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Biomedical subjects

D Woodward

Publications and source records attributed to D Woodward.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Epidemiological features of a newly described serotype of Shigella boydii.

We report the clinical, microbiological, and epidemiological features of an emerging serotype, Shigella boydii 20. We interviewed patients about symptoms, and history of travel and visitors during the week before illness onset. Seventy-five per cent of the 56 patients were Hispanic. During the week before illness onset, 18 (32%) travelled abroad; 17 (94%) had visited Mexico. Eight (21%) out of 38 who had not travelled had foreign visitors. There were eight closely related patterns by PFGE with XbaI. S. boydii 20 may be related to travel to Mexico and Hispanic ethnicity. Prompt epidemiological investigation of clusters of S. boydii 20 infection may help identify specific vehicles and risk factors for infection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Calcium diglutamate improves taste characteristics of lower-salt soup.

OBJECTIVE: : To ascertain (1) whether the taste characteristics of a conventionally-salted (150 mM NaCl) soup can be reproduced in soups of substantially lower NaCl level with the help of added glutamate, and (2) whether calcium diglutamate (CDG) is equivalent to monosodium glutamate (MSG) in its effect on the taste of soup. DESIGN: : Cross-sectional, with multiple measurements on each subject. SETTING: : Healthy university students. SUBJECTS: : A total of 107 volunteers, recruited by on-campus advertising. METHODS: : Subjects tasted 32 soups, with all possible combinations of four NaCl concentrations (0-150 mM), four glutamate levels (0-43 mM), and two glutamate types (MSG, CDG). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: : Ratings of each soup on six scales (liking, flavour-intensity, familiarity, naturalness of taste, richness of taste, saltiness). RESULTS: : A 50 or 85 mM NaCl soup with added CDG or MSG is rated as high as, or higher than, a 150 mM NaCl soup free of added glutamate on five of the six scales (the exception being saltiness). CDG and MSG have equivalent effects. CONCLUSIONS: : Addition of glutamate allows substantial reductions in Na content of soup, without significant deterioration of taste. CDG and MSG have equivalent effects, but use of CDG permits a greater reduction in Na intake.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Globalization and health: a framework for analysis and action.

Globalization is a key challenge to public health, especially in developing countries, but the linkages between globalization and health are complex. Although a growing amount of literature has appeared on the subject, it is piecemeal, and suffers from a lack of an agreed framework for assessing the direct and indirect health effects of different aspects of globalization. This paper presents a conceptual framework for the linkages between economic globalization and health, with the intention that it will serve as a basis for synthesizing existing relevant literature, identifying gaps in knowledge, and ultimately developing national and international policies more favourable to health. The framework encompasses both the indirect effects on health, operating through the national economy, household economies and health-related sectors such as water, sanitation and education, as well as more direct effects on population-level and individual risk factors for health and on the health care system. Proposed also is a set of broad objectives for a programme of action to optimize the health effects of economic globalization. The paper concludes by identifying priorities for research corresponding with the five linkages identified as critical to the effects of globalization on health.

Developing Countries↗
PubMed2001

Relation between quality of recovery in hospital and quality of life at 3 months after cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: Improved quality of life (QoL) is a desirable outcome of cardiac surgery. The aim of the current study was to measure the association between quality of recovery 3 days after surgery and QoL measured 3 months later. METHODS: After obtaining ethics committee approval and consent, 120 adult cardiac surgical patients were studied. A 40-item quality of recovery score (QoR-40) was used to measure postoperative health status on days 1-3 and 1 month after surgery. QoL was measured using the short-form health survey (SF-36) at 1 and 3 months after surgery. The effect size (delta mean/SD) was used to define responsiveness, a clinically important difference in health. Associations were measured using correlation and reliability coefficients. RESULTS: There was a significant change in the mean QoR-40 for up to 1 month after surgery (P < 0.0005). QoL was improved at 3 months (P < 0.0005) but not 1 month (P = 0.29) after surgery. There was a moderate correlation between day-3 QoR-40 and 3-month SF-36 (r = 0.39; P < 0.0005). A poor-quality recovery in hospital predicted a poor QoL at 3 months (adjusted odds ratio, 4.20; 95% confidence interval, 1.41-12.5; P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The QoR-40 is a valid measure of quality of recovery after surgery and anesthesia. When compared with the SF-36, it is a better measure of early postoperative recovery. A poor-quality recovery on the days after surgery can predict a poor QoL at 3 months after surgery. This may allow earlier and more effective support strategies while patients are still in the hospital (counseling, home assistance, local doctor notification, cardiac rehabilitation).

