Rotavirus type A and other enteric pathogens in stool samples from children with acute diarrhea on the Colombian northern coast

The present study, conducted from March 1998 to July 2000, determined the etiology of acute diarrhea in 253 young children and infants from Cartagena and Sincelejo, Colombia. In 253 stool samples, the following enteric pathogens were recovered: rotavirus type A (36.6%) as the major agent, Salmonella spp (9.0%), Shigella spp (8.0%), enteric pathogenic Escherichia coli (6.0%), enteric hemorragic Esc. coli (2.8%), Providencia alcalifaciens (2.8%), Aeromonas hydrophila (2.0%), Yersinia enterocolitica (0.8%), Entamoeba hystolitica (10%), Giardia lamblia (4%), Endolimax nana (3.2%), Ascaris lumbricoides (2.8%), Ent. coli (1.2%), Balantidium coli (0.8%), Blastocystis hominis (0.8%), Dypilidium caninum (0.4%) and hook worm sp. (0.4%). Infection with more than one pathogen occurred in 96 (37.9%) patients. Rotavirus and enteric pathogenic Esc. coli were frequent. Concurrent infection by more than one parasite occurred in 18.6% of the infants. Most rotavirus infections (76.7%) occurred in infants under 12 months. Vomiting, severe dehydration and fever were frequent in children with rotavirus infection. At least one fecal marker of inflammatory diarrhea was registered in patients with bacterial infection. To our knowledge, this is first report of P. alcalifaciens associated with infantile diarrhea in Colombia and the first description of Esc. coli O157:H7 and Y. enterocolitica in our region

Cólera en Bolívar de 1991 a 1997

Cholera, which has been present throughout the centuries in an endemic and epidemic form, continues to be a public health problem. Since 1991, when cholera appeared in our countryfor the first time in this century, the Bolívar department has been one of the most affected on Colombia's Atlantic coast. At that timethedepartment's health authority (Dasalud) asked the Universityof Cartagena's Postgraduate Microbiology Laboratory for technological help in microbiological diagnosis and human resource training. This work, describing inter-institutional cooperation was thus brought into effect with the intention of analysing cholera behaviour in Bolívar's municipalities. From the index case, suspected patient sample collection was begun in Dasalud's five regions. Diagnosis of the disease was based on established clinical, microbiological and epidemiological criteria. Faecal samples, being the means of disease transmission, were processed for isolation and identification in bacteriological and biochemical culture media and for serotyping with specific antisera. From September 1991 to the eighth epidemiological period of 1997, 38 of the 42 municipalities reported 3,470 cases. 94.6% occurred in region 1 and 3; 60.2% occurred in men and 39.8% in women; 79.2% were olderthan 14 years of age; there were 33 deaths. Vibrio cholerae 01 biotype El Tor serotypes lnaba and Ogawa was the microbiological diagnosis in 39.8% of the cases. Vibrio cholerae01 serotype Ogawa, present in the 1995 outbreak, displaced the lnaba serotype which had prevailed in 1991 In 1991 the number of cases was nine times greater than in the 1995 outbreak. In 1997 there was a 45.2% increase in relation to the last two years. Mortality, in its turn, has shown worrying indices from 1992 onwards. The most affected municipalities were: Cartagena, Mahates, Montecristo, María la Baja, Pinillos, Achí, Magangué, Arjona, Turbana, Calamar, Mompox, Santa Catalina, Hatillo de Loba, Carmen de Bolívar, Villanueva, Zambrano, Morales, Talaigua Nuevo and Río Viejo, amongst others.El cólera, que se ha presentado a través de los siglos en forma endémica y epidémica, continúa siendo un problema de salud pública. Desde 1991, cuando el cólera apareció por primera vez en nuestro país en este siglo, el departamento de Bolívar ha sido uno de los más afectados en la costa atlántica. A partir de entonces, las autoridades de salud del departamento (Dasalud) solicitaron apoyo tecnológico parael diagnóstico microbiológico y capacitación del recurso humano al Laboratorio del Posgrado de Microbiología de la Universidad de Cartagena. Se adelantó este trabajo descriptivo de cooperación interinstitucional con el propósito de analizar el comportamiento del cólera en los municipios de Bolívar. A partir del caso índice, se inició la recolección de muestras en pacientes sospechosos provenientes de las cinco regionales de Dasalud. El diagnóstico de la enfermedad se hizo con base en los criterios clínicos, microbiológicos y epidemiológicos establecidos. Las heces recolectadas en el medio de transporte fueron procesadas para su aislamiento e identificación en medios de cultivos bacteriológicos, bioquímicos y serotipificación con antisueros específicos. De septiembre de 1991 al octavo período de 1997, se informaron 3.470 casos en 38 de 42 municipios y 94,6% ocurrió en las regionales 1 y 3; 60,2% correspondió a varones, 39,8% a mujeres y 792% fueron mayores de 14 años; hubo 33 defunciones; 39,8% de los casos fue diagnosticado microbiológicamente, con el hallazgo de Vibrio choleraeO1, biotipo El Tor, serotipos lnaba y Ogawa. V. cholerae 01, serotipo Ogawa, presente en el brote de 1995 desplazó al serotipo lnaba predominante en 1991. En 1991, el número de casos fue nueve veces mayor que en el brote de 1995 y, en 1997, aumentó 45,2% con relación a los dos últimos años; la letalidad, a su vez, mostró índices preocupantes a partir de 1992. Los municipios más afectados fueron: Cartagena, Mahates, Montecristo, María la Baja, Pinillos, Achi, Magangué, Arjona, Turbana, Calamar, Mompox, Santa Catalina, Hatillo de Loba, Turbaco, San Martín de Loba, Carmen de Bolívar, Villanueva, Zambrano, Morales, Talaigua Nuevo y Río Viejo, entre otros

