Impact of childhood and maternal vaccination against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis in Colombia.

BACKGROUND: In Latin America, there are few studies of the impact of vaccination against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. We estimate the impact of infant and maternal vaccination on the incidence of these diseases in Colombia. DESIGN AND METHODS: an interrupted time series study analyzing the incidence before and after of vaccination with DwPT (1975-2018) and with Tdap in pregnant women (2008-2018). A segmented regression model with negative binomial distribution estimated the change in level and trend of the predicted incidence ratio after vaccination in relation to the incidence if vaccination had not been started (IRR), using a Prais Winsten regression. RESULTS: The pertussis IRR decreased immediately after the start of childhood vaccination (0.91, p=0.51), but this was only significant (1.01, p<0.001) along with the trend per year, after the start of maternal vaccination (0.98, p<0.001). In the absence of vaccination, the incidence would not have been reduced. Neonatal tetanus had the highest rate of change with significant reduction -1.69 - CI 95%: -2.91, -0.48). The trend after vaccination was the highest with an annual reduction of 19% (0.81, p=0.001). The change in incidence of diphtheria was significant, although slow (-0.02 - CI 95%: -0.04, -0.004). The sustained effect in the post-vaccination period was smaller (0.95, p=0.79). CONCLUSIONS: Childhood and maternal vaccination markedly reduced the incidence of pertussis and neonatal tetanus. It is necessary to maintain optimal vaccination coverage and surveillance, within an integrated elimination plan, which prevents the resurgence of these diseases.

Influence of germline BRCA genotype on the survival of patients with triple-negative breast cancer.

The presence of BRCA pathogenic variants (PVs) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is associated with a distinctive genomic profile that makes the tumor particularly susceptible to DNA-damaging treatments. However, patients with BRCA PVs can develop treatment resistance through the appearance of reversion mutations and restored BRCA expression. As copy-number variants (CNV) could be less susceptible to reversion mutations than point mutations, we hypothesize that carriers of BRCA CNVs may have improved survival after treatment compared to carriers of other BRCA PVs or BRCA wild-type. Women diagnosed with stage I-III TNBC at ≤50 years at a cancer center in Mexico City were screened for BRCA PVs using a recurrent PV assay (HISPANEL; 77% sensitivity). The recurrence-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared according to mutational status. Among 180 women, 17 (9%) were carriers of BRCA1 ex9-12del CNV and 26 (14%) of other BRCA PVs. RFS at ten years for the whole cohort was 79.2% (95% CI 72.3-84.6%), with no significant differences according to mutational status. 10-year OS for the entire cohort was 85.3% (95%CI: 78.7-90.0%), with BRCA CNV carriers demonstrating numerically superior OS rates other PV carriers and non-carriers (100% vs. 78.6% and 84.7%; log-rank p=0.037 and p=0.051, respectively). This study suggests that BRCA1 ex9-12del CNV carriers with TNBC may have a better OS, and supports the hypothesis that the genotype of BRCA PVs may influence survival by limiting treatment resistance mediated by reversion mutations among CNV carriers.

Serosurveillance for vaccine-preventable diseases: A look inside the pertussis experience / Serovigilancia de enfermedades prevenibles por vacunación: una mirada desde la experiencia con la tosferina

INTRODUCTION: Serological surveillance (serosurveillance) provides the most direct measure of herd immunity of vaccine-preventable diseases. Little is known about the opportunities and challenges of serosurveillance experiences, particularly pertussis. OBJECTIVE: To describe the process of serosurveillance for vaccine-preventable diseases with an emphasis on the experience of pertussis in the metropolitan area of Antioquia (Valle de Aburrá) in 2015 and 2016 and analyze the contributions and challenges for its sustainability. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We described the planning and conduction of serosurveillance of pertussis antibodies of mothers and in the umbilical cord at the time of delivery in eight hospitals based on random sampling and their capacity to advance the serosurveillance periodically. We compared the contributions and the challenges of this experience with other probabilistic and non-probabilistic programs. RESULTS: We achieved the participation of hospitals and mothers respecting the delivery care process. We established a serum bank following ethical and technical guidelines. This program based on the random selection of hospitals and mothers has enabled the estimation of antibodies prevalence in mothers and in the umbilical cord, which has been possible given the high coverage of hospital care during childbirth at a lower cost and fewer risks than a population-based survey in conflictive areas. The main challenges for the sustainability of this program are the creation of stable jobs and access to funding and legal and methodological long-term frameworks. CONCLUSIONS: Hospital serosurveillance as described is an option to monitor the impact of vaccination on the population. Our experience could be reproduced in other regions under similar conditions if the above-mentioned challenges are solved.

