[Epidemiological situation of tuberculosis in the province of Salamanca and the influence of HIV/AIDS infection]. / Situación epidemiológica de la tuberculosis en la provincia de Salamanca e influencia de la infección VIH/sida.

This study aimed to determine the real prevalence of tuberculosis and the influence of HIV/AIDS infection from January 1992 to January 2001 in the health area of Salamanca. Data on tuberculosis were obtained from the EDO system of the Medical Records Service and the Microbiology Department of the University Hospital of Salamanca. Data on HIV/AIDS infection were obtained from the records on seropositive patients from the Preventive Medical Service. It was found that during the study period, 769 cases of tuberculosis were diagnosed and 606 cases were reported, 12.7% of which were in HIV/AIDS patients. There was 8.7% resistance to isoniazid and 8.3% to rifampin. Multidrug resistance was found in 4.17%. It was concluded that there is a close relationship between tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS infection, which may constitute a risk factor for the disease as well as for the appearance of multidrug resistance. The low reporting of tuberculosis cases shows the need for active surveillance systems.

Fascioliasis in Spain: a review of the literature and personal observations.

The fascioliasis induced by Fasciola hepatica is a syndrome which has still not been fully clarified in this country, though the different peninsular regions are suitable for completion of the life cycle of the worm; infested animals may found throughout these regions and in almost all of them human fascioliasis has been diagnosed, with the greatest incidence in the Basque Country, Navarra and La-Rioja. This greater appearance is probably related to the dietary habits in those areas, since the consumption of water cress is undoubtedly the principal source of contamination and is entirely responsible for the rest of the epidemiology of the diseases in humans. In the cases studied, the clinical symptoms did not differ from those habitually found in this syndrome. Serological methods have resolved the diagnosis in the acute phase of the disease and furthermore are of great use for monitoring post-treatment evolution. The cases studied by this Department were diagnosed with immunodiffusion, haemagglutination and immunoelectrophoresis techniques and the evolution of the patients was also followed by immunodiffusion and haemagglutination.