The relationship between anthropometric indicators of nutritional status and malaria infection among youths in Khammouane Province, Lao PDR.

We assessed anthropometric indicators of the nutritional status among children and adolescents in Khammouane Province in the Lao PDR and examined the relation between malnutrition and malaria infection. The survey was conducted from July to August 1999 using a sample of 309 youths aged 2 to 18 years. Malnutrition was categorized as stunting (below -2 Z scores height-for-age) and wasting (below -2 Z scores weight-for-height). The prevalence of stunting and wasting were 45.1% and 9.2%, respectively, which were classified by WHO as "very high" prevalence. Compared with the results of previous national surveys in Lao PDR, similar prevalence was shown. The prevalence of wasting in youths with P. falciparum infection was 17%, significantly higher than those of not infected (4%). On the other hand, P. vivax infection was not associated with any indicators of malnutrition. In conclusion, this study showed that the nutritional status in youths was poor and P. falciparum infection was associated with acute malnutrition.

Clinical studies on bronchial asthma caused by contact with hamsters.

Bronchial asthma induced by contact with hamsters and other small rodents is receiving higher attention from the medical profession not only because of the problem of laboratory animal allergies (LAA), but also because of increasing household allergens for asthma, since keeping these pets has become more common in Japanese homes. The present report describes our studies on the backgrounds of nine patients with asthma who kept Dzungarian Dwarf hamsters as household pets. The following features were recognized among patients with bronchial asthma induced by contact with hamsters: 1) earlier onset of symptoms than for keeping other household pets, at an average of 14.7 months or within 12 months in 78% of the cases following the start of pet keeping; 2) adults ranging from their late 30s to 40s who have children of primary school age; 3) dwelling in apartments; 4) relatively high level of serum IgE and ECP; 5) positive for both immediate and late type asthmatic responses on an inhaling induction test; and 6) rapid remission after the cessation of pet keeping.