Detection and genotyping of Listeria monocytogenes in artisanal soft cheeses from Ecuador.

Listeria monocytogenes is one of the most important bacteria associated with foodborne diseases, soft cheese being an important L. monocytogenes vehicle. In Ecuador, soft cheese is consumed in 84.3% of urban households. We determined the prevalence of L. monocytogenes and serogroups in 260 fresh artisanal soft cheese samples collected in 18 of 24 Ecuadorian provinces. Listeria spp. detection was carried out by culture-dependent and independent methods; 14.23% of samples were positive for L. monocytogenes. Serogroup IVb was found in 83.78% of the food isolates. Serogroups IIb and IIa were present in 8.11% of our isolates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of L. monocytogenes serogroups associated with food in Ecuador; we also found serogroup similarities between cheese isolates and clinical isolates.

[Lichenoid drug eruption with unfavorable evolution. Difficulties in diagnosis]. / Erupción liquenoide medicamentosa con evolución desfavorable. Dificultades en el diagnóstico.

We report the case of a woman who started with a lichenoid eruption, unfavorable evolution, for which a drug reaction was suspected. The final diagnosis was paraneoplastic pemphigus. Multidisciplinary care and evaluation by an Allergist is important in patients with severe skin reactions, suspected of drug reactions, due to the difficulty in establishing the diagnosis.

Se reporta el caso de una mujer que inició con erupción liquenoide, con evolución desfavorable, por lo que se sospechó una reacción medicamentosa. El diagnóstico final fue pénfigo paraneoplásico. Es importante la atención multidisciplinaria y la evaluación de un alergólogo en pacientes con reacciones cutáneas graves, por sospecha de reacciones farmacológicas, debido a la dificultad para establecer el diagnóstico.

Listeria monocytogenes, a silent foodborne pathogen in Ecuador.

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that can produce serious, even fatal, infections. Among other foods, it can be found in unpasteurized dairy and ready-to-eat products. Surveillance of L. monocytogenes is of great interest since sources of infection are difficult to determine due to the long incubation period, and because the symptoms of listeriosis are similar to other diseases. We performed a genomic study of L. monocytogenes isolated from fresh cheeses and clinical samples from Ecuador. Sixty-five isolates were evaluated and sequenced, 14 isolates from cheese samples and 20 from clinical listeriosis cases from the National Institute of National Institute of Public Health Research, and 31 isolates from artisanal cheese samples from 8 provinces. All isolates exhibited heterogeneous patterns of the presence of pathogenicity islands. All isolates exhibited at least 4 genes from LIPI-1, but all references (26 L. monocytogenes closed genomes available in the NCBI database) showed the complete island, which encompasses 5 genes but is present in only two Ecuadorian isolates. Most isolates lacked gene actA. Genes from LIPI-2 were absent in all isolates. LIPI-3 and LIPI-4 were present in only a few references and isolates. With respect to the stress survival islets, our samples either presented SSI-1 or SSI-F2365, except for one isolate that presented SSI-F2365 and also one gene from SSI-1. None of the samples presented SSI-2. The predominant ST (sequence type) was ST2 (84.62% 55/65), and the only ST found in food (93.33% 42/45) and clinical samples (65% 13/20). Isolates were not grouped according to their sampling origin, date, or place in a phylogenetic tree obtained from the core alignment. The presence of ST2 in food and clinical samples, with high genomic similarity, suggests a foodborne infection risk linked to the consumption of fresh cheeses in Ecuador.

[Lugol as a rare cause of anaphylactic reaction after colposcopy. Case report]. / Lugol como causa inusual de anafilaxia después de la colposcopia. Reporte de un caso clínico.

INTRODUCTION: Lugol is a solution composed of elemental iodine (5%) and potassium iodide (10%) together with distilled water, used during colposcopic assessment to identify possible cervical cell alterations. CASE REPORT: A 31-year-old female who presents an episode suggestive of anaphylaxis ninety minutes after a colposcopy exploration, successfully treated with intramuscular hydrocortisone and desclorfeniramine. During colposcopy Lugol solution and acetic acid was applied. Skin prick test (SPT) with Lugol solution was positive (papule 9x7 mm). Four control tests were negative. Intradermal tests (IDT) were positive with Lugol and elemental iodine, the last one turned-out irritant. It was ruled out possible cross-reactivity with other iodine preparations (Betadine®) and potassium iodide (Yoduk®). CONCLUSIONS: Our report demonstrates a rare case of allergy to Lugol solution with positive SPT and a clinical suggestive reaction, with tolerance to other iodine preparations and potassium iodide.

