Epidemiological and molecular assessment of a measles outbreak in a highly vaccinated population of northeast Italy.

SUMMARYTwo distinct measles outbreaks, unrelated from the epidemiological point of view but caused by genetically related strains, occurred in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of northeastern Italy. Forty-two cases were reported during the period April–May 2008. In the first outbreak the index case was a teacher who introduced the virus into the Pordenone area, involving eight adolescents and young adults. The other concomitant outbreak occurred in the city of Trieste with 33 cases. The containment of the epidemics can be explained by the high MMR vaccine coverage in an area where the first dose was delivered to 93·4% and the second dose to 88·3% of the target children. Phylogenetic analysis of 14 measles virus strains showed that they belonged to a unique D4 genotype indistinguishable from the MVs/Enfield.GBR/14.07 strain, probably introduced from areas (i.e. Piedmont and Germany) where this genotype was present or had recently caused a large epidemic

Integración del inglés en materias de Anatomía

En el curso 2012-13 iniciamos un proyecto de trabajo en red para favorecer la integración del inglés en 5 materias de Ciencias de la Salud. Dado que el aprendizaje de esta segunda lengua es una competencia básica transversal e instrumental en los Grados de la Universidad de Alicante, en el presente estudio pretendemos valorar el nivel de adquisición simultánea en lengua inglesa y española de nuevos términos anatómicos, así como el nivel de conocimientos genéricos de comprensión lectora y escritora del inglés. Para ello, al principio y final del primer semestre del curso 2013-14, se realizaron encuestas con preguntas de respuesta múltiple en las asignaturas de Anatomía impartidas en los primeros cursos de 4 Grados: Enfermería, Nutrición Humana y Dietética, Óptica y Optometría y Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte. Observamos una cierta mejora en la adquisición de términos anatómicos en inglés según el sistema de aprendizaje integrado de contenidos en lengua extranjera (AICLE). Sin embargo, los conceptos genéricos de la lengua inglesa permanecen constantes o incluso se algo disminuidos. Concluimos que en un entorno AICLE, con materiales curriculares bilingües, se obtienen buenos resultados de aprendizaje en las materias de Anatomía integradas con el inglés

¿Se aprende inglés a la vez que anatomía?

Continuando un proyecto previo, se pretende favorecer la integración del inglés en materias de Ciencias de la Salud impartidas en los Grados de Enfermería, Nutrición Humana y Dietética, Óptica y Optometría y Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte de la Universidad de Alicante. En el curso 2013-14 se obtienen y analizan los resultados de las encuestas sobre el progreso del aprendizaje y competencias en inglés según el sistema de aprendizaje integrado de contenidos en lengua extranjera (AICLE). Mediante una encuesta de preguntas de respuesta múltiple se valoran las competencias lectoras y escritoras en inglés genérico y específico para contenidos de Anatomía impartidos en cada una de las asignaturas. Con una pregunta de valoración subjetiva se obtiene una aproximación del nivel de conocimientos de inglés que cada alumno considera poseer. Estas encuestas se respondieron al principio y final del primer cuatrimestre. En general, se aprecia una cierta mejora en los aprendizajes de términos anatómicos en inglés, mientras que los relativos a conceptos genéricos de la lengua inglesa permanecen constantes o incluso ligeramente mermados. Se concluye que en un entorno AICLE, con materiales curriculares bilingües, se obtienen buenos resultados de aprendizaje propios de cada materia integrada con el inglés

Group B streptococcus prevalence in pregnant women from North‐Eastern Italy: advantages of a screening strategy based on direct plating plus broth enrichment

To assess the sensitivity of a combined selective broth enrichment technique plus selective plating for the detection of group B streptococcus (GBS) colonisation in a large cohort of pregnant women from North-Eastern Italy 5020 pregnant women were screened between the 35th and the 37th week of gestation during 2002\u20132005. 901 Women (17.9%) were positive for GBS. On 728 positive samples, corresponding to patients enrolled between 2003 and 2005, the results of selective direct plating and selective broth enrichment were compared. A total of 561 (77.1% of positive samples, corresponding to 13.9% of patients) were positive on direct selective agar; an additional 167 isolates (22.9% of samples, 4.1% of patients) were recovered from the LIM broth subculture. The prevalence of GBS carriage in this study is a reliable estimate considering the sensitivity of the methods used, the rate of attendance of pregnant women to clinical and laboratory settings and the compliance to the protocol

Contaminazione atmosferica da idrocarburi policiclici aromatici in un\u2019area urbana

non disponibil

CV/BKV and SV40 viral load in lymphoid tissues of young immunocompetent children from an area of North-East Italy

