In vitro Antisalmonella and Antioxidant Activity of Hydroethanolic and Aqueous Extracts of Bauhinia rufescens Leaf and Stem Bark Extracts

In Chad, enteric fever remains a major public health problem where it is still endemic due to the precariousness of life hygiene combined with the abusive and inappropriate use of antibiotics. Objective: The aim of this work was to evaluate the in vitro antisalmonella and antioxidant activity of extracts from the leaves and stem bark of B. rufescens. Methods: Phytochemical screening of these extracts was performed by standard methods to justify the observed activities. The antisalmonella activity was evaluated using the liquid microdilution method. Antioxidant activity of these extracts was determined by investigating their 1, 1-diphenyl-2 picrylhydrazyl (DPPH?) antiradical and iron reducing capacities. Results: The Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) were varied from 256 to 1024 µg/ml. The 95% hydroethanolic extract of the leaves exhibited higher DPPH? antiradical activity than all extracts and IC50s ? 20 ?g/ml for all extracts tested. Conclusion: These results showed that the 95% hydroethanolic extract of B. rufescens leaves possess in vitro antisalmonella and antioxidant activities and could be used for in vivo antisalmonella and antioxidant studies.

Clinical features and significance of coagulation dysfunction in severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome / 中华内科杂志

To analyze the changes of coagulation function in severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) and its relationship with thrombocytopenia, and to explore its value as an early predictor of the severity of SFTS. The clinical data of 428 SFTS patients (70 deaths and 358 survivors) admitted to the Department of Infectious Disease at Wuhan Union Hospital from January 2014 to July 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The differences of coagulation parameters and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) scores between the two groups were compared. The results showed that abnormal coagulation function was commonly presented in SFTS patients. Bleeding was more frequent in mortality group (41.4% vs. 26.5%). The D-dimer levels in mortality patients were significantly higher above normal range. Activated partial thrombin time (APTT) and thrombin time (TT) were significantly prolonged. The levels of prothrombin time (PT), TT, APTT, international standardized ratio (INR) and D-dimer between mortality group and survival group started to separate from day 5-6. The difference of fibrinogen (FIB) level developed on day 7-8, while platelet counts between the two groups were significant different from day 9-10. The mortality rate increased according to the increase of baseline DIC score. When DIC score reached 6, the mortality rate surged to 66.67%. Excessive platelet consumption is mediated by significant coagulation abnormalities during disease course, and coagulation parameters are more sensitive than platelet count as an early predictor of severe SFTS.

Public knowledge, practices and perceptions on typhus fevers in Southern Sri Lanka

Objective: To assess public knowledge, practices and perceptions on typhus fevers in Sri Lanka. Methods: A descriptive study was done in four selected typhus-prone areas in Southern Sri Lanka. A mixed-method was employed using face-to-face interviews and questionnaire-based surveys among confirmed cases of typhus and at-risk populations, respectively. Frequencies, percentages, and means were used to characterize socio-demography and evaluate disease awareness. Results: The lay terms for typhus fevers reported in the studied region were 'peacock fever', 'tick fever' and 'bird fever'. A total of 499 subjects participated [mean±SD, (45±16) years] in the questionnaire-based survey, and 13.6% (n=68) reported past experience of typhus fever, 1.2% (n=6) identified the disease as 'typhus' while 58.7% (n=293) and 11.8% (n=59) knew it as 'peacock fever' and 'tick fever', respectively. The etiological agent was unknown to 95.2% (n=475), but 53.5% ((n=267) were aware that it was vector-borne. Fever (57.3%, n=286), eschar (35.7%, n=178), headache (22.0%, n=267) and myalgia (19.2%, n=96) were identified as key symptoms. Past disease experience was significantly associated with higher awareness of the main disease symptoms (fever: χ 2 =15.713, P<0.001; headache: χ 2 =19.447, P<0.001; lymphadenopathy: Fisher's exact test, P=0.023; eschar: χ 2 =12.049, P<0.001). None knew of any disease prevention methods. Participants with a past history of typhus fever had sought treatment at state hospitals (55.9%, 38/68) and private sector hospitals (5.9%, 4/68). Conclusions: Public awareness on preventive practices for typhus fevers was rare among the participants though vector-borne aspect was known to many. Clinical disease awareness was deficient among those without past experience of typhus fever. Community sensitization on vector avoidance strategies is highly recommended.

