Antimicrobial drugs for persistent diarrhoea of unknown or non-specific cause in children under six in low and middle income countries: systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Background A high proportion of children with persistent diarrhoea in middle and low income countries die. The best treatment is not clear. We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of antimicrobial drug treatment for persistent diarrhoea of unknown or non-specific cause. Methods We included randomized comparisons of antimicrobial drugs for the treatment of persistent diarrhoea of unknown or non-specific cause in children under the age of six years in low and middle income countries. We searched the electronic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, WEB OF SCIENCE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) to May 2008 for relevant randomized or quasi randomized controlled trials. We summarised the characteristics of the eligible trials, assessed their quality using standard criteria, and extracted relevant outcomes data. Where appropriate, we combined the results of different trials. Results Three trials from South East Asia and one from Guatemala were included, all were small, and three had adequate allocation concealment. Two were in patients with diarrhoea of unknown cause, and two were in patients in whom known bacterial or parasitological causes of diarrhoea had been excluded. No difference was demonstrated for oral gentamicin compared with placebo (presence of diarrhoea at 6 or 7 days; 2 trials, n = 151); and for metronidazole compared with placebo (presence of diarrhoea at 3, 5 and 7 days; 1 trial, n = 99). In one small trial, sulphamethoxazole-trimethoprim appeared better than placebo in relation to diarrhoea at seven days and total stool volume (n = 55). Conclusion There is little evidence as to whether or not antimicrobials help treat persistent diarrhoea in young children in low and middle income countries

Use of suppression subtractive hybridisation to extend our knowledge of genome diversity in Campylobacter jejuni

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Previous studies have sought to identify a link between the distribution of variable genes amongst isolates of <it>Campylobacter jejuni </it>and particular host preferences. The genomic sequence data available currently was obtained using only isolates from human or chicken hosts. In order to identify variable genes present in isolates from alternative host species, five subtractions between <it>C. jejuni </it>isolates from different sources (rabbit, cattle, wild bird) were carried out, designed to assess genomic variability within and between common multilocus sequence type (MLST) clonal complexes (ST-21, ST-42, ST-45 and ST-61).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The vast majority (97%) of the 195 subtracted sequences identified had a best BLASTX match with a <it>Campylobacter </it>protein. However, there was considerable variation within and between the four clonal complexes included in the subtractions. The distributions of eight variable sequences, including four with putative roles in the use of alternative terminal electron acceptors, amongst a panel of <it>C. jejuni </it>isolates representing diverse sources and STs, were determined.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>There was a clear correlation between clonal complex and the distribution of the metabolic genes. In contrast, there was no evidence to support the hypothesis that the distribution of such genes may be related to host preference. The other variable genes studied were also generally distributed according to MLST type. Thus, we found little evidence for widespread horizontal gene transfer between clonal complexes involving these genes.</p

Innovative development of the Octopus (cf) tetricus fishery in Western Australia

In 2010 the broad-scale introduction of a new gear type, the trigger trap, saw a 260% (33 t in 2009 to 119 t in 2010) increase in octopus landings in the Western Australian Developmental Octopus Fishery (DOF). Deployed in waters previously unfished by the DOF, initial catches demonstrated that trigger traps were more efficient and captured a different component of the population, compared to open-ended shelter pots traditionally used in the fishery. This shift caused a surge of interest in commercial octopus fishing

Are there functional consequences of a reduction in selenium intake in UK subjects?

