Revista chilena de infectología : órgano oficial de la Sociedad Chilena de Infectología
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Rev Chilena Infectol · Feb 2008
Review Case Reports[Hansen's disease: case report and review of literature].
Leprosy is a granulomatous disease affecting the skin and peripheral nerves caused by Mycobacterium leprae. The range of clinical forms varying from tuberculoid to lepromatous leprosy results from variations in the cellular immune response to the mycobacterium. ⋯ We present a 56-year-old man who had lived in Paraguay for 8 years, and presented with leprosy 6 years after returning to Chile. The biology of leprosy, clinical features of the disease, current diagnostic criteria and approaches to treatment are discussed.
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Rev Chilena Infectol · Dec 2007
Historical Article[Typhoid fever: rise, peak and fall of an infectious disease in Chile].
This article presents the history of typhoid fever in Chile since its definition as a clinical entity until our days. From this history is evident the long lasting confusion with typhus (rickettsial spotted fever) in Chile although the identity and characteristics of typhoid fever had been established in the first half of nineteenth century in Europe. This confusion could be explained because some clinical features are similar in both diseases (high fever and delirium) and because of its occurrence in poor hygienic conditions. ⋯ In the contemporary history of typhoid fever it is remarkable a huge outbreak during 1976-1985, associated to abrupt socioeconomical and environment crisis, as well as an abrupt diminution of the disease in 1992, with a marked reduction that persists until now. This last phenomenon was the consequence of a quasi-experimental public health intervention and sanitary education conducted in 1992 to avoid the cholera epidemic that was spreading in Perú, a neighboring country. We conclude that, although the hypothesis of environment contamination as the cornerstone in typhoid persistence was present since the recognition of the disease in 1894, it was faced efficiently only and perhaps in a definitely manner only almost 100 years later.
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Rev Chilena Infectol · Oct 2007
Case Reports[Sepsis caused by pigmented and no pigmented Chromobacterium violaceum].
Chromobacterium violaceum sepsis is rare but associated with a high mortality rate. We report a fatal case of C. violaceum sepsis in a 6 years old Venezuelan indian boy. Clinical manifestations were fever and swelling in the right inguinal region. ⋯ Appendicectomy was performed and during surgery a right psoas abscess was identified that resulted culture positive for pigmented C. violaceum. Blood cultures were positive for a pigmented and non pigmented C. violaceum strain. Imipenem and amikacin were administered despite of which the child died 9 days after hospital admission.
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Rev Chilena Infectol · Aug 2007
Biography Historical Article[John Snow, the cholera epidemic and the foundation of modern epidemiology].
John Snow (1813-1858) was a brilliant British physician. Since young he stood out for his acute observation capacity, logical thinking and perseverance, first in anesthetics and later in epidemiology. The successive outbreaks of cholera that affected London, motivated him to study this disease from a populational point of view. ⋯ Bravely, Snow opposed to certain theories present at his time, sacrificing his own prestige. He was a pioneer in the use of modern epidemiological investigation methodologies such as conducting surveys and spatial epidemiology. Fairly, he is considered nowadays as father of modern epidemiology by the scientific community.
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Rev Chilena Infectol · Jun 2007
Historical Article[Notes about the history of poliomyelitis in Chile].