Proposed attributes of national wildlife health programmes.

Wildlife health is important for conservation, healthy ecosystems, sustainable development and biosecurity. It presents unique challenges for national programme governance and delivery because wildlife health not only crosses jurisdictional responsibilities and authorities but also inherently spans multiple sectors of expertise. The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) encourages its Members to have wildlife disease monitoring and notification systems. Where national wildlife health surveillance programmes do exist, they vary in scope and size. Evidence-based guidance is lacking on the critical functions and roles needed to meet the OIE's recommendations and other expectations of a national programme. A literature review and consultation with national wildlife health programme leaders identified five key attributes of national programmes: 1) being knowledge and science based; 2) fostering cross-nation equivalence and harmonisation; 3) developing partnerships and national coordination; 4) providing leadership and administration of national efforts; and 5) capacity development. Proposed core purposes include: 1) establishment and communication of the national wildlife health status; 2) leading national planning; 3) centralising information and expertise; 4) developing national networks leading to harmonisation and collaborations; 5) developing wildlife health workforces; and 6) centralising administration and management of national programmes. A national wildlife health programme should aim to identify, effectively communicate and manage the risk to or from a country's wildlife populations. It should generate the appropriate knowledge required to improve the effectiveness of wildlife policies and systems, including identifying and assessing emerging priorities, thus facilitating early warning, preparedness and preventive actions.

La santé de la faune sauvage a un impact important sur la préservation des espèces et d'écosystèmes sains, sur le développement durable et sur la biosécurité. Les défis sont nombreux et complexes pour les programmes nationaux de gouvernance et de mise en oeuvre car les responsabilités et les compétences juridictionnelles sont croisées et les secteurs d'expertise sont multiples. L'Organisation mondiale de la santé animale (OIE) encourage ses Membres à mettre en place des systèmes de notification et de surveillance des maladies de la faune sauvage. Les programmes existants sont de tailles et de compétences variables et les orientations prises concernant les fonctions indispensables pour répondre aux recommandations de l'OIE et à ce qui est attendu d'un programme national ne sont pas toujours déterminées sur une base scientifique. Une revue de la littérature et des consultations auprès de responsables des programmes nationaux de santé de la faune sauvage ont permis d'identifier cinq attributs à proposer pour ces programmes nationaux. Ces programmes doivent :1) fonctionner sur la base de données scientifiques ; 2) favoriser l'équivalence et l'harmonisation transnationales ; 3) développer des partenariats et une coordination à l'échelle nationale ; 4) encadrer et administrer les efforts nationaux ; et 5) assurer le renforcement des capacités. Les missions essentielles sont : 1) déterminer et rendre publique la situation sanitaire de la faune sauvage dans le pays ; 2) encadrer le plan national ; 3) centraliser l'information et l'expertise ; 4) développer les réseaux nationaux d'harmonisation et de collaboration ; 5) former des personnels compétents dans le domaine de la faune sauvage ; et 6) centraliser l'administration et la gestion des programmes nationaux. Les objectifs d'un programme national de santé de la faune sauvage sont d'identifier, de rendre publics et de gérer les risques pour les populations d'animaux sauvages ainsi que les risques générés par ces mêmes populations. Ces programmes doivent promouvoir les connaissances nécessaires pour améliorer l'efficacité des politiques et des systèmes applicables à la faune sauvage, en particulier l'identification et l'évaluation des nouvelles priorités afin de faciliter la mise en oeuvre de systèmes d'alerte précoce, de préparation aux urgences et d'action préventive.