Introducción. La vigilancia serológica es la forma más directa de medir la inmunidad de rebaño frente a las enfermedades prevenibles por vacunación. Poco se sabe acerca de las oportunidades y los desafíos de las experiencias de serovigilancia, en general y, específicamente, la de la tosferina.Objetivo. Describir el proceso de serovigilancia de enfermedades prevenibles por vacunación con énfasis en la experiencia en el caso de la tosferina en el área metropolitana de Antioquia (Valle de Aburrá) en el 2015 y el 2016 y analizar lo que dicha experiencia ha aportado y los desafíos que persisten para su sostenibilidad.Materiales y métodos. Se describió el proceso de planeación y el desarrollo de la serovigilancia de tosferina en el momento del parto en ocho hospitales seleccionados al azar, así como la capacidad para adelantar el programa de manera periódica. Se compararon los aportes y los desafíos en el curso de esta experiencia con los de otros programas poblacionales probabilistas e institucionales no probabilistas.Resultados. Se logró la participación de los hospitales y de las madres con pleno respeto del proceso de atención del parto, y se conformó un banco de sueros siguiendo lineamientos éticos y técnicos. El programa permitió estimar la prevalencia de anticuerpos en la madre y en el cordón umbilical, lo que se facilitó por la alta cobertura de atención hospitalaria del parto, a un menor costo y menos riesgos que los programas poblacionales en zonas conflictivas. Los principales desafíos para la sostenibilidad del programa son la estabilidad laboral del personal de salud, así como normas y una financiación de largo plazo.Conclusiones. La serovigilancia hospitalaria es una opción para monitorizar el impacto poblacional de la vacunación. Esta experiencia se podría extender a otras regiones en condiciones similares si se resuelven los retos mencionados.

Corrigendum a Distribución de la fuerza de trabajo en enfermería en la Región de las Américas

[ESPAÑOL]. Corrigendum a Distribución de la fuerza de trabajo en enfermería en la Región de las Américas. La Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública llama la atención a los lectores sobre un error en el siguiente artículo, señalado por los autores: Cassiani SHB, Hoyos MC, Barreto MFC, Sives K, da Silva FAM. Distribución de la fuerza de trabajo en enfermería en la Región de las Américas. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2018;42:e72. https://doi.org/10.26633/RPSP.2018.72 . En la página 3, cuadro 1, el número de enfermeros por 10 000 habitantes en Argentina (2015) es 42,4 en lugar de 4,24.

[ENGLISH]. Corrigendum to Distribution of the nursing workforce in the Region of the Americas. The Pan American Journal of Public Health draws readers' attention to an error in the following article, pointed out by the authors: Cassiani SHB, Hoyos MC, Barreto MFC, Sives K, da Silva FAM. Distribución de la fuerza de trabajo en enfermería en la Región de las Américas. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2018;42:e72. https://doi.org/10.26633/RPSP.2018.72. In page 3, table 1, the number of nurses per 10 000 inhabitants in Argentina (2015) is 42,4 instead of 4,24.

[PORTUGUÊS]. Corrigendum à Distribuição da força de trabalho de enfermagem na Região das Américas. A Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública chama a atenção dos leitores para um erro no artigo a seguir, apontado pelos autores: Cassiani SHB, Hoyos MC, Barreto MFC, Sives K, da Silva FAM. Distribución de la fuerza de trabajo en enfermería en la Región de las Américas. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2018;42:e72. https://doi.org/10.26633/RPSP.2018.72. Na página 3, tabela 1, o número de enfermeiros por 10 000 habitantes na Argentina (2015) é de 42,4 em vez de 4,24.

