Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
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Comparative Study
Comparative study of the sensitivity of different diagnostic methods for the laboratory diagnosis of Buruli ulcer disease.
Several diagnostic laboratory methods are available for case confirmation of Buruli ulcer disease. This study assessed the sensitivity of various diagnostic tests in relation to clinical presentation of the disease, type of diagnostic specimen, and treatment history. ⋯ Across all subgroups, PCR had the highest sensitivity. PCR assessment of 3-mm punch biopsy tissue specimens proved to be the best diagnostic tool for nonulcerative lesions, and PCR assessment of swab samples was the best diagnostic tool for ulcerative lesions. For monitoring of antimycobacterial treatment success within controlled trials, however, only culture is appropriate.
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Guidelines for the treatment of persons with influenza virus infection were prepared by an Expert Panel of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. The evidence-based guidelines encompass diagnostic issues, treatment and chemoprophylaxis with antiviral medications, and issues related to institutional outbreak management for seasonal (interpandemic) influenza. They are intended for use by physicians in all medical specialties with direct patient care, because influenza virus infection is common in communities during influenza season and may be encountered by practitioners caring for a wide variety of patients.
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Clinical Trial
Response-guided therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus infection in patients coinfected with HIV: a pilot trial.
To study the feasibility of a response-guided therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in a tertiary care hospital. ⋯ A response-guide therapy is feasible and may be useful to optimize the individual outcome of HCV treatment in patients coinfected with HIV.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Immunogenicity, safety, and cross-reactivity of an inactivated, adjuvanted, prototype pandemic influenza (H5N1) vaccine: a phase II, double-blind, randomized trial.
Avian influenza A virus H5N1 has the potential to cause a pandemic. Adjuvants and whole-virion vaccines are regarded as antigen sparing for pandemic vaccines. ⋯ The inactivated, aluminum-adjuvanted, whole-virion H5N1 vaccine not only showed good immunogenicity and safety but also elicited significant cross-reactivity against heterologous H5N1 strains in clade 2.