ABSTRACT
There is interest in the paradigm that relates environmental sea changes to the emergence of diseases that affect both aquatic organisms in the sea and human beings. The emergence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus as an important cause of epidemic summer diarrhea in 2004 and 2005, confined mainly to the tenth region in Chile, could be a manifestation of this trend. This and other areas of the country have also experienced several outbreaks of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), diarrheal shellfish poisoning (DSP) and amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP) caused by harmful algal blooms (HAB) of Alexandrium catenella, Dinophysis acuta and Pseudonitzchia species, respectively. The short historical record of these pathological phenomena in Chile suggests that they are increasing in frequency and expanding their geographical range. The V parahaemolyticus isolates responsible for the Chilean outbreaks correspond mainly to the pandemic strain O3:K6. HAB found in Chile and the intoxications caused by them have similar biological characteristics to those described in other areas of the world. The tenth region, the area where these problems are emerging, produces approximately 80-90% of the shellfish consumed in Chile and a large proportion of the shellfish that is exported. Prevention of these public health problems can be attained by developing policies that increase environmental surveillance for Vibrios and toxic algae, improve the epidemiological surveillance of acute diarrhea and algal intoxications after the ingestion of raw bivalves, and educate the population on the mode of transmission of these diseases. Scientific capacity and laboratories need to be developed to widen the limited knowledge of the biology of Vibrio and toxic algae and the environmental factors that favor their emergence as public health and economic problems in Chile.
Subject(s)
Humans , Communicable Diseases, Emerging/epidemiology , Foodborne Diseases/epidemiology , Marine Toxins/poisoning , Vibrio Infections/epidemiology , Vibrio parahaemolyticus , Bacterial Toxins/poisoning , Chile/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Saccharomyces boulardii es una levadura recomendada para la prevención y el tratamiento de la diarrea. Se presentan los resultados de la comparación de la actividad relativa de varias presentaciones de esta levadura disponibles en Chile. La comparación se realizó midiendo: i) la rapidez de crecimiento en el producto suspendido en un medio de cultivo y ii) el número de células vivas después de re-hidratar los productos. En las diferentes experiencias, la presentación Perenteryl mostró un crecimiento más rápido, alcanzando los valores máximos de concentración de células alrededor de tres a cinco horas antes que los otros productos. Aunque el número total de células fue prácticamente igual en todas las presentaciones, el número de células vivas fue muy superior en las presentaciones Perenteryl.
Subject(s)
Humans , Diarrhea/prevention & control , Diarrhea/therapy , Saccharomyces , Therapeutic Equivalency , Chile , Probiotics/therapeutic useABSTRACT
We studied the evolution of HIV-1 infection and immune response during six years in 2 twins born from an infected mother. The children had a continous progression of the infection, proved by CD4+ cell counts, serum anti-HIV antibodies, cultivable virus and proviral load. Now, both children are on antiviral treatment. The analysis of serum antibodies showed a different immune response in both children. One of them, developed higher levels of antibodies directed against viral proteins and synthetic peptides derived from their aminoacid sequence. In this child, the amount of cultivable virus increased less than in his twin. Nucleotide sequencing of a part of viral genoma, showed that the virus belonged to the B subtype, prevalent in America and Europe. The observed differences in viral sequences suggest a different selective pressure in both twins. This phenomenon could be related to the observed differences in immune response