Serosurveillance for vaccine-preventable diseases: A look inside the pertussis experience / Serovigilancia de enfermedades prevenibles por vacunación: una mirada desde la experiencia con la tosferina

Abstract Introduction: Serological surveillance (serosurveillance) provides the most direct measure of herd immunity of vaccine-preventable diseases. Little is known about the opportunities and challenges of serosurveillance experiences, particularly pertussis. Objective: To describe the process of serosurveillance for vaccine-preventable diseases with an emphasis on the experience of pertussis in the metropolitan area of Antioquia (Valle de Aburrá) in 2015 and 2016 and analyze the contributions and challenges for its sustainability. Materials and methods: We described the planning and conduction of serosurveillance of pertussis antibodies of mothers and in the umbilical cord at the time of delivery in eight hospitals based on random sampling and their capacity to advance the serosurveillance periodically. We compared the contributions and the challenges of this experience with other probabilistic and non-probabilistic programs. Results: We achieved the participation of hospitals and mothers respecting the delivery care process. We established a serum bank following ethical and technical guidelines. This program based on the random selection of hospitals and mothers has enabled the estimation of antibodies prevalence in mothers and in the umbilical cord, which has been possible given the high coverage of hospital care during childbirth at a lower cost and fewer risks than a population-based survey in conflictive areas. The main challenges for the sustainability of this program are the creation of stable jobs and access to funding and legal and methodological long-term frameworks. Conclusions: Hospital serosurveillance as described is an option to monitor the impact of vaccination on the population. Our experience could be reproduced in other regions under similar conditions if the above-mentioned challenges are solved.

Resumen Introducción. La vigilancia serológica es la forma más directa de medir la inmunidad de rebaño frente a las enfermedades prevenibles por vacunación. Poco se sabe acerca de las oportunidades y los desafíos de las experiencias de serovigilancia, en general y, específicamente, la de la tosferina. Objetivo. Describir el proceso de serovigilancia de enfermedades prevenibles por vacunación con énfasis en la experiencia en el caso de la tosferina en el área metropolitana de Antioquia (Valle de Aburrá) en el 2015 y el 2016 y analizar lo que dicha experiencia ha aportado y los desafíos que persisten para su sostenibilidad. Materiales y métodos. Se describió el proceso de planeación y el desarrollo de la serovigilancia de tosferina en el momento del parto en ocho hospitales seleccionados al azar, así como la capacidad para adelantar el programa de manera periódica. Se compararon los aportes y los desafíos en el curso de esta experiencia con los de otros programas poblacionales probabilistas e institucionales no probabilistas. Resultados. Se logró la participación de los hospitales y de las madres con pleno respeto del proceso de atención del parto, y se conformó un banco de sueros siguiendo lineamientos éticos y técnicos. El programa permitió estimar la prevalencia de anticuerpos en la madre y en el cordón umbilical, lo que se facilitó por la alta cobertura de atención hospitalaria del parto, a un menor costo y menos riesgos que los programas poblacionales en zonas conflictivas. Los principales desafíos para la sostenibilidad del programa son la estabilidad laboral del personal de salud, así como normas y una financiación de largo plazo. Conclusiones. La serovigilancia hospitalaria es una opción para monitorizar el impacto poblacional de la vacunación. Esta experiencia se podría extender a otras regiones en condiciones similares si se resuelven los retos mencionados.

Competências para a formação do enfermeiro de prática avançada para a atenção básica de saúde / Competencias para la formación del enfermero de práctica avanzada para la atención primária de salud / Competencies for training advanced practice nurses in primary health care

