Molecular Characterization of Norovirus Circulating in Northwest Mexico During 2013-2014.

Norovirus (NoV) is an important etiological agent of diarrhea in children and adults. In Mexico, NoV screening is not routinely performed. NoV is highly infectious and is responsible for massive outbreaks due to the consumption of contaminated food. The study was a cross-sectional design. Samples of diarrheal stools were collected from (62) children and (38) adults with acute gastroenteritis during 2013-2014. The circulating genogroups of NoV were detected by amplifying the RdRp gene fragment, and for the genotyping, the capsid and polymerase fragments were sequenced. Seventy-seven percent of the analyzed samples were positive for NoV. Genotyping was possible for 51 samples; for polymerase GII.P2, GII.P31, GII.P4, GII.P7, GII.P40, and GI.P14 were identified, whereas for capsid, genotypes GI.3, GII.2, GII.4, GII.5, GII.14, and GII.17. In conclusion, there is a high prevalence of gastroenteritis due to NoV in the northwest of Mexico, including genotypes that have not been reported previously in Mexico.

Predominance of G9P[4] Rotavirus from Children with Acute Gastroenteritis in Northwestern Mexico.

In Mexico, group A rotavirus (RVA) infections remain the most common cause of severe dehydrating diarrhea in children. This study was conducted to examine the circulating RVA strains in the northwest region of Mexico. RVA strains collected from stool samples of children were genotyped, and their partial sequences were analyzed. RT-PCR of the VP4 and VP7 genes showed the partial G9P[4] genotype in all the samples. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the partial VP7 gene amplicons of 10 strains showed that they clustered in the RVA G9 lineage III, and 7 of them showed 100% identity with the reference strain LB1562, which was collected in the USA 2 years earlier. The amino acid sequences of the VP7 and VP4 antigenic regions were highly conserved between the analyzed RVA strains. Active surveillance is important for monitoring the emergence of RVA strains and their impact on cases of gastroenteritis.

Tratamiento de coccidioidomicosis meníngea con anfotericina liposomal: presentación de un caso / Treatment of meningeal coccidiomycosis with liposomal amphotericin: case report

Introducción. La coccidioidomicosis fue descrita por primera vez a finales del siglo XVIII por Alejandro Posadas; el primer caso autóctono en Sonora fue reportado por Madrid en 1948. Es causada por un hongo dimórfico del que se reconocen dos especies: una limitada al área de California llamada C. immitis y otra especie no californiana conocida como C. posadasii. Presentación del caso clínico. Se trata de paciente masculino de 6 años de vida, residente de Caborca, Sonora. A los 2 años 6 meses presenta cuadro clínico caracterizado por cefalea y vómito en proyectil, por lo que acude al hospital y se establece el diagnóstico de hidrocefalia de origen no determinado. A los 3 años 6 meses se establece el diagnóstico de coccidioidomicosis meníngea, sin conocer los títulos de anticuerpos séricos en suero y en liquido cefalorraquídeo (LCR). Recibe tratamiento con fluconazol durante 3 años, asociado a un corto curso de desoxicolato de anfotericina B por un mes. Al ingreso a nuestra institución, se demuestran títulos de anticuerpos elevados en LCR lumbar y en suero, aunque no en LCR ventricular. Conclusiones. Posteriormente a ser tratado con anfotericina liposomal a dosis de 2 mg/kg durante nueve meses (dosis total de 5475 mg), presentó buena evolución clínica asociada a disminución de los títulos de anticuerpos en suero y en LCR. Durante su tratamiento no se presentaron datos clínicos ni de laboratorio sugestivos de toxicidad secundaria a la administración de anfotericina liposomal.