Anesthesia Recovery Period↗
PubMed2001

Characterization of Salmonella associated with pig ear dog treats in Canada.

In the summer of 1999, the incidence of Salmonella enterica serotype Infantis infections in Alberta rose dramatically. Subsequent laboratory and epidemiological investigations established that an outbreak of human disease caused by this organism was occurring across Canada and was associated with pet treats for dogs produced from processed pig ears. Laboratory investigations using phage typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) established that isolates of Salmonella serotype Infantis from pig ear pet treats and humans exposed to pig ear pet treats comprised a well-defined subset of all isolates analyzed. Of the 53 subtypes of Salmonella serotype Infantis obtained around the time of the outbreak as defined by PFGE and phage typing, only 6 subtypes were associated with both human infection and isolation from pig ears. Together with information from epidemiological studies, these investigations established pig ear pet treats as the cause of the Salmonella serotype Infantis outbreak. The results are consistent with a model in which contaminated pig ear pet treats constitute a long-term, continuing vehicle for infection of the human population rather than causing temporally delimited point-source outbreaks. During the course of this outbreak, several other Salmonella serotypes were also isolated from pet treats, suggesting these products may be an important source of enteric infection in both humans and dogs. Though isolates of Salmonella serotypes other than Salmonella serotype Infantis from pet treats were also subjected to PFGE and phage typing, no link with human disease could be definitively established, and the contribution of pig ear pet treats to human disease remains unclear. Elimination of bacterial contamination from pet treats is required to reduce the risk of infection from these products.

Alberta↗
PubMed2001

Basis of the superiority of cefoperazone amphotericin teicoplanin for isolating Campylobacter upsaliensis from stools.

The optimum method for isolating Campylobacter upsaliensis from stools has not been clearly defined. In a preliminary study, cefoperazone amphotericin teicoplanin (CAT) selective medium isolated six C. upsaliensis strains which were not detected using modified cefoperazone charcoal deoxycholate (mCCDA). In order to identify the factors that underlie the superiority of CAT over mCCDA for isolating C. upsaliensis, we examined the effect of incubation time and antibiotic content of culture media on the growth of C. upsaliensis isolates using semiquantitative methods. The recovery of a subgroup of C. upsaliensis isolates from seeded stool specimens was also evaluated. Differences in growth of C. upsaliensis on CAT and mCCDA were modest and were not explained by the antibiotic profiles of the two media. Recovery of C. upsaliensis from spiked human feces on CAT was superior to that on mCCDA at lower concentrations of organisms (10(3) CFU/ml). We conclude that although CAT is more suitable than mCCDA for the isolation of C. upsaliensis from stools, the superiority of CAT for detecting this organism is not accounted for by the antibiotic composition of the medium.

Amphotericin B↗
PubMed1999

Genetic diversity in Helicobacter pullorum from human and poultry sources identified by an amplified fragment length polymorphism technique and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.

Helicobacter pullorum was first isolated from the faeces and carcasses of poultry and has been associated with human gastroenteritis. The aim of this study was to examine interstrain genetic diversity within H. pullorum. Two fingerprinting techniques were used: amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and pulsed field gel electrophoretic (PFGE) analysis. The 20 strains examined were from four countries and comprised 13 human isolates and seven poultry isolates. Their identity was confirmed by a species-specific PCR assay. The human and poultry isolates had distinct genotypes and most strains showed a high degree of genetic diversity. Genotyping also indicated a clonal origin for two strains from the same poultry flock, and established a close relatedness between three chicken carcass isolates from a processing plant. It is concluded that these two genotyping techniques will provide a useful basis for future epidemiological investigations of H. pullorum in poultry, and may provide a link with its possible causal role in human gastrointestinal infections.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Invasion of HEp-2 and other eukaryotic cell lines by Providenciae: further evidence supporting the role of Providencia alcalifaciens in bacterial gastroenteritis.