Resumo Objetivo Determinar um conjunto de competências centrais para a formação do enfermeiro de prática avançada na atenção básica de saúde, na América Latina e no Caribe. Métodos Estudo quantitativo descritivo, com análise qualitativa de dados, realizado em 2017. Participaram 830 enfermeiros da América Latina e do Caribe. Para a coleta de dados, utilizou-se um questionário com sete domínios, dimensões e competências do enfermeiro de prática avançada. A análise dos dados foi realizada por meio de estatística descritiva. Resultados Dos 830 enfermeiros que responderam à pesquisa, 40,7% ocupavam um cargo na área da educação; 41,4% trabalhavam em áreas clínicas e 17,8% ocupavam cargos de direção ou ministeriais. Quanto à escolaridade, 45,7% apresentavam mestrado e 17,3%, doutorado. Das 64 competências avaliadas, 59 foram consideradas centrais para a formação do enfermeiro de prática avançada e cinco como não indispensáveis ou muito relevantes. Conclusão O estudo apresenta um conjunto de competências centrais para o enfermeiro de prática avançada e contribui para a discussão sobre as competências centrais em sua formação na Assistência Primária à Saúde - APS. Quanto maior a escolaridade dos indivíduos, mais marcada foi a tendência de considerar as competências de ética e pesquisa relevantes, enquanto que a competência de prescrever medicamentos foi considerara relevante apenas para participantes cujos países regulamentam o papel de enfermeiros de prática avançada. As competências propostas devem ser consideradas dentro do contexto específico e regulado pela legislação de cada país.

Resumen Objetivo Determinar un conjunto de competencias centrales para la formación del enfermero de práctica avanzada en la atención primaria de salud en América Latina y el Caribe. Métodos Estudio cuantitativo descriptivo, con análisis cualitativo de datos realizado en 2017. Participaron 830 enfermeros de América Latina y el Caribe. Para la recolección de datos se utilizó un cuestionario con siete dominios, dimensiones y competencias del enfermero en práctica avanzada. Para el análisis de los datos se utilizó la estadística descriptiva. Resultados De los 830 enfermeros que respondieron a la encuesta, 40,7% desempeñaban un cargo en el área de la educación; 41,4% trabajaban en áreas clínicas y 17,8% ocupaban cargos directivos o ministeriales. En cuanto a su nivel educativo, 45,7% contaban con maestría y 17,3% con doctorado. De las 64 competencias evaluadas, 59 fueron consideradas como centrales en la formación del enfermero de práctica avanzada y cinco como no indispensables omuy relevantes. Conclusión El estudio presenta un conjunto de competencias centrales del enfermero de práctica avanzada y contribuye a la discusión sobre las competencias centrales en su formación en la APS. A mayor nivel educativo del participante, fue más marcada la tendencia a considerar relevantes las competencias de ética e investigación, mientras que la competencia para prescribir medicamentos, fue considerada relevante exclusivamente para los participantes de países donde está reglamentado el rol de enfermeros de práctica avanzada. Las competencias propuestas deben enmarcarse en un contexto específico y regulado por la legislación de cada país.

Abstract Objective To determine a set of core competencies for advanced practice nurses in primary health care in Latin America and the Caribbean. Methods This is a descriptive quantitative study, with a qualitative data analysis, conducted in 2017. A total of 830 nurses from Latin America and the Caribbean participated. A questionnaire with seven domains, dimensions and competencies of advanced practice nurses was used for collecting data. Descriptive statistics were used for the data analysis. Results Of the 830 nurses that completed the survey, 40.7% held a position in education, 41.4% worked in clinical areas, and 17.8% occupied managerial or ministerial positions. In terms of education level, 45.7% had master's degrees and 17.3% had doctorates. Of the 64 competencies assessed, 58 were considered core competencies in the training of advanced practice nurses and five as indispensable or not relevant. Conclusion The study presented a set of core competencies of advanced practice nurses and contributed to the discussion on core competencies in primary health care. The higher the level of education, the greater the tendency to consider the competencies of ethics and research as relevant, whereas the competency to prescribe drugs was only considered relevant by participants from countries where the role of advanced practice nurses is regulated. The proposed competencies must be framed within a specific context and regulated by the laws of each country.

Effect of maternal immunization against pertussis in Medellin and the metropolitan area, Colombia, 2016-2017.

