Vector borne and zoonotic diseases
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Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. · Oct 2011
Molecular evidence for Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Ixodes ricinus ticks from Greece.
Human granulocytic anaplasmosis is increasingly being recognized in the United States and Europe. Ixodes ricinus tick is considered the primary vector of the causative pathogen, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, in Europe. ⋯ A total of 405 I. ricinus ticks (45 pools) collected from goats in eight prefectures of northern Greece were tested for the presence of A. phagocytophilum DNA. Four pools of ticks collected in three prefectures revealed a sequence with 99%-100% similarity to known A. phagocytophilum sequences, providing the first molecular evidence for the circulation of A. phagocytophilum in I. ricinus ticks in Greece.
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Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. · Jun 2011
Acute kidney injury in patients with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome caused by Hantaan virus: comparative evaluation by RIFLE and AKIN criteria.
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most prominent characteristics of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) caused by Hantaan virus. The present study evaluated the incidence and severity of AKI classified by both the RIFLE and AKIN criteria in 120 HFRS patients at 48 h and 1 week of the patient admission. The agreements between RIFLE and AKIN and RIFLE and AKIN defined by serum creatinine (AKINc and RIFLEc) were examined by Kappa statistics. ⋯ RIFLE and AKIN classify AKI in HFRS with similar sensitivity. RIFLEc and AKINc may be used as alternatives of standard RIFLE and AKIN in the settings of general wards. The AKI classifications defined at 48 h of admission have predictive value for HFRS disease progression and severity.
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Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. · Jun 2011
Seroepidemiological survey of hantavirus infection in healthy people in Vallès Occidental, Barcelona.
Hantaviruses are the etiological agents of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Europe and Asia, and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in America. Approximately 150,000 cases are reported annually worldwide. In Spain, some hantavirus infection cases have been described. Besides, rodents that have been described as hantavirus reservoirs are present. The aim of the present study was to determinate the seroprevalence of hantavirus in humans in the northeast of Spain. ⋯ Our data show serological evidence about hantavirus infection among population of Catalonia, northeast of Spain. Seroprevalence rate was (around 2%) similar to other regions of Spain.
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In summer 2008, two fatal cases were observed in Northeastern Greece: a Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) case (first report in Greece) and a Mediterranean spotted fever case. In total, 537 ticks removed from humans who referred for this reason to the two hospitals of the region during June-September 2008 were identified. The vast majority of them (81.5%) were Rhipicephalus sanguineus, which is the main vector of Rickettsia conorii, while Hyalomma marginatum, the main vector of CCHF virus, accounted for 5.2%. The increased aggressiveness of R. sanguineus might be related to the weather conditions occurred during 2007-2008, while a variety of factors, including climate, might play a role in CCHF emergence.
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Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. · May 2011
Case ReportsPhlebovirus meningoencephalis complicated by Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia: a case report.
In June 2004 an 8-year-old boy was admitted to a hospital in Thessaloniki, Greece, because of high fever, tachypnea, hypotonia, diarrhea, and tonoclonic convulsions. Phlebovirus infection was diagnosed by IgG seroconversion to Toscana virus. ⋯ Complication by a hospital-acquired Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia resulted in 2 months of hospitalization. Slight ataxia was still present on discharge.