La salud de los animales silvestres, tan importante para la conservación del medio, el buen funcionamiento de los ecosistemas, el desarrollo sostenible y la seguridad biológica, presenta singulares dificultades desde el punto de vista de la gobernanza y aplicación de programas nacionales, dado que la fauna silvestre no solo toca a múltiples responsabilidades y atribuciones jurisdiccionales sino que, por su propia naturaleza, convoca a una plétora de especialidades técnicas. La Organización Mundial de Sanidad Animal (OIE) alienta a sus Miembros a que se doten de sistemas de vigilancia y notificación de enfermedades de la fauna silvestre. Allí donde existen, los programas nacionales en la materia son muy variopintos en cuanto a sus dimensiones y alcance. Faltan pautas científicamente sólidas sobre las funciones y atribuciones básicas que se requieren para cumplir las recomendaciones de la OIE y otras expectativas a las que pueda responder un programa nacional. Tras efectuar un estudio bibliográfico y consultar a los directivos de programas nacionales en la materia, los autores determinaron cinco atributos clave que debe reunir todo programa nacional: 1) estar basado en el saber y la ciencia; 2) favorecer la equivalencia y la armonización entre naciones; 3) crear alianzas y mecanismos de coordinación nacional; 4) encabezar y administrar las actividades a escala nacional; y 5) desarrollar los medios de acción del país. Los objetivos básicos propuestos son: 1) determinar y dar a conocer la situación sanitaria de la fauna silvestre del país; 2) dirigir las labores de planificación a escala nacional; 3) centralizar la información y las competencias especializadas; 4) instituir redes nacionales que propicien la armonización y las iniciativas de colaboración; 5) desarrollar los recursos humanos dedicados a la sanidad de la fauna silvestre; y 6) centralizar la gestión y administración de los programas nacionales. Todo programa nacional de sanidad de la fauna silvestre debe responder a la finalidad de detectar, comunicar eficazmente y gestionar los riesgos que amenacen a las poblaciones de animales silvestres del país o que provengan de ellas. A tal efecto debe generar el conocimiento adecuado y necesario para conferir más eficacia a las políticas y sistemas tocantes a la fauna silvestre, lo que supone, entre otras cosas, determinar y evaluar las nuevas prioridades, facilitando con ello la alerta anticipada y las labores de preparación y prevención.

Fibrilação atrial no idoso: uma abordagem prática / Atrial fibrillation in the elderly: a practical approach

A incidência da fibrilação atrial aumenta com a idade, bem como as complicaçöes decorrentes dela própria e de seu tratamento, isto é, a anticoagulação. A principal complicação é a embolia cerebral, aumentada no idoso. Infelizamente, a incidência de complicaçöes hemorrágicas graves devido aos anticoagulantes está também aumentada e o ácido acetilsalicílico não se mostrou muito eficaz nessa faixa etária. A disfunção diastólica e as cardiopatias usualmente concomitantes tornam o idoso particularmente sensível às alteraçöes hemodinâmicas impostas pela fibrilação atrial, não sendo raras a dispnéia, as palpitaçöes constantes, a insufuciência cardíaca e as síncopes. Sendo assim, os autores propöem uma ênfase maior na tentativa de restauração e manutenção do ritmo sinusal nessa população, a fim de evitar a ocorrência de embolias sistêmicas sem o risco de hemorragias, além de proporcionar melhora mais eficaz da sintomatologia.

Induced tolerance and chimaerism in human fetuses using coelocentesis: a medical opportunity to avert genetic disease?

Coelocentesis offers a new opportunity for gaining access to the coelomic cavity of human embryos from 28 days post-fertilization (42 days menstrual age). With this technique, cells can be extracted from the cavity for the genetic typing of embryos in early pregnancy. Coelocentesis may also offer a unique opportunity of inducing tolerance to foreign grafts and chimaerism in these human embryos by replacing donor cells into the coelomic cavity. This cavity appears to be closely associated with the fetal haemopoietic system. The optimal age to inject stem cells designed to produce chimaerism may be at 5-6 weeks embryonic age, and these grafted cells may induce tolerance later in gestation. Two successive coelocenteses would be needed, the first to extract fetal cells to type the fetus, and a second within a few days to inject the donor cells into the coelomic cavity. Alternatively, non-invasive methods of diagnosis such as lower uterine pole extramembranous sampling of fetal trophoblast, or the extraction of fetal cells from maternal blood, could be combined with coelocentesis. If tolerance and chimaerism can be established, repeated tissue grafts could be carried out during fetal life and after birth, so that disorders caused by single or multiple gene defects in the haemopoietic system and other organs may be corrected.

White blood cell count in healthy Sierra Leoneans.