INTRODUCCIÓN: El lugol es una solución compuesta por yodo elemental (5%), yoduro de potasio (10%) y agua destilada, utilizada durante las colposcopias para detectar alteraciones celulares en el cérvix. REPORTE DE CASO: Paciente femenina de 31 años, que tuvo un evento de anafilaxia noventa minutos después de la colposcopia, tratada exitosamente con hidrocortisona por vía intramuscular y desclorfeniramina. Durante la colposcopia se aplicó lugol y ácido acético. La prueba de prick con lugol resultó positiva, con formación de una pápula de 9 x 7 mm, al igual que las pruebas intradérmicas para lugol y yodo elemental. Cuatro controles fueron negativos, excepto para yodo elemental, que resultó irritante en intradermorreacción. Se descartó reactividad cruzada con otras soluciones yodadas (Betadine®) y (Yoduk®). CONCLUSIONES: Reportamos un caso raro de alergia a lugol con prick positivo y una reacción clínica sugerente, con tolerancia a otras preparaciones yodadas y a yoduro de potasio.

Corrosion Resistance of Aluminum Alloy AA2024 with Hard Anodizing in Sulfuric Acid-Free Solution.

In the aeronautical industry, Al-Cu alloys are used as a structural material in the manufacturing of commercial aircraft due to their high mechanical properties and low density. One of the main issues with these Al-Cu alloy systems is their low corrosion resistance in aggressive substances; as a result, Al-Cu alloys are electrochemically treated by anodizing processes to increase their corrosion resistance. Hard anodizing realized on AA2024 was performed in citric and sulfuric acid solutions for 60 min with constant stirring using current densities 3 and 4.5 A/dm2. After anodizing, a 60 min sealing procedure in water at 95 °C was performed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Vickers microhardness (HV) measurements were used to characterize the microstructure and mechanical properties of the hard anodizing material. Electrochemical corrosion was carried out using cyclic potentiodynamic polarization curves (CPP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in a 3.5 wt. % NaCl solution. The results indicate that the corrosion resistance of Al-Cu alloys in citric acid solutions with a current density 4.5 A/dm2 was the best, with corrosion current densities of 2 × 10-8 and 2 × 10-9 A/cm2. Citric acid-anodized samples had a higher corrosion resistance than un-anodized materials, making citric acid a viable alternative for fabricating hard-anodized Al-Cu alloys.

Detection and genotyping of Listeria monocytogenes in artisanal soft cheeses from Ecuador

Abstract Listeria monocytogenes is one of the most important bacteria associated with food-borne diseases, soft cheese being an important L. monocytogenes vehicle. In Ecuador, softcheese is consumed in 84.3% of urban households. We determined the prevalence of L. mono-cytogenes and serogroups in 260 fresh artisanal soft cheese samples collected in 18 of 24Ecuadorian provinces. Listeria spp. detection was carried out by culture-dependent and inde-pendent methods; 14.23% of samples were positive for L. monocytogenes. Serogroup IVb wasfound in 83.78% of the food isolates. Serogroups IIb and IIa were present in 8.11% of our isolates.To our knowledge, this is the first report of L. monocytogenes serogroups associated with foodin Ecuador; we also found serogroup similarities between cheese isolates and clinical isolates.

Resumen Listeria monocytogenes es una de las bacterias más importantes asociadas conenfermedades transmitidas por alimentos, y el queso fresco es un importante vehículo de trans-misión de L. monocytogenes. En Ecuador, el consumo de quesos frescos se produce en el 84,3%de los hogares urbanos. Determinamos la prevalencia de L. monocytogenes y sus serogrupos en260 muestras de queso fresco artesanal recolectadas en 18 de las 24 provincias ecuatorianas.La detección de Listeria spp. se llevó a cabo mediante métodos independientes y dependientesde cultivo; el 14,23% de las muestras fueron positivas para L. monocytogenes.

