The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene
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Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. · Jan 2016
Review Case ReportsPrimary Giant Splenic Echinococcal Cyst Treated by Laparoscopy.
Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonosis caused by the larval stage of the dog tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus. Liver and lungs are the most commonly affected organs whereas splenic infection is rarer and its primary involvement occurs in less than 2% of abdominal CE. We report a case of primary giant splenic hydatid cyst in a 75-year-old Peruvian woman that was laparoscopically removed without any complications, perioperative prophylactic chemotherapy with albendazole 400 mg twice a day 5 days before, and 7 days after the surgical procedure was administered, postoperative recovery was uneventful, and; at her 3-month follow-up the patient remains asymptomatic and an abdominal computed tomography scan demonstrated a cystic cavity of 15 cm diameter with no daughter vesicles, neither other abdominal organ involvement. This case is in line with the existing literature on laparoscopical treatment of splenic cystic hydatid disease, suggesting that laparoscopical treatment is a safe and effective approach for large splenic hydatid cysts to be preferred to open surgical techniques.
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Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. · Dec 2015
Impact of Global Health Research Training on Scholarly Productivity: The Fogarty International Clinical Research Scholars and Fellows Program.
In the Fogarty International Clinical Research Scholars and Fellows (FICRS-F) Program, 536 U. S. and international doctoral and postdoctoral health profession students and trainees completed 1-year research training at research centers in low- and middle-income countries. To evaluate the Program's impact, we analyzed data gathered prospectively during the Program, from PubMed, and from a representative survey of alumni. ⋯ Survey respondents had submitted 117 grant applications, and 79 (67.5%) had been funded. The FICRS-F Program yielded substantial research productivity in the early post-training years. Research outputs and impact will increase over time as alumni careers mature and they gain research independence and assume leadership positions.
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Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. · Nov 2015
Case ReportsSuccessful Treatment of Chromobacterium violaceum Sepsis in a South Indian Adult.
Infection due to Chromobacterium violaceum is rare. Diagnosis may be delayed since Chromobacterium sepsis may mimic melioidosis, especially in melioidosis-endemic areas. ⋯ We report a case of C. violaceum septicemia in an immunocompetent adult from south India, who was successfully treated with combination antibiotic therapy. Physicians in tropical and subtropical regions must be aware of C. violaceum infection as it can mimic melioidosis.
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Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. · Oct 2015
Case ReportsDelayed Hemolysis After Parenteral Artesunate Therapy for Severe Malaria in Two Returning Canadian Travelers.
Delayed hemolysis after parenteral artesunate has been described in Europe and Asia, but until recently had not been reported in patients receiving the artesunate product used in the United States and Canada. We report two cases of severe delayed hemolysis after the treatment with intravenous artesunate in Canada.
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Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. · Sep 2015
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyA Phase II, Randomized, Safety and Immunogenicity Trial of a Re-Derived, Live-Attenuated Dengue Virus Vaccine in Healthy Children and Adults Living in Puerto Rico.
This was a double-blind, randomized, controlled, phase II clinical trial, two dose study of re-derived, live-attenuated, tetravalent dengue virus (TDEN) vaccine (two formulations) or placebo in subjects 1-50 years of age. Among the 636 subjects enrolled, 331 (52%) were primed, that is, baseline seropositive to at least one dengue virus (DENV) type. Baseline seropositivity prevalence increased with age (10% [< 2 years], 26% [2-4 years], 60% [5-20 years], and 93% [21-50 years]). ⋯ Among unprimed subjects, immunogenicity (geometric mean antibody titers [GMT] and seropositivity rates) for each DENV increased substantially in both TDEN vaccine groups with at least 74.6% seropositive for four DENV types. The TDEN vaccine candidate showed an acceptable safety and immunogenicity profile in children and adults ranging from 1 to 50 years of age, regardless of priming status. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00468858.