Protective efficacy of a live attenuated vaccine against Argentine hemorrhagic fever. AHF Study Group

Fil: Maiztegui, Julio I. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Virales Humanas; Argentina.Fil: McKee Jr, K. T. Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Estados Unidos.Fil: Barrera Oro, J G. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán; Argentina.Fil: Harrison, L H. University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health,Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Estados Unidos.Fil: Gibbs, P H. Division of Disease Assessment, US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland 21701; Estados Unidos.Fil: Feuillade, María Rosa. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Virales Humanas; Argentina.Fil: Enria, Delia. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Virales Humanas; Argentina.Fil: Briggiler, Ana M. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Virales Humanas; Argentina.Fil: Levis, Silvana. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Virales Humanas; Argentina.Fil: Ambrosio, Ana María. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Virales Humanas; Argentina.Fil: Halsey, N A. Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland; Estados Unidos.Fil: Peters, C J. Special Pathogens Branch, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia; Estados Unidos.Argentine hemorrhagic fever (AHF), caused by the arenavirus Junin, is a major public health problem among agricultural workers in Argentina. A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, efficacy trial of Candid 1, a live attenuated Junin virus vaccine, was conducted over two consecutive epidemic seasons among 6500 male agricultural workers in the AHF-endemic region. Twenty-three men developed laboratory-confirmed AHF during the study; 22 received placebo and 1 received vaccine (vaccine efficacy 95%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 82%-99%). Three additional subjects in each group developed laboratory-confirmed Junin virus infection associated with mild illnesses that did not fulfill the clinical case definition for AHF, yielding a protective efficacy for prevention of any illness associated with Junin virus infection of 84% (95% CI, 60%-94%). No serious adverse events were attributed to vaccination. Candid 1, the first vaccine for the prevention of illness caused by an arenavirus, is safe and highly efficacious

Evaluación de la eficacia de los procesos de esterilización de consultorios odontológicos del distrito VI de la provincia de buenos aires, argentina 2006 - 2007, mediante la utilización de indicadores biológicos

En un consultorio odontológico, diversas fuentes de posible infección, como saliva, sangre, instrumentos contaminados, etc., pueden ser transmisores de microorganismos tanto a pacientes como al personal odontológico. El objeti vo del presente trabajo fue evaluar la eficacia de los procesos de esterilización de los consultorios odontológicos del Distrito VI de la Provincia de Buenos Aires mediante la utilización de Indicadores Biológicos. Participaron del estudio 283 odontólogos que llevaron a cabo un total de 320 procesos de esterilización por calor seco y 19 por calor húmedo. En base a los resultados obtenidos se observó que el 35 % (112/320) de los procesos de esterilización por calor seco controlados no cumplieron con los requ isitos, de los cuales 63 repitieron el control y, 55/63 (87%) resolvieron el problema mediante distintas acciones correctivas. Con respecto a la esterilización por calor húmedo, el 32 % (6/19) de los procesos no cumplieron con los requisitos, en 3 de los 6 positivos se efectuaron correcciones simples obteniéndose resultados satisfactorios. El presente trabajo muestra la importancia para la comunidad, de la implementación de rutina de un sistema de control que permita garantizar la esterilidad de los materi ales utilizados en los consultorios odontológicos

Antiviral treatment of Argentine hemorrhagic fever

Fil: Enria, Delia. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Virales Humanas; Argentina.Fil: Maiztegui, Julio I. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Virales Humanas; Argentina.Argentine hemorrhagic fever is a systemic viral disease caused by Junin virus, with a mortality of 15-30% in untreated individuals. Current specific therapy is highly effective in reducing mortality, and consists of the early administration of immune plasma in defined doses of specific neutralizing antibodies per kg of body weight. However, several reasons suggest the need to investigate alternative therapies. Ribavirin, a broad spectrum antiviral agent, is effective in the treatment of other viral hemorrhagic fevers, and the studies done with Junin virus infections to date indicate that this drug may also have a beneficial effect in Argentine hemorrhagic fever

Habitat Associations and Relative Densities of Rodent Populations in Cultivated Areas of Central Argentina

Small mammals were livetrapped during 12 months in crop fields and weedy borders at 18 sites in central Argentina. A total of 1,652 mammals of 14 species was captured during3 3,060 trap-nights. Six species of rodents comprised \u3e 95% of captures. Periodically disturbed fields of crops were dominated by Calomys musculinus and C. laucha, and to a lesser extent Mus musculus. A second group composed of Akodon azarae, Bolomys obscures, and Oligoryzomys flavescens primarily inhabited the more stable, weedy borders of cultivated fields. Peaks in relative densities of C. musculinus, C. laucha, and M . musculus were observed in summer and early autumn ,and populations declined to low numbers in winter, following harvest. In contrast, maxima for A. azarae, B . obscures, and O. flavescens were in late autumn and early winter ,and numbers never declined to low values seen for the other species. These characteristic differences in habitat associations and relative densities of pampas rodents may reflect colonizing potential, as both Calomys and Mus potentially are highly opportunistic genera

Reproductive Characteristics of Rodent Assemblages in Cultivated Regions of Central Argentina

