Lyme Disease: A Review with Emphasis on Latin America.

The spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Lyme Group) is the causative agent of Lyme disease, transmitted to humans through tick bites carrying the bacteria. Common symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and the characteristic erythema migrans skin rash. If left untreated, the infection can affect joints, the cardiac system, and the nervous system. Diagnosis relies on symptoms, clinical signs (such as the rash), and potential exposure to infected ticks, with laboratory tests proving valuable when appropriately employed with validated methods. Most cases of Lyme disease respond effectively to a few weeks of antibiotic treatment. In Latin America, knowledge of Lyme disease is limited and often confounded, underscoring the significance of this review in aiding medical professionals in recognizing the disease. This study delves explicitly into Lyme disease in Argentina, neighboring countries, and other Latin American nations.

Microbial Interactions between Amylolytic and Non-Amylolytic Lactic Acid Bacteria Strains Isolated during the Fermentation of Pozol.

Pozol is a Mexican beverage prepared from fermented nixtamalized maize dough. To contribute to understanding its complex microbial ecology, the effect of inoculating on MRS-starch pure and mixed cultures of amylolytic Sii-25124 and non-amylolytic W. confusa 17, isolated from pozol, were studied on their interactions and fermentation parameters. These were compared with L. plantarum A6, an amylolytic strain isolated from cassava. Microbial growth, kinetic parameters, amylolytic activity, lactic acid production, and hydrolysis products from starch fermentation were measured. The population dynamics were followed by qPCR. L. plantarum A6 showed higher enzymatic activity, lactic acid, biomass production, and kinetic parameters than pozol LAB in pure cultures. Mixed culture of each pozol LAB with L. plantarum A6 showed a significant decrease in amylolytic activity, lactic acid yield, specific growth rate, and specific rate of amylase production. The interaction between Sii-25124 and W. confusa 17 increased the global maximum specific growth rate (µ), the lactic acid yield from starch (Ylac/s), lactic acid yield from biomass (Ylac/x), and specific rate of lactic acid production (qlac) by 15, 30, 30, and 40%, respectively, compared with the pure culture of Sii-25124. Interactions between the two strains are essential for this fermentation.

Venoms and Isolated Toxins from Snakes of Medical Impact in the Northeast Argentina: State of the Art. Potential Pharmacological Applications.

Among the ophidians that inhabit the Northeast of Argentina, the genus Bothrops such as B. alternatus and B. diporus species (also known as yararás) and Crotalus durisus terrificus (named cascabel), represent the most studied snake venom for more than thirty years. These two genera of venomous snakes account for the majority of poisonous snake envenomations and therefore, constitute a medical emergency in this region. This review presents a broad description of the compiled knowledge about venomous snakebite: its pathophysiological action, protein composition, isolated toxins, toxin synergism, toxin-antitoxin cross-reaction assays. Properties of some isolated toxins support a potential pharmacological application.

HIV Drug Resistance Surveillance in Honduras after a Decade of Widespread Antiretroviral Therapy.

INTRODUCTION: We assessed HIV drug resistance (DR) in individuals failing ART (acquired DR, ADR) and in ART-naïve individuals (pre-ART DR, PDR) in Honduras, after 10 years of widespread availability of ART. METHODS: 365 HIV-infected, ART-naïve, and 381 ART-experienced Honduran individuals were enrolled in 5 reference centres in Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, La Ceiba, and Choluteca between April 2013 and April 2015. Plasma HIV protease-RT sequences were obtained. HIVDR was assessed using the WHO HIVDR mutation list and the Stanford algorithm. Recently infected (RI) individuals were identified using a multi-assay algorithm. RESULTS: PDR to any ARV drug was 11.5% (95% CI 8.4-15.2%). NNRTI PDR prevalence (8.2%) was higher than NRTI (2.2%) and PI (1.9%, p<0.0001). No significant trends in time were observed when comparing 2013 and 2014, when using a moving average approach along the study period or when comparing individuals with >500 vs. <350 CD4+ T cells/µL. PDR in recently infected individuals was 13.6%, showing no significant difference with PDR in individuals with longstanding infection (10.7%). The most prevalent PDR mutations were M46IL (1.4%), T215 revertants (0.5%), and K103NS (5.5%). The overall ADR prevalence in individuals with <48 months on ART was 87.8% and for the ≥48 months on ART group 81.3%. ADR to three drug families increased in individuals with longer time on ART (p = 0.0343). M184V and K103N were the most frequent ADR mutations. PDR mutation frequency correlated with ADR mutation frequency for PI and NNRTI (p<0.01), but not for NRTI. Clusters of viruses were observed suggesting transmission of HIVDR both from ART-experienced to ART-naïve individuals and between ART-naïve individuals. CONCLUSIONS: The global PDR prevalence in Honduras remains at the intermediate level, after 10 years of widespread availability of ART. Evidence of ADR influencing the presence of PDR was observed by phylogenetic analyses and ADR/PDR mutation frequency correlations.