Polyomavirus infection occurring during childhood is followed by a lifelong latency in immunocompetent subjects. The major site of polyomavirus persistence are the uroepithelial cells which leads to oral transmission. It has recently been hypothesized that tonsils could be a possible reservoir. The role of tonsil, adenoid, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) as possible sites of JCV, BKV, and SV40 latency in young healthy children was assessed. Two hundred fifteen fresh specimens, including 57 tonsil, 80 adenoid, and 78 PBMC samples from 80 immunocompetent children (mean age 4.8 years) were analyzed to determine the viral load by quantitative real-time PCR. The human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6) was tested as a lymphotropic reference virus. Polyomavirus was detected in 5/ 80 (6.2%) children while HHV-6 infection affected 27/80 children (33.7%) (P<0.001). SV40 was detected in one adenoid sample, while footprints of BKV were found in one adenoid and three tonsil samples. JCV was never found in all samples. Polyomavirus sequences were not detected in the 78 blood samples. One adenoid and two tonsils from three children (1.4%) were positive for both polyomavirus and HHV-6. Infections were characterized by low replication rates ranging typically from 110e2/5.510e4 to 6.810e3/8.510e4 viral copies/number of cells. In conclusion, tonsils and adenoids of children could effectively harbor BKV and SV40, although only very few cells proved to be infected. Nevertheless, the low prevalence of polyomavirus, in comparison with the lymphotropic HHV-6, suggests that these tissues are unlikely to be the preferred site of polyomavirus latency, at least in younger children

HHV-6 infection of tonsils and adenoids in children with hypertrophy and upper airway recurrent infections

OBJECTIVE: Human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6), the agent of a self-limiting exanthematic disease in childhood, persists in a silent state in the secondary lymphoid organs and the reactivation is characterized by HHV-6-induced inflammatory cytokines. This study investigates the possible etiological role of HHV-6 in children affected by tonsil and adenoid hypertrophy. METHODS: 55 tonsils, 80 adenoids fresh tissues and 74 blood samples were collected from 80 children (mean age 4.8 years, 43.5% female) undergoing elective tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy for tissue hypertrophy. Moreover, patients with <5 years old documented upper airway recurrent infections not related to relapsing of acute tonsillitis. Specific IgG antibodies and virus detection (by PCR, variant A/B enzymatic genotyping and real-time PCR) were performed. RESULTS: In our series, HHV-6 seroprevalence was tested at 50%. HHV-6 variant B was the unique strain finding in 25% of adenoids, in 12.7% of tonsils and in 4% of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). HHV-6-B was prevalent in tonsils of children affected by upper airway infections (17.8% vs 7.4%) while the adenoids represented the more frequent reservoir (30.7% vs 19.5%) in patients with hypertrophy. HHV-6 viral load was low, ranging from 80 to 600 copies/10(6) cells suggesting a latent/persistent phase of infection. CONCLUSION: These results reinforce the role of the secondary lymphoid organs as an important reservoir for HHV-6B. Nevertheless, infection of lymphoid cells, sustained by a low level of replication, could be sufficient to increase the local injury through an autologous mechanism of inflammation

Detection of SV40 in colon cancer: a molecular case-control study from North-East Italy

International audienceTo explore the involvement of the simian polyomavirus SV40 in human colon cancer, a molecular case-control study was undertaken in patients and in their relatives living in an area where the spread of SV40 has already been documented. From 2006 to 2008, 94 colon cancer patients (age: 37-90 years) and 91 subjects (age: 32-70 years) relatives of each index case were enrolled. A blood sample and a specimen of cancer tissue or biopsy was collected, from each patient or control, a respectively. Samples were analyzed twice for Polyomavirus (i.e. SV40, JCV and BKV) by PCR and by quantitative Real Time PCR (RT-qPCR) with reproducible results. No BKV/JCV was detected either in normal or pathological tissues. SV40 was not present in control subjects, either normal tissue or in biopsies from adenomas or polyps. All blood samples were negative. Conversely, six adenocarcinoma specimens were positive for SV40 sequences (overall prevalence 6.4%, p=0.03 in comparison with controls). Nevertheless, the SV40-associated colon cancer risk proved statistically not significant (OR=3.91; p=0.115) when adjusted for age. Quantitation of SV40 DNA performed by RT-qPCR showed a low viral load ranging from 6.2x101 to 9x103 copies per reaction. This molecular case-control survey showed, for the first time in fresh samples and by RT-q PCR, that SV40 can be detected in colon cancer tissue. However, the finding was not statistically significant when compared with a well-structured community control group. Thus, the role of SV40 and other polyomavirus in colon cancer genesis deserves further investigation

Evaluation of a commercially available ELISA for detection of Giardia lamblia antigen in faeces: Preliminary results in unconventional samples

The sensitivity and specificity of a commercial ELISA for the diagnosis of G. lamblia were assessed on a series of 52 formalin-ether concentrated, unrefrigerated faecal samples after prolonged storage. Before storage the CELISA did not perfectly accord with microscopy. All the 30 microscopically positive samples scored highly positive on ELISA after storage, including 2 samples that had given a false negative result when examined soon after collection. There was no false positive ELISA. The sensitivity of the test therefore seems to be enhanced by storage at room temperature without any corresponding fall in specificity