| 1. |
- Bénard, A, et al.
(författare)
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Survey of European programmes for the epidemiological surveillance of congenital toxoplasmosis.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Euro surveillance : bulletin européen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin. - 1560-7917. ; 13:15
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The objective of this investigation was to describe systems for the epidemiological surveillance of congenital toxoplasmosis implemented in European countries. In September 2004, a questionnaire, adapted from the evaluation criteria published by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was sent to a panel of national correspondents in 35 countries in the European geographical area with knowledge of the epidemiological surveillance systems implemented in their countries. Where necessary, we updated the information until July 2007. Responses were received from 28 countries. Some 16 countries reported routine surveillance for toxoplasmosis. In 12 countries (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, England and Wales, Estonia, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Scotland and Slovakia), surveillance was designed to detect only symptomatic toxoplasmosis, whether congenital or not. Four countries reported surveillance of congenital toxoplasmosis, on a regional basis in Italy and on a national basis in Denmark, France and Germany. In conclusion, epidemiological surveillance of congenital toxoplasmosis needs to be improved in order to determine the true burden of disease and to assess the effectiveness of and the need for existing prevention programmes.
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| 2. |
- Bronner, Ulf, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluation of rapid diagnostic tests for malaria in Swedish travellers
- 2011
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Ingår i: Acta Pathologica, Microbiologica et Immunologica Scandinavica (APMIS). - : Wiley. - 0903-4641 .- 1600-0463. ; 119:2, s. 88-92
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for malaria have become valuable tools for the diagnosis of malaria in both endemic and non-endemic areas. During a 7-year period, first the MalaQuick rapid test and then the NOW Malaria test, were evaluated by well-trained laboratory technicians in a university hospital laboratory of parasitology. A total of 635 blood samples were selected from 4731 blood specimens obtained from travellers at the emergency department, at wards and at out-patient clinics. The samples were analysed by microscopy and RDT. Malaria parasites were detected in the blood films of 134 (21%) samples. The sensitivity of the RDT for Plasmodium falciparum was 97.7% (84 of 86 samples) with a negative predictive value of 99.6%. The two false-negative results were associated with low levels of parasitaemia. For non-falciparum species the sensitivity was only 58.3% (28 of 48 samples). Based on the excellent ability of the RDTs to detect P. falciparum infections, we recommend the use of the NOW Malaria test as a complement to microscopy in the laboratory.
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| 3. |
- Byrnes, Andrea, et al.
(författare)
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Gene expression in peripheral blood leukocytes in monozygotic twins discordant for chronic fatigue : no evidence of a biomarker
- 2009
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 4:6, s. e5805-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Chronic fatiguing illness remains a poorly understood syndrome of unknown pathogenesis. We attempted to identify biomarkers for chronic fatiguing illness using microarrays to query the transcriptome in peripheral blood leukocytes. METHODS: Cases were 44 individuals who were clinically evaluated and found to meet standard international criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome or idiopathic chronic fatigue, and controls were their monozygotic co-twins who were clinically evaluated and never had even one month of impairing fatigue. Biological sampling conditions were standardized and RNA stabilizing media were used. These methodological features provide rigorous control for bias resulting from case-control mismatched ancestry and experimental error. Individual gene expression profiles were assessed using Affymetrix Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 arrays. FINDINGS: There were no significant differences in gene expression for any transcript. CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to our expectations, we were unable to identify a biomarker for chronic fatiguing illness in the transcriptome of peripheral blood leukocytes suggesting that positive findings in prior studies may have resulted from experimental bias.
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| 4. |
- Derouin, Francis, et al.
