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J Giesecke

Publications and source records attributed to J Giesecke.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Helicobacter pylori infection and foreign travel.

Seroprevalence of antibodies to Helicobacter pylori is generally higher in developing than in developed countries. The route of transmission of H. pylori is unknown but is most commonly assumed to be fecal-oral. Gastroenteritis in a person traveling to developing countries is often a marker of exposure to fecally contaminated food or water. Of 133 initially seronegative young Swedes traveling to developing countries for a total of 16.4 years, of whom 102 reported having had at least one episode of gastroenteritis, not one seroconverted. This rate is lower than in studies of residents in developed countries and casts some doubt on the theory of fecal-oral transmission via a common source as an important mode of transmission of infection with Helicobacter pylori.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Cost of acute hepatitis B infection in Swedish adults.

In order to register data on costs for episodes of acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in adults, the medical records from 70 adults with acute HBV infection seen at Roslagstull's Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden, were reviewed. All cost-consuming events due to medical treatment, absence from work, and secondary prophylaxis were registered. The average cost was 1,230 pounds for medical treatment, 570 pounds for work loss and 290 pounds for secondary cases and prophylaxis, a total of 2,090 pounds in 1992 prices. This figure is considerably lower than that reported in 3 previous European studies. Accurate estimates of the costs for a case of HBV, as well as those of different vaccination strategies, are essential when economic aspects of HBV vaccination programmes are discussed.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed1993

Prevalence of hepatitis B virus markers among intravenous drug abusers in Stockholm: impact of heterosexual transmission.

In order to study the importance of sexual transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) among intravenous drug abusers (IVDAs), and from IVDAs to others, we consecutively interviewed 171 IVDAs detained at the Stockholm Remand Prison during 4 months in 1990. Sexual histories revealed that 77% reported > or = 3 sexual partners during the last 3 years, 64% had had a sexual partner who did not inject drugs, and 61% reported a prior STD. The prevalence of HBV markers was 75%. In a multiple logistic regression analysis, a high risk for HBV markers was associated with an increasing duration of drug abuse, a high prevalence of hepatitis A markers, and an increasing number of drug injecting sexual partners during the last 3 years, indicating that sexual transmission, along with sharing of needles, may contribute to the high prevalence of HBV markers within this group. It is suggested that an adequate sexual history must be obtained from IVDAs with acute viral hepatitis in order to identify sexual partners who should be offered postexposure prophylaxis, and that non-immune IVDAs should be vaccinated against viral hepatitis A and B.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Risk of pneumonia in patients previously treated in hospital for pneumonia.

Although elderly patients who are admitted to hospital for any disease have a higher risk of pneumonia subsequently, whether those treated in hospital for pneumonia are at even greater risk is unknown. Therefore we retrospectively assessed morbidity and mortality due to pneumonia after discharge in 573 consecutive patients admitted to hospital for pneumonia, gastrointestinal infection, renal infection, or erysipelas. Average follow-up was 34 months. The incidence rate for pneumonia was 5.45 times higher in the group of patients discharged after pneumonia than in the other groups combined (95% confidence interval 2.89-10.26; p less than 0.001), and this group also had more deaths due to pneumonia (p = 0.06). For patients 50 years or older Streptococcus pneumoniae is the main cause of pneumonia. Pneumococcal vaccination after hospital treatment for an episode of pneumonia might be a cost-effective means of preventing disease in this group.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Prevalence of hepatitis B virus markers in Sweden: a community-based serosurvey of 4,000 young Swedish adults.

