INT Toxicity over Natural Bacterial Assemblages from Surface Oligotrophic Waters: Implications for the Assessment of Respiratory Activity.

Plankton community respiration (R) is a major component of the carbon flux in aquatic ecosystems. However, current methods to measure actual respiration from oxygen consumption at relevant spatial scales are not sensitive enough in oligotrophic environments where respiration rates are very low. To overcome this drawback, more sensitive indirect enzymatic approaches are commonly used as R proxies. The in vivo electron transport system (ETSvivo) assay, which measures the reduction of (2-(4-iodophenyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-5-phenyl tetrazolium chloride salt, INT) to INT-formazan in the presence of natural substrate levels, was recently proposed as an indirect reliable estimation of R for natural plankton communities. However, under in vivo conditions, formazan salts could be toxic to the cells. Here, we test the toxicity of 0.2 mM of final INT concentration, widely used for ETSvivo assays, on natural bacterial assemblages collected in coastal and oceanic waters off Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, subtropical North Atlantic), in eight independent experiments. After 0.5 h of incubation, a significant but variable decline in cell viability (14-49%) was observed in all samples inoculated with INT. Moreover, INT also inhibited leucine uptake in less than 90 min of incubation. In the light of these results, we argue that enzymatic respiratory rates obtained with the ETSvivo method need to be interpreted with caution to derive R in oceanic regions where bacteria largely contribute to community respiration. Moreover, the variable toxicity on bacterial assemblages observed in our experiments questions the use of a single R/ETSvivo relationship as a universal proxy for regional studies.

Disentangling microbial networks across pelagic zones in the tropical and subtropical global ocean.

Microbial interactions are vital in maintaining ocean ecosystem function, yet their dynamic nature and complexity remain largely unexplored. Here, we use association networks to investigate possible ecological interactions in the marine microbiome among archaea, bacteria, and picoeukaryotes throughout different depths and geographical regions of the tropical and subtropical global ocean. Our findings reveal that potential microbial interactions change with depth and geographical scale, exhibiting highly heterogeneous distributions. A few potential interactions were global, meaning they occurred across regions at the same depth, while 11-36% were regional within specific depths. The bathypelagic zone had the lowest proportion of global associations, and regional associations increased with depth. Moreover, we observed that most surface water associations do not persist in deeper ocean layers despite microbial vertical dispersal. Our work contributes to a deeper understanding of the tropical and subtropical global ocean interactome, which is essential for addressing the challenges posed by global change.

Bacterial versus archaeal origin of extracellular enzymatic activity in the Northeast Atlantic deep waters.

We determined the total and dissolved extracellular enzymatic activity (EEA) of α-glucosidase and ß-glucosidase (AGase and BGase), alkaline phosphatase (APase) and leucine aminopeptidase (LAPase) activities in the epi-, meso- and bathypelagic waters of the subtropical Northeast Atlantic. EEA was also determined in treatments in which bacterial EEA was inhibited by erythromycin. Additionally, EEA decay experiments were performed with surface and deep waters to determine EEA lifetimes in both water masses. The proportion of dissolved to total EEA (66-89 %, 44-88 %, 57-82 % and 86-100 % for AGase, BGase, APase and LAPase, respectively) was generally higher than the cell-associated (i.e., particulate) EEA. The percentage of dissolved to total EEA was inversely proportional to the percentage of erythromycin-inhibited to total EEA. Since erythromycin-inhibited plus dissolved EEA equaled total EEA, this tentatively suggests that cell-associated EEA in the open oceanic water column is almost exclusively of bacterial origin. The decay constants of dissolved EEA were in the range of 0.002-0.048 h(-1) depending on the type of extracellular enzyme, temperature and depth in the water column. Although dissolved EEA can have different origins, the major contribution of Bacteria to cell-associated EEA and the long life-time of dissolved EEA suggest that Bacteria-and not mesophilic Archaea-are essentially the main producers of EEA in the open subtropical Northeast Atlantic down to bathypelagic layers.

Global biogeography of the smallest plankton across ocean depths.

