Mycoplasma Pneumoniae and Chlamydophila pneumoniae in hospitalized children with bronchiolitis.

Bronchiolitis is an acute lower respiratory tract infection in early childhood caused mainly by different viruses. Etiology of bronchiolitis have been studied in different environments and populations. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human Metapneumovirus (hMPV), human Bocavirus (hBoV), human Rhinoviruses (hRV) have consistently been shown to predominate. Few studies however have attempted to determine whether other pathogens, particularly Mycoplasma Pneumoniae (MP) and Chlamydophila pneumoniae (CP), are associated with bronchiolitis in children under 2 years of age. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and clinical features of MP and CP in children under the age of 2 years presenting to the Iashvili Central Children Hospital in Tbilisi with various severities and clinical manifestations of bronchiolitis. Acute and convalescent serum samples were tested by ELISA for IgM and IgG antibodies to RSV, CP and MP.37 children under two years of age were studied. In 19 patients out of 37 (51.35%) etiological diagnosis were established and in 18 patients (48.65%) no pathogens were found. 11 patients (29.72%) had either CP or MP and 8 patients (21.62%) had RSV. Children infected with CP and MP had less severe bronchiolitis than those infected with RSV. Co-infection was not associated with disease severity. There were no statistically significant differences between groups with respect to length of hospital stay. Our study underlines the importance of atypical bacterial pathogens in acute bronchiolitis in children under 2 years and highlights the complex epidemiology and clinical features of these pathogens in this age group.

Different aspects of virus persistence (review).

The article reviews different aspects of virus persistence in human organism. Persistence is a capability acquired and strengthened in the process of evolution of many viruses that is the means of maintenance of species. Viruses of measles, poliomyelitis, mite-like encephalitis, B and C hepatitis, herpes, retro and HIV viruses persist in human organism. Persistence is used by various viruses at various levels; they have different adaptive power and no different pathologic output. But in any case, the necessary condition is that virus should escape from elimination reactions of immune control system. At the same time, the important thing is not to save free virus but to save infected cell. While discussing long-term viral persistence, it is impossible to mark off distinctly the importance of biological participation of macroorganism and provoker in this process. The output of the relationship with infect cell is conditioned on the one hand by permissiveness of cell system, on the other hand by strain pathogen city. The details of attenuation mechanisms of microorganism's different reactions in cases of illness with the same strain are not known well yet. Although, it is clear that in chronic persistence the leading role still has immune system disbalance. In disbalance genesis of immunological equilibration virus-induced changes of immunocompetent cells are high.

[Contamination of some food products with Salmonella in Georgia].

Salmonella infections in Georgia are usually caused by S. enderitidis and S. typhimurium. Food products represent a leading vehicle in transmission of S. enderitidis, which predominates over other serotypes. The goal of our research was to study contamination of chickens and chicken eggs with S. enderitidis and S. typhimurium. Overall 90 chicken eggs, obtained from various poultries, 100 eggs, sold by peasant and 30 chicken and their excrements were tested. Cer Test Salmonella-immunchromatography one stage analysis were employed for detecting of salmonella microbe. Chickens and chicken eggs were contaminated with bacteria S. Enteritidis. The microbe isolation rate from eggs was 4.2±1.4%. It was 1.1 for eggs from poultries and 7.0±2.5 for eggs from peasant vendors. Chicken's contamination was found to be high--26.7±8.1%. The research data showed the prevalence of S. Enteritidis in etiology of salmonella infections in Georgia.

[Radioimmunologic analysis for the rapid diagnosis of arbovirus infections]. / Radioimmunologicheskii analiz dlia ékspress-diagnostiki nekotorykh arbovirusnykh infektsii.

The employment of radioimmunoassay (RIA) allows arbovirus infections to be diagnosed at an early stage of the illness. In the present study the best variant of RIA was determined with regard to its practical use in rapid diagnosis of some arbovirus infections and its superiority over CFT, HI, IHA, IF. The method was shown to be highly specific and sensitive for qualitative studies of specimens from natural foci of arboviruses and for timely diagnosis of human illnesses.

[Cases of legionellosis infection in Tbilisi]. / Sluchai zabolevaniia legionellezom v Tbilisi.

The epidemic outbreak of Legionella infection at two industrial enterprises during the period of July-August 1988 is described. The results of the epidemiological study, the clinical course and the serological diagnosis of the outbreak are presented. For the first time in the USSR a new form of the disease has been described at the territory of Georgia. This form, named Legionella fever, is manifested mainly by skin eruptions.