Contact tracing management of a measles case in a paediatric hospital: experience of the local public health unit, Portugal, January 2024.

In January 2024, a child was diagnosed with measles in a paediatric hospital in Lisbon. Of 123 contacts, 39 (32%) were not fully immunised, presenting a risk for a potential outbreak. The public health unit initiated control measures and identified challenges during the response, such as the lack of interoperability between information systems and accessing vaccination records. The lessons learned prompted changes to national contact tracing procedures for measles, further strengthening Portugal's preparedness.

Investigating the role of symptom valorisation in tuberculosis patient delay in urban areas in Portugal.

BACKGROUND: Diagnosis delay contributes to increased tuberculosis (TB) transmission and morbimortality. TB incidence has been decreasing in Portugal, but median patient delay (PD) has risen. Symptom valorisation may determine PD by influencing help-seeking behaviour. We aimed to analyse the association between symptom valorisation and PD, while characterising individuals who disregarded their symptoms. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among TB patients in Lisbon and Oporto in 2019 - 2021. Subjects who delayed seeking care because they did not value their symptoms or thought these would go away on their own were considered to have disregarded their symptoms. PD was categorised using a 21-day cut-off, and a 30-day cut-off for sensitivity analysis. We estimated the effect of symptom valorisation on PD through a directed acyclic graph. Then, a multivariable regression analysis characterised patients that disregarded their symptoms, adjusting for relevant variables. We fitted Poisson regression models to estimate crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (PR). RESULTS: The study included 75 patients. Median PD was 25 days (IQR 11.5-63.5), and 56.0% of participants had PD exceeding 21 days. Symptom disregard was reported by 38.7% of patients. Patients who did not value their symptoms had higher prevalence of PD exceeding 21 days compared to those who valued their symptoms [PR 1.59 (95% CI 1.05-2.42)]. The sensitivity analysis showed consistent point estimates but wider confidence intervals [PR 1.39 (95% CI 0.77-2.55)]. Being a smoker was a risk factor for symptom disregard [PR 2.35 (95% CI 1.14-4.82)], while living in Oporto [PR 0.35 (95% CI 0.16-0.75)] and having higher household incomes [PR 0.39 (95% CI 0.17-0.94)] were protective factors. CONCLUSIONS: These findings emphasise the importance of symptom valorisation in timely TB diagnosis. Patients who did not value their symptoms had longer PD, indicating a need for interventions to improve symptom recognition. Our findings also corroborate the importance of the socioeconomic determinants of health, highlighting tobacco as a risk factor both for TB and for PD.

An Unusual Cause of Knee Mass: Osseous Hydatidosis.

Hydatid disease (hydatidosis) is a zoonotic infection caused by the larval stage of the parasitic tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus endemic in some sheep-raising areas. The liver and lungs are most commonly affected. Bone involvement (osseous hydatidosis) is distinctly uncommon, and its diagnosis and treatment can be challenging. We report a case of a 54-year-old male with right knee pain and edema and an extensive lesion on the femur; he was diagnosed with knee hydatidosis and was successfully treated with surgery and albendazole. This case reinforces the importance of the rare osseous hydatidosis as part of the differential diagnosis of bone lesions.

Honeybee-collected pollen from five Portuguese Natural Parks: palynological origin, phenolic content, antioxidant properties and antimicrobial activity.

The aim of this study was to determine the palynological origin, phenolic content, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of pollen from five Portuguese Natural-Parks [Parque Nacional Peneda Gerês (PNPG); Parque Natural do Montesinho (PNM); Parque Natural do Alvão (PNA); Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela (PNSE) and Parque Natural do Douro Internacional (PNDI)]. Eight families were found in the mixture of bee pollen: Rosaceae, Cistaceae, Boraginaceae, Asteraceae, Fagaceae, Ericaeae, Myrtaceae and Fabaceae. The phenolic compounds content, determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, varied between 10.5 and 16.8 mg of gallic acid equivalents/g of extract (mg GAE/g) found in bee pollen from PNM and PNDI, respectively. The free radical scavenging measured showed the highest effective extract - PNM with EC(50) 2.16, followed by PND with 2.24 mg/mL. In the ß-carotene bleaching assay the same behaviour as in the DPPH method was verified. We also verified that the presence of pollen differentially affected the growth of bacteria Gram-positive, Gram-negative and yeasts under study, depending this on the microorganism and the pollen used. This is an important study since, as far we know, it is the first time that Portuguese bee pollen from Natural Parks was studied, and their characterization can increase their economic value.

Síndrome de Crigler-Najjar tipo 2 ? um caso atípico / Crigler-Najjar syndrome type 2 ? an atypical case

Objetivos: Os autores descrevem um caso de síndrome de Crigler-Najjar tipo 2, um distúrbio hereditário do metabolismo da bilirrubina, resultante de um déficit parcial da enzima uridino-difosfo-glicuronil-transferase (UDPG T).Descrição do caso: Uma lactente de etnia asiática foi internada com cinco semanas de vida por icterícia persistente desde o nascimento, com relato materno de agravamento progressivo. Ao exame objetivo apresentava-se ativa, reativa, ictérica e com ligeira hipotonia axial. A investigação complementar mostrou um aumento da bilirrubina total (32,94 mg/dL), com bilirrubina direta de 0,94 mg/dL, e o estudo molecular revelou duas mutações em heterozigotia no gene UGT1A1 (c.211G>A e c.1456T>G), resultado compatível com síndrome de Crigler-Najjar tipo 2. Foi submetida a fototerapia intensiva em associação com quelante dos ácidos biliares, com resposta parcial. Após conhecimento do resultado do estudo molecular iniciou fenobarbital, ocorrendo normalização dos valores de bilirrubina após duas semanas.Conclusões: A síndrome de Crigler-Najjar tipo 2, embora fenotipicamente semelhante ao tipo 1, tem tratamento e prognóstico diferentes. Neste caso, a apresentação neonatal precoce e os valores de bilirrubina muito elevados, que não cediam totalmente à fototerapia intensiva, levaram inicialmente à suspeita de síndrome de Crigler-Najjar tipo 1, que é a forma mais grave. Os autores pretendem com este caso alertar para uma causa rara de icterícia, que não teve a apresentação típica.

Aims: The authors describe a case of Crigler-Najjar syndrome type 2, an inherited disorder of bilirubin metabolism resulting from a partial deficit of the enzyme uridine- diphospho-glucuronyl transferase (UDPG-T).Case description: A female infant of Asian ethnicity was admitted with five weeks of age by persistent jaundice since birth, with maternal report of progressive worsening. Upon physical examination the patient was active, reactive, and jaundiced, with mild axial hypotonia. Complementary examination showed increase in total bilirubin (32.94 mg/dL), with direct bilirubin of 0.94 mg/dL, and molecular study revealed two heterozygous mutations in the UGT1A1 gene (c.211G>A and c.1456T>G), consistent with Crigler-Najjar syndrome type 2. She was submitted to intensive phototherapy in combination with bile acid chelator, with a partial response. After reading the results of molecular studies, phenobarbital was started, leading to normal levels of bilirubin in two weeks.Conclusions: Crigler-Najjar syndrome type 2, although phenotypically similar to type 1, has different prognosis and treatment. In this case, early neonatal presentation and very high bilirubin values not fully yielded to intensive phototherapy, initially raised the suspicion of Crigler-Najjar syndrome type 1, which is the most severe form of the syndrome. With this report, the authors wish to draw attention to a rare cause of jaundice, which did not have its typical course.