Tiny ocean plankton (picoplankton) are fundamental for the functioning of the biosphere, but the ecological mechanisms shaping their biogeography were partially understood. Comprehending whether these microorganisms are structured by niche versus neutral processes is relevant in the context of global change. We investigate the ecological processes (selection, dispersal, and drift) structuring global-ocean picoplanktonic communities inhabiting the epipelagic (0 to 200 meters), mesopelagic (200 to 1000 meters), and bathypelagic (1000 to 4000 meters) zones. We found that selection decreased, while dispersal limitation increased with depth, possibly due to differences in habitat heterogeneity and dispersal barriers such as water masses and bottom topography. Picoplankton ß-diversity positively correlated with environmental heterogeneity and water mass variability, but this relationship tended to be weaker for eukaryotes than for prokaryotes. Community patterns were more pronounced in the Mediterranean Sea, probably because of its cross-basin environmental heterogeneity and deep-water isolation. We conclude that different combinations of ecological mechanisms shape the biogeography of the ocean microbiome across depths.

Microbial functioning and community structure variability in the mesopelagic and epipelagic waters of the subtropical northeast atlantic ocean.

We analyzed the regional distribution of bulk heterotrophic prokaryotic activity (leucine incorporation) and selected single-cell parameters (cell viability and nucleic acid content) as parameters for microbial functioning, as well as bacterial and archaeal community structure in the epipelagic (0 to 200 m) and mesopelagic (200 to 1,000 m) subtropical Northeast Atlantic Ocean. We selectively sampled three contrasting regions covering a wide range of surface productivity and oceanographic properties within the same basin: (i) the eddy field south of the Canary Islands, (ii) the open-ocean NE Atlantic Subtropical Gyre, and (iii) the upwelling filament off Cape Blanc. In the epipelagic waters, a high regional variation in hydrographic parameters and bacterial community structure was detected, accompanied, however, by a low variability in microbial functioning. In contrast, mesopelagic microbial functioning was highly variable between the studied regions despite the homogeneous abiotic conditions found therein. More microbial functioning parameters indicated differences among the three regions within the mesopelagic (i.e., viability of cells, nucleic acid content, cell-specific heterotrophic activity, nanoflagellate abundance, prokaryote-to-nanoflagellate abundance ratio) than within the epipelagic (i.e., bulk activity, nucleic acid content, and nanoflagellate abundance) waters. Our results show that the mesopelagic realm in the Northeast Atlantic is, in terms of microbial activity, more heterogeneous than its epipelagic counterpart, probably linked to mesoscale hydrographical variations.

2009 H1N1: risk factors for hospitalization in a matched case-control study.

In order to compare sociodemographical data and preexisting risk medical conditions in patients requiring hospital admission for 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus infection and those managed on an outpatient basis, a prospective observational, matched case-control study in 36 hospitals of the Spanish National Health Service was conducted from July 2009 to February 2010. Cases were patients aged 6 months to 18 years hospitalized for influenza syndrome, in whom 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus infection was confirmed using real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Controls were patients aged 6 months to 18 years with confirmed 2009 influenza A (H1N1) infection managed on an outpatient basis. There were 195 cases and 184 controls. In a multivariate model, hospitalization was more frequent in children aged <2 years (odds ratio (OR), 13.8; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.7-106.4), those with neurological and/or neuromuscular diseases (OR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.1-8.2), and those whose parents had less than a secondary educational level (OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.4-5.2). Children aged <2 years, children with neurological diseases, and children from families with a lower educational status had a higher risk of hospitalization due to influenza A (H1N1) 2009 infection.

Phytoplankton responses to changing temperature and nutrient availability are consistent across the tropical and subtropical Atlantic.