Small mammals were trapped for 2 years at 16 localities on the central-Argentine pampa. Six species (Akodon azarae, Calomys musculinus, C. laucha, Bolomys obscurus, Oligory-zomys flavescens and Mus musculus) accounted for \u3e95% of captures. The major breeding season, as assessed by pregnancies, was September or October through April or May. Mild weather in late autumn and winter of the second season resulted in a relatively longer breeding season during the 2nd year of the study. Females of all six species comprised significantly 50% of captures during the height of the breeding season. For most species, there was a negative correlation between embryo size and embryos per pregnancy; females with large embryos were poorly represented. C. musculinus had the longest breeding season; C. musculinus and Mus had the highest number of embryos per pregnancy; the two species of Calomys and Oligoryzomys had the highest percentages of pregnant females during the breeding season. The predominance of animals of smaller mass classes during the winter is thought to represent seasonal weight loss rather than juvenile recruitmen

Clinical case definitions for Argentine hemorrhagic fever

Fil: Harrison, Lee H. University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health,Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Estados Unidos.Fil: Halsey, Neal A. Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland; Estados Unidos.Fil: McKee, Kelly T. Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Estados Unidos.Fil: Peters, Clarence J. Special Pathogens Branch, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia; Estados UnidosFil: Barrera Oro, Julio G. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Virales Humanas; Argentina.Fil: Briggiler, Ana M. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Virales Humanas; Argentina.Fil: Feuillade, Maria Rosa. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Virales Humanas; Argentina.Fil: Maiztegui, Julio I. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Virales Humanas; Argentina.Argentine hemorrhagic fever (AHF) is a potentially lethal infection in Argentina. The case-fatality ratio is >15%, but treatment reduces the mortality rate to <1%. Diagnosis is based on clinical and laboratory criteria, but no case definition has been validated. A chart review was conducted for patients hospitalized with suspected AHF. Individuals with a fourfold rise in antibody titer were classified as cases. The combination of a platelet count of <100,000/mm3 and a white blood cell (WBC) count of <2,500/mm3 had a sensitivity and specificity of 87% and 88%, respectively, thus suggesting that the use of these criteria in a case definition would be helpful for epidemiological studies of AHF. The combination of a platelet count of <100,000/mm3 and a WBC count of <4,000/mm3 had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 71%; the use of these criteria in a case definition should be helpful for screening patients for therapy with immune plasma in the region where AHF is endemic

EVALUACIÓN DE DE LA EFICACIA DE LOS PROCESOS DE ESTERILIZACIÓN DE CONSULTORIOS ODONTOLÓGICOS DEL DISTRITO VI DE LA PROVINCIA DE BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA 2006 - 2007, MEDIANTE LA UTILIZACIÓN DE INDICADORES BIOLÓGICOS

En un consultorio odontol&oacute;gico, diversas fuentes de posible infecci&oacute;n, como saliva, sangre, instrumentos contaminados, etc., pueden ser transmisores de microorganismos tanto a pacientes como al personal odontol&oacute;gico. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue evaluar la eficacia de los procesos de esterilizaci&oacute;n de los consultorios odontol&oacute;gicos del Distrito VI de la Provincia de Buenos Aires mediante la utilizaci&oacute;n de Indicadores Biol&oacute;gicos. Participaron del estudio 283 odont&oacute;logos que llevaron a cabo un total de 320 procesos de esterilizaci&oacute;n por calor seco y 19 por calor h&uacute;medo. En base a los resultados obtenidos se observ&oacute; que el 35 % (112/320) de los procesos de esterilizaci&oacute;n por calor seco controlados no cumplieron con los requisitos, de los cuales 63 repitieron el control y, 55/63 (87%) resolvieron el problema mediante distintas acciones correctivas. Con respecto a la esterilizaci&oacute;n por calor h&uacute;medo, el 32 % (6/19) de los procesos no cumplieron con los requisitos, en 3 de los 6 positivos se efectuaron correcciones simples obteni&eacute;ndose resultados satisfactorios.&nbsp;El presente trabajo muestra la importancia para la comunidad, de la implementaci&oacute;n de rutina de un sistema de control que permita garantizar la esterilidad de los materiales utilizados en los consultorios odontol&oacute;gicos.PALABRAS CLAVE:&nbsp;esterilizaci&oacute;n, indicadores biol&oacute;gicos, pr&aacute;ctica odontol&oacute;gica, control de calidad.&nbsp;ABSTRACT&nbsp;In a dental office, several infectious sources, such as saliva, blood, contaminated dental instruments, may be vehicles for microorganisms to reach patients and dental proffesionals. In this work the efficacy of the sterilization process performed at dental offices belonging to the VI district of Buenos Aires Province from Argentina was evaluated through the use of Biological Indicators. Two hundred and eigthy three dentists participated of the study performing a total of 320 dry heat sterilization process and 19 wet heat ones. It was observed that the 35 % (112/320) of the dry heat sterilization process controlled didn't meet the requirements, 63 of which repeated the control and 55 (87%) solved the problem through the adoption of several corrective actions. In relation to wet heat sterilization, the 32 % (6/19) of the process didn't meet the requirements, 3 out of 6 positives overcame the problem after the implementation of corrective actions. These results show the importance for the whole community of a control program implementation in order to guarantee the sterility of the instruments used in the dental practice.KEY WORDS:&nbsp;sterilization, biological indicators, dental practice, quality control