Prevalence of cytoinegalovirus [CMV] infection among neonatal intensive care unit [NICU] and healthcare workers

CMV is the most common cause of congenital and perinatal infection, most infections are asymptomatic at birth but later on develop handicaps, mainly neurological disturbances. The aim of the present work is to study the prevalence of CMV infection in NICU, to detect possible nosocomial transmission of CMV infection and determine possible risk factors for neonatal CMV infection. This study was carried on 175 neonates in NICU and 19 employees in the same unit. All members of the study were investigated for serum CMV-IgG and IgM by ELISA and CMV - DMA by PCR. The overall prevalence of CMV was 12.57%, 10 [5.71%] had congenital infection, while 12 cases [6.86%] had perinatal infection. In neonates with congenital CMV infection, the prevalence of breast milk feeding, congenital anomalies and blood transfusion were 80%, 30% and 60%, respectively. In neonates with perinatal CMV infection the prevalence of breast milk feeding, congenital anomalies and blood transfusion were 75%, 16.67% and 50%, respectively. On the other hand from the 19 employees, 2 [10.53%] were CMV-DNA positive by PCR, none of them was CMV-IgM positive and all of them were CMV-IgG positive. The risk factors related to CMV infection among neonates in NICU were, low birth weight, congenital anomalies and breast milk feeding, while CMV infection among employee was related to blood transfusion and employment period. In our results there was no statistical correlation between neonates in NICU and employee in the same unit. CMV infections are of more prevalence in premature and low birth weight neonates in NICU. No evidence of nosocomial CMV transmission to employee in NICU

Correlation between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines and meningeococcal meningitis disease

Progress in improving the out come of meningiococal meningitis may stem as much from newer development in the management of the pathophysiologic consequences of the disease as from the introduction of new generation of antimicrobial agents. Aspects of the host response to infection such as the release of cytokines may be contributing to the high morbidity of the disease; Serum levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF alpha] and interleukin 6 [IL-6] and anti-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin 10 [IL-10] were measured in twenty two patients of meningiococal meningitis and matched control subjects. These patients were divided into two groups according to clinical and laboratory investigation; group I: meningitis without septic shock [n= 17] and group II: meningitis with shock [n5 5]. The concentration of inflammatory cytokines' were significantly increased in patients in comparison to control group [P<0.001]. The serum levels of TNF alpha and IL-6 were significantly higher [P<0.001] in group II patients but the serum levels of IL-10 were the same in patients of both groups at time of admission and after four days. The mean serum levels changes of inflammatory cytokines were significantly high in group I patients [P<0.001] and insignificant in group II patients at time of admission and after four days. It is concluded that inflammatory cytokines are simultaneously increased and are strongly associated with severity of the disease