[Uveitis: when the referral is to the pediatrician]. / Uveftis: cuando la interconsulta es al pediatra.

Uveitis is a heterogeneous group of clinical entities that have in common ocular inflammation. The wide range of causes of uveitis makes diagnosis and family support difficult; hence the pediatrician occupies a determinant site to provide a coherent and timely diagnostic strategy. The aim of this paper is to present a 16-year-old patient who consulted to the ophthalmologist for red eye associated with lacrimation, photophobia, and pain. Once the diagnosis of acute anterior uveitis was made, the specialist suggested a pediatrician consult to rule out a systemic disease.

Las uveítis son un grupo heterogéneo de entidades clínicas, de diversas causas, que tienen en común la inflamación ocular. El amplio abanico de causas de uveítis hace, en ocasiones, difícil el diagnóstico y la contención de la familia, y coloca al pediatra en un lugar determinante a la hora de abordar una estrategia diagnóstica coherente y oportuna. El pediatra orientará el diagnóstico con los datos del examen oftalmológico y los hallazgos extraoculares. El objetivo del trabajo es presentar a una paciente de 16 años que consultó al oftalmólogo por ojo rojo asociado a lagrimeo, fotofobia y dolor. Una vez realizado el diagnóstico de uveítis anterior aguda, el especialista sugirió la evaluación por parte del pediatra de cabecera para descartar una enfermedad sistémica.

Las uveítis son un grupo heterogéneo de entidades clínicas, de diversas causas, que tienen en común la inflamación ocular. El amplio abanico de causas de uveítis hace, en ocasiones, difícil el diagnóstico y la contención de la familia, y coloca al pediatra en un lugar determinante a la hora de abordar una estrategia diagnóstica coherente y oportuna. El pediatra orientará el diagnóstico con los datos del examen oftalmológico y los hallazgos extraoculares. El objetivo del trabajo es presentar a una paciente de 16 años que consultó al oftalmólogo por ojo rojo asociado a lagrimeo, fotofobia y dolor. Una vez realizado el diagnóstico de uveítis anterior aguda, el especialista sugirió la evaluación por parte del pediatra de cabecera para descartar una enfermedad sistémica.

Parental stress and children adjustment in kinship foster families.

This work focuses on a multidimensional exploration of the stress experienced by kinship foster carers. This study is the first one conducted on Spanish sample, with 116 kinship foster families and foster children, between the ages of 4 and 11 years. In general, data indicate that the carer's parental stress scores are within the normative range. The existing heterogeneity among these families is also reported, highlighting a carers group with high stress levels. Parental stress correlated with children variables (initial adversity index, adaptation, evolution and behavioral adjustment); caregiver and family variables (main carer's health, no correlation was found with social support network or with economic needs) and child-carer relationship variables (acceptance-rejection, relationship with the main caregiver and with other family members). Finally, the predictive model performed shows that the more behavioral and emotional problems foster children exhibit, the more stress the carers experience. This is also true the worse the relationships with other relatives are and the poorer the health of the main carer is.

Manifestaciones oculares de enfermedad Sistémica: Retinitis por CMV en pacientes no HIV / Ocular Manifestations of Systemic Disease: CMV Retinitis in Non-HIV Patients

La retinitis es la manifestación más común de la infección por CMV en inmunocomprometidos. Es una infección oportunista representando el 90% de las retinitis infecciosas, y la principal causa de ceguera en este grupo de pacientes. La retinitis por Citomegalovirus (CMV) puede desarrollarse en pacientes no HIV con deterioro de la inmunidad secundario a medicación inmunodepresora o enfermedades malignas que originen por ser estados de inmunodepresión. Se presentan dos estudios de casos. A continuación una síntesis de la evidencia que incluye información del diagnóstico, tratamiento tanto con Ganciclovir, como con Foscarnet.

Retinitis is the most common manifestation of CMV infection in immunocompromised patients. It is an opportunistic infection that accounts for 90% of infectious retinitis andthe main cause of blindness in this group of patients. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis can develop in non-HIV patients with impaired immunity due to immunosuppressive medication or malignant disease resulting from the status of immunosuppression. Two case studies are presented. Below, there is a synthesis of the evidence, including information on the diagnosis and treatment with both Ganciclovir and Foscarnet.