Temperature and nutrient supply interactively control phytoplankton growth and productivity, yet the role of these drivers together still has not been determined experimentally over large spatial scales in the oligotrophic ocean. We conducted four microcosm experiments in the tropical and subtropical Atlantic (29°N-27°S) in which surface plankton assemblages were exposed to all combinations of three temperatures (in situ, 3 °C warming and 3 °C cooling) and two nutrient treatments (unamended and enrichment with nitrogen and phosphorus). We found that chlorophyll a concentration and the biomass of picophytoplankton consistently increase in response to nutrient addition, whereas changes in temperature have a smaller and more variable effect. Nutrient enrichment leads to increased picoeukaryote abundance, depressed Prochlorococcus abundance, and increased contribution of small nanophytoplankton to total biomass. Warming and nutrient addition synergistically stimulate light-harvesting capacity, and accordingly the largest biomass response is observed in the warmed, nutrient-enriched treatment at the warmest and least oligotrophic location (12.7°N). While moderate nutrient increases have a much larger impact than varying temperature upon the growth and community structure of tropical phytoplankton, ocean warming may increase their ability to exploit events of enhanced nutrient availability.

Clinical characteristics, health care resource utilization and direct medical costs of Rotavirus hospitalizations in Spain (2013-2018).

Rotavirus (RV) is the most common cause of severe gastroenteritis (GE) in infants and young children worldwide and is associated with a significant clinical and economic burden. The objective of this study was to analyze the characteristics, healthcare resource utilization and the direct medical costs related to RVGE hospitalizations in Spain. An observational, multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2013 to May 2018 at the pediatric departments of 12 hospitals from different Spanish regions. Children under 5 years of age admitted to the hospital with a confirmed diagnosis of RVGE were selected. Data on clinical characteristics, healthcare resource use and costs were collected from patient records and hospital databases. Most children hospitalized for RVGE did not have any previous medical condition or chronic disease. Forty-seven percent had previously visited the Emergency Room (ER), 27% had visited a primary care pediatrician, and 15% had received pharmacological treatment prior to hospital admission due to an RVGE episode. The average length of a hospital stay for RVGE was 5.6 days, and the mean medical costs of RVGE hospitalizations per episode ranged from 3,940€ to 4,100€. The highest direct medical cost was due to the hospital stay. This study showed a high burden of health resource utilization and costs related to the management of cases of RVGE requiring hospitalization. RV vaccination with high coverage rates should be considered to minimize the clinical and economic impacts of this disease on the health-care system.

A short in-frame deletion in NTRK1 tyrosine kinase domain caused by a novel splice site mutation in a patient with congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis.

BACKGROUND: Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA) is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disease characterized by the lack of reaction to noxious stimuli and anhidrosis. It is caused by mutations in the NTRK1 gene, which encodes the high affinity tyrosine kinase receptor I for Neurotrophic Growth Factor (NGF). CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a female patient diagnosed with CIPA at the age of 8 months. The patient is currently 6 years old and her psychomotor development conforms to her age (RMN, SPECT and psychological study are in the range of normality). PCR amplification of DNA, followed by direct sequencing, was used to investigate the presence of NTRK1 gene mutations. Reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR amplification of RNA, followed by cloning and sequencing of isolated RT-PCR products was used to characterize the effect of the mutations on NTRK1 mRNA splicing. The clinical diagnosis of CIPA was confirmed by the detection of two splice-site mutations in NTRK1, revealing that the patient was a compound heterozygote at this gene. One of these alterations, c.574+1G>A, is located at the splice donor site of intron 5. We also found a second mutation, c.2206-2 A>G, not previously reported in the literature, which is located at the splice acceptor site of intron 16. Each parent was confirmed to be a carrier for one of the mutations by DNA sequencing analysis. It has been proposed that the c.574+1G>A mutation would cause exon 5 skipping during NTRK1 mRNA splicing. We could confirm this prediction and, more importantly, we provide evidence that the novel c.2206-2A>G mutation also disrupts normal NTRK1 splicing, leading to the use of an alternative splice acceptor site within exon 17. As a consequence, this mutation would result in the production of a mutant NTRK1 protein with a seven aminoacid in-frame deletion in its tyrosine kinase domain. CONCLUSIONS: We present the first description of a CIPA-associated NTRK1 mutation causing a short interstitial deletion in the tyrosine kinase domain of the receptor. The possible phenotypical implications of this mutation are discussed.

