Search results for "Prevalence"
showing 10 items of 1793 documents
Prevalence and antibiotic-resistance of Salmonella isolated from beef sampled from the slaughterhouse and from retailers in Dakar (Senegal)
2005
A study was made of Salmonella contamination in beef sampled from a slaughterhouse and from retailers in Dakar, Senegal. The serotypes as well as antibiotic-resistance patterns of the Salmonella isolates were determined. A total of 435 meat samples (236 from the slaughterhouse, 199 from retailers) were tested. Among them, 275 (63%) were positive for Salmonella, 43% (101/236) from the slaughterhouse and 87% (174/199) from the retailers. Furthermore, 97% of the investigated retailers had at least one beef sample contaminated by Salmonella. The 286 Salmonella isolates were divided into 51 serotypes. The most prevalent serotypes were Salmonella bredeney (25%), S. muenster (8%), S. waycross (7%)…
Seroprevalence of Norovirus Genogroup IV Antibodies among Humans, Italy, 2010–2011
2014
Antibodies specific to genogroup IV identified in human specimens suggest zoonotic exposure.
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…
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 …
HCV genotypes in western Sicily: any evidence for a shift?
2008
Background: The relative prevalence of each HCV strain in a specific country is characterized by a predominant genotype and a number of other sub-prevalent types. Over the last decade a shift away from the prevalent HCV G1 towards G3 and G4 has been reported in some countries, and might affect the global management of HCV disease. Aim: In order to assess any possible variation in the prevalence of HCV genotypes in Sicily, we surveyed an hospital based cohort of subjects with chronic HCV infection observed over the last ten years. Patient and methods: 3209 Italian patients resident in Western Sicily, 1842/1367 M/F, between 1 and 89 years of age, presented at our tertiary referral Laboratory …
How common is isolated nocturnal hypertension?
2020
The growing use of methods to measure blood pressure (BP) under everyday life conditions in ‘out-of-office’ settings, through either 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) or home BP monitoring (HBPM), for defining BP status has led to identification of four specific hypertension phenotypes, characterized by variable agreement or disagreement between office BP (OBP) and out-of-office BP: true normotension (normal office and out-of-office BP), sustained hypertension (both elevated office and out-of-office BP), masked hypertension (normal office BP and out-of-office BP), and white-coat hypertension (WCH), when OBP is elevated, but out-of-office BP levels are within normal limits. The term ‘whit…
Prevalence of Spinal Muscular Atrophy in the Era of Disease-Modifying Therapies: An Italian Nationwide Survey.
2022
ObjectiveSpinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by mutations in the SMN1 gene. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of SMA and treatment prescription in Italy.MethodsAn online survey was distributed to 36 centers identified by the Italian government as referral centers for SMA. Data on the number of patients with SMA subdivided according to age, type,SMN2copy number, and treatment were collected.ResultsOne thousand two hundred fifty-five patients with SMA are currently followed in the Italian centers with an estimated prevalence of 2.12/100,000. Of the 1,255, 284 were type I, 470 type II, 467 type III, and 15 type IV with estimated prevalence of 0…
Coxiella burnetii spread in Sicily
2015
Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by C. burnetii. Common reservoirs of this worldwide disease are wild and domestic animals, especially sheep, goats, cattle. Q fever has been considered also an occupational disease for abattoir workers, sheep shearers, livestock farmers, and veterinarians due to their direct contact with potentially infected animals. The aims of this study were to estimate C. burnetii spread in Sicilian livestock and among rangers that live and work in Western Sicily. ELISA test on animal serum and IFI test on seasonal rangers sera were carried out. Real Time PCR was performed on milk and vaginal swab samples collected from animals to search for the C. burnetii DNA. The …
Antibodies to human herpes virus type 8 (HHV8) in general population and in individuals at risk for sexually transmitted diseases in Western Sicily.
2000
Human herpes virus 8 (HHV8) appears to be the primary aetiologic agent of Kaposi sarcoma (KS). To study the distribution of HHV8, a seroepidemiological study was carried out in western Sicily, where a high incidence rate of classical KS is well documented.A total of 970 sera of healthy human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) negative individuals of general population (1-70 years old) and 742 sera of individuals in different risk groups for HIV infection were evaluated by means of an indirect immunofluorescence assay able to detect antibodies to lytic and latent HHV8 antigens.Crude seroprevalence to HHV8 antigens was 11.5% in the general population, and it increased significantly with age from 6%…
Serological and virological evidence of non-sexual transmission of human herpesvirus type 8 (HHV8).
2000
To evaluate whether or not human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) can be transmitted through a non-sexual route a serological survey was carried out in a group of 51 catholic nuns. The seroprevalence rate and the geometrical mean antibody titre to anti-latent HHV8 antigen were similar in nuns and in a group of 60 women, matched by age, in the general population (27 vs. 24%; 1028 vs. 1575, respectively). Moreover, by using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR), HHV8 DNA sequences were detected in 7 of 16 (43·8%) saliva and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with classical Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and in 3 out of 7 (42%) AIDS-KS patients. None of 5 HIV positive persons who did not have…