Epidemiologia da gastrenterite viral aguda em crianças hospitalizadas na cidade de Córdoba, Argentina: uma percepção ao impacto da doença

Information concerning the disease burden of viral gastroenteritis has important implications for the use and monitoring the impact of public health policies. The present study, carried out in Córdoba city, Argentina, documents the epidemiology of severe viral diarrhea as well as the burden of viral gastrointestinal disease in the hospital children admission. A total of 133 stools were collected from hospitalized children (Town Childhood Hospital) suffering from acute diarrhea and studied for the presence of Group A rotavirus, astrovirus and adenovirus 40/41 by enzyme-immuno assay, between November 1997 and October 1998. Enteric viruses accounted for 42.1% of the total diarrheal cases analyzed. Group A rotaviruses, astroviruses, adenoviruses 40/41 and mixed infections were found in 35.3, 4.5, 1.5, and 0.8% studied specimens respectively. We estimated that 1 in 27 children in the 0-35 month-old cohort/range would be annually hospitalized for a viral gastroenteritis illness. The major impact on viral diarrhea lies on rotaviral infection, accouting for 84.0% of the viral diarrheal cases analyzed and for approximately one third of severe diarrheas requiring hospital admission in Córdoba City, Argentina.Dados a respeito do impacto das gastrenterites virais têm implicações importantes para o monitoraramento do impacto das políticas de saúde pública. O presente estudo, feito na cidade de Córdoba, Argentina, documenta a epidemiologia da diarréia viral severa como também o impacto que a mesma representa na admissão hospitalar de crianças. Pesquisou-se a presença de Rotavírus grupo A, Astrovírus e Adenovírus 40/41 por ensaio imuno-enzimático em 133 amostras de fezes obtidas durante o período de novembro de 1997 a outubro de 1998, de crianças hospitalizadas por diarréia aguda. Os virus entéricos constituíram 42,1% do total de casos de diarréia analisados. Encontraram-se Rotavírus Grupo A, Astrovírus, Adenovírus 40/41 e infecções mistas em 35,3; 4,5; 1,5 e 0,8% das amostrras estudadas, respectivamente. Observamos que uma de cada 27 crianças entre 0-35 meses de idade seria hospitalizada por ano devido a uma gastrenterite viral. O principal impacto da diarréia viral é representado pela infecção por Rotavírus, correspondendo a 84,0% dos casos analisados e cerca de um terço das diarréias graves que precisam hospitalização em Córdoba, Argentina

Diarréia associada a astrovírus em crianças de ambulatório em Hospital Público de Córdoba, Argentina

Human astroviruses have been increasingly identified as important agents of diarrheal disease in children. However, the disease burden of astrovirus infection is still incompletely assessed. This paper reports results on the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of astrovirus-associated diarrhea, as well as the impact of astrovirus infection on the ambulatory setting at a Public Hospital in Córdoba city, Argentina. From February 2001 through January 2002, 97 randomly selected outpatient visits for diarrhea among children ; 0.05). According to our estimation about one out of seventy-four children in this cohort would be assisted annually for an astroviral-diarrheal episode in the Public Hospital and one out of eight diarrheal cases could be attributed to astrovirus infection. Astrovirus is a common symptomatic infection in pediatric outpatient visits in the public hospital in the study area, contributing 12.37% of the overall morbidity from diarrhea.Os astrovírus humanos têm sido identificados como importantes agentes de diarréias em crianças embora o impacto da sua infecção não tenha sido esclarecido. Este estudo não só mostra os resultados das características epidemiológicas e clínicas, mas também o impacto da infecção por astrovírus em pacientes ambulatoriais de um Hospital Público da cidade de Córdoba na Argentina. Escolheram-se randomicamente 97 pacientes ambulatoriais com menos de 36 meses, entre fevereiro de 2001 e janeiro de 2002, que consultaram por diarréia. Pesquisou-se antígeno de astrovírus por ensaio imuno-enzimático em uma única amostra de fezes por paciente estudado. Determinou-se a presença de astrovírus em 12,37% dos casos de diarréia. Todos os casos positivos foram em crianças de 4 a 18 meses, mas o índice mais elevado se apresentou em crianças de 4 a 6 meses (23,80%). Os sintomas de diarréia associada a astrovírus foram febre 41,66%; vômitos 25,00% e desidratação 8,33%; ou seja, 16,66% dos pacientes precisaram hospitalização. A presença de astrovírus foi anual sem se observar comportamento sazonal, semestre frio 15,21% versus semestre quente 9,80% p >; 0,05. Em nossa pesquisa, uma de cada 74 crianças seria atendida anualmente por apresentar um episódio de diarréia associada a astrovírus no hospital público e um de cada 8 casos de diarréia poderia atribuir-se à infecção por astrovírus. Astrovírus é uma infecção sintomática em pacientes pediátricos ambulatoriais, representando 12,37% da morbidade por diarréia