Dietary Se levels in the UK have fallen over the last 20 years and recent surveys indicate that average Se intakes are 30-40 microg/d, which is well below the current UK reference nutrient intake for adult men (75 microg/d) or women (60 microg/d). Functional consequences of this decline have not been recognised, although epidemiological data suggest it may contribute to increased risk of infections and incidence of some cancers. Previous data have indicated that biochemical changes in Se-dependent proteins occur in otherwise healthy UK subjects given small Se supplements. The current studies have focused on the effect of small Se supplements on the immune response since there is evidence of specific interactions between Se intake and viral replication, and since the potential anti-cancer effects of Se may be mediated by non-antioxidant effects of Se such as changes in immune function. Data indicate that subjects given small Se supplements (50 or 100 microg Se/d) have changes in the activity of Se-dependent enzymes and evidence of improved immune function and clearance of an administered live attenuated virus in the form of poliovirus vaccine. Responses of individual subjects to Se supplements are variable, and current work is evaluating potential explanations for this variability, including genetic variability and pre-existing Se status

Meningococcal disease in children in Merseyside, England:a 31 year descriptive study

Meningococcal disease (MCD) is the leading infectious cause of death in early childhood in the United Kingdom, making it a public health priority. MCD most commonly presents as meningococcal meningitis (MM), septicaemia (MS), or as a combination of the two syndromes (MM/MS). We describe the changing epidemiology and clinical presentation of MCD, and explore associations with socioeconomic status and other risk factors. A hospital-based study of children admitted to a tertiary children's centre, Alder Hey Children's Foundation Trust, with MCD, was undertaken between 1977 to 2007 (n = 1157). Demographics, clinical presentations, microbiological confirmation and measures of deprivation were described. The majority of cases occurred in the 1-4 year age group and there was a dramatic fall in serogroup C cases observed with the introduction of the meningococcal C conjugate (MCC) vaccine. The proportion of MS cases increased over the study period, from 11% in the first quarter to 35% in the final quarter. Presentation with MS (compared to MM) and serogroup C disease (compared to serogroup B) were demonstrated to be independent risk factors for mortality, with odds ratios of 3.5 (95% CI 1.18 to 10.08) and 2.18 (95% CI 1.26 to 3.80) respectively. Cases admitted to Alder Hey were from a relatively more deprived population (mean Townsend score 1.25, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.41) than the Merseyside reference population. Our findings represent one of the largest single-centre studies of MCD. The presentation of MS is confirmed to be a risk factor of mortality from MCD. Our study supports the association between social deprivation and MCD

Nitric oxide synthase 2A (NOS2A) polymorphisms are not associated with invasive pneumococcal disease

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Streptococcus pneumoniae </it>(pneumococcus) is responsible for over one million deaths per year, with young children, the elderly and immunocompromised individuals being most at risk. Approximately half of East African children have been reported to be asymptomatic carriers of pneumococcus with invasive infection occurring after the disruption of the respiratory membrane which is believed to be caused by the host immune response. Racial incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) is higher in certain populations even after adjusting for environmental factors suggesting a genetic component to disease susceptibility. The nitric oxide synthase 2A (NOS2A) gene is responsible for the production of nitric oxide under pathological conditions including host defence against bacterial infection. Nitric oxide is a modulator of apoptotic and inflammatory cascades and endothelial permeability. We hypothesised that genetic variants within this gene may predispose to disease risk and survival.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cohort of 299 children with IPD (221 meningitis, 41 pneumonia and 37 with bacteraemia) and 931 age matched controls from Malawi were used in this study. We investigated nine haplotype tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms within the NOS2A gene and compared the presence or absence of the minor alleles in cases and controls and survivors and non-survivors within the cases.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We observed no significant associations between cases and controls or with survival in either all IPD cases or in the separate analysis of meningitis cases. A near significant association was obtained for the comparison of rs8078340 in cases and controls (p-value, 0.078). However, results were unadjusted for multiple testing.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results suggest that polymorphic variation within the NOS2A gene does not influence invasive pneumococcal disease susceptibility or survival.</p

Human Bocavirus Infection among Children, Jordan

Human bocavirus was detected in 57 (18.3%) of 312 children with acute respiratory infection (ARI) who required hospitalization in Jordan. It was also detected in 30 (21.7%) of 138 children with severe ARI, in 27 (15.5%) of 174 with mild or moderate disease, and in 41 (72%) of 57 with other pathogens

Risk for Tuberculosis among Children

Risk among children is underestimated in countries with a high incidence of this disease