26 research outputs found
Reproductive performance in sows in relation to Japanese Encephalitis Virus seropositivity in an endemic area
Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV) is considered an important reproductive pathogen in pigs. Most studies of the reproductive impact of JEV have been conducted in areas where the disease occurs in seasonal epidemics. In this study, the associations between seropositivity for JEV, measured with an IgG ELISA, and the number of piglets born alive and stillborn were investigated in a tropical area endemic for JEV in Vietnam. Sixty percent of sows from four farms in the Mekong delta of Vietnam were seropositive to JEV and the Odds Ratio for a sow being infected was highest (6.4) in sows above 3.5 years (95% confidence interval 2.2–18.3). There was an association between increasing Optical Density (OD) values from the ELISA and the number of stillborn piglets in sows less than 1.5 years, but no effect of seropositivity could be shown when all sows were studied. OD values had an effect (p = 0.04) on the number of piglets born alive in the statistical analysis only when interacting with the effect of the breeds. An increase in mean OD value of the herd was correlated (p < 0.0001) with an increase in the number of piglets born alive. In this study, there was evidence of a negative association between seropositivity for JEV and the reproductive performance only in sows less than 1.5 years in endemic areas. This could be explained by a year-round infection with the virus, which would lead to immunity in many gilts before their first pregnancy. This, in turn, may imply that JEV infection in pigs is of minor importance for the reproductive performance in endemic areas
The impact of HIV-1 on the malaria parasite biomass in adults in sub-Saharan Africa contributes to the emergence of antimalarial drug resistance
Background. HIV-related immune-suppression increases the risk of malaria (infection, disease and treatment failure) and probably the circulating parasite biomass, favoring the emergence of drug resistance parasites. Methods. The additional malaria parasite biomass related to HIV-1 co-infection in sub-Saharan Africa was estimated by a mathematical model. Parasite biomass was computed as the incidence rate of clinical malaria episodes multiplied by the number of parasites circulating in the peripheral blood of patients at the time symptoms appear. A mathematical model estimated the influence of HIV-1 infection on parasite density in clinical malaria by country and by age group, malaria transmission intensity and urban/rural area. In a multivariate sensitivity analysis, 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using the Monte Carlo simulation. Results. The model shows that in 2005 HIV-1 increased the overall malaria parasite biomass by 18.0% (95%CI: 11.6-26.9). The largest relative increase (134.9-243.9%) was found in southern Africa where HIV-1 prevalence is the highest and malaria transmission unstable. The largest absolute increase was found in Zambia, Malawi, the Central African Republic and Mozambique, where both malaria and HIV are highly endemic. A univariate sensitivity analysis shows that estimates are sensitive to the magnitude of the impact of HIV-1 infection on the malaria incidence rates and associated parasite densities. Conclusion. The HIV-1 epidemic by increasing the malaria parasite biomass in sub-Saharan Africa may also increase the emergence of antimalarial drug resistance, potentially affecting the health of the whole population in countries endemic for both HIV-1 and malaria
Brief Report - Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Infection in Patients with Severe Falciparum Malaria in Urban India
BACKGROUND: CD4+ T cells restrict parasitaemia during the first attack
of falciparum malaria; humoral immunity, develops weeks later and
protects against reinfection. HIV infection may affect severity of
falciparum malaria and development of protective immunity. AIMS: To
study the prevalence of HIV infection in Indian patients with severe
falciparum malaria and its effect on severity of illness and
recurrences of and mortality related to malarial infection. PATIENTS:
Consecutive patients with severe falciparum malaria and voluntary blood
donors. SETTING AND DESIGN: Prospective cohort study in a university
hospital in Mumbai. RESULTS: Five (11.6%) of 43 patients and 521 (1.8%)
of 28749 blood donors had HIV infection (OR 7.1, 95% CI = 2.8 to 18.2,
p=0.001). Clinical features, APACHE II score, number of organs
affected, parasite index and mortality in patients with and without HIV
infection were comparable. CD4+ counts were < 500 cells/\u3bcl in 2
patients and normal in 3. Opportunistic infections including pulmonary
tuberculosis in one patient (CD4+ counts >500 cells/\u3bcm), and
oral candidiasis in two (CD4+ counts 275 and 250 cells/\u3bcm) were
noted. One patient developed fatal Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia two
weeks after recovering from malaria. P. falciparum infection recurred
in 2 of the 4 HIV infected survivors and in none of 31 survivors
without HIV infection (RR 38.8, 95% CI 2.2 to 671, p=0.01).
CONCLUSIONS: HIV infection is associated with increased risk of severe
malaria even with normal CD4+ counts; severity of disease and mortality
are not increased. However, prior HIV infection impairs protective
immune response to Plasmodium falciparum in residents of hypoendemic
areas. (J Postgrad Med 2003;49:114-117