Prepared to react? Assessing the functional capacity of the primary health care system in rural Orissa, India to respond to the devastating flood of September 2008

Background: Early detection of an impending flood and the availability of countermeasures to deal with it can significantly reduce its health impacts. In developing countries like India, public primary health care facilities are frontline organizations that deal with disasters particularly in rural settings. For developing robust counter reacting systems evaluating preparedness capacities within existing systems becomes necessary. Objective: The objective of the study is to assess the functional capacity of the primary health care system in Jagatsinghpur district of rural Orissa in India to respond to the devastating flood of September 2008. Methods: An onsite survey was conducted in all 29 primary and secondary facilities in five rural blocks (administrative units) of Jagatsinghpur district in Orissa state. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was administered face to face in the facilities. The data was entered, processed and analyzed using STATA® 10. Results: Data from our primary survey clearly shows that the healthcare facilities are ill prepared to handle the flood despite being faced by them annually. Basic utilities like electricity backup and essential medical supplies are lacking during floods. Lack of human resources along with missing standard operating procedures; pre-identified communication and incident command systems; effective leadership; and weak financial structures are the main hindering factors in mounting an adequate response to the floods. Conclusion: The 2008 flood challenged the primary curative and preventive health care services in Jagatsinghpur. Simple steps like developing facility specific preparedness plans which detail out standard operating procedures during floods and identify clear lines of command will go a long way in strengthening the response to future floods. Performance critiques provided by the grass roots workers, like this one, should be used for institutional learning and effective preparedness planning. Additionally each facility should maintain contingency funds for emergency response along with local vendor agreements to ensure stock supplies during floods. The facilities should ensure that baseline public health standards for health care delivery identified by the Government are met in non-flood periods in order to improve the response during floods. Building strong public primary health care systems is a development challenge. The recovery phases of disasters should be seen as an opportunity to expand and improve services and facilities

Genetic Analysis of a Novel Human Adenovirus with a Serologically Unique Hexon and a Recombinant Fiber Gene

In February of 1996 a human adenovirus (formerly known as Ad-Cor-96-487) was isolated from the stool of an AIDS patient who presented with severe chronic diarrhea. To characterize this apparently novel pathogen of potential public health significance, the complete genome of this adenovirus was sequenced to elucidate its origin. Bioinformatic and phylogenetic analyses of this genome demonstrate that this virus, heretofore referred to as HAdV-D58, contains a novel hexon gene as well as a recombinant fiber gene. In addition, serological analysis demonstrated that HAdV-D58 has a different neutralization profile than all previously characterized HAdVs. Bootscan analysis of the HAdV-D58 fiber gene strongly suggests one recombination event