Assessment of Echinococcus granulosus somatic protoscolex antigens for serological follow-up of young patients surgically treated for cystic echinococcosis.

Echinococcus granulosus protoscolex soluble somatic antigens (PSSAs) were assessed for their prognostic value in the serological follow-up of young patients treated for cystic echinococcosis (CE), compared to conventional hydatid fluid (HF) antigen. Based on different clinical courses and outcome of infection, as well as imaging findings, patients were retrospectively classified into two different groups including either cured CE (CCE; i.e., absence of active cysts or presence of inactive cysts, respectively) and noncured CE (NCCE) patients still presenting active cysts at the end of an up to 5-year follow-up period. An immunoglobulin G (IgG)-PSSA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed a gradual decrease in antibody levels in CCE cases, reaching seronegativity in 20% of the cases at least within 5 years postsurgery. In comparison, the conventional IgG-HF ELISA showed a significantly lower progressive decrease in antibody levels, serology becoming negative in only 15% of CCE patients at the endpoint of the follow-up period. Serological analysis of PSSA by immunoblotting yielded an interesting immunoreactive double band of 27 and 28 kDa that, in 15 (75%) of 20 CCE cases, exhibited a rapid decrease and subsequent disappearance of respective antibody reactivities within 3 years postsurgery. Conversely, anti-27- and -28-kDa antibody reactivity strongly persisted until the endpoint of the follow-up period in all of the five NCCE patients. Further analysis of the 27- and 28-kDa doublet by using affinity-purified antibodies showed that the double band was not detectable in HF. Furthermore, a predominantly IgG4 subclass-restricted humoral immune response against the 27- and 28-kDa antigens was demonstrated in seroreactive CE patients. Overall, an anti-27- and -28-kDa response appeared to correlate with cyst activity. In conclusion, PSSA represents a useful candidate to carry out a serologic follow-up of CE subsequent to treatment and deserves further respective evaluation for other age groups of CE patients.

Characterization of the polyurethanolytic activity of two Alicycliphilus sp. strains able to degrade polyurethane and N-methylpyrrolidone.

Two bacterial strains (BQ1 and BQ8) were isolated from decomposed soft foam. These were selected for their capacity to grow in a minimal medium (MM) supplemented with a commercial surface-coating polyurethane (PU) (Hydroform) as the carbon source (MM-PUh). Both bacterial strains were identified as Alicycliphilus sp. by comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Growth in MM-PUh showed hyperbolic behavior, with BQ1 producing higher maximum growth (17.8 +/- 0.6 mg.ml(-1)) than BQ8 (14.0 +/- 0.6 mg.ml(-1)) after 100 h of culture. Nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared (IR) spectroscopy, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses of Hydroform showed that it was a polyester PU type which also contained N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) as an additive. Alicycliphilus sp. utilizes NMP during the first stage of growth and was able to use it as the sole carbon and nitrogen source, with calculated K(s) values of about 8 mg.ml(-1). Enzymatic activities related to PU degradation (esterase, protease, and urease activities) were tested by using differential media and activity assays in cell-free supernatants of bacterial cultures in MM-PUh. Induction of esterase activity in inoculated MM-PUh, but not that of protease or urease activities, was observed at 12 h of culture. Esterase activity reached its maximum at 18 h and was maintained at 50% of its maximal activity until the end of the analysis (120 h). The capacity of Alicycliphilus sp. to degrade PU was demonstrated by changes in the PU IR spectrum and by the numerous holes produced in solid PU observed by scanning electron microscopy after bacterial culture. Changes in the PU IR spectra indicate that an esterase activity is involved in PU degradation.

