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Biomedical subjects

L Ledesma

Publications and source records attributed to L Ledesma.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Porcine and rodent infection with Trichinella, in the Sierra Grande area of Rio Negro province, Argentina.

In 2000, two cases of human trichinellosis were detected in the Sierra Grande area of Rio Negro province, Argentina. As part of an investigation of the aetiology of these cases, 300 pigs slaughtered for consumption in the area between 2000 and 2002 were checked for Trichinella infection, by artificial digestion of a muscle sample. Twelve (5.6%) - four (7.3%) of the 55 checked in 2000, five (4.8%) of the 105 investigated in 2001, and three (2.1%) of the 140 investigated in 2002 - were found infected. Blood samples were collected from other pigs aged > 6 months old, so that sera could be tested, in ELISA and by western blotting, for anti- Trichinella antibodies. Of the 181 animals checked in the initial serological survey, 36 (19.9%) were found seropositive for Trichinella. When 35 of the seronegative pigs were re-checked 6 months later, three (8.6%) were found to have seroconverted. Four (15.4%) of 26 local rodents, caught in Sherman-type traps, were also found positive when checked for infection by artificial digestion. It appears that about 20% of pigs in the study area are infected each year, this high level of transmission being sustained by a high prevalence of infection in the local rodent populations.

Animals↗

Acceptability of two spermicides in five countries.

Data from a large, international, multicenter, randomized trial were analyzed to compare the acceptability of two nonoxynol-9 spermicide preparations. Women who wished to use a spermicide for contraception were randomly assigned to use either a foaming tablet (n = 383) or a nonoxynol-9 film (n = 382) for 28 weeks as their only method of contraception. Participants completed questionnaires about acceptability of the assigned product 4 weeks after admission and at discontinuation. Women in both groups had very favorable opinions of the spermicide. The proportion of women who said that they liked their assigned product very much was 50% in the tablet group and 55% in the film group. Significantly more women in the film group rated the spermicide difficult to insert and stated that the product stuck to the finger during insertion. More women in the tablet group said that the product was messy and that, at least once, it did not dissolve. In both groups, liking the product was significantly associated with consistency of use, but not with subsequent pregnancy. Participants' male partners had little influence on participants' opinions about, or use of, the spermicides. Although previous analyses showed that both spermicides are associated with high pregnancy rates, they are both highly acceptable to most women.

Adolescent↗

Massive fetomaternal hemorrhage: how long should children with good evolution be controlled? A case report.

We report on a term infant with a severe fetomaternal hemorrhage that caused a serious anemia that was surmounted after several transfusions. After the initial complications, such as persistent pulmonary circulation, severe anemia and thrombocytopenia, the outcome was good. We discuss the importance of a long-term follow-up of affected children, as well as their mothers. No clear parameters for a real prognosis are available. A follow-up is needed in order to detect possible complications in neurological development.

Adult↗

[Parainfectious transverse myelitis in an adolescent. Difficulties in the etiological diagnosis].

A diagnostic process in a 13 year-old boy with a parainfectious transverse myelitis is described. Its onset was acute, with L1-location level of lesion. After a mild improvement, a relapse happened 26 days later, with a D6 level and without subsequent recovery. It has not been found criteria for diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, nor data suggesting a vascular or ischaemic anomaly. Likewise, other causes and specific infections were rejected, being cataloguet as parainfectious etiology, due a previous viral infection before its onset.

Acute Disease↗

A controlled field trial of the effectiveness of cholera and cholera El Tor vaccines in the Philippines.

A controlled field trial on some 584 000 people in an endemic cholera El Tor area in the Philippines demonstrated that cholera vaccines gave moderate protection of short duration. Injection of a single dose of vaccine prepared from either Vibrio cholerae or El Tor vibrios gave over 50% protection for the first 2 months. The immunity conferred by the V. cholerae vaccine declined rapidly after 3 to 4 months. The effectiveness of the El Tor vaccine continued for 6 months. An oil-adjuvant vaccine prepared from V. cholerae conferred an equally high degree of protection for a longer period of time, but, owing to severe vaccination reactions, its use could not be recommended.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

A long-term carrier of cholera: cholera Dolores.

The first known long-term carrier of cholera, found in the Philippines, is described. The carrier, Dolores M., who had suffered from El Tor cholera in August 1962, continued intermittently to excrete vibrios of the same characteristics as the original isolates until the date of reporting (1966). Duodenal intubation proved that the vibrios are lodged in her biliary tract. Her serum antibody titre continued to remain high in the absence of vaccination against cholera.

Biliary Tract↗