Acute health effects after accidental exposure to styrene from drinking water in Spain.

OBJECTIVES: We studied subjective health symptoms in a population accidentally exposed to high styrene concentrations in drinking tap water. The contamination occurred during the reparation of a water tank. METHODS: Residents of 27 apartments in two buildings using the contaminated water were contacted. A questionnaire on subjective symptoms was administered to 84 out of 93 persons living in the apartments at the time of the accident. Styrene concentration was measured in samples of water collected two days after the accident. The means of exposure associated with appearance of symptoms were examined through case-control analyses. RESULTS: Styrene in water reached concentrations up to 900 microg/L. Symptoms were reported by 46 persons (attack rate 55 %). The most frequent symptoms were irritation of the throat (26%), nose (19%), eyes (18%) and the skin (14%). General gastrointestinal symptoms were observed with 11% reporting abdominal pain and 7% diarrhea. The factors most strongly associated with symptoms were drinking tap water (OR = 7.8, 95% CI 1.3-48), exposure to vapors from the basement (OR = 10.4, 2.3-47) and eating foods prepared with tap water (OR = 8.6, 1.9-40). All residents in the ground floor reported symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This accidental contamination led to very high styrene concentrations in water and was related to a high prevalence of subjective symptoms of the eyes, respiratory tract and skin. Similar exposures have been described in workers but not in subjects exposed at their residence. Various gastrointestinal symptoms were also observed in this population probably due to a local irritative effect

Impacto de las recomendaciones sobre la vacunación de hepatitis A en niños de familias inmigrantes de países de alta endemia residentes en Castellón

Introducción: Los hijos de inmigrantes procedentes de países de alta endemia de hepatitis A que viajan para visitar a sus familiares, forman un grupo al que se recomienda la vacunación previa al viaje. En el Departamento de La Plana (Castellón), a finales de noviembre de 2012, hubo un aumento de casos de hepatitis A en niños que regresaban del viaje de su país de origen (Marruecos). Se realizaron actuaciones para promocionar la vacunación de estos niños antes de los viajes a su país en la primavera/verano de 2013. Objetivo: Evaluar el impacto de estas recomendaciones. Métodos: Estudio retrospectivo observacional comparativo usando datos del Registro de Vacunas. Se compararon los periodos previo y posterior a la intervención. Resultados: Hubo un aumento en el número de niños vacunados (de 33 a 263). El mayor incremento se observó en niños origen magrebí del Departamento de La Plana (pasó de 2 a 139). En este Departamento se estimó una cobertura del 17%. Conclusiones: Las medidas adoptadas tuvieron un impacto moderado. La cobertura sigue siendo baja. Conviene insistir en la vacunación preexposición de estos niños. Deben implicarse los servicios de salud pública, atención primaria, vacunación internacional y escolares

Acute health effects after accidental exposure to styrene from drinking water in Spain

OBJECTIVES: We studied subjective health symptoms in a population accidentally exposed to high styrene concentrations in drinking tap water. The contamination occurred during the reparation of a water tank. METHODS: Residents of 27 apartments in two buildings using the contaminated water were contacted. A questionnaire on subjective symptoms was administered to 84 out of 93 persons living in the apartments at the time of the accident. Styrene concentration was measured in samples of water collected two days after the accident. The means of exposure associated with appearance of symptoms were examined through case-control analyses. RESULTS: Styrene in water reached concentrations up to 900 μg/L. Symptoms were reported by 46 persons (attack rate 55 %). The most frequent symptoms were irritation of the throat (26%), nose (19%), eyes (18%) and the skin (14%). General gastrointestinal symptoms were observed with 11% reporting abdominal pain and 7% diarrhea. The factors most strongly associated with symptoms were drinking tap water (OR = 7.8, 95% CI 1.3–48), exposure to vapors from the basement (OR = 10.4, 2.3–47) and eating foods prepared with tap water (OR = 8.6, 1.9–40). All residents in the ground floor reported symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This accidental contamination led to very high styrene concentrations in water and was related to a high prevalence of subjective symptoms of the eyes, respiratory tract and skin. Similar exposures have been described in workers but not in subjects exposed at their residence. Various gastrointestinal symptoms were also observed in this population probably due to a local irritative effect

Emerging Hyalomma lusitanicum: From identification to vectorial role and integrated control

In the Mediterranean basin, the tick species Hyalomma lusitanicum Koch stands out among other species of the Hyalomma genus due to its wide distribution, and there is great concern about its potential role as a vector and/or reservoir and its continuous expansion to new areas because of climate warming and human and other animal movements. This review aims to consolidate all the information on H. lusitanicum, including taxonomy and evolution, morphological and molecular identification, life cycle, sampling methods, rearing under laboratory conditions, ecology, hosts, geographical distribution, seasonality, vector role and control methods. The availability of adequate data is extremely relevant to the development of appropriate control strategies in areas where this tick is currently distributed as well as in new areas where it could become established in the near future.This work was partially supported by the COST Action CA21170 “Prevention, anticipation and mitigation of tick-borne disease risk applying the DAMA protocol (PRAGMATICK)”.Peer reviewe

A phase IV, multi-centre, randomized clinical trial comparing two pertussis-containing vaccines in pregnant women in England and vaccine responses in their infants.