Untreated sewage outfalls do not promote Trichodesmium blooms in the coasts of the Canary Islands.

During the summer of 2017, recurrent extensive blooms of the diazotrophic cyanobacterium Trichodesmium invaded the beaches and coastal waters of the Canary Islands, causing great social alarm. Some local media and public sectors ascribed, without any strong scientific evidence, the origin and reactivation of these blooms to untreated sewage outfalls distributed along the coasts. In order to test whether sewage outfalls could have any influence on the metabolic activity of Trichodesmium, we performed 13C and 15N2 uptake experiments with colonies experiencing three different bloom development stages, incubated both with clear seawater and sewage water from an outfall south of Gran Canaria island. Our results showed that sewage outfalls did not promote any increase in dinitrogen (N2) fixation in Trichodesmium, supporting the hypothesis that decaying blooms were generated offshore and transported shoreward by local currents and winds, accumulating mostly leeward of the islands. The combination of unusually warm seawater temperatures, enhanced and sustained stratification of the upper water column and recurrent dust deposition events would have favored the development of the Trichodesmium blooms, which lasted for at least four months.

Prokaryotic extracellular enzymatic activity in relation to biomass production and respiration in the meso- and bathypelagic waters of the (sub)tropical Atlantic.

Prokaryotic extracellular enzymatic activity, abundance, heterotrophic production and respiration were determined in the meso- and bathypelagic (sub)tropical North Atlantic. While prokaryotic heterotrophic production (PHP) decreased from the lower euphotic layer to the bathypelagic waters by two orders of magnitude, prokaryotic abundance and cell-specific PHP decreased only by one order of magnitude. In contrast to cell-specific PHP, cell-specific extracellular enzymatic activity (alpha- and beta-glucosidase, leucine aminopeptidase, alkaline phosphatase) increased with depth as did cell-specific respiration rates. Cell-specific alkaline phosphatase activity increased from the intermediate water masses to the deep waters up to fivefold. Phosphate concentrations, however, varied only by a factor of two between the different water masses, indicating that phosphatase activity is not related to phosphate availability in the deep waters. Generally, cell-specific extracellular enzymatic activities were inversely related to cell-specific prokaryotic leucine incorporation. Thus, it is apparent that the utilization of deep ocean organic matter is linked to higher cell-specific extracellular enzymatic activity and respiration and lower cell-specific PHP than in surface waters.

Safety and reactogenicity of the 10-valent pneumococcal non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae protein D conjugate vaccine (PHiD-CV) when coadministered with routine childhood vaccines.

BACKGROUND: Licensed pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (7vCRM) is usually coadministered with combination vaccines in pediatric immunization programs. Reactogenicity and safety after primary and booster vaccination with a novel 10-valent pneumococcal non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae protein D-conjugate vaccine (PHiD-CV) in comparison with 7vCRM, both coadministered with commonly used pediatric vaccines, was evaluated in 5 clinical studies. METHODS: Five randomized, controlled studies in which PHiD-CV or licensed 7vCRM vaccines coadministered with various DTPa-based combination vaccines, Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C conjugate vaccines and DTPw-HBV/Hib were conducted. Local and general symptoms were solicited for 4 days after each vaccine dose, using diary cards. All adverse events were recorded for 31 days after each dose and serious adverse events throughout the entire study periods. RESULTS: A total of 4004 subjects contributed to the safety data analyzed in this review. Fever >or=38.0 degrees C (rectal temperature) was reported after about one-third of primary or booster vaccine doses coadministered with DTPa-based vaccines and after approximately 60% of primary doses with DTPw coadministration in both PHiD-CV and 7vCRM groups. Fever >40.0 degrees C was reported after

Microbial rhodopsins are major contributors to the solar energy captured in the sea.

