing and the Full Course

A guide to TB: latent vs active disease, what symptoms to watch for, how it is tested, and why stopping treatment early breeds drug-resistant TB.

14 July 2026 · 7 min read
Infectious Diseases

Food Poisoning: What to Do and When It Is Serious

Practical guide to food poisoning: how to tell mild from dangerous, when to use oral rehydration, and how to protect your family in hot weather and at large gatherings.

11 July 2026 · 9 min read
Infectious Diseases

Scabies: the itch that spreads through a household

What scabies looks like, why the whole household must be treated on the same day, and how to use permethrin correctly to stop reinfestation.

10 July 2026 · 7 min read
Infectious Diseases

Dengue Fever: Warning Signs and Why the Wrong Painkiller Kills

Dengue in the Gulf, Yemen and Sudan: spot warning signs early, avoid the ibuprofen danger, and protect your home from breeding mosquitoes.

10 July 2026 · 8 min read
Infectious Diseases

Hydatid Cyst: The Tapeworm Disease from Dogs and Sheep

Hydatid cyst (echinococcosis) is common in Syria, Iraq, Jordan and North Africa. Learn its causes, symptoms, diagnosis and why the cyst must never be punctured carelessly.

8 July 2026 · 8 min read
Infectious Diseases

Brucellosis (Malta fever): the raw milk infection

Brucellosis spreads through raw milk and fresh cheese. Recognise the undulant fever, get the right blood test, and understand why a full six-week course prevents relapse.

8 July 2026 · 7 min read
Infectious Diseases

Urinary Tract Infection: Symptoms, Testing and Treatment

Cystitis versus kidney infection, when a urine culture is essential, and why self-medicating with antibiotics is driving resistance across the region.

4 July 2026 · 8 min read

Browse by topic

Understanding Lab Tests 23 Chronic Conditions 18 Infectious Diseases 17 Genetic Conditions 12 Women's Health 15 Child Health 13 Medicines & Safety 13 Nutrition & Food 12 Mental Health 12 Lifestyle & Prevention 17 Health in the Middle East 11 Traditional Remedies 11