A Sporadic Outbreak of Human Brucellosis in Korea

Eleven cases of human brucellosis occurred among livestock workers and a veterinarian who lived and worked in a rural area around Jeongeup City, Jeollabuk-Do, Korea from February 2003 to August 2003. Eight of the patients had taken care of Korean native cattle that were infected with bovine brucellosis and had already been slaughtered. Two of the patients had taken care of dairy cattle, and one case was a veterinarian who acquired the disease through an accidental contact with infected cattle while assisting in calf delivery. Eleven cases were identified by serologic work ups and four cases were identified via positive blood cultures. This study shows that the Republic of Korea is no longer free of human brucellosis, Brucella abortus biotype 1. We reviewed the patients' characteristics and serologic data during the one-year follow up period, and we also discuss on the efficacy and side effects of the rifampin and doxycyline regimen used for the treatment of human brucellosis

Consistency and precision of cancer reporting in a multiwave national panel survey

Abstract Background Many epidemiological studies rely on self-reported information, the accuracy of which is critical for unbiased estimates of population health. Previously, accuracy has been analyzed by comparing self-reports to other sources, such as cancer registries. Cancer is believed to be a well-reported condition. This paper uses novel panel data to test the consistency of cancer reports for respondents with repeated self-reports. Methods Data come from 978 adults who reported having been diagnosed with cancer in at least one of four waves of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, 1999-2005. Consistency of cancer occurrence reports and precision of timing of onset were studied as a function of individual and cancer-related characteristics using logistic and ordered logistic models. Results Almost 30% of respondents gave inconsistent cancer reports, meaning they said they never had cancer after having said they did have cancer in a previous interview; 50% reported the year of diagnosis with a discrepancy of two or more years. More recent cancers were reported with a higher consistency and timing precision; cervical cancer was reported more inaccurately than other cancer types. Demographic and socio-economic factors were only weak predictors of reporting quality. Conclusions Results suggest that retrospective reports of cancer contain significant measurement error. The errors, however, are fairly random across different social groups, meaning that the results based on the data are not systematically biased by socio-economic factors. Even for health events as salient as cancer, researchers should exercise caution about the presumed accuracy of self-reports, especially if the timing of diagnosis is an important covariate.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/112656/1/12963_2010_Article_108.pd

Current concepts in the prevention of pathogen transmission via blood/plasma-derived products for bleeding disorders

The pathogen safety of blood/plasma-derived products has historically been a subject of significant concern to the medical community. Measures such as donor selection and blood screening have contributed to increase the safety of these products, but pathogen transmission does still occur. Reasons for this include lack of sensitivity/specificity of current screening methods, lack of reliable screening tests for some pathogens (e.g. prions) and the fact that many potentially harmful infectious agents are not routinely screened for. Methods for the purification/inactivation of blood/plasma-derived products have been developed in order to further reduce the residual risk, but low concentrations of pathogens do not necessarily imply a low level of risk for the patient and so the overall challenge of minimising risk remains. This review aims to discuss the variable level of pathogenic risk and describes the current screening methods used to prevent/detect the presence of pathogens in blood/plasma-derived products

Is social capital associated with HIV risk in rural South Africa?

The role of social capital in promoting health is now widely debated within international public health. In relation to HIV, the results of previous observational and cross-sectional studies have been mixed. In some settings it has been suggested that high levels of social capital and community cohesion might be protective and facilitate more effective collective responses to the epidemic. In others, group membership has been a risk factor for HIV infection. There have been few attempts to strengthen social capital, particularly in developing countries, and examine its effect on vulnerability to HIV. Employing data from an intervention study, we examined associations between social capital and HIV risk among 1063 14 to 35-year-old male and female residents of 750 poor households from 8 villages in rural Limpopo province, South Africa. We assessed cognitive social capital (CSC) and structural social capital (SSC) separately, and examined associations with numerous aspects of HIV-related psycho-social attributes, risk behavior, prevalence and incidence. Among males, after adjusting for potential confounders, residing in households with greater levels of CSC was linked to lower HIV prevalence and higher levels of condom use. Among females, similar patterns of relationships with CSC were observed. However, while greater SSC was associated with protective psychosocial attributes and risk behavior, it was also associated with higher rates of HIV infection. This work underscores the complex and nuanced relationship between social capital and HIV risk in a rural African context. We suggest that not all social capital is protective or health promotive, and that getting the balance right is critical to informing HIV prevention efforts