(författare)
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Prevention of toxoplasmosis in transplant patients.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Clinical microbiology and infection : the official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. - : Elsevier BV. - 1469-0691. ; 14:12, s. 1089-101
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Toxoplasmosis is a life-threatening opportunistic infection that affects haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) and solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. Its incidence in these patients is closely related to the prevalence of toxoplasmosis in the general population, which is high in Europe. In SOT recipients, toxoplasmosis results mainly from transmission of the parasite with the transplanted organ from a Toxoplasma-seropositive donor to a Toxoplasma-seronegative recipient. This risk is high in cases of transplantation of organs that are recognized sites of encystation of the parasite, e.g. the heart, and is markedly lower in other SOT recipients. Clinical symptoms usually occur within the first 3 months after transplantation, sometimes as early as 2 weeks post transplant, and involve febrile myocarditis, encephalitis or pneumonitis. In HSCT recipients, the major risk of toxoplasmosis results from the reactivation of a pre-transplant latent infection in seropositive recipients. The median point of disease onset is estimated at 2 months post transplant, with <10% of cases occurring before 30 days and 15-20% later than day 100. Toxoplasmosis usually manifests as encephalitis or pneumonitis, and frequently disseminates with multiple organ involvement. Diagnosis of toxoplasmosis is based on the demonstration of parasites or parasitic DNA in blood, bone marrow, cerebrospinal fluid, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid or biopsy specimens, and serological tests do not often contribute to the diagnosis. For prevention of toxoplasmosis, serological screening of donors and recipients before transplantation allows the identification of patients at higher risk of toxoplasmosis, i.e. seropositive HSCT recipients and mismatched (seropositive donor/seronegative recipients) SOT recipients. Preventing toxoplasmosis disease in those patients presently relies on prophylaxis via prescription of co-trimoxazole.
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| 5. |
- Dudarev, Alexey A, et al.
(författare)
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Food and water security issues in Russia I : Food security in the general population of the Russian Arctic, Siberia and the Far East
- 2013
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Ingår i: International Journal of Circumpolar Health. - : International Association of Circumpolar Health Publishers. - 1239-9736 .- 2242-3982. ; 72, s. 1-10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background. Problems related to food security in Russian Arctic (dietary imbalance, predominance ofcarbohydrates, shortage of milk products, vegetables and fruits, deficit of vitamins and microelements,chemical, infectious and parasitic food contamination) have been defined in the literature. But no standardprotocol of food security assessment has been used in the majority of studies.Objectives. Our aim was to obtain food security indicators, identified within an Arctic collaboration,for selected regions of the Russian Arctic, Siberia and the Far East, and to compare food safety in theseterritories.Study design and methods. In 18 regions of the Russian Arctic, Siberia and the Far East, the followingindicators of food security were analyzed: food costs, food consumption, and chemical and biological foodcontamination for the period 2000-2011.Results. Food costs in the regions are high, comprising 2343% of household income. Only 4 out of 10 foodgroups (fish products, cereals, sugar, plant oil) are consumed in sufficient amounts. The consumption of milkproducts, eggs, vegetables, potatoes, fruits (and berries) is severely low in a majority of the selected regions.There are high levels of biological contamination of food in many regions. The biological and chemicalcontamination situation is alarming, especially in Chukotka. Only 7 food pollutants are under regularcontrol; among pesticides, only DDT. Evenki AO and Magadan Oblast have reached peak values in foodcontaminants compared with other regions. Mercury in local fish has not been analyzed in the majority of theregions. In 3 regions, no monitoring of DDToccurs. Aflatoxins have not been analyzed in 5 regions. Nitrateshad the highest percentage in excess of the hygienic threshold in all regions. Excesses of other pollutants indifferent regions were episodic and as a rule not high.Conclusion. Improvement of the food supply and food accessibility in the regions of the Russian Arctic,Siberia and the Far East is of utmost importance. Both quantitative and qualitative control of chemical andbiological contaminants in food is insufficient and demands radical enhancement aimed at improving foodsecurity.
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| 6. |
- Edvinsson, Benjamin, et al.
