Search results for " infections"
showing 10 items of 2592 documents
Louseborne relapsing fever in young migrants, sicily, Italy, july-september 2015
2016
To the Editor: During the early 20th century, at the end of World War I, and during World War II, louseborne relapsing fever (LBRF) caused by Borrelia recurrentis was a major public health problem, especially in eastern Europe and northern Africa (1,2). Currently, poor living conditions, famine, war, and refugee camps are major risk factors for epidemics of LBRF in resource-poor countries, such as those in the Horn of Africa (3,4). Increased migration from resource-poor countries and war/violence create new routes for spread of vectorborne diseases. Recently, several cases of LBRF have been reported among asylum seekers from Eritrea in the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Germany (5–8). All of…
Integron and genotype patterns of quinolones-resistant uropathogenic Escherichia coli
2011
Uropathogenic Escherichia coli are the most common cause of urinary tract infections,and quinolones-resistant strains cause growing concern in developing countries. This study provides relevant data in relation to the molecular epidemiology of these isolateswith respect to the distribution of integron among them and in doing so, to control the infections and adopt efficient strategies. This study was performed on 96 strains of E. coliisolated from patients with community acquired urinary tract infections in Jahrom, Iran. Having determined the antibiotic susceptibility patterns, isolates were resistant to quinolones (Ciprofloxacin, Norfloxacin and Nalidixic acid) screened for integron classe…
Single tube real time PCR for detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydophila pneumoniae and Legionella pneumophila from …
2012
We designed a multiplex real time PCR for rapid, sensitive and specific detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Legionella pneumophila, Chlamydophila pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. The study cases consisted of 129 patients with community acquired pneumonia (CAP). Bacteriological techniques were implemented for detection of the cultivable organisms. DNA were extracted from sputa, throat swabs, bronchoalveolar lavages and tracheal aspirates and used as templates in real time PCR. The primers and probes were designed for cbpA (S. pneumoniae), p1adhesin (M. pneumoniae), mip (L. pneumophila) and ompA (C. pneumoniae). After optimization of real time PCR for every organism, the experiments w…
Predictive role of histological features and Ki67 pattern on high-risk HPV presence in atypical cervical lesions
2007
The most frequently detected alterations of squamous cervical epithelia consist of metaplastic/reactive conditions and human papillomavirus (HPV)-related dysplastic lesions. These latter are traditionally identified as cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN1, 2 or 3) or, in the Bethesda System, as low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL), including CIN1, and high-grade SIL, including CIN2 and CIN3. Some HPV-induced lesions, which are not characterized by obvious dysplasia, are often diagnosed as LSIL. In these lesions, which are hereafter referred to as cervical atipical lesions (CAL), histological features of HPV infection (namely, koilocytosis, multinucleation, acanthosis, papil…
From gut microflora imbalance to mycobacteria infection: is there a relationship with chronic intestinal inflammatory diseases?
2011
The gut of a healthy adult harbours a myriad of different microbial species. It is estimated that approximately 10 14 are present in total bacterial colony forming units (CFU). Each colony colonizes a specific intestinal tract. In healthy adult, the main control of intestinal bacterial colonization occurs through gastric acidity but also other factors can influence the intestinal microenvironment such as pH, temperature, competition among different bacterial strains, peristalsis, drugs, radiotherapy and much more. Impaired microbial homeostasis leads to an alteration of the permeability of tissue, together with the activation of the intestinal immune system MALT (mucosal associated lymphoid…
Detection of the norovirus variants GGII.4 hunter and GGIIb/hilversum in Italian children with gastroenteritis.
2006
Noroviruses (NoVs) are important enteric pathogens of humans. Although they exhibit an impressive genetic diversity, few NoV strains appear to predominate worldwide. Limited epidemiological data are available on NoV gastroenteritis in Italy. In this study, we assessed the prevalence of human NoV in Italian children with gastroenteritis by using a reverse-transcription nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay specific for the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) on faecal samples collected throughout the 2004 surveillance activity in Palermo, Italy. NoVs were detected in 47% of the stool samples obtained from children <5 years age, admitted to hospital with acute non-bacterial gastroen…
Nationwide surveillance study of human astrovirus infections in an Italian paediatric population
2012
SUMMARYThe study investigated the genetic diversity of human astroviruses (HAstVs) detected in children hospitalized with gastroenteritis in Italy in 2008–2009. A total of 1321 faecal samples were collected in Parma (northern Italy), Bari (southern Italy), and Palermo (Sicily) and screened for the presence of HAstVs. RT–PCR amplification of a portion at the 5′-end of ORF2 allowed the detection of HAstVs in 3·95% of the patients. Four different genotypes (HAstV-1, HAstV-2, HAstV-4, HAstV-5) were found to be circulating during the study period, with HAstV-1 being the predominant type. Interestingly, a novel lineage, proposed as HAstV-2d, was found to have emerged in Parma in 2009. Investigati…
Tonometers and infectious risk: myth or reality? Efficacy of different disinfection regimens on tonometer tips
2006
Purpose To evaluate the adequacy of common disinfection regimens for disposable tonometer tips and assess if disinfection of reusable prisms or the use of disposable tips is preferable. Methods We used disposable tonometer tips, using the same material and tip diameter of standard Goldmann tonometer prism. Strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Candida albicans were tested according to the European standard guidelines for disinfectants test. Antimicrobial effectiveness of the following disinfection practices has been assessed: dry wipe, Minuten wipes (Alpros), soaking in 3% hydrogen peroxide, 0.5% benzalkonium chloride, and 0.5% Pantasepts for 1, 5, …
Vitamin D Deficiency in HIV Infection: Not Only a Bone Disorder
2015
Hypovitaminosis D is a worldwide disorder, with a high prevalence in the general population of both Western and developing countries. In HIV patients, several studies have linked vitamin D status with bone disease, neurocognitive impairment, depression, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus, infections, autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes mellitus, and cancer. In this review, we focus on the most recent epidemiological and experimental data dealing with the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and HIV infection. We analysed the extent of the problem, pathogenic mechanisms, clinical implications, and potential benefits of vitamin …
Pneumococcal vaccination in celiac disease
2019
Introduction: Celiac disease (CD) is an immune-mediated disorder associated with gluten exposure in genetically predisposed subjects. Areas covered: Infectious disease is one of the causes of morbidity and mortality in CD patients. Invasive streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is a particularly dangerous morbid condition in both the general population and celiac patients. Pneumococcal vaccination is the most effective means for its prevention. Expert opinion: In CD, evaluation of spleen function should be useful to select patients who may benefit from vaccination to reduce the risk of pneumococcal disease. Different strategies could be employed: physicians could search for signs of hypos…