Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Risk and Escherichia coli O157:H7

We reviewed medical records of 238 hospitalized patients with Escherichia coli O157:H7 diarrhea to identify risk factors for progression to diarrhea-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Data indicated that young age, long duration of diarrhea, elevated leukocyte count, and proteinuria were associated with HUS

Short Communication Prevalence of infectious diseases among Mongolian blood donors

Objectives: This study estimates the prevalence of screened infections: human immunodeficiency (HIV), hepatitis B (HBV) virus, hepatitis C (HCV) virus, brucellosis, and syphilis among Mongolian blood donors. Methods: This report is based on routine data collected from simple questionnaires completed by a sample of consecutive donors visiting the Blood Center between August 2004 and February 2005. Results: Seropositivity rates were as follows: HIV 0%, HBsAg 8.1 % (n=185), anti-HCV 8.7 % (n=195), brucellosis 3.3 % (n=75), and syphilis 2 % (n=44). HBsAg seropositivity was concentrated among young donors less than 20 years of age (P<0.01) while anti-HCV seropositivity tended to increase significantly with age. Conclusion: The prevalence of HBV and HCV among Mongolian donors is very high and appears to be differentially distributed by age. The data suggests further studies are warranted to identify key risk factors for blood-borne infections and to develop population-specific interventions to interrupt transmission