All known phototrophic metabolisms on Earth rely on one of three categories of energy-converting pigments: chlorophyll-a (rarely -d), bacteriochlorophyll-a (rarely -b), and retinal, which is the chromophore in rhodopsins. While the significance of chlorophylls in solar energy capture has been studied for decades, the contribution of retinal-based phototrophy to this process remains largely unexplored. We report the first vertical distributions of the three energy-converting pigments measured along a contrasting nutrient gradient through the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The highest rhodopsin concentrations were observed above the deep chlorophyll-a maxima, and their geographical distribution tended to be inversely related to that of chlorophyll-a. We further show that proton-pumping proteorhodopsins potentially absorb as much light energy as chlorophyll-a-based phototrophy and that this energy is sufficient to sustain bacterial basal metabolism. This suggests that proteorhodopsins are a major energy-transducing mechanism to harvest solar energy in the surface ocean.

Decline in pneumococcal meningitis in Spain after introduction of the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.

All patients < or =14 years old with a diagnosis of pneumococcal meningitis (n = 160) were included (2001, 2004-2006). Incidence per 100,000 child <5 years old varied from 6.14 in 2001 to 2.83 in 2006 (54% of reduction, P < 0.01). There was a significant correlation (R2 = 0.9506) with PCV7 distribution increase. No significant changes in the incidence by nonvaccine serotypes were found when comparing 2001 and 2006. The case fatality rate was 7.5%.

Organic carbon budget for the eastern boundary of the North Atlantic subtropical gyre: major role of DOC in mesopelagic respiration.

Transports of suspended particulate (POCsusp) and dissolved (DOC) organic carbon are inferred from a box-model covering the eastern boundary of the North Atlantic subtropical gyre. Corresponding net respiration rates (R) are obtained from a net organic carbon budget that is based on the transport estimates, and includes both vertical and lateral fluxes. The overall R in the mesopelagic layer (100-1500 m) is 1.6 ± 0.4 mmol C m-2 d-1. DOC accounts for up to 53% of R as a result of drawdown of organic carbon within Eastern North Atlantic Central Water (ENACW) that is entrained into sinking Mediterranean Overflow Water (MOW) that leads to formation of Mediterranean water (MW) at intermediate depths (~900 m). DOC represents 90% of the respired non-sinking organic carbon. When converted into oxygen units, the computed net respiration rate represents less than half the oxygen utilization rates (OUR) reported for the mesopelagic waters of the subtropical North Atlantic. Mesoscale processes in the area, not quantified with our approach, could account in part for the OUR differences observed between our carbon budget and other published studies from the North Atlantic, although seasonal or interannual variability could also be responsible for the difference in the estimates.

Deep-ocean dissolved organic matter reactivity along the Mediterranean Sea: does size matter?

Despite of the major role ascribed to marine dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the global carbon cycle, the reactivity of this pool in the dark ocean is still poorly understood. Present hypotheses, posed within the size-reactivity continuum (SRC) and the microbial carbon pump (MCP) conceptual frameworks, need further empirical support. Here, we provide field evidence of the soundness of the SRC model. We sampled the high salinity core-of-flow of the Levantine Intermediate Water along its westward route through the entire Mediterranean Sea. At selected sites, DOM was size-fractionated in apparent high (aHMW) and low (aLMW) molecular weight fractions using an efficient ultrafiltration cell. A percentage decline of the aHMW DOM from 68-76% to 40-55% was observed from the Levantine Sea to the Strait of Gibraltar in parallel with increasing apparent oxygen utilization (AOU). DOM mineralization accounted for 30 ± 3% of the AOU, being the aHMW fraction solely responsible for this consumption, verifying the SRC model in the field. We also demonstrate that, in parallel to this aHMW DOM consumption, fluorescent humic-like substances accumulate in both fractions and protein-like substances decline in the aLMW fraction, thus indicating that not only size matters and providing field support to the MCP model.

[A prospective study to assess the burden of influenza-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits among children in Bilbao, Spain (2010-2011)]. / Estudio prospectivo para estimar la carga de hospitalización y visitas a urgencias de la gripe en población pediátrica en Bilbao (2010-2011).