Plan de Marketing para estimular el posicionamiento local de la Institución Educativa Funtab, en el municipio de Turbaco (Bolívar) y su área de influencia

Tesis (Administrador de Empresas).--Universidad de Cartagena. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas. Programa de Administración de Empresas, 2017El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo, formular un plan de Marketing para posicionar la imagen local de la Fundación Técnica Americana de Bolívar, FUNTAB, en el municipio de Turbaco y zonas aledañas

Aspectos clínicos y patogénicos de la infección profunda por Trichosporon asahii

Introduction: trichosporon beigelii was considered as the only species of the genus for long time; it was recognized because it was the causal agent of a mycosis of the hair named “White piedra”. The taxonomy of the genus has changed and about thirteen species have been described which are involved in human diseases. T. inkin, T. cutaneum, T. mucoides, T. asteroides, T. ovoides and T. asahii are six species that have been associated to located or disseminated infections. Objective: to revise the available information about Trichosporon spp and to identify the impact that have T. asahii as pathogenic agent. Methods: a bibliographic search in Pubmed was carried out, getting together the obtained data in the program for the bibliographic management Endnote X1. Complete articles, abstracts of original researches and reviews were borne in mind. Results: the main causal agent of deep trichosporonosis is the T. asahii. This yeast has been associated to skin and systemic infections. The infection appears in conditions with immunological compromise: Cancer, chronic disease or disorders in the cutaneous and mucous barriers. In general, it is considered that the routes of entry could be catheters, drainage tubes, and lack of continuity of skin in burned patients and by move from the intestinal mucous. Six genotypes of T. asahii have been described. They have global distribution and the predominance is for the genotype-1. The process of pathogenesis of the trichosporonosis is determined by the immunological condition of the patient and the virulence factors of the agent. The presence of glucuronoxylomannan has been indicated as possible virulence factor. The diagnosis is done with metabolic and molecular tests. The treatment of the deep trichosporonosis is ineffective if the immunodeficiency does not excel itself. The resistance is increasing to amphotericin b and other antifungal drugs. Better results are obtained with Voriconazole. Conclusions: the deep trichosporonosis by T. asahii is an emergent fungal disease that affects specially to neutropenic patients. The diagnosis is a challenge and the mortality rate is high. Rev.cienc.biomed. 2013;4(2):327-33

Límites, reglas, comunicación en familia monoparental con hijos adolescentes

This article reviews local, national and international research on the changes that have affected the contemporary family structure and have contributed to new types of family. In this case, interest has centered in know the conclusions of the researchers on single-parent families with teenagers because they have found differences in the outcomes. Some researchers point out that this type of family place the children at risk for substance abuse, crime, etc., while others say that cannot be generalized to all single- parent families. So it is important to study the role of the father leading the family, the role exerted to promote the psychological development of children. Thus we wish to study in single-parent families that are in the life stage of adolescence, its dynamics, especially limits, rules and interactional communication as aspects that organize coexistence favoring the development of its members especially teenagers in the vital task of forging their identity.En este artículo se hace una revisión fundamentada en investigaciones a nivel local, nacional e internacional sobre los cambios que en la contemporaneidad han afectado la estructura familiar y han contribuido a nuevos tipos de familia. En este caso, el interés ha sido analizar las conclusiones de los investigadores sobre las familias monoparentales con hijos adolescentes encontrando diferencias en los resultados. Algunos investigadores señalan que este tipo de familia coloca en riesgo a los hijos adolescentes en temas de drogadicción, delincuencia; otros expresan que no se puede generalizar a todas las familias monoparentales, por esto es importante estudiar la función que desempeña el padre o la madre que lidera la familia, para favorecer el desarrollo psicológico de los hijos. Por lo anterior, se pretende estudiar en las familias monoparentales que se encuentran en la etapa vital de la adolescencia, su dinámica, especialmente los límites, reglas y comunicación interaccional como aspectos que organizan la convivencia en pro del desarrollo de sus integrantes, en especial de los adolescentes que están en la tarea vital de forjar su identidad

