Respiratory syncytial virus: Changes in prevalence of subgroups A and B among Argentinian children, 1990-1996

The frequency of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and the distribution of subgroups A and B strains during 7 consecutive years (1990-1996) were examined in two cities of Argentina. Nasopharyngeal aspirates from 1,304 children less than 2 years of age hospitalized with acute lower respiratory infection were studied by indirect immunofluorescence. RSV was detected in 352 cases (26.9%), and the peak activity was observed in midwinter. Subgroup characterization was performed with two monoclonal antibodies against the F protein on nasopharyngeal aspirate smears. Of 195 samples, 174 (89.2%) were identified as subgroup A strains and 21 (10.8%) as subgroup B. Both strains cocirculated during 5 of 7 years studied with subgroup A predominating. Subgroup A occurred at least 8 times as often in all years except for 1994-1995. Children infected by subgroup A were younger than those infected by subgroup B (P < 0.05). The association of subgroup A infection with bronchiolitis and subgroup B with pneumonia was statistically significant (P < 0.03).Fil: Carballal, Guadalupe. Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas "Norberto Quirno"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Videla, Cristina Mónica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas "Norberto Quirno"; ArgentinaFil: Sequeira, María D.. Dirección Nacional del Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud "Dr.C.G.Malbran". Instituto Nacional de Epidemiologia; ArgentinaFil: Mistchenko, Alicia Susana. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Requeijo, Paula V.. Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas "Norberto Quirno"; ArgentinaFil: Arbiza Rodonz, Juan Ramón. Universidad de la República. Facultad de Ciencias; Urugua

Isolation and characterization of canine parvovirus type 2c circulating in Uruguay Isolamento e caracterização da cepa tipo 2c do parvovirus canino circulante no Uruguai

This research reports the first CPV-2c isolation in cell culture (canine fibroma cell line A-72) in Uruguay. The isolates were obtained from 13 rectal swabs of Uruguayan dogs with parvovirosis. Samples were submitted to PCR with two sets of primers, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), partial sequencing of the gene encoding for VP2 capsid protein and phylogenetic characterization. The strain isolated was confirmed as CPV-2c. These results contribute to a better knowledge of CPV strains circulating in Uruguay and promote an evaluation of the efficacy of heterologous vaccines used to protect against the circulating strains.<br>Este trabalho relata o primeiro isolamento do CPV-2c em cultura de células (linhagem celular de fibroma canino A-72), no Uruguai. Os isolados foram obtidos a partir de 13 suabes retais de cães uruguaios com parvovirose. As amostras foram submetidas à reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR) com dois pares de primers, polimorfismo de comprimento de fragmentos de restrição (RFLP), sequenciamento parcial do gene que codifica a proteína capsidial VP2 e caracterização filogenética. A cepa isolada foi confirmada como CPV-2c. Os resultados contribuem para um melhor conhecimento das cepas do CPV circulantes no Uruguai e incitam uma maior investigação sobre a eficácia das vacinas produzidas com cepas heterólogas utilizadas atualmente para proteger contra cepas circulantes

Hepatitis E virus in South America: the current scenario

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is one of the most frequent causes of acute viral hepatitis of enteric transmission worldwide. In South America the overall epidemiology has been little studied, and the burden of the disease remains largely unknown.A research of all scientific articles about HEV circulation in South America until November 2017 was carried out. Human seroprevalences of HEV varied according to the studied population: blood donors presented prevalence rates ranging from 1.8 to 9.8%, while reports from HIV -infected individuals, transplant recipients and patients on hemodialysis showed higher prevalence rates. Only two cases of chronic hepatitis in solid-organ transplant patients from Argentina and Brazil have been described. Detection of HEV in the swine population is widely prevalent in the region.Anti-HEV antibodies have also been detected in other animal species; among them, antibody detection was recently documented in wild boars from Uruguay. Although scarce, studies focused on environmental and food HEV detection have shown viral presence in these kind of samples, highlighting possible transmission sources ofHEV in the continent . HEV genotype 3 was the most frequently detected in the region, with HEV genotype 1 detected only in Venezuela and Uruguay. HEV is widely distributed throughout South America, producing sporadic cases of acutehepatitis, but as a possible agent of chronic hepatitis. Finding the virus in humans, animals, environmental samples and food, show that it can be transmitted through many sources, alerting local governments and health systems to improve diagnosis and for the implementation of preventive measures.Fil: Pisano, María Belén. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Virología Dr. J. M. Vanella; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Martinez Wassaf, Maribel Graciela. Universidad Nacional de Cordoba. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Virología; ArgentinaFil: Mirazo Villar, Santiago. Universidad de la República; UruguayFil: Fantilli, Anabella Clara. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Virología Dr. J. M. Vanella; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Arbiza Rodonz, Juan Ramón. Universidad de la República; UruguayFil: Debes, José. University of Minnesota; Estados UnidosFil: Ré, Viviana Elizabeth. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Virología Dr. J. M. Vanella; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentin