Japanese journal of infectious diseases
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Jpn. J. Infect. Dis. · Jan 2011
Clinical knowledge and attitudes of Turkish physicians toward rabies caused by animal bites.
Rabies is an endemic infectious disease and one of the most important causes of human mortality in both underdeveloped and developing countries. In Turkey, 167,000 individuals are believed to be victims of animal bites annually. In this study, we investigated Turkish physicians' knowledge and clinical awareness of rabies caused by animal bites. ⋯ Finally, 30% of the physicians were not aware of the correct vaccine schedules in postexposure prophylaxis. Our data indicate that Turkish physicians' basic and clinical knowledge of rabies was insufficient. Rabies prophylaxis educational programs should be designed to educate physicians on the guidelines provided by the World Health Organization and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for the treatment of rabies caused by animal bites.
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Jpn. J. Infect. Dis. · Jan 2011
Case ReportsFatal necrotizing pneumonia caused by Panton-Valentine leukocidin-producing hospital-acquired Staphylococcus aureus: a case report.
Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) is a cytotoxin which causes leukocyte destruction and tissue necrosis. Although it is produced by fewer than 5% of Staphylococcus aureus strains, PVL-producing S. aureus is emerging as a serious problem worldwide. There has been a marked increase in the incidence of necrotizing lung infections with a very high mortality associated with these strains. This report describes a fatal case of hospital-acquired necrotizing pneumonia caused by PVL-positive methicillin-susceptible S. aureus in a patient with a brain tumor.
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Jpn. J. Infect. Dis. · Jan 2011
Increase of apoptosis in a murine model for severe pneumococcal pneumonia during influenza A virus infection.
The mechanisms of severe pneumonia caused by co-infection of bacteria and influenza A virus (IAV) have not been fully elucidated. We examined apoptosis and inflammatory responses in a murine model for pneumococcal pneumonia during IAV infection. Inflammation, respiratory epithelium apoptosis, and inflammatory-cell infiltration increased in a time dependent manner in the lungs of mice co-infected with Streptococcus pneumoniae and IAV, in comparison with those infected with either S. pneumoniae or IAV. ⋯ In contrast, in mice infected with either IAV or S. pneumoniae, apoptosis and activation of factors related to caspase-3 peaked at 48 h. Furthermore, Fas-associated death domain was significantly expressed in the lungs of co-infected mice 24 h after S. pneumoniae infection. These data suggest that early onset of apoptosis and its related factors play important roles in fulminant pneumonia resulting from bacterial pneumonia complicated by co-infection with influenza virus.
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Jpn. J. Infect. Dis. · Jan 2011
Comparative StudyActive surveillance of adverse events following immunization against pandemic influenza A (H1N1) in Korea.
Surveillance of vaccine safety is one of the public health interventions used to investigate the causal relationship between vaccines and adverse events. Using active surveillance data, we aimed to compile a detailed summary describing the safety of the pandemic influenza A (H1N1) vaccine. Computer-assisted telephone interview was used to investigate adverse events for 9,000 subjects who had received non-adjuvanted vaccines between November 2009 and January 2010, and for 19,000 adults who received adjuvanted vaccines from January through March 2010. ⋯ Among subjects who received the non-adjuvanted vaccine, 5.5% (n=492) reported adverse events after vaccination, while 6.7% of those who received the adjuvanted vaccine reported adverse events. In the group receiving the adjuvanted vaccine, the highest reported rate of adverse events was among persons aged 19-49 years (9.1%, 577/6,329), followed by persons aged 50-64 years (7.2%, 485/6,718), and elderly persons aged 65 years and over (3.4%, 204/5,953). The implementation of this active surveillance study demonstrated the safety of both the adjuvanted and non-adjuvanted H1N1 vaccines.
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Jpn. J. Infect. Dis. · Jan 2011
Case ReportsDengue fever as an acute febrile disease after overseas travel: a report of two cases.
Dengue fever (DF) is a relatively common infection in travelers, with about 100 cases being reported annually in Japan, and this number is increasing. We herein describe two patients who developed a fever after returning to Japan from Southeast Asia and who were serologically diagnosed with DF. Patient 1 was a 19-year-old man who spent 6 days in Thailand and developed diarrhea and a fever after returning to Japan. ⋯ Patient 2 was a 43-year-old man who spent time in various Asian countries and developed a fever and arthralgia after returning to Japan. Virological studies showed DV serotype 2 by RT-PCR, and anti-DV IgM and IgG antibodies were both positive by ELISA. DF and other febrile diseases, including Chikungunya fever, should be strongly suspected in patients who develop fever after returning to Japan from other Asian countries, irrespective of whether patients remember being bitten by mosquitoes.