An acute febrile outbreak in a refugee community of an Italian asylum seeker center: lessons learned.

OBJECTIVES: The management of infectious outbreaks in closed settings represents an important public health issue. An outbreak of acute febrile syndrome affecting 22 refugees resident at the Asylum Seekers Centre of Castelnuovo di Porto in Rome has been reported, and the preventive and control measures adopted have been described as an example of public health safety. METHODS: Pharyngeal swab and whole-blood samples were collected from 22 cases observed and analyzed for standard bacterial cultures and respiratory and herpesviruses by qualitative CLART PneumoVir2 and Entherpex microarray. RESULTS: A possible respiratory-transmitted etiology and a concomitant reactivation of multiple herpesviruses have been evidenced. The epidemiological investigation showed that the spread of the epidemic was promoted because patients were hosted in neighboring rooms or in the same room, facilitating the rapid spread of infectious disease. CONCLUSIONS: The potential way of transmission was supposed, and preventive measures for infection control were adopted. The measures adopted are an example of best practice for outbreak management, and the microbiological surveillance is recommended for public health improvement.

Gout and related morbid conditions: pharmacological and SPA therapy.

Gouty arthritis is estimated to be the most frequent manifestation of inflammatory arthritis in men aged over 40. Hyperuricemia occurs because of both exogenous and genetic factors, which are particularly influential in some populations such as Taiwan aborigines. Current understanding of the disease etiopathogenesis, its clinical manifestations and the stages of its progression are presented here. The criteria for a correct diagnosis of the disease are also reported, pointing out how to distinguish gout from clinical events of different origin but with a very similar symptomatology. A distinction is made between the agents used to relieve the acute attack (colchicine, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids) and those used with the purpose of correcting hyperuricemia and preventing recurrences and complications (allopurinol, uricosurics). Mecha-nisms of action, administration routes, doses, side effects and contraindications of every drug are described. Besides pharmacological therapy, the importance and the efficacy of spa therapy is underlined. Finally, perspectives opened by gene therapy are mentioned.

[Therapeutic effect of the association between pulmonary ventilation and aerosol--inhalation with sulphureous mineral water in the chronic bronchopneumopathies]. / Effetto terapeutico dell'associazione ventilazione polmonare e aerosol-inalazione con acqua minerale solfurea nelle broncopneumopatie cronico-ostruttive (BPCO).

AIM: Our research evaluates the efficacy of the inalation therapy by mineral sulphureous water in patients suffering from cronic bronchopneumopathy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From August to October 2002, two groups of patients, randomly selected, suffering from cronic bronchopneumonopathy, were studied at spa center "Pompeo" in Ferentino (FR). Every patient was treated daily during a cycle of twelve days. The first group was treated by pneumonic mechanical ventilation associated to sulphureous water aerosolinalation, the second by mechanical pulmonary ventilation associated to sulphureous water aerosol-inalation medicated with flunisolide. Every patient carried out spirometry, before and after treatment, and the measurement of FEV1 was considered a good parameter to evaluate the respiratory function. RESULTS: All patients reported an improvement in symptoms as dyspnea and cough. Results obtained show a significant functional improvement of respiratory function in both groups, evaluated by FEV1. Equal efficacy treating the patients by medicated and not medicated treatments stress the therapeutic role of mineral sulphureous waters in chronic bronchopneumopathies. Our research points out the usefullness of pneumonic ventilation associated with sulphureous water aerosol-inalation in patients suffering from chronic bronchopneumopathies.