Etiologies des fièvres prolongées inexpliquées au Service de Médecine Interne du CHU de Bouaké (Côte d'Ivoire) / Causes of unexplained prolonged fever in the Bouake CHU Internal Medicine Department (Ivory Coast)

Objectif : déterminer les étiologies des fièvres prolongées inexpliquées au service de médecine interne du CHU de Bouaké. Matériel et méthodes : Il s'agissait d'une étude rétrospective à visée descriptive mené de janvier 2019 à décembre 2020. Nous avons inclus les patients hospitalisés pour fièvre prolongée inexpliquée ou ayant présentés une fièvre prolongée durant l'hospitalisation. Les données anamnestiques, cliniques et paracliniques ont été analysées. Résultats : Nous avons retenus 204 patients sur 1650 patients hospitalisés (12,6%). L'âge moyen des patients était de 32±16,1 ans avec des extrêmes de 16 et 87 ans. Le sexe ratio était de 1,1. La fièvre (32,4%) et AEG (22%) constituaient les motifs d'hospitalisation les plus fréquents. La fièvre était le plus fréquent des symptômes physiques (94,1%) suivi de l'amaigrissement (50%), de la déshydratation (18,1%), de l'hépatomégalie (12,7%) et de l'obnubilation (12%). Les principales étiologies étaient les infections (82,3%), les tumeurs (10,3%), et les maladies inflammatoires (1,5%). Dans 5,9% des cas l'étiologie n'avait pas été retrouvée. Les principales infections étaient le VIH et ses complications (38,1%), la tuberculose (21,4%), et les infections urogénitales (19,9%). Les tumeurs étaient dominées par le cancer primitif du foie (33,4%) et le cancer de la prostate (19,4%). La polyarthrite rhumatoïde, le lupus érythémateux disséminé et la sclérodermie étaient maladies inflammatoires retrouvées. La létalité était de 36%. Conclusion : Les étiologies des fièvres prolongées inexpliquées sont variées. Elles sont dominées dans notre contexte par la tuberculose, l'infection à VIH et ses complications infectieuses.

Surveillance of hemorrhagic fever and/or neuroinvasive disease: challenges of diagnosis

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To evaluate the performance of post mortem laboratory analysis in identifying the causes of hemorrhagic fever and/or neuroinvasive disease in deaths by arbovirus infection. METHODS Retrospective cross-sectional study based on the differential analysis and final outcome obtained in patients whose samples underwent laboratory testing for arboviruses at the Pathology Center of the Adolfo Lutz Institute, in São Paulo, Brazil. RESULTS Of the 1355 adults clinically diagnosed with hemorrhagic fever and/or neuroinvasive disease, the most commonly attributed cause of death and the most common final outcome was dengue fever. Almost half of the samples tested negative on all laboratory tests conducted. CONCLUSION The failure to identify the causative agent in a great number of cases highlights a gap in the diagnosis of deaths of unknown etiology. Additional immunohistochemical and molecular assessments need to be added to the post-mortem protocol if all laboratory evaluations performed fail to identify a causative agent. While part of our findings may be due to technical issues related to sample fixation, better information availability when making the initial diagnosis is crucial. Including molecular approaches might lead to a significant advancement in diagnostic accuracy.

Ardentes trópicos: febres e saúde pública no Brasil joanino / The scorching tropics: fevers and public health in Brazil during the Joanine period, 1808-1821

Resumo Com exceção da febre amarela, as febres ainda foram pouco exploradas pela historiografia da saúde brasileira. No século XIX, contudo, sua presença na vida social era quase incontornável, atingindo enormes parcelas da população. Suas vítimas padeciam de uma grande variedade de sintomas em que a identificação e a terapêutica eram objeto de intensos debates nos círculos médicos. A intelectualidade luso-brasileira, atenta tanto aos debates médicos europeus quanto a experiências clínicas, esforçou-se para fornecer respostas na forma de intensa produção impressa; no entanto, as manifestações febris encontradas nos trópicos representavam um desafio extra à sua formação europeia, forçando-a a conjugar experiências adquiridas em partes distintas do Império na constituição de saberes específicos sobre as febres tropicais.

Abstract Although fevers (with the exception of yellow fever) have not yet been fully explored by the historiography of Brazilian health, they were almost inevitable in nineteenth-century Brazilian society, affecting huge portions of the population. Their victims suffered from a wide variety of symptoms, and identification and treatment of these symptoms were the object of intense debates in medical circles. The Luso-Brazilian intelligentsia considered European medical debates as well as their own clinical experiences and attempted to provide answers in a flurry of publications. Even so, the manifestations of fever in the tropics presented a challenge that lay beyond their European training, forcing them to combine experiences acquired in different parts of the Empire to comprise specific knowledge on tropical fevers.