Background: Coccidioidomycosis was first described in the late 18th century by Alejandro Posadas. The first case in Sonora was reported in 1948 by Madrid. Coccidioidomycosis is caused by both species of a dimorphic fungus, one limited to the California area (C.immitis) and the other a non-California strain (C. posadassi). Clinical case: A 6-year-old male patient from Caborca, Sonora presented headache and projectile vomiting. At 2½ years of age he was treated at a hospital with the diagnosis of undetermined hydrocephalus. At 3½ years of age, a diagnosis of coccidioidal meningitis was made without knowing the serum antibody and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) titers. He received treatment with fluconazole for 3 years with 1 month of amphotericin B deoxycholate. Upon admission to our hospital, elevated antibody CSF titers were present. Conclusion: After being treated with liposomal amphotericin (2 mg/kg) for 9 months, he reached a total dose of 5475 mg, presenting good clinical outcome with decreased serum antibodies and CSF titers. During his treatment no clinical or laboratory data suggested toxicity due to liposomal amphotericin administration.

Procalcitonina semicuantitativa (PCT-Q) como prueba diagnóstica y marcador pronóstico en niños con sepsis bacteriana / Semiquantitative procalcitonin (PCT-Q) as a diagnostic tool and prognostic marker in children with bacterial sepsis

Introducción. El presente trabajo evalúa la utilidad de la prueba para diagnóstico temprano de infección bacteriana, en pacientes con criterios de síndrome de respuesta inflamatoria sistémica (SRIS) por el método semicuantitativo (PCT-Q®), con otro grupo de pacientes que presenta SRIS sin infección bacteriana. Objetivo: probar el poder diagnóstico de este nuevo marcador PCT-Q® en pacientes con infecciones bacterianas en una fase temprana, además como marcador pronóstico y mortalidad. Material y métodos. Diseño: prueba diagnóstica. Se seleccionaron 2 grupos, uno con 22 pacientes con criterios de SRIS con infección bacteriana, demostrados con hemocultivos positivos (sepsis), y otro con 18 pacientes con criterios de SRIS sin infección bacteriana. Las variables estudiadas: PCT-Q® con punto de corte de > 10 ng/mL y mortalidad. Resultados. Primer día en el grupo de estudio resultaron positivos 18 casos y 2 casos en el grupo de control, con un valor de P =0.00063, altamente significativo. En la mortalidad, al séptimo día, se presentaron 8 casos en el grupo de estudio y 1 caso en el grupo control, con un valor de P =0.04, significativo. En la distribución de sexos, en el grupo de estudio se presentaron 15 casos del sexo masculino, y 5 casos en el grupo control, en el sexo femenino 7 casos en el grupo de estudio y 13 casos en el grupo control, con un valor de P =0.01104 altamente significativo, con un riesgo relativo de 2.1428. La sensibilidad y especificidad en este estudio fue 82 y 89%; VPP de 90% y VPN de 80%. índice de mortalidad de 44.4%. Conclusiones. La PCT-Q® es una herramienta útil en detectar pacientes con sepsis bacteriana en una fase temprana. Niveles persistentes > 10 ng/mL de PCT-Q® en pacientes con sepsis, ponen en correlación la gravedad de la enfermedad y muerte.

Introduction. This study evaluates the utility of the semiquantitative determination of procalcitonin (PCT-Q®) in the early diagnosis of bacterial infection in patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and positive bacterial cultures with another group of patients that presented SIRS without positive bacterial cultures. Objective: to evaluate PCT-Q® as a diagnostic tool of this new PCT-Q® marker in patients with bacterial infections in an early phase, besides and as prognostic marker in as prognosis and mortality Scoreboard. Material and methods. Design: comparative and transversal cross sectional study. Two groups were selected. The study group: included 22 patients with SIRS and positive blood cultures, shown with positive blood cultives (sepsis). The control group: included 18 patients with SIRS criteria but negative bacterial cultures. The male to female distribution in both groups included 15/22 in the study group vs 5/18 in the controls; P =0.01104. The studied variables: PCT-Q® with a cut off > 10 ng/mL and mortality. Results. On the first day, 18 cases in the study group and 2 cases in the control group, yielded a highly significant positive value; P =0.00063. By the 7th day, 8 deaths had occurred in the study group and only 1 in the control group; P =0.04. The mortality rate was of the 44.4% with a relative risk of 2.1428; the sensitivity and specificity in this study was 82 and 89% respectively. Conclusions. The PCT-Q® is a useful tool for the early detection of patients with bacterial sepsis. Persistent levels > 10 ng/mL of PCT-Q in patients with sepsis, correlates the severity of the illness and death.