Aspectos clínicos y patogénicos de la infección profunda por trichosporon asahii

Introduction: trichosporon beigelii was considered as the only species of the genus for long time; it was recognized because it was the causal agent of a mycosis of the hair named “White piedra”. The taxonomy of the genus has changed and about thirteen species have been described which are involved in human diseases. T. inkin, T. cutaneum, T. mucoides, T. asteroides, T. ovoides and T. asahii are six species that have been associated to located or disseminated infections. Objective: to revise the available information about Trichosporon spp and to identify the impact that have T. asahii as pathogenic agent. Methods: a bibliographic search in Pubmed was carried out, getting together the obtained data in the program for the bibliographic management Endnote X1. Complete articles, abstracts of original researches and reviews were borne in mind. Results: the main causal agent of deep trichosporonosis is the T. asahii. This yeast has been associated to skin and systemic infections. The infection appears in conditions with immunological compromise: Cancer, chronic disease or disorders in the cutaneous and mucous barriers. In general, it is considered that the routes of entry could be catheters, drainage tubes, and lack of continuity of skin in burned patients and by move from the intestinal mucous. Six genotypes of T. asahii have been described. They have global distribution and the predominance is for the genotype-1. The process of pathogenesis of the trichosporonosis is determined by the immunological condition of the patient and the virulence factors of the agent. The presence of glucuronoxylomannan has been indicated as possible virulence factor. The diagnosis is done with metabolic and molecular tests. The treatment of the deep trichosporonosis is ineffective if the immunodeficiency does not excel itself. The resistance is increasing to amphotericin b and other antifungal drugs. Better results are obtained with Voriconazole. Conclusions: the deep trichosporonosis by T. asahii is an emergent fungal disease that affects specially to neutropenic patients. The diagnosis is a challenge and the mortality rate is high. Rev.cienc.biomed. 2013;4(2):327-33

Particular characteristics of allergic symptoms in tropical environments: follow up to 24 months in the FRAAT birth cohort study

Abstract Background Early wheezing and asthma are relevant health problems in the tropics. Mite sensitization is an important risk factor, but the roles of others, inherent in poverty, are unknown. We designed a birth-cohort study in Cartagena (Colombia) to investigate genetic and environmental risk factors for asthma and atopy, considering as particular features perennial exposure to mites, parasite infections and poor living conditions. Methods Pregnant women representative of the low-income suburbs of the city were randomly screened for eligibility at delivery; 326 mother-infant pairs were included at baseline and biological samples were collected from birth to 24 months for immunological testing, molecular genetics and gene expression analysis. Pre and post-natal information was collected using questionnaires. Results 94% of families were from the poorest communes of the city, 40% lacked sewage and 11% tap-water. Intestinal parasites were found as early as 3 months; by the second year, 37.9% of children have had parasites and 5.22% detectable eggs of Ascaris lumbricoides in stools (Median 3458 epg, IQR 975-9256). The prevalence of "wheezing ever" was 17.5% at 6 months, 31.1% at 12 months and 38.3% at 24 months; and recurrent wheezing (3 or more episodes) 7.1% at 12 months and 14.2% at 24 months. Maternal rhinitis [aOR 3.03 (95%CI 1.60-5.74), p = 0.001] and male gender [aOR 2.09 (95%CI 1.09 - 4.01), p = 0.026], increased risk for wheezing at 6 months. At 24 months, maternal asthma was the main predisposing factor for wheezing [aOR 3.65 (95%CI 1.23-10.8), p = 0.01]. Clinical symptoms of milk/egg allergy or other food-induced allergies were scarce (1.8%) and no case of atopic eczema was observed. Conclusions Wheezing is the most frequent phenotype during the first 24 months of life and is strongly associated with maternal asthma. At 24 months, the natural history of allergic symptoms is different to the "atopic march" described in some industrialized countries. This cohort is representative of socially deprived urban areas of underdeveloped tropical countries. The collection of biological samples, data on exposure and defined phenotypes, will contribute to understand the gene/environment interactions leading to allergy inception and evolution.</p

Detection of Escherichia coli Enteropathogens by Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction from Children's Diarrheal Stools in Two Caribbean–Colombian Cities

Acute diarrheal disease is a leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality in the developing world and Escherichia coli intestinal pathogens are important causative agents. Information on the epidemiology of E. coli intestinal pathogens and their association with diarrheal disease is limited because no diagnostic testing is available in countries with limited resources. To evaluate the prevalence of E. coli intestinal pathogens in a Caribbean–Colombian region, E. coli clinical isolates from children with diarrhea were analyzed by a recently reported two-reaction multiplex polymerase chain reaction (Gomez-Duarte et al., Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 2009;63:1–9). The phylogenetic group from all E. coli isolates was also typed by a single-reaction multiplex polymerase chain reaction. We found that among 139 E. coli strains analyzed, 20 (14.4%) corresponded to E. coli diarrheagenic pathotypes. Enterotoxigenic, shiga-toxin–producing, enteroaggregative, diffuse adherent, and enteropathogenic E. coli pathotypes were detected, and most of them belonged to the phylogenetic groups A and B1, known to be associated with intestinal pathogens. This is the first report on the molecular characterization of E. coli diarrheogenic isolates in Colombia and the first report on the potential role of E. coli in childhood diarrhea in this geographic area