RESUMEN
In order to assess the Rhodococcus equi infection in three provinces of Turkey (Bursa, Izmir and Istanbul), 696 sera from healthy foals and adult horses were tested by indirect ELISA using a R. equi reference strain (ATCC 6939) as antigen. 103 sera (14.80%) with titres >0.646 resulted positive. Seroprevalence was significantly higher (P=0.0053) in male than in female horses of Istanbul province, although higher antibody titres (mean value) were observed in the female group of Bursa and Izmir provinces with differences estimated between provinces (P=0.0002). Seroprevalence was correlated with age: foals aged less than 1 year (P<10(-4)) and horses from 5 to 10 years old (P=0.018) resulted more infected in Bursa and Izmir provinces. Our findings indicate that R. equi infection actually occurs in all investigated provinces, suggesting the importance of serological survey to diagnose the infection and to prevent the zoonotic risk.
Asunto(s)
Infecciones por Actinomycetales/veterinaria , Enfermedades de los Caballos/epidemiología , Rhodococcus equi/inmunología , Infecciones por Actinomycetales/epidemiología , Envejecimiento , Animales , Anticuerpos Antibacterianos/análisis , Femenino , Caballos , Masculino , Rhodococcus equi/aislamiento & purificación , Estudios Seroepidemiológicos , Turquía/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
Sensitivity analysis in most medical problems is a complex process involving repeated calculations that can be computationally cumbersome, and its results are only approximate. The authors present a linear program-based approach that reveals the optimum strategies in a decision problem when event probabilities are not known exactly but their value ranges are available. Its application in a clinical decision-making situation is demonstrated. The approach promises to provide a flexible, precise, and computationally efficient technique for sensitivity analysis in medical decision making.