The lack of standard local values for use as reference values has been a problem facing our haematological units in Sierra Leone for a long time. As a preliminary step towards the establishment of standard local values, one hundred and sixty apparently healthy Sierra Leoneans between the ages of 10 years to 50 years and above living in Freetown were investigated for the determination of total and differential white blood cells counts. The total white cell count was done by using the neubeur counting chamber whilst the differential white cell count was done from a thin blood smear stained with leishman's stain. A mean white blood cell count of 5.0 x 10(9)/L was obtained for the study group with a range of 2.4-12.0 x 10(9)/L. The study did not show any significant difference in white blood cell count between males and females. A mean differential neutrophil count of 56% was obtained for the study group and a mean differential lymphocyte count of 37% were obtained for the study group. The leucopenia obtained for the study group is thought to be due to the neutropenia and is probably thought to be a genetically determined characteristic of the indigenous Africans.

[Radiofrequency ablation of incessant supraventricular tachycardia due to anomalous pathway of retrograde decremental conduction]. / Ablação por radiofreqüência de taquicardia supraventricular incessante por via anômala de condução retrögrada decremental.

Woman, 46 years-old with incessant supraventricular tachycardia and tachycardiomyopathy. The diagnosis of a concealed retrograde long conduction time accessory pathway was obtained with the delay of the next atrial activation by delivering a ventricular premature beat during His bundle refratoriness. During electrophysiologic investigation the earliest atrial activation was found to be within the coronary sinus ostium. Two 25 watts applications of radiofrequency were followed by the interruption of the incessant supraventricular tachycardia. The patient has remained symptom free without recurrence for 60 days. Radiofrequency was effective for the treatment of this tachycardia.

Changes in receptor status after treatment with tamoxifen in endometrial cancer.

Estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptor (PgR) status was determined in 41 women with operable endometrial cancer before and after administration of tamoxifen (TAM). The first sample was obtained by hysteroscopy to ensure a precise biopsy of neoplastic tissue; the second was done on the surgical specimen. PgR content was significantly increased after TAM treatment and this data was compared with the degree of tumor differentiation.

Dental survey in Nigeria. Part 4. Prevalence and severity of periodontal diseases.

Six hundred and seventy-three school children from the age of 3 to 20 living in the urban and the rural areas of Nigeria were examined by the Joint Dental Epidemiological Survey in 1986. The survey was funded by the Grant-in-Aid from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, and was conducted by both the Japanese survey team and the staff from the University of Ife, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. The periodontal state of the children was evaluated according to the Community Periodontal Index for Treatment Needs (CPITN) by WHO (1). The prevalence of periodontal diseases was found to be 84.2% within the sample with a high occurrence of gingivitis and heavy deposits of calculus. However, there was little evidence of damage to the periodontal tissues. This can be attributed to the nature of their diet. The results suggested that there would be an increasing need for well-planned and organized public educational programs for the Nigerian children to promote better oral hygiene coupled with parental involvement in the prevention at home.

Dental survey in Nigeria. Part 2. Biting force of Nigerian.

The biting force of 855 Nigerian children and adults from the age of 3 to 60 was recorded in the Joint Dental Epidemiological Survey in Nigeria in 1981. The biting force of the Nigerian rural group (245 males and 178 females) was significantly greater than those of the Nigerian urban group (227 males and 203 females) and the Japanese males and females.

Light and electron histochemistry of phosphoamidase with p-chloranilidophosphonic acid and with cyclophosphamide (endoxan).

The original metal-salt technique of Gomori (1948a) employing p-chloranilidophosphonic acid as a substrate for the demonstration of the activity of phosphoamidase has been used with varying success by a number of investigators for light microscopy. Cyclophosphamide (endoxan) which is a cytotoxic drug known to activate phosphoamidase and other lysosomal enzymes in neoplasm (Grillo, 1971) is proposed as another substrate for the enzyme for both light and electron microscopy.

Cellular changes in tissues of newborn mice infected with Mokola virus: ultrastructural and biochemical changes.

Cellular and biochemical changes which occurred in the tissues of newborn mice infected with Mokola virus, a rabies-related virus (rhabdovirus group), were described. The virus was transmitted along the peripheral nerves and appeared in various tissues of the body, but did not replicate in any except the nervous system, where it manifested its gross effects. While Mokola virus increased the synthesis of glycogen and total protein in infected brain, liver, lung, spleen and heart, it reduced the activity of monoamine oxidase in the brain. Virus multiplication occurred in the normal rough endoplasmic reticulum. During virus reproduction the membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi complex and mitochondria were destroyed and replaced by a viral matrix. Virus maturation also occurred within the rough endoplasmic reticulum.