BACKGROUND: In 2013, pertussis immunization (Tdap) for pregnant women was implemented in Colombia to protect newborns in response to increased pertussis incidence. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of Tdap maternal immunization on the concentration of mother/umbilical cord antibodies and the occurrence of pertussis in infants during their first six months of life. METHODS: A cohort study in eight randomly selected hospitals in Medellin and metropolitan area of Antioquia, Colombia was conducted in 2015-2016. IgG PT antibody levels in paired maternal and umbilical cord sera were measured from 805 mothers immunized recruited during labor and 200 mothers recruited during the prenatal care before immunization and followed until delivery. Antibodies were analyzed by commercial ELISA kits. 896 infants were followed to detect acute respiratory infections and paroxysms of coughing, inspiratory whoop, apnea, cyanosis or post-tussive vomiting. For laboratory confirmation, B. pertussis- specific real time PCR was performed. RESULTS: We observed a high prevalence of titers >100 IU/mL (mother: 18.40% [95% CI 16-21%]; umbilical cord: 23.1% [95% CI 19.2-27.4%]), positive correlation of umbilical cord and maternal antibodies, higher antibody concentration in vaccinated than in non-vaccinated mothers and significant difference in antibody levels before and after vaccination (Wilcoxon test p = 0.000). The trans placental transport ratio was higher if the mother was vaccinated between 26 and 30 weeks of pregnancy and maximum eight weeks before delivery. Two cases of pertussis were confirmed in infants (incidence of 1.99 per 1000). CONCLUSION: The expected effect of Tdap maternal vaccination against pertussis was observed.

Distribución de la fuerza de trabajo en enfermería en la Región de las Américas

[RESUMEN]. Este artículo ha sido corregido: https://doi.org/10.26633/RPSP.2019.319 Objetivo. Describir la distribución de la fuerza de trabajo de enfermería en países de la Región de las Américas y relacionar el número de recursos humanos en enfermería con las tasas de mortalidad materna. Métodos. Análisis descriptivo y exploratorio de 27 países de la Región. Las variables del estudio fueron la proporción de profesionales por país y subregión, la categoría profesional y la razón de enfermero-médico. Se utilizó la proporción de mortalidad materna, que es un indicador general de salud de la población, para analizar la relación con el cuantitativo de los enfermeros. Se analizaron la distribución de frecuencias y la densidad del recurso humano de enfermería por país y subregión. Resultados. La distribución de enfermería es heterogénea. Existen países con más de 80 enfermeros por 10 000 habitantes y otros con menos de cinco profesionales por 10 000 habitantes. En 34,1% de los países, la relación enfermero-médico es menor a uno. Se observan diferencias en la distribución de personal de enfermería por región, subregión y al interior de país. Conclusiones. En varios países, el número de enfermeros por habitantes es menor a lo esperado. La mayoría de los países muestran un retraso importante en la relación del número de enfermeros licenciados respecto al personal técnico y auxiliar. Es necesario implementar iniciativas para aumentar el número de enfermeros licenciados en toda la Región.

[SUMMARY]. This article has been corrected: https://doi.org/10.26633/RPSP.2019.319 Objective. Describe the distribution of the nursing workforce in countries of the Region of the Americas and the relation between the number of human resources in nursing and maternal mortality ratios. Methods. Descriptive and exploratory analysis of 27 countries of the Region. The variables in the study were the proportion of health professionals per country and subregion; professional category; and nurse-to-physician ratio. The maternal mortality ratio was used as an overall indicator of the health of the population to analyze its relationship to the number of nurses. Frequency distribution and density of human resources in nursing were analyzed per country and subregion. Results. The distribution of nursing personnel was heterogeneous. Some countries had more than 80 nurses per 10 000 population and others had fewer than five professionals per 10 000 population. In 34.1% of the countries, the nurse-to-physician ratio was less than 1. Differences in the distribution of nursing personnel were observed between regions and subregions, and within countries. Conclusions. In several countries, the number of nurses per capita was less than expected. The majority of the countries showed a significantly lower proportion of licensed nurses with respect to technical and auxiliary personnel. It is necessary to implement initiatives to increase the number of licensed nurses throughout the Region.

