ABSTRACT
Purpose: To report a retrospective series of three cases of infectious panophthalmitis post?dengue fever with ex vivo confirmation of dengue virus ribonucleic acid (RNA) in the tissues of the eye. Methods: Four eyes of three patients, who were diagnosed with panophthalmitis following dengue fever and who underwent evisceration, were included. All demographic and clinical data were recorded. The eviscerated samples were subjected to direct microscopy, culture for bacteria, fungi, and parasites, and molecular virology (dengue virus [DENV] NS1?specific reverse transcription loop?mediated isothermal amplification (RT?LAMP) assay). Results: The time from the development of dengue fever to the occurrence of ocular symptoms was 4.33 ± 1.15 (median 5) days. DENV NS1 RNA, suggestive of the presence of the dengue virus, was confirmed in all evisceration specimens (uveal tissue, cornea). All the patients recovered completely from dengue fever and on follow?up had healthy eviscerated sockets. Conclusion: Demonstration of the DENV RNA in the eviscerated specimens of panophthalmitis following dengue fever implicates the DENV in the pathophysiology of the ocular infection.
ABSTRACT
Epidemiological situation of taeniasis in Mongolia was assessed based on mitochondrial DNA identification of the parasite species. Multiplex PCR was used on a total of 194 proglottid specimens of Taenia species and copro-PCR and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays were utilized for detection of copro-DNA of 37 fecal samples from taeniasis patients submitted to the Mongolian National Center for Communicable Diseases (NCCD) from 2002 to 2012. In addition, 4 out of 44 calcified cysts in beef kept in formalin since 2003 were evaluated for histopathological confirmation of cattle cysticercosis. All proglottid specimens and stool samples were confirmed to be Taenia saginata by multiplex PCR and by copro-PCR and LAMP, respectively. Cysts collected from cattle were morphologically confirmed to be metacestodes of Taenia species. T. saginata taeniasis was identified from almost all ages from a 2-year-old boy up to a 88-year-old woman and most prominently in 15-29 age group (37%, 74/198) followed by 30-44 age group (34.8%, 69/198 ) from 15 of Mongolia's 21 provinces, while cattle cysticerci were found from 12 provinces. The highest proportion of taeniasis patients was in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia.