ABSTRACT
Two hundred and fourteen patients who had a cough illness lasting at least 2 weeks were studied to investigate Bordetella pertussis as a cause of prolonged cough in adolescents and adults. Medical history and nasopharyngeal swab specimens for culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were obtained at presentation. Three (1·4%) patients were B. pertussis culture-positive; 15 (7%) were B. pertussis PCR-positive (including the culture-positive patients) and 11 (5·1%) were Bordetella spp. PCR-positive. Symptom combinations were significantly high both in patients with pertussis and patients with indeterminate results (P < 0·05). We conclude that B. pertussis should be considered among differential diagnoses of prolonged cough in adolescents and adults and PCR and culture should be used to detect these cases and facilitate public health response.
Subject(s)
Bordetella pertussis/isolation & purification , Cough/microbiology , Whooping Cough/epidemiology , Adolescent , Adult , Bordetella pertussis/genetics , Child , Chronic Disease , DNA, Bacterial/analysis , Female , Humans , Male , Medical History Taking , Nose/microbiology , Pharynx/microbiology , Turkey/epidemiology , Vomiting/microbiology , Whooping Cough/complications , Whooping Cough/diagnosis , Young AdultABSTRACT
We report the first outbreak of nosocomial orf infection in a hospital burn unit in Gaziantep, Turkey. The outbreak lasted from October to December 2012 and involved a total of thirteen cases. It demonstrates the risk of introduction of orf virus to a burn unit, and the potential for extensive transmission among patients with compromised skin integrity. The importance of hygiene measures and infection control are highlighted and possible transmission routes of the virus discussed.
Subject(s)
Burn Units , Cross Infection/prevention & control , Disease Outbreaks , Ecthyma, Contagious/therapy , Infection Control/methods , Orf virus/isolation & purification , Adult , Aged , Ecthyma, Contagious/diagnosis , Ecthyma, Contagious/epidemiology , Ecthyma, Contagious/microbiology , Epidemiological Monitoring , Humans , Middle Aged , Orf virus/immunology , Patient Admission/statistics & numerical data , Reagent Kits, Diagnostic , Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods , Risk Factors , Turkey/epidemiologyABSTRACT
A series of eight cases is presented in which similar fractures of the shaft of the humerus occurred during the throwing of hand grenades. Transient paresis of the radial nerve accompanied the fracture in one patient. In seven patients, the fracture healed without complication. In the remaining case, non-union developed, and surgical treatment was instituted. The mechanism of the fracture is discussed with reference to the literature.
