[Dengue imported from Paraguay to Buenos Aires. Clinical and epidemiological report of 38 cases]. / Dengue importado del Paraguay a Buenos Aires. Estudio clinico y epidemiologico de 38 casos.

Thirty eight patients with classic dengue fever, were studied from December 1999 up to April 2000. All of them acquired the infection in Paraguay; 66% of patients arrived at Buenos Aires metropolitan area within the viremia period. Given Aedes aegypti abundance in the region they represent a high risk for local transmission. Unusual clinical findings in these patients were diarrhea (29%), transitory rise of seric aspartate aminotransferase (52%) and pruritic rash in all cases. Only 15.7% showed a biphasic course and none of the five patients with hemorrhages had a positive loop test. These observations show that dengue fever could be misdiagnosed as gastroenteritis or flue-like illness. These patients remain at risk of suffering hemorrhagic dengue. DEN 1 has not been reported in Buenos Aires. This fact and the unusual number of imported cases, represent a serious public health problem.

Dengue importado del Paraguay a Buenos Aires. Estudio clinico y epidemiologico de 38 casos. / [Dengue imported from Paraguay to Buenos Aires. Clinical and epidemiological report of 38 cases]

Thirty eight patients with classic dengue fever, were studied from December 1999 up to April 2000. All of them acquired the infection in Paraguay; 66

of patients arrived at Buenos Aires metropolitan area within the viremia period. Given Aedes aegypti abundance in the region they represent a high risk for local transmission. Unusual clinical findings in these patients were diarrhea (29

), transitory rise of seric aspartate aminotransferase (52

) and pruritic rash in all cases. Only 15.7

showed a biphasic course and none of the five patients with hemorrhages had a positive loop test. These observations show that dengue fever could be misdiagnosed as gastroenteritis or flue-like illness. These patients remain at risk of suffering hemorrhagic dengue. DEN 1 has not been reported in Buenos Aires. This fact and the unusual number of imported cases, represent a serious public health problem.

[Leptospira interrogans in a canine population of Greater Buenos Aires: variables associated with seropositivity]. / Leptospira interrogans en una población canina del Gran Buenos Aires: variables asociadas con la seropositividad.

We determined the seroprevalence of leptospirosis in a suburban canine population for the purpose of analyzing the association between different individual and environmental variables and seropositivity for leptospirosis. The study, which was cross-sectional, was performed in July 1992 in a neighborhood of Greater Buenos Aires with approximately 9,500 inhabitants and a canine population of around 2,000 animals. We studied a random sample of 223 dogs and obtained a blood sample from each. Each animal's epidemiologic history was obtained by interviewing the housewife. Serologic measurements were performed by the microagglutination technique with the use of 10 different serotypes of Leptospira interrogans. Of the 223 dogs that were tested, 57% showed seropositivity; 82% of the positive sera coagglutinated with two or more serotypes. The most frequently detected serotypes were canicola and pyrogenes. Seroprevalence in females was less common than in males (P < 0.05) and in puppies less than 1 year old it was less common than in older animals (P < 0.01). Street behavior in the dog and the presence of stagnant water in front of the owner's dwelling were the most important of the risk factors examined. The associations between seropositivity on the one hand and contact with trash deposits, hunting behavior and the presence of rodents inside the dwelling on the other were not statistically significant. Different control measures are discussed.

[Cross-reactivity between Chlamydia psittaci and Acinetobacter in indirect immunofluorescence assays]. / Reactividad cruzada entre Chlamydia psittaci y Acinetobacter en ensayos de inmunofluorescencia indirecta.

Cross reactivity between Chlamydia psittaci and a strain from genus Acinetobacter was investigated by indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) technique. Two groups of serum samples were tested: 64 belonged to patients diagnosed as psittacosis and 64 (control group) were non reactive to Chlamydia psittaci by IFA. Samples were incubated on smears prepared with an Acinetobacter suspension for detecting IgG and IgM. 100% reactivity to IgG was found in 1:16 serum dilution among anti-psittacosis sera, whereas 6.25% of control sera reacted at the same dilution. When testing IgM, high rates of reactivity were found in both serum groups, thus it has been discarded as a marker for cross reactivity. Fluorescence pattern suggests that antigens are located at the cell wall.

Norfloxacin monodose use in patients with cholera in Salta Argentina.

The use of monodose (800 mg) per os of Norfloxacin was evaluated in 32 patients with cholera at Salvador Mazza's Hospital, Salta, Argentina. It was considered the celerity in negativization of stool culture (100% of cases: 12 hours post administration), it efficiency along time (24/24 controlled patients were negative at 10th day) and MIC of isolated strains (100% of strains were sensitive: range 0.008 to 0.016 micrograms/ml). It was included oral administration of sorbitol 70% in peanut oil in order to study patients at 10th day's control. This method could be an alternative one in the study of asymptomatic carrier. Norfloxacin monodose shows good performance in early negativization of stool culture and it was also effective along the whole observation period, suggesting it could prevent carriage.

Brote de leptospirosis en las Fuezas Armadas Argentinas / Leptospirosis outbreak in Argentine Army Forces

Se estudiaron 26 personas de sexo masculino que cumplían instrucción militar. A los 8 días de haber realizado maniobras en el agua, un soldado presentó hipertermia, mialgias y compromiso respiratorio, hepático y renal. A partir de este caso se realiza un estudio de campo en el resto del batallón que tenía iguales antecedentes epidemiológicos y se detectan en total 14 enfermos de leptospirosis. Esta enfermedad debe considerarse como riesgo en el personal de las Fuerzas Armadas por las actividades propias de las mismas (AU)

Brote de leptospirosis en las Fuezas Armadas Argentinas / Leptospirosis outbreak in Argentine Army Forces

Se estudiaron 26 personas de sexo masculino que cumplían instrucción militar. A los 8 días de haber realizado maniobras en el agua, un soldado presentó hipertermia, mialgias y compromiso respiratorio, hepático y renal. A partir de este caso se realiza un estudio de campo en el resto del batallón que tenía iguales antecedentes epidemiológicos y se detectan en total 14 enfermos de leptospirosis. Esta enfermedad debe considerarse como riesgo en el personal de las Fuerzas Armadas por las actividades propias de las mismas