ABSTRACT
In recent years leishmaniasis has become a serious Public Health problem in Italy. The coexistence of infected dogs, vectors and humans, makes urban areas suitable environment for the spread of this zoonotic disease. With the purpose to improve the current system for the control of leishmaniasis in urban areas, the authors report their experiences carrying out a Health Information System (HIS) for the surveillance of the disease in the city of Messina. The HIS project is built on a dataset containing geographical data on urban environment, census tracts at parish level and data of human and canine leishmaniasis cases reported in the last years. The HIS allows the spatial representation of the disease occurrence and can be used as a novel epidemiological tool to perform area-based surveillance.
Subject(s)
Dog Diseases/epidemiology , Geographic Information Systems/organization & administration , Leishmaniasis/epidemiology , Population Surveillance , Animals , Computer Systems , Disease Notification , Disease Reservoirs , Dogs , Humans , Insect Vectors/parasitology , Italy/epidemiology , Leishmaniasis/veterinary , Phlebotomus/parasitology , Urban HealthABSTRACT
In this paper we describe the polyamine biosynthesis and oxidation processes, giving an overview about recent results in free-living Amoebae. The protozoa polyamine levels are different in comparison with mammalian cells. Also, the polyamine levels in protozoa cells change if these species are pathological or not for the human beings. All the amoeba strains show high concentrations of 1,3-diaminopropane (DAP), spermidine and acetylspermidine while spermine is absent. In these amoeba a considerable polyamine oxidase activity has been found, which acts on N8-acetylspermidine, but not on free polyamines. This enzyme is responsible, together with polyamine acetylase, of DAP synthesis whose function is not well known.
Subject(s)
Amoeba/metabolism , Polyamines/metabolism , Animals , Diamines/metabolism , Ornithine Decarboxylase/metabolism , Oxidation-Reduction , Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-NH Group Donors/metabolism , Polyamine OxidaseABSTRACT
The authors point out the frequency of intestinal parasitism in Zinvie (Benin). Out of 18,512 samples, 9,554 (51.60%) were found positive. The main parasites found were: Ankylostoma duodenale, Ascaris lumbricoides, Amoeba, Giardia lamblia. The authors underline the polyparaitism 16.75%.
Subject(s)
Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/epidemiology , Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/parasitology , Population Surveillance , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Benin/epidemiology , Child , Child, Preschool , Comorbidity , Female , Humans , Incidence , Infant , Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/prevention & control , Male , Middle Aged , Prevalence , Sampling Studies , SeasonsABSTRACT
The AA. refer on the first Italian case of amoebae "Limax" primitive myelitis in a 25-year-old man. Microscopical observation showed amoebae free-living, but their cultivation and identification were not possible. The patient recovered because of the propriety of diagnosis and therapy with amphotericin B.
