Magazine of Al-Kufa University for Biology

Background: Vitamin D3 deficiency is highly prevalent in the population throughout the world and it's underestimated due to lack of screening tests. It's also associated with numerous diseases, including those characterized by inflammatory processes.
Aim of study: The study aims to examine the prevalence of vitamin D3 deficiency among young healthy females in Kerbala province. If we prove the high prevalence of vit D deficiency, we would consider writing a policy to the governmental bodies to start screening for Vitamin D3 deficiency and increase public awareness about this public health problem.
Materials and methods: This study was conducted at Al Zahra Medical Center, Kerbala, Iraq. The eligible candidates for this study were randomly selected; they were 305, 129 out of them were excluded due to having various medical issues and a further 96 excluded due to having anaemia; therefore, 80 final healthy subjects included in this study. Subjects selected from the patients and relatives attending the outpatient clinic during the period from Nov, 2015 to June, 2016, age ranged between (18- 50) years. Subjects interviewed and reviewed clinically, body mass index (BMI) calculated, Vitamin D3, creatinine, parathyroid hormone PTH, calcium, Alkaline phosphatase ALP, phosphorus and complete blood count were tested.
Results: The results showed that serum vitamin D3 level were significantly decreased in the selected healthy females (18.86 ±9.91 ng /ml). There is a significant differences were detected when the levels of serum Vitamin D3 were compared according to age, body mass index, skin pigmentation and place of residence.
Conclusions: There is a significantly low level of serum vitamin D3 in healthy female subjects in holy City of Kerbala province; High prevalence rate of hypovitaminosis is observed in spite of good sun light in Iraq which might attribute to the cultural habit and life style. Well-structured steps need to be taken by the governing bodies to tackle this health problem through primary and secondary care. Increase public awareness regarding adequate exposure to the sun, increase intake of food rich with vitamin D3 or use supplementations and screening for its deficiency especially in females in childbearing age. Key words: deficiency D3, vitamin D, prevalence

The aim of study was providing researchers, doctors, governing bodies such as Kerbala Health Directorate, Ministry of Health and National IHR Focal Point with a comprehensive statistical analysis of the prevalence of diarrhoea at Al Husseiny Teaching Hospital in the holly city of Karbala in 2015. The study identify the etiology of diarrhoea in adults across four age groups ranging from 15 and over, examining the variation to gender and age and month /season of the year.
The study involves a total of 2583 cases of diarrhoea report as a chief complain to the hospital from January to December 2015.
The statistical data analysis reveals that diarrhoea is still a major complain for all age groups as the hospital received approximately 7 cases on daily bases all over the year 2015. Female Patients were the most disadvantaged over male in a ratio of 5:3. Young adults between 20-44 years of age were the worst affected and represent %46 from the overall patient number. The study consolidates that more incidences have happened in the season of warm summer in June due to , yet even higher in cold January and December as more than two third of infection was viral. Entameba histolytic was the predominant parasitic cause to diarrhoea with 23% of the cases and Giardia lamblia. Main bacterial cause represented in Vibrio Cholera of 2.9% and very few cases of E. Coli.