Neospora caninum immunoblotting improves serodiagnosis of bovine neosporosis.

Neospora caninum ranges among the major causes of infectious abortion in cattle worldwide. The present study was designed to improve the serodiagnostic tools by complementing a conventional ELISA with a highly sensitive and species-specific N. caninum immunoblot. To evaluate this test combination, sera from several groups of cows were tested. The first group, consisting of experimentally infected calves, showed that immunoblot antibody reactivities were detectable 1 to 3 days earlier than those found in ELISA. The first immunodominant bands that appeared were a 29-kDa (NcSAG1) and a 36-kDa (NcSRS2) antigen. Other groups, based upon naturally infected cattle, were used to compare the diagnostic sensitivity of ELISA and immunoblotting. Overall, N. caninum immunoblotting exhibited a higher sensitivity (98%) than ELISA (87%). Conversely, immunoblotting also confirm in two other cases, true transient negativation in some animals. In general, banding patterns and band staining intensity correlated to the semiquantitative ELISA findings. On the other hand, the banding pattern could not be used to discriminate between sera from animals with a recent abortion and those of cows with latent N. caninum infection. We also addressed putative cross-reactions due to infection with Toxoplasma gondii. Sera from animals with a serologically proven T. gondii infection were either clearly negative by Neospora immunoblotting or they yielded a specific immunoblot antibody profile indicating a double infection with N. caninum. Sera from animals with positive findings in both Toxoplasma and Neospora ELISA thus provided dichotomic results in the immunoblot by allowing to confirm or to rule out the specificity of the antibody reaction in Neospora ELISA. Altogether, our findings demonstrate that N. caninum immunoblotting is a very sensitive and specific complementary tool to improve the serology for N. caninum infections in cattle.

[Surveillance of Haemophilus influenzae serotypes and antimicrobial resistance in Colombia, 1994-2002]. / Vigilancia de los serotipos y susceptibilidad antimicrobiana de Haemophilus influenzae en Colombia, 1994-2002.

Invasive disease caused by Haemophilus influenzae serotype b results in high rates of morbidity and mortality among children. In 1994, the Microbiology Group at the Instituto Nacional de Salud (Colombia) initiated a program to detect antimicrobial resistance in H. influenzae. Invasive isolates were collected by hospitals and public health laboratories as part of surveillance programs for acute respiratory infections and acute bacterial meningitis. To determine the evolution of serotypes and antimicrobial resistance patterns, invasive H. influenzae isolates collected from 1994 to 2002 were compared, and the impact of Hib conjugated vaccine in Colombia was reassessed. The analysis included 683 isolates, 379 (55.5%) were recovered from male patients, 370 (54.2%) from children under one year, 227 (33.2%) from children aged 1 to 5, 19 (2.8%) from children aged 6 to 14, and 38 (5.6%) from children over 14 years; 29 (4.2%) with no age data. Clinical classification recorded 493 (72.2%) of the samples were from patients with meningitis, 181 (26.5%) with pneumonia, and 9 (0.9%) with other diseases. Eighty five percent of isolates corresponded to H. influenzae serotype b, 12.9% were non capsular, and 2.0% corresponded to other serotypes (10 a, 1 d, 1 e and 2 f). Of the total number of isolates, 12.0% produced beta lactamase, 13.9% were resistant to ampicillin, 12.7% to trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole (SXT), 5.4% to chloramphenicol, 1% to cefuroxime. All isolates were susceptible to ceftriaxone. During the 10-year period, resistance to SXT increased from 5% to 13%. A significant decrease in meningitis cases was detected among children under one-year old and in the 1 to 5 age group. Before introducing the vaccine, an annual average of 43 and 23 isolates for each of these groups were received. During 2002, 10 and 6 isolates, respectively, were received for each group. Surveillance of invasive H. influenzae isolates has allowed the evaluation of Hib vaccine impact, as well as the detection of an increase of non-capsular isolates, and changes in resistance patterns.

