			Home About us Contact

Non-endemic Country (non-endemic + country)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	100%

Selected Abstracts

A national survey of acute hepatitis E in France

ALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 11 2008
C. RENOU
Summary Background, Few data are available on the incidence, risk factors and contamination pathways involved in acute indigenous hepatitis E in developed countries. Aims, To draw up an overall picture of hepatitis E cases, to confirm whether or not the majority of the cases were indigenous and to attempt to identify the risk factors and contamination pathways involved in hepatitis E. Methods, This study was performed in the framework of a national network (ANGH) including 96 participating centres. The 19 centres with at least one case of acute HEV reported a total number of 53 cases. Results, A decreasing South-to-North geographic gradient was observed. A nonspecific clinical profile was observed in many cases. Acute hepatitis E was of indigenous origin in 90% of the patients. The most relevant and/or frequent possible risk factors among the 47 indigenous metropolitan cases were water consumption from a personal water supply, uncooked shellfish consumption and the recent acquisition of a pet pig. Conclusions, This national survey confirmed that acute indigenous hepatitis E is an emerging disease in developed countries such as France, and suggests that various risk factors are responsible for acute indigenous hepatitis E contamination in non-endemic countries. [source]

Performance of the Now Malaria rapid diagnostic test with returned travellers: a 2-year retrospective study in a French teaching hospital

CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION, Issue 11 2005
F. Durand
Abstract Malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum remains the major life-threatening parasitic infection in the world. The number of cases in non-endemic countries continues to increase, and it is important that misdiagnosis of malaria should not occur, especially in non-immune travellers, because of the high risk of a fatal outcome. In a retrospective study of 399 sera, the Now Malaria rapid test was compared with the quantitative buffy coat (QBC) test and microbiological examination of thin blood films. Compared with the QBC test and thin blood films, the Now Malaria test had sensitivity and specificity values of 96.4% and 97%, respectively, for the detection of pure P. falciparum infection. A negative predictive value of 99.4% allows this test to be included in diagnostic strategies for patients presenting with clinical suspicion of malaria. Two false-negative results were associated with low levels of parasitaemia in the specimens. Thus, use of the Now Malaria test alone to detect P. falciparum infection in non-endemic countries could lead to misdiagnosis of malaria. This rapid diagnostic test should therefore be performed in association with another prompt traditional method such as examination of thin blood films. [source]

Secretory antibodies against Giardia intestinalis in lactating Nicaraguan women

PARASITE IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 5 2005
A. Téllez
SUMMARY Secretory IgA (sIgA) antibodies are important in the host defence against the intestinal protozoan parasite Giardia intestinalis. However, few antigens have been identified. In this study 100 milk and saliva samples from lactating women, living in an endemic region (León, Nicaragua), were screened for the presence of antibodies against G. intestinalis. Most milk and saliva samples contained anti- Giardia antibodies (59% and 52%, respectively), with a mean sIgA content 50 times higher in milk than in saliva. The positive samples reacted with trophozoite membrane, flagella and cytoplasmic antigens. Western blot analysis showed that milk and saliva anti- Giardia sIgA recognized up to 16 different Giardia proteins in the molecular weight region 20,165 kDa. Two-dimensional Western blotting showed that the major immunoreactive proteins were the same as the immunoreactive proteins identified by serum from acute giardiasis patients in a non-endemic country. The major difference was a stronger reactivity against the variant surface proteins (VSPs) in the milk samples. Milk sIgAs also recognized recombinant Giardia proteins such as alpha-1 giardin, ornithine carbamoyl transferase, VSP-4EX, arginine deaminase and alpha-enolase. These antigens will be important targets in the development of new immunodiagnostic tools and vaccines. [source]

Sudden death caused by chronic Chagas disease in a non-endemic country: Autopsy report

PATHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2010
Fumiko Satoh
Chagas disease is a tropical disease that is prevalent in Latin America. Described herein is an autopsy case of the sudden death of a 48-year-old Brazilian man who had stayed in Japan for 7 years. The man, who had a history of Chagas disease, collapsed unexpectedly at work. Because the cause of death was unknown, forensic autopsy examination was performed. As gross findings, the heart was dilated and rounded with an increase in size and weight. The esophagus and large intestine were dilated moderately, with extensive interstitial inflammatory infiltration in the cardiac muscle, but no apparent parasite nest was observed in various tissues. On post-mortem laboratory examinations, indirect immunofluorescence antibody test indicated the presence of IgG antibody specific to Trypanosoma cruzi in the serum. Subsequent polymerase chain reaction amplification using DNA extracted from blood yielded the specific product derived from T. cruzi genomic DNA. These examinations indicate that the infection had resulted from the Tripanosoma parasite. The cause of death was judged to be chronic cardiomyopathy caused by Chagas disease. It is important for pathologists to know the possible involvement of chronic Chagas disease in sudden unexpected deaths in the current globalized society of Japan. [source]

Primary pulmonary coccidioidomycosis in China

RESPIROLOGY, Issue 4 2010
Fen LAN
ABSTRACT Coccidioidomycosis is a fungal infection endemic to south-west USA, north Mexico and parts of Central and South America. We report here a case of primary pulmonary coccidioidomycosis in a previously healthy 14-year-old boy in China, which is considered a non-endemic country. The patient had non-specific symptoms of pulmonary infection, including fever, non-productive cough and night sweats. Both spherules and endospores of Coccidioides immitis were seen histologically following transbronchial biopsy of a cavitary lesion. The patient was treated with amphotericin B and fluconazole. Follow up 6 months post discharge found that the patient made a good recovery. [source]