Fiebres recurrentes / Recurrent fevers

Resumen: Las fiebres recurrentes corresponden a una proporción significativa pero menospreciada (18-42%) de las fiebres de origen desconocido. Un grupo de fiebres recurrentes, conocidas como enfermedades autoinflamatorias o síndromes hereditarios de fiebre periódica ocurren debido a una respuesta disregulada de la inmunidad innata, en donde ocurre una reacción autoinflamatoria que causa daño tisular. A diferencia de las enfermedades autoinmunitarias, las enfermedades autoinflamatorias no se asocian con autoanticuerpos específicos o complejos mayores de histocompatibilidad (CMHs), pero ocurren debido a la activación aberrante de las células de la inmunidad innata, como macrófagos y neutrófilos. Aunque la mayoría de los casos inicia durante la infancia, varios suelen ser diagnosticados años después de su inicio o comienzan durante la edad adulta, lo que justifica la necesidad de que el internista esté familiarizado con estas afecciones. En esta revisión discutimos la epidemiología, fisiopatología, manifestación clínica, diagnóstico y tratamiento de las principales enfermedades autoinflamatorias.

Abstract: Recurrent fevers make up a significant yet underappreciated proportion (18-42%) of fevers of unknown origin. A group of recurrent fevers, known as autoinflammatory diseases or hereditary periodic fever syndromes occur due to a deregulated response of innate immunity, whereby an autoinflammatory reaction occurs resulting in tissue damage. Unlike autoimmune diseases, the autoinflammatory diseases are not associated to specific autoantibodies or major histocompatibility complexes (MHCs), but rather result from an aberrant activation of innate immune cells such as macrophages and neutrophils. Although the majority of cases begin during childhood, several are often diagnosed years after their debut or begin during adult life, justifying the need for internists to be familiar with these diseases. In this review we discuss the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis and management of the main autoinflammatory diseases.

Algunas notas sobre el desarrollo histórico de la fiebre tifoidea en Chile / Some information regarding the historical development of typhoid fever in Chile

Resumen En el desarrollo histórico de la fiebre tifoidea en Chile, destaca su confusión con otras patologías infecciosas, especialmente con el tifus exantemático, problema que se resolvió mayormente con ocasión de la epidemia de 1918 de dicha enfermedad. Además se resalta la importancia del tratamiento con cloranfenicol, que significó una mejoría extraordinaria de las fiebres tifo-paratíficas, además de las acciones de salud pública y educación sanitaria, que permitieron prácticamente terminar con dichas patologías infecciosas en el país.

During the historical development of typhoid fever in Chile, its confusion with other infectious diseases is particularly noteworthy, especially with murine typhus, a problem that was mainly resolved during the 1918 epidemic. The importance of chloramphenicol treatment is also highlighted, which meant an enormous improvement in typhoid/paratyphoid fevers, in combination with public health and health education actions that allowed to almost eliminate these infectious diseases in our country.

Zhongjing's Dynamic Thought of the Diagnosis and Treatment Induced from Discussion of Sini Powder Syndromes / 浙江中医药大学学报

[Objective] We will sum up the relevant rules of the treatment of such diseases in the Treatise on Fevers by the pathogenesis of Sini Powder for improving the clinical curative effects.s [Method] The article quotes the original text of the Treatise on Fevers and analyzes the related criticisms by the other physicians,analyzes and summarizes the disciplinarian of the pathogenesis of SiNi decoction.By the way,we will present the application of the disciplinarian in the Treatise on Febrile Diseases.[Result] We find that Sini Powder is used to develop the condition of ShaoYin sickness,qi depression conceals the developing direction.So ZHANG Zhongjing eliminated the qi depression to know the developing direction firstly.According to the direction,he decided what was the best therapeutic schedule.[Conclusion] The pathogenesis of Sini decoction is the quintessence of SuiZhengZhiZhi,a thought of the Treatise on Fevers.We should understand and master the quintessence,improve the clinical diagnosis and treatment efficacy.

Rickettsial diseases in children.

In a tropical country like India, fevers are caused by different etiological agents. Rickettsial infections, which have a global distribution is one of the differential diagnosis in such cases and are reported from almost all parts of India. Rickettsial diseases widely vary in severity from self-limited mild illnesses to fulminating life-threatening infections. They are obligate intracellular gramnegative coccobacillary forms that multiply within eukaryotic cells which makes it difficult to culture them on artificial culture medium. With globalization there is rapid spread of disease across the continents and therefore, skills for diagnosis and management of the disease attains global importance. Rickettsial diseases can be clinically classified as Spotted Fever group, typhus group, distinctive clinical rickettsiae and emerging rickettsiae. The clinical course will have incubation period, stage non-specific clinical signs and symptoms followed by typical/classical features depending on the type of rickettsiae infecting a person. However the clinical manifestation varies from one geographical area to another area for same species. The rickettsial diseases once thought to have been eradicated from India are re-emerging in many parts of our country. Their presence has recently been documented in at least eleven states of our country. Greater clinical awareness, a higher index of suspicion, better use of available diagnostic tools would increase the frequency with which rickettsial diseases are diagnosed.