(författare)
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A prospective study of diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infection after bone marrow transplantation.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Acta Pathologica, Microbiologica et Immunologica Scandinavica (APMIS). - : Wiley. - 0903-4641 .- 1600-0463. ; 116:5, s. 345-51
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Active infection with Toxoplasma gondii in immunocompromised transplant recipients can lead to toxoplasmosis, which may have a rapid disease course and in some cases be fatal. It is of paramount importance to diagnose toxoplasmosis at an early stage, and to initiate specific treatment to improve the outcome. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is today the primary diagnostic tool to diagnose toxoplasmosis in immunocompromised patients. Timely diagnosis may, however, be difficult if toxoplasmosis is at first asymptomatic. To investigate the magnitude of toxoplasmosis after bone marrow transplantation (BMT), we conducted a screening study by PCR where 21 autologous and 12 allogeneic BMT recipients were included. Peripheral blood samples were taken one week prior to BMT; thereafter, blood samples were drawn weekly for the first 6 months, and monthly up to one year after BMT. The samples were analyzed by conventional PCR and real-time PCR. T. gondii DNA was detected in peripheral blood from one patient 5 days post allogeneic BMT. There were no clinical signs of toxoplasmosis. Medical records were reviewed and showed a previously undiagnosed eye infection in another allogeneic BMT recipient. These two patients were seropositive for T. gondii. We concluded that monitoring for T. gondii DNA in peripheral blood samples using PCR might be a valuable method for identifying toxoplasma-seropositive stem cell transplant recipients.
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| 7. |
- Edvinsson, B, et al.
(författare)
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Rapid genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii by pyrosequencing
- 2007
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Ingår i: Clinical microbiology and infection : the official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. - : Elsevier BV. - 1198-743X .- 1469-0691. ; 13:4, s. 424-429
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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| 8. |
- Edvinsson, B, et al.
(författare)
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Real-time PCR targeting a 529-bp repeat element for diagnosis of toxoplasmosis
- 2006
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Ingår i: Clinical Microbiology and Infection. - : Elsevier BV. - 1198-743X .- 1469-0691. ; 12:2, s. 131-136
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sensitive and rapid detection of infection with Toxoplasma gondii in transplanted immunocompromised patients is crucial for a good prognosis. Two DNA fragments are used currently for detecting T. gondii infection by PCR, i.e., the B1 gene and a 529-bp repeat element that exists in 200-300 copies/genome. This study investigated whether targeting the 529-bp repeat element gives better sensitivity and accuracy than can be obtained when targeting the B1 gene (35 copies) when concentrations of T. gondii DNA are low. The results demonstrated that detection of the 529-bp repeat element increased diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy. Addition of an internal amplification control did not affect the PCR performance and was useful in order to monitor PCR inhibition by non-specific DNA in the LightCycler instrument. The real-time PCR was used successfully in a clinical context to monitor parasitaemia in the blood of a transplant recipient suffering from toxoplasmosis.
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| 9. |
- Edvinsson, Benjamin, et al.
(författare)
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Toxoplasmosis in immunocompromized patients
- 2009
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0036-5548 .- 1651-1980. ; 41:5, s. 368-371
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Infection with the cosmopolitan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is often associated with severe consequences and a high mortality rate in immunocompromized patients. Non-specific symptoms make diagnosis challenging. Monitoring of patients at risk is of value. We here present 8 cases of toxoplasmosis in immunocompromized patients with suggestions for preventive monitoring.
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| 10. |
- Evengård, Birgitta, 1952-, et al.
(författare)
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Climate change influences infectious diseases both in the Arctic and the tropics : joining the dots
- 2009
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Ingår i: Global Health Action. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1654-9716 .- 1654-9880. ; 2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Climate change is incontestably a phenomenon of global causes and impacts. However, as much as the contribution of different regions and countries to climate change differs, as much differ the impacts. This paper examines the current and potential impact of climate change on infectious diseases in regions that could not be more different: the Arctic and the tropics (The Arctic is the area north of the Arctic Circle (66.6°N), while the tropics lie between the Tropic of Cancer (23.4°N) and the Tropic of Capricorn (23.4°S)). Despite obvious differences in environmental and socio-economic contexts, there are commonalities between these areas, both in the mechanisms through which climate change influences disease transmission and in the adaptation responses health systems can and should mount. We hope that the lessons in this comparison can be distilled both by policy makers and researchers in both regions. The purpose of this article is ‘to join the dots’ and thus stimulate discussion. Inevitably, the different dots (issues) themselves cannot be elaborated on in detail here. For this, we refer the interested reader to a wide-ranging list of references.
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