Vigilancia de los serotipos y susceptibilidad antimicrobiana de Haemophilus influenzae en Colombia, 1994-2002 / Surveillance of Haemophilus influenzae serotipes and antimicrobial resistance in Colombia, 1994-2002

La enfermedad invasora causada por Haemophilus influenzae, serotipo b, ha sido una de las mayores causas de morbilidad y mortalidad en la población infantil; afortunadamente, en algunos países con amplia cobertura de la vacuna conjugada esta situación ha cambiado. En 1994 se inició en el Grupo de Microbiología un programa de vigilancia de la susceptibilidad antimicrobiana y de los serotipos de aislamientos invasores de H. influenzae, remitidos por los hospitales y Laboratorios de Salud Pública del país como componente de los programas de vigilancia en red de infección respiratoria aguda y meningitis bacteriana aguda. El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar la evolución de los serotipos y los patrones de susceptibilidad antimicrobiana de los aislamientos invasores de H. influenzae obtenidos de 1994 al 2002 y realizar un nuevo análisis sobre el impacto de la vacuna conjugada de H. influenzae, serotipo b, en Colombia. De 1994 a 2002 se han estudiado 683 aislamientos; 379 (55,5 por ciento) de pacientes del género masculino; 370 (54,2 por ciento) de menores de 1 año; 227 (33,2 por ciento) de 1 a 5 años; 19 (2,8 por ciento) de 6 a 14 años; 38 (5,6 por ciento) de mayores de 14 años, y de 29 (4,2 por ciento) no se tenía el dato de la edad; 493 (72,2 por ciento) fueron recuperados de pacientes con meningitis, 181 (26,5 por ciento) de neumonía y 9 (0,9 por ciento) de otras enfermedades. El 85,1 por ciento de los aislamientos fueron H. influenzae, serotipo b, 12,9 por ciento no capsulares y 2,0 por ciento de otros serotipos (10 a, 1 d, 1 e y 2 f). Del total de aislamientos, 12 por ciento fueron productores de beta-lactamasa; 13,9 por ciento resistentes a ampicilina; 12,7 por ciento, a trimetoprim sulfametoxazol (SXT); 5,4 por ciento, cloranfenicol, y 1 por ciento de cefuroxima; todos fueron sensibles a ceftriaxona. Durante este período se observó un incremento en la resistencia de los aislamiento a SXT (5 por ciento al 13 por ciento), pero la diferencia no fué estadísticamente significativa (p=0,1). Con la vigilancia se pudo determinar una disminución significativa de los casos de meningitis...

Algunos factores que condicionan la presencia de síndromes psiquiátricos en los alumnos ingresantes al Area de Ingenierías de la UNSA - 1995

El desarrollo de la investigación tuvo lugar en el Area de Ingenierías de la UNSA de Arequipa, la población de 869 ingresantes de cuyo total se calculó 292 estudiantes cifra equivalente al 33,6 por ciento del total que consideramos representativa para las conclusiones. Con el propósito de cooperar en la salud mental del universitario a través de la identificación precoz de manifestaciones psicoemocionales, que indican un camino hacia la enfermedad declarada, se plantean objetivos de trabajo, como el de determinar los factores que condicionan la presencia de síndromes Psiquiátricos; se utilizó para el estudio el método descriptivo de correlación. Los datos se recolectaron aplicando un cuestionario estructurado para la variable dependiente independiente. El muestreo fue Probabilístico y al azar simple, teniendo en cuenta los estratos que conformaron cada Escuela dentro del Area de Ingenierías, para posteriormente los resultados someterlos a análisis estadístico. Se identifico que el 33,22 por ciento presentan síndromes Psiquiátricos, siendo el síndrome más frecuente el alcoholismo en el 52,58 por ciento de la población total, y la Escuela con mayor presencia de síndromes psiquiátricos la de Ingeniería Geofísica con un 55,56 por ciento. Entre los factores que condicionan la presencia de síndromes Psiquiátricos se determino a: la edad, residencia, la procedencia, el estado civil de los padres, la convivencia actual, el concepto sobre si mismo, el desarrollo de actividades, recreativas, el trabajo en el estudiante, el ingreso económico de los padres así como la opinión sobre la economía familiar para la satisfacción de necesidades. Cosiderando la escala de medición de las variables en estudio, la información se analizó co la ayuda del estadístico Ji2. Los resultados obtenidos se remitieron al Departamento Médico Consultorio de Psicología de la UNSA, para un respectivo tratamiento Físico-Psicológico, y social y así gozar en el futuro de excelentes profecionales.