[Clinical and epidemiological description of severe outbreak of foodborne infection by Salmonella Enteritidis]. / Descripción clínica y epidemiológica de un grave brote de salmonelosis transmitida por alimentos.

BACKGROUND: Foodborne diseases have increased considerably. AIM: To report a foodborne outbreak, remarking the importance of early notification to activate the epidemiological surveillance system. RESULTS: During February 2011 we observed a Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak. 31.6% of the cases were seen in the same Emergency Care Unit where all required intravenous fluid rehydration, and 41.7% were hospitalized because of severe dehydration. In the Emergency Room 45.5% of cases required a second visit to be diagnosed correctly. DISCUSSION: Physicians under report the cases of this disease, delaying the activation of the epidemiological surveillance system. CONCLUSIONS: Besides providing good treatment to patients, physicians need to be qualified to recognize foodborne diseases and communicate early the suspicion of an outbreak to the epidemiological surveillance system in order to prevent new cases of disease in the community.

Descripción clínica y epidemiológica de un grave brote de salmonelosis transmitida por alimentos / Clinical and epidemiological description of severe outbreak of foodborne infection by Salmonella Enteritidis

Background: Foodborne diseases have increased considerably. Aim: To report a foodborne outbreak, remarking the importance of early notification to activate the epidemiological surveillance system. Results: During February 2011 we observed a Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak. 31.6% of the cases were seen in the same Emergency Care Unit where all required intravenous fluid rehydration, and 41.7% were hospitalized because of severe dehydration. In the Emergency Room 45.5% of cases required a second visit to be diagnosed correctly. Discussion: Physicians under report the cases of this disease, delaying the activation of the epidemiological surveillance system. Conclusions: Besides providing good treatment to patients, physicians need to be qualified to recognize foodborne diseases and communicate early the suspicion of an outbreak to the epidemiological surveillance system in order to prevent new cases of disease in the community.

Introducción: Las enfermedades transmitidas por alimentos (ETA) han aumentado considerablemente. Objetivo: Reportar un grave brote de ETA destacando la importancia de la notificación precoz para la activación del sistema de vigilancia epidemiológica. Resultados: Durante febrero de 2011 se observó un brote de Salmonella Enteritidis. Un 31,6% de los casos fueron atendidos en un mismo servicio de urgencia, donde todos requirieron la administración de fluidos endovenosos y 41,7% fueron hospitalizados por deshidratación grave. El 45,5% de los casos necesitó de una segunda consulta para ser diagnosticados correctamente. Discusión: La identificación de pacientes integrantes de un brote de ETA es difícil en los servicios de urgencia y los médicos sub-reportan los casos, retrasando al sistema de vigilancia epidemiológica. Conclusiones: Junto con brindar un adecuado tratamiento, los médicos deben estar capacitados para reconocer las ETA y comunicar tempranamente la sospecha de un brote para prevenir nuevos casos en la comunidad.

Seroepidemiological aspects of human Strongyloides stercoralis infections in Chile.

To determine the frequency of Strongyloides stercoralis antibodies by means of the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in Chile, in 2001-2003, 675 blood samples of patients of two psychiatric hospitals and 172 of healthy individuals (doctors, nurses and paramedicals) of these institutions, and 1,200 serum samples of blood donors of Northern region (Arica and Antofagasta), Central region (Valparaiso and Santiago) and Southern region (La Union) were collected. ELISA showed positivity of 12.1% in psychiatric hospitalized patients, none (0%) in the health personnel and 0.25% in blood donors (p < 0.05). Only in blood donors of Arica (1%) and La Union (0.5%) the ELISA test was positive suggesting that strongyloidiasis is focalized in determinate zones of the country. In Chile, human infections by S. stercoralis are endemic with very low frequency in apparently healthy individuals and high prevalence in risk groups such as the mentally ill hospitalized patients.

Seroepidemiological aspects of human Strongyloides stercoralis infections in Chile

To determine the frequency of Strongyloides stercoralis antibodies by means of the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in Chile, in 2001-2003, 675 blood samples of patients of two psychiatric hospitals and 172 of healthy individuals (doctors, nurses and paramedicals) of these institutions, and 1,200 serum samples of blood donors of Northern region (Arica and Antofagasta), Central region (Valparaiso and Santiago) and Southern region (La Union) were collected. ELISA showed positivity of 12.1 percent in psychiatric hospitalized patients, none (0 percent) in the health personnel and 0.25 percent in blood donors (p < 0.05). Only in blood donors of Arica (1 percent) and La Union (0.5 percent) the ELISA test was positive suggesting that strongyloidiasis is focalized in determinate zones of the country. In Chile, human infections by S. stercoralis are endemic with very low frequency in apparently healthy individuals and high prevalence in risk groups such as the mentally ill hospitalized patients.

