Prevalence of classical swine fever, Aujeszky's disease and brucellosis in a population of wild boar in Switzerland.

During two survey rounds of a national surveillance system for infectious diseases in wild boar in Switzerland, each lasting four months from November to February, between 2001 and 2003, 1949 blood samples and 62 tissue samples from the spleen and 50 from the reproductive organs were collected from hunted wild boar. The survey was designed so that freedom from infection could be detected with a probability of 95 per cent at a threshold prevalence of less than 1 per cent for classical swine fever and Aujeszky's disease and less than 1.5 per cent for brucellosis. There was no serological evidence of classical swine fever or Aujeszky's disease, but brucellosis due to Brucella suis biovar 2 was confirmed serologically and by bacterial isolation.

Child mortality and malaria transmission intensity in Africa.

The desirability of controlling malaria transmission in the areas of highest endemicity of Plasmodium falciparum has long been debated. Most recently, it has been claimed that rates of malaria morbidity are no higher in areas of very high transmission in Africa than they are in places with lower inoculation rates. We now review the literature on the relationship of morbidity and mortality to malaria transmission intensity, and have linked published child mortality and malaria transmission rates to examine how age-specific mortality actually varies with the inoculation rate of P. falciparum.

[Clinical presentation and therapy of Mycobacterium marinum infection as seen in 12 cases]. / Klinische Präsentation und Therapie der Mycobacterium-marinum-Infektion anhand von 12 Fallbeispielen.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Mycobacterium marinum (M.m.) is the causative pathogen of skin infections that have been called "swimming pool granulomas". An increasing number of reports that deep structures are involved in these infections was the reason for studying the clinical presentation and response of the infection to different therapeutic regimens. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients (eight men, four women, age range 18-73 years) were included in whom, between january 1991 and February 1995, M.m. infection had been proven by culture. The clinical data of these patients were retrospectively obtained by standardized questionnaire. RESULTS: The infection was limited to the skin in four of the twelve patients, deep structures only were involved in three, and five had both. Infections limited to the skin were successfully treated with sulphamethoxazole and trimethoprim or with tetracyclines, while rifampicin, alone or in combination with ethambutol, was efficacious when deep structures were involved. No surgical intervention was--or should be--performed. CONCLUSIONS: Infections with M.m. often involve deep structures, even in the absence of the skin being involved. The term "swimming pool granuloma" is, therefore, misleading when the infection is limited to he skin. A history of a chronic and indolent course, frequent changes of doctor and striking polypharmacy in its treatment are pointers to this infection.

[Primary epiretinal gliosis (author's transl)]. / Die primäre epiretinale Gliose.

Analyzing the findings of 45 patients with primary epiretinal gliosis in 51 otherwise entirely healthy eyes, the clinical features of the disease are elaborated. The disorder is characterized by the occurance of a glial membrane covering the retina in the area of the posterior pole and leading to a distorsion of the posterior pole and leading to a distorsion of the subjacent and surrounding tissues. Most frequently, the foveal region is involved, but the foveola is often spared. With increasing distance from the center the frequency of involvement decreases. Only in very rare cases the membrane extends beyond a distance of 5,5 mm from the center of the retina. The density of the membrane varies from case to case. Average visual acuity of the eyes evaluated in this study was 0,45. In no case it was worse than 0,05. The incidence of the disease increased with both increasing myopia and hyperopia. The average age of the patients was 55 years. There was no predominance of either men or women. The glia cells which compose the membrane originate from the innermost layers of the retina, from where they extend on the retinal surface through a defect in the inner limiting membrane. The reason for the formation of the defects is not yet understood. It is also unknown if the presence of such defects is absolutely necessary for the development of this condition.

[Transport of 131J-iodo-o-hippurate and 22Na out of the retroretinal space in experimental non rhegmatogenous detachment of the retina (author's transl)]. / Abtransport von 131qhippursäure und 22Na aus dem Retroretinal-Raum bei experimenteller arhegmatogener Netzhautablösung

A model of an experimental arhegmatogenous retinal detachment is presented, to allow the measurement of the transport of radioactive labeled substances out of the subretinal space. Experiments were performed on 19 male cats. 131I-iodo-o-hippurate and 22Na were used as test substances. There was no significant difference between the rate of disappearance of 131I-hippurate if injected retroretinally or intravitreally. The rate of disappearance of 131I-hippurate could be slowed down by intravenous infusion of penicillin-G. The rate of disappearance of 22Na following retroretinal injection is not only slower than the rate of disappearance of 22Na injected intravitreally, but significantly slower than the rate of disappearance of 131I-hippurate. For graphic analysis ("curve peeling") of the terms embodied in the curves, more densly situated points of measurements will be necessary. Then the experimental model will serve well to analyze the components influencing the transport of labeled sodium out of the subretinal space.

[Transport of 131I-hippuric acid and 22Na from the space between retina and pigment epithelium after experimental amotio]. / Abtransport von 131J-Hippursäure (Hippuran) und 22Na aus dem Raum zwischen Retina und Pigmentepithel nach experimenteller Amotio

A method was developed which allows up to puncture and fill the virtual space between retina and pigment epithelium with radioactive-labeled substances and to measure the transport of the injected substances out of this space. Experiments have been performed on 28 cats. 131I-iodo-omicron-hippurate and 22Na were used. The transport out of the space between retina and pigment epithelium of 22Na is much slower than that of 131I-iodo-omicron-hippurate. It is concluded that an active system in the pigment epithelium and/or retina is responsible for the transport of iodo-omicron-hippurate out of the eye