Investigation of the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of an outbreak of tsutsugamushi disease in Anhui Province / 中华传染病杂志

Objective To investigate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of an outbreak of tsutsugamushi disease in Chuzhou region, Anhui Province, and to clarify the new changes of epidemic focus of tsutsugamushi disease in China. Methods Field epidemiological investigation and analysis of clinical features were done. The detections of specific antibodies against Rickettsia tsutsugamushi were conducted to diagnose tsutsugamushi disease using colloidal gold immunochromatography assay combined with Well-Felix reaction. The geomorphic and climatic characteristics of the new epidemic focus were investigated. Results The outbreak occurred from October to November, 2007. The epidemic focus located on mountainous brushland regions, and the air temperature fluctuated from 20-4 ℃. Nineteen cases of tsutsugamushi disease in the new-found epidemic focus were finally diagnosed, 9 cases out of them were hospitalized, another 9 had recovered when diagnosed by serological tests; the remaining one had classical manifestations of tsutsugamushi disease but did not receive the serological test for certain cause. The main clinical symptoms were chilly in 14 cases, fever in 19 cases, headache in 15 cases; among the 9 hospitalized patients, the symptoms were lymphadenectasis in 8 inpatients, skin rash in 7 inpatients, splenomegaly in 4 inpatients and skin eschar and ulcer in 7 inpatients and Weil-Felix reaction by OXκantigen positive in 4 cases; the specific antibodies against Rickettsia tsutsugarnushi of 18 tested cases were all positive. No severe complications occurred in all patients. Before the first case was identified, all other cases were not diagnosed in time and did not receive correct antibiotic treatment. Nine hospitalized patients recovered rapidly with the treatment of doxycycline. Conclusions The outbreak of tsutsugamushi disease in Anhui Province in 2007 is type of emerged in autumn and transitional epidemic focus. There is epidemic focus of tsutsugamushi disease in northern region of Anhui Province. Doxycycline is rapid and effective for the treatment of tsutsugamushi disease.

STUDY ON DETECTION OF HEMORRHAGIC FEVER WITH RENAL SYDNROME VIRUS GENE BY DIG LABELED PROBE / 中国人兽共患病学报

Dig-DNA probes of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome vinus M S gene fragment were prepared by PCR and random primer labeling, The probes had speciality to HFRSV-RNA and could detect 10pg RNA by RNA-DNA dot-blot hybridization. The results of hybridization showed that positive reactions were found in 5, 10 chigger mites groups from antigenic positive rats, 10 mites group from antigenic negative rats, 10, 50 free chigger mites, and hung of antigenic positive mice 100mg, 500mg. But negative reation in 5 mites group from antigenic negative mice.

EFFECT OF PROTEIN DEFICIENCY ON PEANUT AGGLUTININ(PNA)RECEPTORS OF THYMOCYTES IN MICE / 营养学报

The change of PNA receptors on the surface of thymocytes in protein deficient mice was investigated. After the mice were fed with protein deficient diet, the body weight continuously declined and the thymus gradually a-trophied. Qualitative test of FITC-PNA indicated the number of PNA positive cells was reduced and the fluorescent antibody reaction on the surface of PNA positive cells weakened. Quantitative test of FITC-PNA showed the amount of FITC-PNA coupled on the surface of PNA positive cells was mark- edly decreased as compared with the cotrol (P