Fiebre amarilla / Yellow fever

La fiebre amarilla representa a una de las fiebres hemorrágicas que adquieren en Venezuela y a una de las cuatro arbovirosis endémicas que tenemos. Revisando la literatura médica nacional e internacional, se actualizan aspectos relevantes de esta endemia rural. Se mencionan en la etiología las características del agente viral, que tiene ARN como componente primordial de su genoma. En la epidemiología, se menciona su prevalencia en el continente americano y africano y se evalúa su modo de transmisión. En la patogenia y la anatomía patológica se describe al hígado como órgano blanco de la infección. Se destacan en las manifestaciones clínicas los trastornos hemorrágicos y de la coagulación sanguínea. El diagnóstico como en Medicina Tropical, corresponde a un diagnóstico integral: la clínica, en primer lugar, asociada a la epidemiología y a la etiología de la enfermedad. Se establece diagnóstico diferencial con otras entidades relacionadas. El tratamiento es de soporte y en terapia intensiva. Se concluye con la profilaxis, evaluando la utilidad que sigue teniendo la vacunación.

The yelow fever represents one of the hemorrhagic fever that can be acquired in Venezuela and one of the four endemic arbovirosis we have. By reviewing the national and international medical literature. Relevant aspects of this endemic rural disease have been updated. In the etiology, several characterictics of the virus are mentioned; including the RNA as a primordial component of its genome. In the epidemiology, its prevalence on the African and American continents is mentioned, and the transmission mode es evaluated. In the pathogenesis and pathological anatomy, the liver is described as the primary organ of infection. Bleeding and blood clotting disorders are the essential clinical manifestations. Like in Tropical Medicina, The corresponding integral diagnosis is required. In the first instance, the clinical aspects, associated to the epidemiology and to the etiology of the disease are analyzed a diffential diagnosis is made with other related entities. The treatment consists of support measures and Intensive Care in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). For the prophylaxis, we discuss the advantages of vaccination.

Enfermedades auto inflamatorias (EAI) en pediatría / Autoinflammatory diseases in children

Las enfermedades autoinmunes son un grupo de enfermedades de relativo reciente conocimiento. Muchas de ellas están genéticamente determinadas (excepto el síndrome de PFAPA). Se caracterizan por episodios recurrentes de fiebre asociada a síntomas que generalmente pueden comprometer la piel, sistema músculo esquelético y gastrointestinal. A pesar de su baja prevalencia, el descubrimiento de los genes comprometidos en algunas de ella, ha permitido una mejor comprensión de los mecanismos de la respuesta inmune innata y en especial del rol de los llamados inflamosomas. Estos avances han permitido terapias más específicas, lo que ha llevado a disminuir en forma importante la morbilidad asociada, tanto a corto como a largo plazo. En el área pediátrica, el síndrome de PFAPA debe ser incluido como alternativa en el diagnóstico diferencial.

Autoimmune diseases are an emerging group of genetically determined diseases (except PFAPA) that affect innate immune system. They are characterized by recurrent episodes of fever associated with symptoms affecting skin, musculoskeletal and gastrointestinal system. Although unfrequent, the discovery of affected genes has allowed a better understanding of molecular mechanisms of innate immune response, specially about the role of inflammasomes. Subsequent targeted therapies have allowed a great improvement in short term and long term morbidity of most of these diseases. In children, PFAPA must be included in the analysis of differential diagnosis.

Fiebres hemorrágicas por Arenavirus en Latinoamérica / Hemorrhagic fever Arenaviruses in Latin America

Las fiebres hemorrágicas virales producidas por Arenavirus incluyen a los virus endémicos en África (Lassa) y el virus de la coriomeningitis linfocítica (LCMV), de distribución mundial, y los Arenavirus del Nuevo Mundo o Complejo Tacaribe, que incluye a los virus endémicos en las Américas (Junín, Machupo, Guanarito, Sabiá, Pichinde, entre otros). Los huéspedes naturales son los roedores y la infección en humanos se produce por el contacto con la orina y excretas. Las manifestaciones clínicas inicialmente son indistinguibles de otras fiebres hemorrágicas producidas por bacterias, parásitos y otros virus, constituyéndose esto en un problema de salud pública, por lo que se requiere realizar el diagnóstico diferencial utilizando técnicas serológicas y moleculares.

