ABSTRACT
Objective To study the epidemiological and etiological characteristics of typhoid and paratyphoid fever in high epidemic areas. Methods Reported data on typhoid and paratyphoid fever during 1988- 2007 in Ningbo were analyzed epidemiologically. Shellfish from the market was collected for laboratory testing and ,Salmonella typhi strains collected from the patients were also studied. Results Number of reported cases on both typhoid and paratyphoid fever was 19 404 with 7 deaths, from 1988 to 2007. The annual mean incidence was 17.68 per one hundred thousand with the fatality rate as 0.36 per thousand. Most cases were among adults aged 20-50 years and an obvious regional distribution was observed with high incidence seen in winter and spring. Since 1990s, the advantage strain had changed from Salmonella typhi to Salmonella paratyphi A. Etiologic studies showed that raw Anadara subcrenata and oyster were the main risk factors. One Salmonella paratyphi A strain was detected in both Anadara subcrenata and oysters collected from the market, which contained TEM-1 drug resistance gene. PFGE genotyping showed that PFGE-X2 was the strain which causing pandemic in Ningbo. Conclusion Eating contaminated raw shellfish like oysters and hairy clams was the primary risk factor, responsible for the outbreaks. Salmonella paratyphi A was the advantages pandemic strain in Ningbo. Strategies as supervision on personal hygiene and health education should be strengthened.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the Malytea Scurfpea fruit (MSF) on melanocyte adhesion and migration.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Human epidermal melanocytes were treated with MSF and Ginger respectively, then adhesion to bovine serum fibronectin-coated culture dishes was checked. Control and treated cells were also examined for migration into micropore filters coated with the same protein.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Compared with control, MSF treated melanocytes were obviously easier to adhere to the dishes and move into the filters in a dose-dependent manner. When the dose of MSF was 200 mg x L(-1), it could not reincrease melanocyte adhesion and migration. At 10 mg x L(-1), under every other concentrations of MSF, there was no marked difference among MSF-treated, Ginger-treated and untreated melanocytes (P < 0.05) when adhesion test were studied. But to migration, even at 10 mg x L(-1) MSF, there was obvious increased migration compared with MSF-untreated or Ginger-treated melanocytes (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>MSF has effect on melanocyte adhesion and migration, which can explain, in part, the capacity of MSF to modulate melanocyte function in vitiligo lesions.</p>