[Gastroenteritis caused by enteric adenovirus serotypes 40 and 41. Preliminary study]. / Gastroenteritis por adenovirus entéricos serotipos 40 y 41. Estudio preliminar.

We present the preliminary results of a prospective study of childhood gastroenteritis associated with enteric adenovirus (AE-40 and AE-41). In a period of five months we have studied 499 children with enteritis; 9 (1.8%) were positive for enteric adenoviruses (latex agglutination). The mean age of the children was 16.2 months (extreme ages 10 days and 5 years). The mean duration of diarrhoea was 2.8 days with 4-5 times daily. Respiratory symptoms were present in 44.4% of the patients and one patient was infected simultaneously with Campylobacter jejuni. All clinical syndromes were self-limiting and were treated with diet and rehydration.

[Childhood shigellosis: clinical and microbiological characteristics]. / Shigellosis infantil: características clínicas y microbiológicas.

Authors present a retrospective study on 89 cases of pediatric shigellosis detected between 1983-1987. Most frequent isolated strain was S. sonnei with 67.4% and S. flexneri with 31.4% cases. 73.9% of all isolements were marked between the months october-december. Mean age of patients was 4.4 years and 44.9% of them need not to be hospitalized. Only 3.3% of patients presented a clinical syndrome of bacillar disentery with blood and mucus. Strains were resistent to ampicilin in 84.2% and to thrimetoprim-sulphimethosaxol in 80.9% of cases.

[Infection with hepatitis B virus in the children and husbands of mothers who are chronic carriers of HbsAg]. / Infección por virus de la hepatitis B en hijos y cónyuges de madres portadoras crónicas del HBsAg.

Among relatives of parturients of Majorca island a statistically higher prevalence of HBV markers was found among children (22.8%) and husbands (43.8%) of 49 HBsAg chronic carriers as compared to 2.7% and 19.2%, respectively, among the corresponding relatives of 79 susceptible controls. Prevalence of the carrier state was 0% among both children and husbands of susceptible women, 2.1% (NS) and 11.4% (p less than 0.0001) among husbands and children, respectively, of chronic carrier parturients with a proportion of chronic antigenemia among subjects with HBV markers, that reaches 50% in children and only 4.8% (p less than 0.01) in adults. Following active-passive immunization, an active response of anti-HBs (3.4%), and HBsAg (1.7%), was achieved, after 12 months of follow-up, in 59 newborns of chronic carrier parturients. Detection of HBsAg prior to delivery as well as immunization both of newborns and susceptible household contacts of chronic carrier mothers should become general.