[RESUMO]. Este artigo foi corrigido: https://doi.org/10.26633/RPSP.2019.319 Objetivo. Descrever a distribuição de pessoal de enfermagem nos países da Região das Américas e estabelecer a relação do número de profissionais de enfermagem com o índice de mortalidade materna. Métodos. Estudo descritivo e exploratório conduzido em 27 países da Região das Américas. As variáveis estudadas foram proporção de profissionais por país e subregião, categoria profissional e relação enfermeiro-médico. O índice de mortalidade materna, por ser um indicador geral de saúde da população, foi usado para analisar a relação com o aspecto quantitativo de enfermeiros. Foram analisadas a distribuição de frequências e a densidade dos profissionais de enfermagem por país e sub-região. Resultados. Verificou-se uma distribuição heterogênea do pessoal de enfermagem, com alguns países com mais de 80 enfermeiros por 10 mil habitantes e outros com menos de cinco profissionais por 10 mil habitantes. Observou-se uma relação enfermeiro-médico inferior a um em 34,1% dos países. Houve diferenças na distribuição de pessoal de enfermagem por região, sub-região e dentro do próprio país. Conclusões. Em vários países da Região das Américas, o número de enfermeiros por habitantes é menor que o esperado. A maioria dos países tem uma defasagem considerável na razão do número de enfermeiros licenciados em relação ao pessoal de enfermagem técnico e auxiliar. É necessário implementar iniciativas para aumentar o número de enfermeiros licenciados em toda a Região.

[Distribution of the nursing workforce in the Region of the AmericasDistribuição de pessoal de enfermagem na Região das Américas]. / Distribución de la fuerza de trabajo en enfermería en la Región de las Américas.

OBJECTIVE: Describe the distribution of the nursing workforce in countries of the Region of the Americas and the relation between the number of human resources in nursing and maternal mortality ratios. METHODS: Descriptive and exploratory analysis of 27 countries of the Region. The variables in the study were the proportion of health professionals per country and subregion; professional category; and nurse-to-physician ratio. The maternal mortality ratio was used as an overall indicator of the health of the population to analyze its relationship to the number of nurses. Frequency distribution and density of human resources in nursing were analyzed per country and subregion. RESULTS: The distribution of nursing personnel was heterogeneous. Some countries had more than 80 nurses per 10 000 population and others had fewer than five professionals per 10 000 population. In 34.1% of the countries, the nurse-to-physician ratio was less than 1. Differences in the distribution of nursing personnel were observed between regions and subregions, and within countries. CONCLUSIONS: In several countries, the number of nurses per capita was less than expected. The majority of the countries showed a significantly lower proportion of licensed nurses with respect to technical and auxiliary personnel. It is necessary to implement initiatives to increase the number of licensed nurses throughout the Region.

OBJETIVO: Descrever a distribuição de pessoal de enfermagem nos países da Região das Américas e estabelecer a relação do número de profissionais de enfermagem com o índice de mortalidade materna. MÉTODOS: Estudo descritivo e exploratório conduzido em 27 países da Região das Américas. As variáveis estudadas foram proporção de profissionais por país e subregião, categoria profissional e relação enfermeiro-médico. O índice de mortalidade materna, por ser um indicador geral de saúde da população, foi usado para analisar a relação com o aspecto quantitativo de enfermeiros. Foram analisadas a distribuição de frequências e a densidade dos profissionais de enfermagem por país e sub-região. RESULTADOS: Verificou-se uma distribuição heterogênea do pessoal de enfermagem, com alguns países com mais de 80 enfermeiros por 10 mil habitantes e outros com menos de cinco profissionais por 10 mil habitantes. Observou-se uma relação enfermeiro-médico inferior a um em 34,1% dos países. Houve diferenças na distribuição de pessoal de enfermagem por região, sub-região e dentro do próprio país. CONCLUSÕES: Em vários países da Região das Américas, o número de enfermeiros por habitantes é menor que o esperado. A maioria dos países tem uma defasagem considerável na razão do número de enfermeiros licenciados em relação ao pessoal de enfermagem técnico e auxiliar. É necessário implementar iniciativas para aumentar o número de enfermeiros licenciados em toda a Região.