Entre os anos de 2001-2003 foram coletadas amostras de sangue de 675 pacientes de dois hospitais psiquiátricos da região central do Chile, 172 de indivíduos sadios (médicos, enfermeiros e paramédicos) destas instituições e 1200 de doadores de sangue de cidades das regiões norte (Arica e Antofagasta), central (Valparaiso e Santiago) e sul (La Union) para determinar a frequência de anticorpos anti Strongyloides stercoralis mediante a reação de enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Foram observadas soropositividade de 12.1 por cento em pacientes de hospitais psiquiátricos e de 0,25 por cento em doadores de sangue (p < 0.05). Todas as amostras dos indivíduos sadios foram não reagentes. Entre os doadores de sangue a soropositividade ocorreu somente nos indivíduos de Arica (1,0 por cento) e La Union (0,5 por cento) sugerindo que a estrongiloidíase poderia estar localizada em determinadas áreas geográficas do país. Conclui-se que no Chile as infecções por S. stercoralis seriam endêmicas, de baixa freqüência e afetando especialmente grupos de risco como os pacientes psiquiátricos.

[Immunodiagnosis of Strongyloides stercoralis infections in Chile using ELISA test]. / Inmunodiagnóstico de las infecciones por Strongloides stercoralis en Chile utilizando la prueba de ELISA.

BACKGROUND: Strongyloides stercoralis is a world wide distributed small intestinal nematode parasite. In immunocompetent individuals S stercoralis can produce asymptomatic infections or a moderate clinical picture of diarrhea, some cases become chronic. In immunocompromised patients, a disseminated disease may appear, sometimes fatal. In Chile, there is little epidemiological information about S stercoralis infections and appropriate diagnostic techniques are usually not used. AIM: To evaluate the yield of an ELISA test for the diagnosis of strongyloidiasis in Chilean patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ten serum samples from patients with S stercoralis infections confirmed by a positive stool examination, 66 samples from individuals with other infections by tissue helminthes (24 toxocariasis, 15 trichinellosis, 11 hydatidosis, 12 fascioliasis and 4 cysticercosis), 13 samples from subjects with autoimmune diseases and 49 samples from apparently healthy individuals with a normal eosinophil count, were studied. ELISA antigen was prepared using a filariform larval extract obtained from a murine species of Strongyloides, maintained in laboratory animals. RESULTS: Using 0.33 optical density units as a cut off value, 9 of 10 sera of S stercoralis infected individuals, had a positive ELISA test. No cross reactions were observed with sera of patients with other helminthic infections, autoimmune diseases or in healthy individuals. Thus, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were 100%. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained are similar with those found by other investigators. ELISA test for strongyloidiasis is a useful tool for the diagnosis of clinical cases and for seroepidemiological studies of this nematode infection in Chile.

Evaluación comparativa de la efectividad de 7 acaricidas comerciales sobre Riphicephalus sanguineus en condiciones de campo: Puente Alto, Región Metropolitana, Chile / Comparative study on the efectiveness of 7 comercial acaricides on Riphicephalus sanguineus under field conditions: Puente Alto, Metropolitan Region, Chile

Se comparó el efecto de Sarnacuran, Baytroid H, Bolfo líquido, K-Othrina, Nexadip, Invetroid y Tiguvón para el tratamiento de la infestación por Riphicephalus sanguineus en perros, mediante aplicación única y en condiciones de campo. El estudio se efectuó en la comuna de Puente Alto, Región Metropolitana, seleccionando al azar grupos de 12 perros infestados. Se hizo recuento del número de garrapatas cada 7 días y hasta el día 49 postratamiento. El día 14 presentaban diferencias con el control los productos Baytroid H, Bolfo líquido, K-Othirna (p<0,05) y Nexadip e Invetroid (p<0,01). En los demás días no hubo diferencias significativas para ninguno de los productos ensayados. Al final del estudio el porcentaje de eficiencia media más alto correspondió a Bolfo Líquido con 81,1%. Se discuten las posibles causas de las diferencias con trabajos anteriores y se sugiere realizar ensayos complementarios