[Epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of children with disease due to Bordetella pertussis in Santa Fe, Argentina]

INTRODUCTION: Pertussis, a vaccine-preventable respiratory disease, remains a public health problem. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study is to describe epidemiological and clinical patterns of B. pertussis-caused respiratory infection over the period 2006-2010 in Santa Fe, Argentina. METHODS: Inpatients and outpatients < 14 years of age, meeting pertussis case definition criteria were included. Household family contacts of confirmed cases with compatible symptoms were also surveyed. RESULTS: 1074 patients were evaluated, 102 (9.49%) were confirmed through PCR. The proportion of confirmed cases was: in 2006, 35.5%; 2007, 21.2%; 2008, 4.9%. In 2009 and 2010 no cases were detected. 94.2% of hospitalized patients and 42.8% of outpatients were less than six months of age. Of all patients, 67.6% required hospitalization as they had a moderate to severe illness. The length of stay for these patients was over six days. 27.5% had pre-existing medical conditions, the most frequent being prematurity and malnutrition. The outcome was severe in 23.1% of cases, all of whom hadn't started the vaccination schedule. Severe pulmonary hypertension was present in five patients. Fatality rate was 4.9%. CONCLUSIONS: Pertussis mainly affected children < 6 months, non-vaccinated or with less than 3 doses. The bacterium was also detected among adults and teenagers

Impact of influenza in the post-pandemic phase: Clinical features in hospitalized patients with influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 and H3N2 viruses, during 2013 in Santa Fe, Argentina

It is important to characterize the clinical and epidemiological pattern of the influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 virus and compare it with influenza A (H3N2) virus, as surveyed in just a few studies, in order to contribute to the implementation and strengthening of influenza control and prevention strategies. The aims in this study were to describe influenza clinical and epidemiological characteristics in hospitalized patients, caused by influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 and influenza A (H3N2) viruses during 2013, in Santa Fe, Argentina. A retrospective study was conducted over 2013 among hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza diagnosis. In contrast to patients with influenza A (H3N2) (20.5%), a higher proportion of hospitalizations associated with influenza H1N1pdm were reported among adults aged 35-65 years (42.8%). Of all patients, 73.6% had an underlying medical condition. Hospitalized patients with H1N1pdm were subject to 2.6 (95%CI, 1.0-6.8) times higher risk of severity, than those hospitalized with influenza A (H3N2). This results demonstrate the impact in the post-pandemic era of H1N1pdm virus, with increased risk of severe disease, in relation to H3N2 virus, both viruses co-circulating during 2013

Impact of influenza in the post-pandemic phase: Clinical features in hospitalized patients with influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 and H3N2 viruses, during 2013 in Santa Fe, Argentina

It is important to characterize the clinical and epidemiological pattern of the influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 virus and compare it with influenza A (H3N2) virus, as surveyed in just a few studies, in order to contribute to the implementation and strengthening of influenza control and prevention strategies. The aims in this study were to describe influenza clinical and epidemiological characteristics in hospitalized patients, caused by influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 and influenza A (H3N2) viruses during 2013, in Santa Fe, Argentina. A retrospective study was conducted over 2013 among hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza diagnosis. In contrast to patients with influenza A (H3N2) (20.5%), a higher proportion of hospitalizations associated with influenza H1N1pdm were reported among adults aged 35-65 years (42.8%). Of all patients, 73.6% had an underlying medical condition. Hospitalized patients with H1N1pdm were subject to 2.6 (95%CI, 1.0-6.8) times higher risk of severity, than those hospitalized with influenza A (H3N2). This results demonstrate the impact in the post-pandemic era of H1N1pdm virus, with increased risk of severe disease, in relation to H3N2 virus, both viruses co-circulating during 2013

[Detection of human bocavirus in children from Tucuman and Santa Fe, Argentina]

A large proportion of acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI) remain without etiologic diagnosis, reason why new pathogens are investigated continuously. Human bocavirus (HBoV) was discovered in 2005, as a new member of Parvoviridae family and proposed to cause ARTI