The influence of age, origin, and region of domicile on the prevalence of hepatitis B virus markers was investigated in a cross-sectional sample of young Swedish adults. Sera and demographic data were prospectively collected from 2,000 male conscripts and 2,000 pregnant women from urban and rural parts of Sweden during 1988-1989. A total of 10 of 4,000 (0.25%) were found to be hepatitis B surface antigen carriers, and 62 (1.6%) were positive for both anti-hepatitis B core antigen and anti-hepatitis B surface antigen, indicating a present or prior hepatitis B virus infection. Origin from a country with high hepatitis B virus endemicity and increasing age were factors associated with serologic signs of a present or prior hepatitis B virus infection, whereas region of domicile was not. In addition, seven individuals positive only for anti-hepatitis B core antigen (blocking greater than 70% in the test) and 39 positive only for anti-hepatitis B surface antigen (with a titer of greater than or equal to 10 international units/liter) were believed to have been exposed to hepatitis B virus. Altogether, these results indicated that 3% of young Swedes had encountered hepatitis B virus and that origin from a country with high hepatitis B virus endemicity was the factor that most strongly was associated with a present or past hepatitis B virus infection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Partner notification as a tool for research in HIV epidemiology: behaviour change, transmission risk and incidence trends.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether routinely collected data from partner notification for HIV infection could be used to study HIV epidemiology. The issues addressed were measures of contact patterns and behaviour change, variables influencing transmission risks, and indications of HIV incidence. DESIGN: We collected anonymous questionnaire data from all partner notifications performed from seropositive patients diagnosed in Sweden between 1 January 1989 and 30 June 1990. METHOD: A structured questionnaire was completed by the physician or counsellor interviewing newly diagnosed seropositive patients and counselling their reported partners. The questions focused on temporal and behavioural aspects of all contacts between index patients and partners. RESULTS: Questionnaires were completed for 365 of the 403 (91%) index patients diagnosed during the study period, for 350 of the 390 (90%) located partners, and for 274 of the 297 (92%) relationships where results of HIV testing were known for index patient and partner. Seropositive individuals diagnosed in 1989 or later reported less risk behaviour than those diagnosed earlier. Risk of transmission in sexual contact increased when the infectious partner developed symptoms of HIV infection. Anal intercourse was found to be approximately twice as infectious as vaginal, and transmission risk from a seropositive insertive partner approximately twice as high as from a receptive. The total HIV incidence in Sweden appears to be declining, as does the number of newly diagnosed infected homosexual men. CONCLUSION: Carefully collected data acquired from a partner notification programme are well suited to describe and follow the epidemiology of HIV infection.

Contact Tracing↗
PubMed1991

Efficacy of partner notification for HIV infection.

Since 1985, partner notification has been part of Swedish policy to prevent the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Potentially infected partners of a newly diagnosed seropositive patient are notified either by the index patient or by the physician and referred for counselling. The efficacy of this strategy was assessed over 18 months in 1989-90. 365 HIV-seropositive index patients (91% of the 403 patients diagnosed in Sweden during the study period) reported 564 sexual or needle-sharing contacts. 390 contacts were located and counselled and HIV test results are known for 350 of them. In 53 of the 350 cases, previously unknown seropositivity was diagnosed. Partner notification for HIV should be viewed as a strategy to offer counselling and testing to a high-prevalence group of people. In a country where general HIV prevalence is low, the strategy is cost-effective for location and counselling of unknowingly seropositive individuals.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1991

Some remarks on definition and validity of terms used in models for infectious disease spread.

The epidemiology of infectious diseases makes use of a number of terms, such as exposure, infected, carrier, attack rate, and immunity. Researchers who intend to model the spread of epidemics should be aware of the problems with some of these terms. The role played by inapparent, or subclinical, infections is receiving increased attention in infectious disease epidemiology. Patients with such infections may never be reported as cases, which could give rise to problems when, for example, data from national surveillance bodies are being used for modeling. The assignment of patients to different transmission groups must, in most cases, rely on self-reported data from the medical interview. This possible source of bias should be recognized.

Carrier State↗
PubMed1991

Estimation of a preference matrix for women's choice of male sexual partner according to rate of partner change, using partner notification data.

Data from a study of partner notification for venereal chlamydial infection are used to estimate the contact preference matrix, according to sexual contact activity levels of the male partners, of young heterosexual women. A method for correcting data for the bias introduced by studying infected women only is presented. Results indicate that an overall proportional mixing model is not an adequate description of the mixing pattern.

Bias↗