Hepatitis E Virus Genotype 3 in Colombia: Survey in Patients with Clinical Diagnosis of Viral Hepatitis.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis E virus is a major cause of outbreaks as well as sporadic hepatitis cases worldwide. The epidemiology of this enterically transmitted infection differs between developing and developed countries. The aims of this study were to describe HEV infection in Colombian patients and to characterize the genotype. METHODS: A prospective study was carried out on 40 patients aged over 15 with a clinical diagnosis of viral hepatitis, recruited from five primary health units in the city of Medellin, Colombia. Fecal samples obtained from the 40 consecutives cases were analyzed for HEV RNA using nested reverse transcription PCR for both ORF1 and ORF2-3. The amplicons were sequenced for phylogenetic analyses. RESULTS: Nine (22.5%) cases of HEV infection were identified in the study population. Three HEV strains obtained from patients were classified as genotype 3. No significant association was found between cases of Hepatitis E and the variables water drinking source, garbage collection system and contact with pigs. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first prospective study of hepatitis E in Colombian patients. The circulation of the genotype 3 in this population is predictable considering the reports of the region and the identification of this genotype from pigs in the state of Antioquia, of which Medellin is the capital. Further studies are necessary to establish whether zoonotic transmission of HEV is important in Colombia.

Infección por el virus de la hepatitis B en individuos con factores de exposición en Quibdó y Apartadó, Colombia / Hepatitis B Infections in Individuals with Exposure Factors in Quibdo and Apartado, Colombia

Antecedentes: Colombia presenta un patrón de prevalencia heterogéneo para la infección por virus de la hepatitis B (VHB) con regiones de alta, moderada y baja prevalencia. Objetivo: identificar los casos de infección por VHB y caracterizar los genotipos virales en población con factores de exposición en las ciudades de Quibdó y Apartadó, Colombia. Materiales y métodos: la población del estudio correspondió a 768 individuos asintomáticos con factores de exposición a la infección por VHB. El primer análisis fue la detección del antígeno de superficie del VHB (HBsAg) por prueba rápida. En las muestras de individuos positivos para esta prueba, se confirmó la presencia del HBsAg por ELISA y se detectó el genoma del VHB por reacción en cadena de la polimerasa (PCR). El genotipo viral fue determinado por secuenciación y análisis filogenético. Resultados: se identificaron 17/768 individuos con infección por VHB (2,2%) según la detección del HBsAg por prueba rápida y por ELISA. Los análisis filogenéticos permitieron la identificación de los genotipos F, (subgenotipos F3 y F1a) y A en las muestras. Conclusiones: se reporta por primera vez la circulación del subgenotipo F1a en Colombia y se confirma la circulación del subgenotipo F3 y el genotipo A.

Introduction: Colombia has a varied geographical pattern of prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections with regions of high, moderate and low prevalences. Objective: The objective of this study was to identify cases of HBV infection and characterize viral genotypes in population with factors of exposure in the cities of Quibdo and Apartado, Colombia. Materials and Methods: The study population included 768 asymptomatic individuals with factors of exposure to HBV infections. An HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) rapid detection test was the first test used. Samples from individuals who tested positive were tested with ELISA to confirm the diagnosis and with PCR to detect the HBV genome. Viral genotypes were determined by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Results: Seventeen individuals (17/768, 2.2%) were diagnosed with HBV infections by both the Rapid Test and Elisa. Phylogenetic analyses allowed identification of genotypes F (F3 and Subgenotype F1a) and A in the samples. Conclusions: We report for the first time the presence of the F1a subgenotype in Colombia and confirme the presence of subgenotype F3 and genotype A.

[Hepatitis E virus infection in patients with clinical diagnosis of viral hepatitis in Colombia]. / Infección por el virus de la hepatitis E en pacientes con diagnóstico clínico de hepatitis viral en Colombia.