Biología de los virus

141 p. : ilEn el diseño de este libro hemos puesto una particular dedicación en lograr un instrumento didáctico que le permita al lector disfrutar y entusiasmarse con la virología. Para esto reconstruimos acontecimientos vividos por quienes escribieron su página en historia de la microbiología, intentando transmitir la fuerza de la creatividad y el análisis crítico, elementos que consideramos indispensables para la construcción del conocimiento.Fil: Nates, Silvia Viviana. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; Argentina.Fil: Pavan, Jorge Victorio. Instituto de Virología “Dr. José María Vanella”; Argentina.Fil: Pavan, Jorge Victorio. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; Argentina.Fil: Nates, Silvia Viviana. Instituto de Virología “Dr. José María Vanella”; Argentina

COVID-19 scenario and initiatives under development. Editorial

La pandemia de COVID-2 ha modificado la vida cotidiana en el mundo, enfrentándonos al desafío del aislamiento social en cuarentena, con cambios drásticos en nuestras relaciones sociales y condiciones laborales. Acompañando esta situación, los medios de comunicación han generado una enorme difusión a la comunidad de conceptos virológicos, epidemiológicos y de prevención de la infección. Con esta información, la población general hoy conoce que es un virus, sus vías de transmisión y fuentes de infección, conceptos hasta hace 3 meses atrás, ajenos al conocimiento e interés público. Respecto a medidas de prevención ya son conductas aprendidas que el uso de tapaboca, lavado de manos y distanciamiento social son las medidas individuales disponibles para disminuir el riesgo de infección viral, lo que va a impactar sin dudas también en la disminución de infecciones respiratorias y gastrointestinales causadas por otros agentes etiológicos. Junto a este rápido aprendizaje de la biología del virus, se ha visibilizado el aporte de la ciencia y tecnología argentina, recibiendo la sociedad respuestas tales como el desarrollo nacional de tests diagnósticos. Uno de ellos está diseñado para detección de genoma del coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 a través de la técnica de amplificación isotérmica del ácido nucleico viral y el otro, para detección de anticuerpos específicos anti SARS-CoV-2 inducidos por la infección. Sin duda, logros nacionales que fortalecen la capacidad diagnóstica de esta virosis. En este escenario pandémico, fuertemente enmarcado en desafíos de respuestas, el Instituto de Virología “Dr. J. M. Vanella” (InViV), centro dependiente de la Facultad de Ciencias Médicas (Universidad Nacional de Córdoba), ha orientado las actividades institucionales de diagnóstico virológico e investigación al estudio de este virus emergente, actividades desarrolladas por docentes-investigadores formados en el área de virología.acceptedVersionFil: Pavan, Jorge V. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Virología “Dr. J. M. Vanella”; Argentina.Fil: Depetris, Ariel. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Secretaría de Ciencia y Técnica. Instituto Superior de Estudios Ambientales; Argentina.Fil: Nates, Silvia V. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Virología “Dr. J. M. Vanella”; Argentina

Loss of maternally derived human herpesvirus-6 immunity and natural infection in argentinian infants

AbstractBackground: Human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) infection is widespread throughout the world. No data are available in Argentina about the loss of maternally derived HHV-6 immunity and natural infection in infants.Methods: A population of 100 pregnant women and 407 children between 1 and 15 months of age were assayed by indirect immunofluorescence to detect and quantify specific IgG anti-human herpesvirus-6 (anti-HHV-6) antibodies in Córdoba City, Argentina.Results: There was no significant difference in the positive rate between infants aged 1 to 9 months (range, 43.6–35.5%) and pregnant women (37%). Seropositive ratio dropped in the 10-month group (23.33% seropositive) and rose sharply in the 11-month group (38.89%), 12-month (60.61 %), and 13- to 15-month group (63.46%). The geometric mean titer (GMT) for infants in the 12 to 15 months age group (23.4–41.64) was significantly higher than the GMT for infants 10 months of age (11.04) (P < 0.05 with the Tukey-HSD test).Conclusions: This study shows a significant association between loss of passive HHV-6 antibody and age among infants. The results support evidence that HHV-6 enters the susceptible population at 11 months, leading to a high prevalence of antibodies in children between 13 and 15 months of age