Perinatal HIV infections in Thailand.

A collaborative study group of researchers from seven hospitals from all regions of Thailand was formed to collect information on children born to HIV-infected mothers since the beginning of the first hospital case until the end of June 1994. The study conducted to verify the status of perinatal transmission of HIV infection in Thailand showed a rapid increase in HIV seropositivity among Thai mothers with vertical transmission rates varying between 25% in Rayong and 42% in Chiang Rai Hospitals, respectively. The majority of children with symptomatic HIV infection had clinical presentations of delayed growth development, pneumonia, diarrhea, oral candidiasis, lymphadenopathy, hepato-splenomegaly. Cases of Penicillium marneffei infection were found only at Chiang Rai Prachanukroh Hospital. The ages at which diagnosis of HIV disease was made were mostly within the first year of life. One third of children with AIDS died during the period of study.

Shigellosis in Thai children: experience from a rural hospital 1985-1993.

Six hundred and ninety-four cases of shigellosis in Nakhon Nayok Hospital from January 1985 to December 1993 were studied to determine epidemiologic and microbiological features. Forty-five percent of cases were children under the age of 14 years. The majority of cases were in children under the age of four. The organism was found throughout the year, with peak incidence in June and July. The most common type isolated was Shigella flexneri, about 74.43%. Only 0.32% of organisms were Shigella dysenteriae. Shigella isolates showed a high rate of resistance to ampicillin and co-trimoxazole, in 1993 only 16.67% and 22.22% were sensitive respectively to these 2 drugs, but 100% were still sensitive to nalidixic acid. Fewer cases of shigellosis were isolated in recent years possible due to widespread use of quinolones in the treatment of acute infective diarrhea in adults.

Aeroallergens in Nakornnayok Hospital.

An all year survey of atmospheric pollens and molds was made in Nakornnayok Province, Thailand by Durham’s standard gravity method from 1st September 1988 to 31st August 1988. Most aeroallergens found were mold spores, with Cladaosporium (Hormodendrum) on top of the first, and Alternaria, Curvularia, Helminthosporium, Leptosporium, Rust, Tetraploa, Ascospore, Smut, Fusarium, Stemphylium were found to be less common in that order. Grass pollens were found 11 percent of total pollen count. Pine pollens were found in winter and weed pollens were found very low count. Unidenfiable pollens were found in high count with the peak between October to March.