Wild-type strains of Providencia species were evaluated for their ability to invade HEp-2 monolayers based upon microscopic and semi-quantitative assays. Of 14 P. alcalifaciens strains tested, 3 (17%) were found to be highly invasive, 4 (22%) moderately invasive, and the remaining 61% weakly or noninvasive. HEp-2 invasion results were confirmed by thin-section electron microscopy. Invasive capabilities of P. alcalifaciens were greater at higher MOIs (100 to 1000) than at lower inocula (<10 MOI). No strain of P. stuartii or P. rettgeri tested invaded HEp-2 cells. Quantitative assays of Triton X-100-lysed, HEp-2-invaded cells indicated that between 0.001% and 0. 013% of the initial bacterial inoculum was gentamicin resistant. Further testing of select strains on various cell lines indicated the efficiency of invasion was Vero > Y1 > INT-407 > HEp-2. Two isolates recovered from a father and son with prolonged diarrhea after returning from Mexico were found to be identical on the basis of biotype, serotype, and genotype. These results provide additional evidence that some P. alcalifaciens strains cause gastroenteritis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Epidemiological typing of Campylobacter isolates from meat processing plants by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, fatty acid profile typing, serotyping, and biotyping.

Campylobacter spp. are a leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis. Foods of animal origin, particularly under-cooked poultry, are common sources of Campylobacter species associated with disease in humans. A collection of 110 Campylobacter jejuni and 31 C. coli human and environmental isolates from different Ontario, Canada, abattoirs were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, fatty acid profile typing, and biotyping. Previously collected serotyping data for the same isolates were also analyzed in this study. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was found to be the most discriminatory of the typing methods, followed by serotyping, fatty acid profile typing, and biotyping. A wide variety of typing profiles were observed within the isolates, suggesting that several different Campylobacter sp. strains were present within the abattoirs.

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗
PubMed1998

Isolation of Arcobacter butzleri in raw water and drinking water treatment plants in Germany.

A total of 147 "Campylobacter-like" strains were isolated from six drinking water treatment plants within a two year investigation period. The strains were characterized by bio-, and serotyping according the scheme for Arcobacter butzleri. The result was that 100 strains were typed as Arcobacter butzleri, 17 strains as Arcobacter butzleri-like and 6 strains as Campylobacter jejuni/coli. 24 strains were typed as Arcobacter spp. The strains isolated from the treatment plants showed the same serotypes as described for human isolates. Therefore the spread of Arcobacter organisms via the drinking water path must be suspected.

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗
PubMed1997

Salmonella isolated from humans, animals and other sources in Canada, 1983-92.

A total of 89760 human and 22551 non-human isolates of salmonella were serotyped in Canada during the period 1983-92. There were 2180 reported outbreaks associated with 10065 cases during the 10-year period. The most common salmonella serovars isolated from human and non-human sources were S. typhimurium and S. hadar. The third and fourth most common serovars from human sources were S. enteritidis and S. heidelberg, respectively, and from non-human sources they were S. heidelberg and S. infantis. The number of S. typhimurium isolations from human and non-human sources showed a downward trend over the 10-year period. A total of 222 outbreaks of S. typhimurium associated with 1622 cases occurred. The S. hadar isolations from human and non-human sources reached a peak during the years 1987-90 and declined thereafter. The number of human isolates of S. enteritidis increased until 1985 and fluctuated at a level of 8.3-12.8% of all human isolates thereafter. Seventy-three outbreaks of S. enteritidis infection associated with 568 cases occurred. More than 50% of the S. enteritidis infections in humans were caused by phage type (PT) 8. During the review period, infections caused by PT4 were less common and were almost exclusively found in people who had travelled abroad. The annual isolation rates of S. heidelberg from human and non-human sources increased steadily during the period. Bacteriophage typing of serovars from outbreaks showed that contaminated food products of poultry and bovine origin were common sources of human infection. Salmonella typhi was identified as the cause of 43 small outbreaks affecting 116 persons.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis indicates genotypic heterogeneity among Campylobacter upsaliensis strains.

