Genetic heterogeneity and subtyping of human Hepatitis E virus isolates from Uruguay.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is an important public health concern in many developing countries causing waterborne outbreaks, as well as sporadic autochthonous hepatitis. It is transmitted primarily by the fecal-oral route. However, zoonotic transmission from animal reservoirs to human has also been suggested. Genotype 3 is the most frequent genotype found in South America and the HEV epidemiology in this region seems to be very complex. However, data about the molecular characterization of HEV isolates of the region is still lacking and further investigation is needed. Our study characterized human HEV strains detected in a 1-year period in Uruguay, by extensive sequence analysis of three regions of the HEV genome. Uruguayan strains were closely related to a set of European strains and in turn, were dissimilar to Brazilian, Argentinean and Bolivian isolates. Additionally, the co-circulation of viral subtypes 3i and 3h was observed. Circulation of subtype 3i had been reported in Argentina and Bolivia whereas sequences of subtype 3h are rare and had never been reported in Latin America. In order to contribute to shedding light over the molecular epidemiology of this emergent infection in the region, we thoroughly analyzed the genetic variability of HEV strains detected in Uruguay, providing the largest dataset of sequences of HEV ever reported in a country in South America.

Acute respiratory infections in children from a derived urban population from Uruguay

Para obter informacao basica sobre a incidencia, duracao, caracteristicas clinicas e etiologia das infeccoes respiratorias agudas (IRA), foram observadas 276 criancas de familias pobres que moram em Montevideo durante 32 meses. A populacao alvo foi dividida em dois grupos para analise dos resultados: Criancas com menos de 12 meses e acima dessa idade. Durante o periodo de seguimento foram registrados 1056 episodios de IRA. A incidencia de IRA foi 5.2 por crianca/ano. Foi 87 por cento mais alta nos lactentes do que nos grupos de mais idade, com duracao maior dos episodios. A maioria das infeccoes foi pouco grave...

Etiology and severity of community acquired pneumonia in children from Uruguay: a 4-year study

O estudo de quatro anos de duracao (1987-1990) abarcou as principais caracteristicas clinico-epidemiologicas de pneumonia em criancas, tal como foi diagnosticado no servico de emergencia do Hospital Infantil, e tambem as etiologias e fatores implicados nos casos mais severos. Determinou-se a etiologia em 47.7 por cento dos 541 casos de pneumonia, que incluiam 283 patogenos, dos quais 38.6 por cento eram virus e 12.6 por cento bacterias. Observou-se etiologia viral e mista mais frequentemente nas criancas de menos de 12 meses. A etiologia prevaleceu nas idades entre 6 e 23 meses. Com relacao aos virus, a predominancia foi de RSV com prevalencia de 66 por cento do total de virus. Os mais importantes agentes bacterianos foram S. pneumoniae (64 por cento) e H. influenzae (19 por cento)....

Frequency, type and associated diseases of bacteria and virus in the oropharynx of children born to human immunodeficiency virus-infected mothers

HIV-infected children are more likely than other children to develop pneumonia, which in these children is often recurrent or persistent. The main reservoir of the major pathogens is the nasopharynx, but to date no data has been published on the frequency and biologic characteristics of S.pneumoniae, H.influenzae and respiratory viruses found in the upper respiratory tract of children born to human immunodeficiency virus-infected mothers. To document these aspects, 105 children who attended an outpatient clinic for HIV-infection evaluation were monitored by pharyngeal swab (PS) and nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPA). Bacterial identification was performed by standard procedures. Serotype, biotype and ß-lactamase production was investigated in H.influenzae isolates. S.pneumoniae serotypes were recognized by "quellung" and the susceptibility to 4 antibiotics was assesed. Respiratory syncytial viruses, parainfluenza, influenza A and B, and adenovuruses were diagnosed by indirect immunofluorescence and/or viral isolation in cell cultures. Twenty-nine children were identified as infected by HIV as a result of maternal-child-transmission. Seventy children born to HIV -positive mothers but who were not HIV -infected served as controls. Of 269 PS, 110 S.pneumoniae and 92 H.influenzae were identified. Also 31 viruses were detected in 188 NPA. After stratifying by age, no differences were observed in the frequency of bacterial colonization or in the presence of viruses in the upper respiratory tract of the two groups. Some biologic characteristics of the agents were noteworthy such as the frequency of colonization by S.pneumoniae serotype 14, the predominance of H.influenzae biotype I and the high frequency of viruses in NPA of asymptomatic children. Of note, although colonization frequencies were similar, children presenting with acute respiratory illness (ARI) were more likely to have bacteria isolated if they also had HIV -infection than if they were HIV -negative. It is concluded that HIV -infection in infants as a result of maternal virus transmission have a similar frequency of bacteria and virus colonization of their respiratory tract, but a higher frequencia of ARI and perhaps a higher frequencia of types of bacteria with special characteristics.