Parassitologia
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An outline is given of a field research study to be undertaken in Malawi to investigate the pattern and consequences of malaria in pregnancy and infants. The central question to be investigated is whether babies born to anaemic mothers in malarious areas are at increased risk of developing anaemia or altered risk for morbidity from malaria or develop anaemia in the first year of life. The framework for the case control and cohort study to be undertaken is outlined.
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Five different phlebotomus-transmitted viruses have been isolated in Italy. Four of them belong to the Bunyaviridae family (genus Phlebovirus). ⋯ Radi virus is the only phlebotomus-transmitted virus isolated in Italy from P. perfiliewi, which belongs to the Rhabdoviridae family (genus Vesiculovirus). The circulation and the natural cycle of these viruses on the basis of seroepidemiological investigations and ecological studies is discussed.
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In the Mediterranean area 2 subspecies of Echinococcus granulosus exist: E. g. equinus and E. g. granulosus. The latter is divided into sheep, cattle, pig and camel strains, the adult forms of which mainly occur in farm-dogs but sometimes in wild canidae. Some of these strains can infect man: namely, the sheep and the pig strain. ⋯ The epidemiological cycle is mainly a rural one, but it can become sylvatic or even urban. Thus, the epidemiological features of hydatidosis in the Mediterranean area are not basically different from the general epidemiology of the disease. But extensive rearing of sheep, combined with the carelessness and ignorance of people and with some particular habits, favours the maintenance of the infection.
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Review
New vaccines for immunization of man: new approaches towards the prevention of rabies in man.
Cell culture rabies vaccines for human use, highly immunogenic and well tolerated, are now used for pre-exposure immunization as well as for post-exposure treatment. Presently available cell culture rabies vaccines induce immunity against the SAD modified live rabies virus used for oral immunization of foxes. They also induce immunity against the newly identified European bat rabies virus (Duvenhage).