44 research outputs found
Prevalence of enteropathogenic viruses and molecular characterization of group A rotavirus among children with diarrhea in Dar es Salaam Tanzania
Different groups of viruses have been shown to be responsible for acute diarrhea among children during their first few years of life. Epidemiological knowledge of viral agents is critical for the development of effective preventive measures, including vaccines. In this study we determined the prevalence of the four major enteropathogenic viruses - rotavirus, norovirus, adenovirus and astrovirus - was determined in 270 stool samples collected from children aged 0 - 60 months who were admitted with diarrhea in four hospitals in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, using commercially available ELISA kits. In addition, the molecular epidemiology of group A rotavirus was investigated using reverse transcriptase multiplex polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). At least one viral agent was detected in 87/270 (32.2%) of the children. The prevalence of rotavirus, norovirus, adenovirus and astrovirus was 18.1%, 13.7%, 2.6% and 0.4%, respectively. In most cases (62.1%) of viruses were detected in children aged 7-12 months. The G and P types (VP7 and VP4 genotypes respectively) were further investigated in 49 rotavirus ELISA positive samples. G9 was the predominant G type (81.6%), followed by G1 (10.2%) and G3 (0.2%). P[8] was the predominant P type (83.7%), followed by P[6] (0.4%) and P[4] (0.2%). The following G and P types were not detected in this study population; G2, G4, G8 G10, P[9], P[10] and P[11]. The dominating G/P combination was G9P[8], accounting for 39 (90.7%) of the 43 fully characterized strains. Three (6.1%) of the 49 rotavirus strains could not be typed. Nearly one third of children with diarrhea admitted to hospitals in Dar es Salaam had one of the four viral agents. The predominance of rotavirus serotype G9 may have implication for rotavirus vaccination in Tanzania
The Schnitzler syndrome
The Schnitzler syndrome is a rare and underdiagnosed entity which is considered today as being a paradigm of an acquired/late onset auto-inflammatory disease. It associates a chronic urticarial skin rash, corresponding from the clinico-pathological viewpoint to a neutrophilic urticarial dermatosis, a monoclonal IgM component and at least 2 of the following signs: fever, joint and/or bone pain, enlarged lymph nodes, spleen and/or liver, increased ESR, increased neutrophil count, abnormal bone imaging findings. It is a chronic disease with only one known case of spontaneous remission. Except of the severe alteration of quality of life related mainly to the rash, fever and pain, complications include severe inflammatory anemia and AA amyloidosis. About 20% of patients will develop a lymphoproliferative disorder, mainly Waldenström disease and lymphoma, a percentage close to other patients with IgM MGUS. It was exceedingly difficult to treat patients with this syndrome until the IL-1 receptor antagonist anakinra became available. Anakinra allows a complete control of all signs within hours after the first injection, but patients need continuous treatment with daily injections
Probing extreme environments with the Cherenkov Telescope Array
The physics of the non-thermal Universe provides information on the
acceleration mechanisms in extreme environments, such as black holes and
relativistic jets, neutron stars, supernovae or clusters of galaxies. In the
presence of magnetic fields, particles can be accelerated towards relativistic
energies. As a consequence, radiation along the entire electromagnetic spectrum
can be observed, and extreme environments are also the most likely sources of
multi-messenger emission. The most energetic part of the electromagnetic
spectrum corresponds to the very-high-energy (VHE, E>100 GeV) gamma-ray regime,
which can be extensively studied with ground based Imaging Atmospheric
Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs). The results obtained by the current generation of
IACTs, such as H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and VERITAS, demonstrate the crucial importance
of the VHE band in understanding the non-thermal emission of extreme
environments in our Universe. In some objects, the energy output in gamma rays
can even outshine the rest of the broadband spectrum. The Cherenkov Telescope
Array (CTA) is the next generation of IACTs, which, with cutting edge
technology and a strategic configuration of ~100 telescopes distributed in two
observing sites, in the northern and southern hemispheres, will reach better
sensitivity, angular and energy resolution, and broader energy coverage than
currently operational IACTs. With CTA we can probe the most extreme
environments and considerably boost our knowledge of the non-thermal Universe.Comment: Submitted as input to ASTRONET Science Vision and Infrastructure
roadmap on behalf of the CTA consortiu