BACKGROUND: Pertussis vaccines containing three or five pertussis antigens are recommended in pregnancy in many countries, but no studies have compared the effect on infants' antigen-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations. The aim of this study was to compare anti-pertussis IgG responses following primary immunization in infants of mothers vaccinated with TdaP5-IPV (low dose diphtheria toxoid, tetanus toxoid, acellular pertussis [five antigens] and inactivated polio) or TdaP3-IPV in pregnancy (three pertussis antigens). METHODS: This multi-centre phase IV randomized clinical trial was conducted in a tertiary referral centre and primary care sites in England. Women were randomized to receive TdaP5-IPV (n = 77) or TdaP3-IPV (n = 77) at 28-32 gestational weeks. A non-randomized control group of 44 women who had not received a pertussis-containing vaccine in pregnancy and their 47 infants were enrolled post-partum. RESULTS: Following infant primary immunization, there was no difference in the geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) of anti-pertussis toxin, filamentous haemagglutinin or pertactin IgG between infants born to women vaccinated with TdaP5-IPV (n = 67) or TdaP3-IPV (n = 63). However, the GMC of anti-pertussis toxin IgG was lower in infants born to TdaP5-IPV- and TdaP3-IPV-vaccinated mothers compared to infants born to unvaccinated mothers (n = 45) (geometric mean ratio 0.71 [0.56-0.90] and 0.78 [0.61-0.98], respectively); by 13 months of age, this difference was no longer observed. CONCLUSION: Blunting of anti-pertussis toxin IgG response following primary immunization occurs in infants born to women vaccinated with TdaP5-IPV and TdaP3-IPV, with no difference between maternal vaccines. The blunting effect had resolved by 13 months of age. These results may be helpful for countries considering which pertussis-containing vaccine to recommend for use in pregnancy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT02145624 , registered 23 May 2014

The Hirnantia fauna and the stratigraphic assessment of the uppermost Ordovician in the central Anti-Atlas (Morocco)

Trabajo presentado en el 35th International Geological Congress, celebrado en Cape Town (Sudáfrica), del 27 de agosto al 4 de septiembre de 2016The pandemic brachiopod Hirnantia fauna characterizes the lower part of the Hirnantian (Hi1 Stage Slice of the uppermost Ordovician Global Stage). In the Moroccan Anti-Atlas, its occurrence in glacially-related successions allowed contrasting the onset of several Late Ordovician glacial events. In the Central Anti-Atlas, the Hirnantian is lithostratigraphically represented by the Second Bani Group, a sandstone-dominated succession. In the region immediately west of Tagounite (in the vicinity of Zagora), the group is subdivided into two formations, the basal Lower Second Bani Formation and the overlying Upper Second Bani Formation, separated by a major erosive (glaciogenic) unconformity. The Lower Second Bani Formation is composed of two members, the lower mostly made of clayey sandstones and the upper consisting of thick-bedded quartzitic sandstones (Fig. 1). Figure 1: Ait-Isioul section, west of Tagounite (Morocco). Upper Ordovician formations with the situation of the sampled levels in the Lower Second Bani Formation. We have revisited the stratotype of the Lower Formation of the Second Bani Group, west of Tagounite, and sampled brachiopods from its uppermost quartzitic horizons (from Destombes' horizon F upsection). In addition to those brachiopods listed by Destombes [1] from the region, we have found Plectothyrella sp. and Kinnella sp. Both genera are exclusive of the pandemic Hirnantia fauna, which allows confirmation of a Hirnantian age for the upper member of the Lower Second Bani Fm. By contrast, the lower member of the Lower Second Bani (concretely, Destombes' G bryozoan limestone horizon, rich in the echinoderms Maghrebocystis and Herpetocystis, and horizons slightly above it), has yielded Katian brachiopods and trilobites, such as Eostropheodonta intermedia, Destombesium sp., Hirnantia sp. (species different than H. sagittifera), Actinopeltis aff. insocialis, Mucronaspis termieri and Cekovia aff. loredensis. Thus, following the present-day lithostratigraphic framework, in the vicinity of Tagounite the Katian/Hirnantian boundary lies in the Lower Formation of the Bani Group and lithostratigraphically correlative horizons, such as those reported in Bou Ingarf [2]. The latter were there mainly dated as a result of lithostratigraphic and sequential correlations and, based on correlation with the Tagounite area, are in need of revision. The age of the lower part of the chitinozoan Tanuchinita elongata Biozone should be re-evaluated, and the suggested delayed onset of the Hirnantian glaciation [2] reconsidered.This is a contribution to the project CGL2012-39471/BTE of the Spanish MINECOPeer reviewe

Biostratigraphic assessment of the uppermost Ordovician in the central Anti-Atlas (Morocco).

Trabajo presentado en el 60th Annual Meeting of the Palaeontological Association, celebrado en Lyon (Francia), del 14 al 17 de diciembre de 2016We have revisited the stratotype area of the Lower Formation of the Second Bani Group, west of Tagounite in the Moroccan Anti-Atlas, and sampled brachiopods and trilobites from its uppermost quartzitic horizons. In addition to those brachiopods listed in previous papers on the region, we have found Plectothyrella sp. and Kinnella sp. Both genera are exclusive of the pandemic Hirnantia fauna, which allows confirmation of a Hirnantian age for the upper member of the Lower Second Bani Formation. By contrast, the lower member of the same unit has yielded Katian brachiopods and trilobites, such as Eostropheodonta intermedia, Destombesium sp., Hirnantia sp. (species other than H. sagittifera), Actinopeltis aff. insocialis, Mucronaspis termieri and Cekovia aff. perplexa. According to the lithostratigraphic framework, the Katian/Hirnantian boundary lies within the Lower Formation of the Second Bani Group and lithostratigraphically correlative horizons, such as those reported in Bou Ingarf. The latter were mainly dated as a result of lithostratigraphic and sequential correlations and, based on correlation with the Tagounite area, are in need of revision. The age of the lower part of the chitinozoan Tanuchinita elongata Biozone should be re-evaluated, and the suggested delayed onset of the Hirnantian glaciation reconsidered.Peer reviewe