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J Sepúlveda Amor

Publications and source records attributed to J Sepúlveda Amor.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

Epidemiology of AIDS and tuberculosis.

This article reviews literature on the epidemiology, pathogenicity, and control of HIV and Mycobacterium tuberculosis coinfection. Regarding pathogenicity, immune system deterioration makes HIV-infected people more likely to develop active tuberculosis on primary or secondary exposure to the bacillus or to suffer reactivation of latent infections, and to experience considerably higher rates of extrapulmonary manifestations, relapses, and death. Regarding epidemiology, as of 1990 there were an estimated 3 million people coinfected with HIV and M. tuberculosis, with some 300,000 active tuberculosis cases and 120,000-150,000 tuberculosis deaths occurring annually among those coinfected. Over 500,000 coinfected people are thought to reside in the Americas, over 400,000 of them in Latin America. In general, the impact of coinfection is evident. Relatively high and increasing prevalences of HIV infection have been detected among tuberculosis patients around the world, and tuberculosis has become a frequent complication of AIDS cases. Moreover, there is no longer any doubt that coinfection obstructs tuberculosis prevention and control. Among other things, it affects BCG vaccination policies, suggests the need to administer preventive chemoprophylaxis to HIV-infected individuals at high risk of harboring or contracting tuberculosis infections, and complicates both detection and treatment of active tuberculosis cases. The recent proliferation of M. tuberculosis strains resistant to multiple drugs, most notably in the United States, compounds the problem. Tuberculosis prevention and control are still technically and economically feasible. However, more must be done to establish surveillance programs with laboratory support. More research is needed to determine what case prevention measures are best-suited to current circumstances and the HIV/AIDS presence. More effective preventive treatment regimens that are well tolerated, well complied with, and do not pose the risk of multiresistance need to be devised. More health workers need to be trained to suspect tuberculosis and to conduct timely and appropriate tests confirming this diagnosis. And finally, more must be done to standardize the types and durations of the various curative treatment regimens employed.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

[Education of Mexican health personnel on AIDS].

We describe the epidemiology of AIDS as it pertains to health workers in Mexico. Of the 12,151 cases notified in adults up until 1993, 2.9% occurred among such workers. Two cases of occupational transmission have been documented. Seroprevalence surveys have shown an infection rate of less than 0.1%. Nonetheless, the frequency with which hepatitis B viral markers are present (11.8% of anti-HBs antibody carriers and 2% of anti-HBsAg antibody carriers) points to the fact that mechanisms for the transmission of both types of viruses are at work. Surveys conducted among health workers to explore their knowledge and attitudes on the subject of AIDS indicate that they share many false notions about the disease and that they stigmatize its victims. Educational campaigns have improved knowledge about the illness but have not modified people's attitudes significantly. Holding workshops has proved to be the most useful strategy for attitude modification. We describe a few strategies that may be useful for changing negative attitudes among health personnel. When calculating the frequency with which biosafety measures are implemented, it has been noted that their application is erratic. Epidemiologic studies have confirmed the existence of an association between the time of occupational exposure and the presence of hepatitis B viral markers. Many people reject adopting certain measures, such as anti-hepatitis vaccination. Finally, we analyze the need for continuous training and supplies if increased biosafety measures are to be adopted.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Prevention of HIV transmission through blood and blood products: experiences in Mexico.

As of August 1988, 1,628 cases of AIDS had been reported in Mexico, of which 12% were ascribed to transmission through blood. Of the 201 subjects infected by blood, 159 (79%) were infected through transfusions. The relatively high number of such cases was found to be associated with a prevalence of HIV infection of 7% among paid donors as compared with a prevalence of 0.1% among volunteer donors. A National AIDS Prevention Committee has been established in Mexico, and amendments to the country's General Health Law mandate compulsory screening to detect HIV infection among all donors and prohibit the sale of blood. A national network of screening laboratories was established and an educational campaign initiated among health personnel. Evaluation of this program shows that the current frequency of HIV infection in donors is 0.04%.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

[Factors related to mortality in neonatal tetanus in the rural area of Jalisco].

In this article, we report the results of a survey taken in towns with less than 2,500 inhabitants in the rural tetanigenic zone of the State of Jalisco. The purpose was to know the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), the Neonatal Tetanus Mortality Rate (NTMR), the incidence of neonatal tetanus, and a partial register of these indicators, as well as the identification of the risk factors associated with fatalities from this disease. The sampling was multistaged with random selection of the conglomerates. The results were as follows: 75 deaths in children of less than one year of age with an IMR of 34.7 per 1,000 Live Births Registered (LBR), 40 deaths in those of less than 29 days old (Neonatal Mortality Rate of 18.5 per 1,000 LBR), eight deaths by neonatal tetanus (NTMR of 3.7 per 1,000 LBR), the estimated annual incidence rate of neonatal tetanus was 4.6 per 1,000 LBR, and the proportion of neonatal deaths due to tetanus was 20 per cent. The main factors studied which were statistically found to be significantly associated with the mortality rate from neonatal tetanus were: a maternal history of two or more prior child deaths having an Odds Ratio (OR) of seven; the existence of cramped living conditions greater than 3.5 persons per room (OR = 7.93); maternal illiteracy (OR = 7.22); and birth at the home (OR = 17.89). When the logistics model was used to control some of the misleading factors and obtain adjusted OR estimates, place of birth and the maternal history or two or more prior child deaths were found to be significant.

Age Factors↗

[Mexican phenotype and genotype Vibrio cholerae 01].

This paper presents the phenotypical and genotypical characterization of 26922 Vibrio cholerae 01 strains isolated in Mexico from 1991 to 1993. All strains isolated were El Tor biovar. Strains were sensitive to antibiotics excluding furazolidone, streptomycin and sulfisoxasole to which we found resistance in 97% and we are using this characteristic as epidemiological markers. We detected a marked change in frequency of Inaba serotype from 1991, when it was dominant, with 99.5%, until 1992 when Ogawa serotype turned to be dominant with 95% of isolates. All Vibrio cholerae 01 strains, except one Ogawa strain, were to igenic, and V. choleraeno 01 were not toxigenic by ELISA, PCR and cell culture tests. Dominant ribotype was 5, but we found some strains with 6a pattern and two with ribotype 12. We are searching for ribotype 2 among hemolytic strains in order to learn if there is any relation to Gulf Coast strains prevalent in the USA, but until now we have not found any V. cholerae ribotype 2 in our isolates. Even if rapid tests are recommended for immediate diagnosis of cholera, it is necessary to continue bacterial isolation in order to have strains for phenotyping and genotyping studies that may support epidemiological analysis.

Base Sequence↗