Viral hemorrhagic fevers caused by Arenaviruses include endemic viruses in Africa (Lassa fever) and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) of worldwide distribution, and the New World Arenavirus or Tacaribe Complex, which includes endemic viruses in the Americas (Junin, Machupo, Guanarito, Sabia, Pichinde, among others). The natural hosts are rodents and human infection occurs through contact with urine and excrements. The clinical manifestations are initially indistinguishable from other viral hemorrhagic fevers caused by bacteria, parasites and other viruses, constituting a public health problem. So it requires a differential diagnosis using serological and molecular techniques..

El efecto de la mortalidad ocupacional sobre la economía. Las Fiebres del Magdalena y la siembra de tabaco en Colombia en el siglo XIX / The effect of the occupational mortality over the economy. Magdalena’s Fevers and tobacco farming in Colombia in XIX century

El objetivo principal de este trabajo es examinar el efecto de las Fiebres del Magdalena en las exportaciones de tabaco en la región de Ambalema (Colombia), entre 1856 y 1870. En éste se explora tanto el efecto del trabajo sobre la salud, como el de la salud sobre el trabajo en esta etapa del desarrollo exportador colombiano. En el desarrollo del texto se revisan la aparición de las epidemias conocidas como Fiebres del Magdalena, el comportamiento del volumen de exportaciones de tabaco desde la zona de producción de Ambalema y los precios internacionales del tabaco colombiano en la época. También se formula un modelo econométrico que permite establecer si las Fiebres del Magdalena fueron un factor relevante en el comportamiento de las exportaciones de tabaco desde Ambalema. El análisis de los datos empíricos arroja como resultado la disminución en la exportación de 72.000 pacas de tabaco al año en el período estudiado, a causa de las Fiebres del Magdalena en la región, y también un efecto negativo de la enfermedad sobre los precios del tabaco.

It is aimed at reviewing the effect reflected in the quality and quantity of tobacco exportation with the appearance of Magdalena Fevers in the Ambalema zone (Colombia), between 1856 and 1870. The research explores the effect of labor over health and the effect of health over labor in this stage of the Colombian export development. By formulating an econometric model it is possible to establish whether the epidemic outbreaks of fevers were a relevant factor in explaining the behavior of tobacco exports from Ambalema to the outside. The analysis of the empirical data shows that it is possible that a fall on the exports in about 72,000 tobacco sacks per year caused by the fevers in the studied region, as well as a negative effect of the disease on the tobacco prices.

Manifestações mucocutâneas da dengue / Mucocutaneous manifestations of dengue

Dengue é doença viral sistêmica que ocorre de forma epidêmica em áreas tropicais e subtropicais da Asia, Américas e Africa. O vírus da dengue pertence ao gênero Flavivirus e à família Flaviviridae (arbovírus do grupo B). Aedes aegypti é o principal vetor e verdadeiro reservatório. A febre na dengue clássica persiste por período de dois a cinco dias com cefaléia intensa, mialgia, artralgia e dor retro-orbital. Alterações cutâneas incluem diversos achados como erupção morbiliforme que pode ser pruriginosa e que gera descamação residual, algumas manifestações hemorrágicas discretas como epistaxe, petéquias e sangramento gengival. Extravasamento capilar de plasma é responsável pela hemoconcentração e trombocitopenia observadas e que caracterizam a dengue hemorrágica. Manifestações cutâneas da dengue hemorrágica incluem lesões hemorrágicas disseminadas como petéquias e equimoses, mas também instabilidade hemodinâmica com pulso filiforme, pressão arterial convergente, extremidades frias, confusão mental e choque.

Dengue fever is a systemic viral disease that occurs epidemically in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Americas and Africa. The dengue virus belongs to the genus Flavivirus of the family Flaviviridae (group B arbovirus). Aedes aegypti is the major vector and the true reservoir for the virus. Classic dengue fever lasts for two-five days, with severe headache, intense myalgia, arthralgia and retro-orbital pain. Cutaneous alterations include several findings such as a diffuse morbilliform rash that may be pruritic and heals with desquamation, and minor bleeding phenomena such as epistaxis, petechiae, and gingival bleeding. Diffuse capillary leakage of plasma is responsible for the hemoconcentration and thrombocytopenia that characterize dengue hemorrhagic fever. Cutaneous manifestations of dengue hemorrhagic fever include many disseminated hemorrhagic lesions such as petechiae and ecchymoses, but also hemodynamic instability with filiform pulse, narrowing of pulse pressure, cold extremities, mental confusion, and shock.