INTRODUCTION: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emergent virus of global importance; it is the etiological agent of sporadic cases and outbreaks of hepatitis. The epidemiology of this infection in Colombia is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To determine the seropositivity for hepatitis E virus in Colombia in cases with clinical diagnosis of viral hepatitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum samples from patients that were sent to the Instituto Nacional de Salud during the period 2005-2010 (group 1) and samples sent to the Laboratorio Departamental de Salud Pública de Antioquia during the 2008-2009 period were included in this study (group 2). Serum samples were analyzed by immunoassay with commercial kits. RESULTS: From the 344 analyzed samples, 8.7% were positive for anti-HEV; the frequency of anti-HEV IgM was 1.74% (6/344) and the frequency of anti-HEV IgG was 7.5% (26/344). A difference in frequency of anti-HEV between group 1 (6.3%) and group 2 (1.3%) was observed. The cases were identified in nine departments of Colombia. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study of hepatitis E virus infection in patients with diagnosis of hepatitis in Colombia. The frequency of anti-HEV described in this population of patients in Colombia is similar to that described in other Latin American countries like Brazil, Perú and Uruguay. Considering the results of this study, it could be necessary to include hepatitis E virus infection serological markers in the differential diagnosis of viral hepatitis in Colombia.

Infección por el virus de la hepatitis E en pacientes con diagnóstico clínico de hepatitis viral en Colombia / Hepatitis E virus infection in patients with clinical diagnosis of viral hepatitis in Colombia

Introducción. El virus de la hepatitis E (HEV), agente etiológico de casos esporádicos y epidemias de hepatitis, es un virus emergente de importancia global. En Colombia se desconoce la epidemiología de la infección causada por este virus. Objetivo. Determinar la seropositividad para el virus de la hepatitis E en muestras de suero de pacientes con diagnóstico clínico de hepatitis viral en Colombia. Materiales y métodos. Se estudiaron muestras de pacientes remitidas al Instituto Nacional de Salud en el periodo 2005-2010 provenientes de 15 departamentos de Colombia (grupo 1) y muestras remitidas al Laboratorio Departamental de Salud Pública de Antioquia en el periodo 2008-2009 (grupo 2). Las muestras de suero se analizaron por inmunoensayo con estuches comerciales. Resultados. La frecuencia de seropositividad para el virus de la hepatitis E en las 344 muestras analizadas fue de 8,7 % (30/344); de estas, 1,74 % (6/344) presentó IgM anti-HEV y 7,5 % (26/344), IgG anti-HEV. Se observó una diferencia en el resultado positivo entre el grupo 1 (6,3 %) y el grupo 2 (15,3 %). Los casos provenían de nueve departamentos del país. Conclusiones. Este es el primer estudio de infección por el virus de la hepatitis E en muestras de pacientes con diagnóstico de hepatitis en Colombia. La seropositividad descrita en esta población de pacientes es similar a la descrita en otros países de América Latina, como Brasil, Perú y Uruguay. Teniendo en cuenta estos resultados, se debe considerar la inclusión de los marcadores de la infección por el virus de la hepatitis E en el diagnóstico diferencial de la hepatitis viral en Colombia.

Introduction: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emergent virus of global importance; it is the etiological agent of sporadic cases and outbreaks of hepatitis. The epidemiology of this infection in Colombia is unknown. Objective: To determine the seropositivity for hepatitis E virus in Colombia in cases with clinical diagnosis of viral hepatitis. Materials and methods: Serum samples from patients that were sent to the Instituto Nacional de Salud during the period 2005-2010 (group 1) and samples sent to the Laboratorio Departamental de Salud Pública de Antioquia during the 2008-2009 period were included in this study (group 2). Serum samples were analyzed by immunoassay with commercial kits. Results: From the 344 analyzed samples, 8.7% were positive for anti-HEV; the frequency of anti-HEV IgM was 1.74% (6/344) and the frequency of anti-HEV IgG was 7.5% (26/344). A difference in frequency of anti-HEV between group 1 (6.3%) and group 2 (1.3%) was observed. The cases were identified in nine departments of Colombia. Conclusions: This is the first study of hepatitis E virus infection in patients with diagnosis of hepatitis in Colombia. The frequency of anti-HEV described in this population of patients in Colombia is similar to that described in other Latin American countries like Brazil, Perú and Uruguay. Considering the results of this study, it could be necessary to include hepatitis E virus infection serological markers in the differential diagnosis of viral hepatitis in Colombia.