To determine the genomic relatedness among a selection of animal and human Campylobacter upsaliensis isolates, macrorestriction profiles were generated for 20 C. upsaliensis strains, among 7 serogroups, using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). XhoI, SalI and SacII restriction enzyme profiles indicated genomic heterogeneity among strains. Using XhoI and SacII restriction enzyme digestion, genomic similarities between some pairs of strains were Lior serogroup specific. The genomic sizes of these isolates varied from 1.74 to 2.09 Mb. These results demonstrate molecular heterogeneity of this species similar to that found among Helicobacter pylori isolates. Among C. upsaliensis strains, PFGE is highly discriminatory and should prove a useful molecular typing method for epidemiological purposes.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Regional differences in cardiovascular risk factor prevalence in Tasmania: are they consistent with the increased cardiovascular mortality?

BACKGROUND: The death rate from cardiovascular disease in Tasmania has been among the highest in Australian States for a number of years. The North-West (NW) and Northern regions of Tasmania account for most of the increased mortality. AIMS: To determine the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in the North and NW regions of Tasmania and to ascertain whether any differences are consistent with the regional patterns of mortality for ischaemic heart disease (IHD) within the State. METHODS: The design of the study was almost identical to the previous National Heart Foundation (NHF) Risk Factor Prevalence Survey conducted in 1989. The subjects, aged 20-69 years, were randomly selected from the Electoral Roll with 1146 subjects participating in the North and 1219 in the NW. Subjects answered a detailed questionnaire and then underwent a brief physical examination with venipuncture for blood lipids. Hobart data from the NHF Risk Factor Prevalence Survey in 1989 were used as an estimate of risk factor prevalence in the Southern region. RESULTS: In both males and females, mean systolic blood pressure was significantly higher in the NW than the South which was in turn higher than the North. Mean serum cholesterol levels in males were higher in the NW than the North. Smoking behaviour was similar in males and females in all regions. Males and females in the NW and North were more inactive than those in the South. Similar proportions in all regions were on either 'no specific' or 'fat modified' diets. Body mass index in males and females was higher in the NW and North but waist to hip ratios failed to show a consistent trend. CONCLUSIONS: While the NW has an unfavourable risk factor profile compared with the South, the North does not. The risk factor data are broadly consistent with, but unlikely to be sufficient to explain fully, the regional differences in mortality from IHD.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Evaluation of commercial antisera for Shigella serogrouping.

Shigella serogrouping antisera from six companies (Becton Dickinson, Denka, Difco, Murex, Roach, and Sanofi-Pasteur) intended for the slide agglutination test and those of the Wellcolex Colour Shigella latex agglutination test were evaluated to identify quality products for Shigella identification. Forty-six reference Shigella strains (one for each serotype and species), 50 clinical strains (21 S. flexneri, 21 S. sonnei, 4 S. dysenteriae, 4 S. boydii) representing the most prevalent species and serotypes encountered in Quebec, and 9 non-Shigella strains were tested according to the manufacturers' instructions. A 3+ reaction (> or = 75% agglutination) was considered positive for the slide agglutination tests. Sensitivity varied from 47% (Roach) to 94% (Difco). For the 105 strains tested, accuracy ranged from 53% (Roach) to 91% (Wellcolex). Specificity varied from 97 to 100% for group A antisera, from 96 to 100% for group B antisera, from 88 to 100% for group C antisera, and from 95 to 99% for group D antisera. The costs of reagents required to test one strain varied from $3.50 to $13.20 (in Canadian dollars). In conclusion, Roach reagents proved to be unsatisfactory for Shigella serogrouping. Among those from the remaining companies, the Denka, Difco, and Wellcolex reagents met a performance standard of 90% accuracy.

Agglutination Tests↗