INTRODUCTION: This study was undertaken to estimate the burden of morbidity associated with laboratory-confirmed influenza in children below 15 years of age. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Children presenting with acute respiratory infection and/or isolated fever at the Basurto University Hospital, Bilbao, Spain between November 2010 and May 2011 were included in this study (NCT01592799). Two nasopharyngeal secretion samples were taken from each; one for a rapid influenza diagnostic test in the emergency department, and the second for laboratory analysis using real-time polymerase chain reaction and viral culture. RESULTS: A total of 501 children were recruited, of whom 91 were hospitalized. Influenza diagnosis was confirmed in 131 children (26.1%); 120 of 410 (29.3%) treated as outpatients and 11 of 91 (12.1%) hospitalized children. A total of 370 of 501 children (73.9%) had no laboratory test positive for influenza. The proportion of subjects with other respiratory viruses was 145/501 (28.9%) cases and co-infection with the influenza virus plus another respiratory virus was detected in 7/501 (1.4%) cases. Influenza virus types were: A (H1N1 and H3N2) 53.2% (67/126); B (Victoria and Yamagata) 46.0% (58/126); A+B 0.8% (1/126). The median direct medical costs associated with each case of laboratory-confirmed influenza was €177.00 (N=131). No significant differences were observed between the medical costs associated with influenza A and B. CONCLUSION: Almost half of the cases were influenza virus B type. The administration of a vaccine containing influenza A and B types to children below 15 years of age might reduce the overall burden of the illness.

A prospective study to assess the burden of influenza-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits among children in Bilbao, Spain (2010-2011).

INTRODUCTION: This study was undertaken to estimate the burden of morbidity associated with laboratory-confirmed influenza in children below 15 years of age. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Children presenting with acute respiratory infection and/or isolated fever at the Basurto University Hospital, Bilbao, Spain between November 2010 and May 2011 were included in this study (NCT01592799). Two nasopharyngeal secretion samples were taken from each; one for a rapid influenza diagnostic test in the emergency department, and the second for laboratory analysis using real-time polymerase chain reaction and viral culture. RESULTS: A total of 501 children were recruited, of whom 91 were hospitalized. Influenza diagnosis was confirmed in 131 children (26.1%); 120 of 410 (29.3%) treated as outpatients and 11 of 91 (12.1%) hospitalized children. A total of 370 of 501 children (73.9%) had no laboratory test positive for influenza. The proportion of subjects with other respiratory viruses was 145/501 (28.9%) cases and co-infection with the influenza virus plus another respiratory virus was detected in 7/501 (1.4%) cases. Influenza virus types were: A (H1N1 and H3N2) 53.2% (67/126); B (Victoria and Yamagata) 46.0% (58/126); A + B 0.8% (1/126). The median direct medical costs associated with each case of laboratory-confirmed influenza was €177.00 (N = 131). No significant differences were observed between the medical costs associated with influenza A and B. CONCLUSION: Almost half of the cases were influenza virus B type. The administration of a vaccine containing influenza A and B types to children below 15 years of age might reduce the overall burden of the illness.

INTRODUCCIÓN: El estudio se llevó a cabo para estimar la carga de enfermedad de la gripe confirmada por laboratorio en niños menores de 15 años. PACIENTES Y MÉTODOS: Los niños que acudieron al Hospital Universitario de Basurto con síntomas de infección respiratoria aguda y/o fiebre aislada entre noviembre de 2010 y mayo de 2011 fueron incluidos en el estudio (NCT01592799). Se tomaron 2 muestras de secreción nasofaríngea: una para un test de diagnóstico rápido en el Servicio de Urgencias y otra para análisis en laboratorio con reacción en cadena de la polimerasa en tiempo real y cultivo viral. RESULTADOS: Se seleccionó a un total de 501 niños, de los que 91 fueron hospitalizados. El diagnóstico de gripe se confirmó en 131 (26,1%); 120/410 (29,3%) fueron tratados ambulatoriamente y 11/91 (12,1%), hospitalizados. En 370/501 niños (73,9%) el resultado no fue positivo. La proporción de otros virus respiratorios fue 145/501 (28,9%) casos y de coinfección con otro virus respiratorio además de gripe de 7/501 (1,4%). Los tipos de virus de gripe fueron: A (H1N1 y H3N2) 53,2% (67/126); B (Victoria y Yamagata) 46,0% (58/126); A + B 0,8% (1/126). El coste médico directo medio asociado con cada caso de gripe confirmada fue de 177,00 € (N = 131). No se observaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre el coste asociado con gripe A o B. CONCLUSIÓN: Casi la mitad de los casos fueron virus de gripe B. La administración de una vacuna que incluya tipos A y B de gripe debería reducir la carga de la enfermedad.

Superior relative efficacy of live attenuated influenza vaccine compared with inactivated influenza vaccine in young children with recurrent respiratory tract infections.

BACKGROUND: Young children have a high incidence of influenza and influenza-related complications. This study compared the efficacy and safety of cold-adapted influenza vaccine, trivalent (CAIV-T) with trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) in young children with a history of recurrent respiratory tract infections (RTIs). METHODS: Children 6 to 71 months of age were randomized to receive 2 doses of CAIV-T (n = 1101) or TIV (n = 1086), 35 +/- 7 days apart before the start of the 2002-2003 influenza season and were followed up for culture-confirmed influenza, effectiveness outcomes, reactogenicity, and adverse events. RESULTS: Overall, 52.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 21.6%-72.2%) fewer cases of influenza caused by virus strains antigenically similar to vaccine were observed in CAIV-T than in TIV recipients. Greater relative efficacy for CAIV-T was observed for the antigenically similar A/H1N1 (100.0%; 95% CI = 42.3%-100.0%) and B (68.0%; 95% CI = 37.3%-84.8%) strains but not for the antigenically similar A/H3N2 strains (-97.1%; 95% CI = -540.2% to 31.5%). Relative to TIV, CAIV-T reduced the number of RTI-related healthcare provider visits by 8.9% (90% CI = 1.5%-15.8%) and missed days of school, kindergarten, or day care by 16.2% (90% CI = 10.4%-21.6%). Rhinitis and rhinorrhea, otitis media, and decreased appetite were the only events that were reported more frequently in CAIV-T subjects. There was no difference between groups in the incidence of wheezing after vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: CAIV-T was well tolerated in these children with RTIs and demonstrated superior relative efficacy compared with TIV in preventing influenza illness.

[Acceptability of the HPV vaccine among Spanish university students in the pre-vaccine era: a cross-sectional study]. / Aceptabilidad de la vacuna contra el VPH en estudiantes universitarios españoles durante la etapa pre-vacunal: un estudio transversal.

INTRODUCTION: Cervical cancer (CC), the second most common cause of cancer deaths in women, is associated with the infection of human papillomavirus (HPV) and is more prevalent in women between the ages of 20 and 24. This research is aimed to determine the background about CC, the human papillomavirus infection and its vaccine, assessing its acceptability in university students. METHODS: Cross-sectional study over 1,750 students from the University of Alicante (2008) selected at random, proportional associated to gender and studies, by a validated ad-hoc questionnaire. Percentages were computed, confidence intervals, contingency tables according to sex, age and type of studies, calculating adjusted odd ratios (OR). RESULTS: A sample with 58.6 % of women and 6.6% of biohealth students was obtained. 87.3% were willing to have the vaccine to prevent human papillomavirus (HPV), 94.3% would give this vaccine to their daughters, and 48.0% had heard someone talk about the vaccine. 90.6% didn't have a lot of knowledge about the HPV infection and 82.2% didn't know much about the vaccine. 22.4% had knowledge of the association between HPV and CC. Women register higher OR in acknowledging the problem and are more receptive to having the vaccine. The HPV vaccine acceptability is associated to the sex, the confidence of vaccines as a preventive method; the influence of the background is low in relation to the vaccine predisposition. CONCLUSIONS: A high acceptability of the vaccine was observed in the period of the study. Raising confidence in people about the vaccines can influence for a better predisposition to be vaccinated.