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Biomedical subjects

M H Hatch

Publications and source records attributed to M H Hatch.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Handwashing to prevent diarrhea in day-care centers.

Diarrhea has been recognized as a frequent health problem among children enrolled in day-care centers. Thus, we evaluated the effect of a handwashing program in two day-care centers (HWC) on the incidence of diarrhea among children when compared to children in two control centers (CC). After the program was begun, the incidence of diarrhea at the HWC began to fall and after the second month of the study was consistently lower than that at the CC. The incidence of diarrhea in the HWC was approximately half that of the CC for the entire 35-week study period. Adenoviruses, rotavirus, Giardia lamblia, and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli were found in the stools of a small number of ill children, but not pathogen was identified in the stools of most children with diarrhea. These results suggest that a handwashing program will probably prevent at least some of the diarrhea in day-care centers.

Adenoviruses, Human↗

Acute biliary tract disease associated with echovirus 11 infection.

A patient hospitalized with the clinical diagnosis of acute cholecystitis had a normal cholangiogram and recovered without medical or surgical intervention. During the same week, two adults in an acquainted family had a similar syndrome at home. Echovirus 11 was cultured from the stool of all three patients, as well as from four other members of the same two families who had concurrent diarrheal illness. Serologic evidence confirmed acute echovirus 11 infection in the hospitalized patient. In the absence of evidence of a communitywide epidemic of cholecystitis, the coexistence of viral infection with biliary tract symptoms could represent an ongoing endemic situation. Recognition of this syndrome could make it possible to avoid unnecessary major surgical procedures.

Adult↗

Multiple genetic changes can occur in the oral poliovaccines upon replication in humans.

Poliovirus isolates of serotypes 2 and 3 from patients whose paralytic poliomyelitis cases were classified as oral vaccine-associated were analysed by oligonucleotide mapping of the virus genomes and by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the virus proteins. Oligonucleotide maps of all isolates were similar to the maps of the corresponding oral vaccine strain. No two isolates gave identical maps. Most maps differed from that of the vaccine strain by at least one oligonucleotide spot. Maps of some isolates revealed numerous differences, indicating that multiple (greater than 100) genetic changes had occurred in the vaccine virus genomes during replication in one or two individuals. In contrast, maps of some neural tissue isolates showed minimal differences from the reference vaccine maps, raising the possibility that neurovirulence may be restored by a small number of genetic changes. For many isolates, changes were also detected in the mobilities of processing rates of the virus proteins.

Adult↗

Strain characterization studies of poliovirus type I isolates from poliomyelitis cases in the United States in 1979.

In 1979 there was a small outbreak of poliomyelitis among non-immunized Amish individuals in the United States. Epidemiological evidence linked these cases to those in Canada in 1978 which themselves were related to cases in the Netherlands in 1978. Poliovirus type 1 was found to be the cause both in the US and in the other countries. Strain characterization tests were carried out on virus isolates from all three outbreaks. All the type 1 strains were non-vaccine-like both with the absorbed strain specific antisera and with the modified Wecker test. However, the latter as well as the rct test used to characterize these strains are obviously not very discriminating marker tests. The oligonucleotide mapping procedure appears to be a much more definitive approach to recognizing relationships between polioviruses. The various marker tests provided laboratory data in support of the epidemiological evidence that the poliovirus type 1 spread from Holland to Canada in 1978 and from there to the US in 1979.

Disease Outbreaks↗

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with antecedent poliomyelitis.

Histopathological and virological studies were performed on autopsy tissue from a 47-year-old man who had a history of acute poliomyelitis at age 15 years and died after a three-year course of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The poliovirus serologic tests suggested prior infection with poliovirus type 3 but no ongoing poliovirus infection. The CNS showed typical features of ALS with no inclusion bodies or inflammatory cells. Attempts to isolate poliovirus in the CNS were unsuccessful and results of immunofluorescence studies for poliovirus antigen were negative. Molecular hybridization experiments using a DNA copy of the complete poliovirus genome failed to demonstrate poliovirus-related RNA or DNA sequences in the CNS. These studies, using sensitive techniques, indicate that there was no evidence of the continuing presence of poliovirus in this patient with ALS and antecedent poliomyelitis.

Adolescent↗

Biophysical properties of a non-cultivable 29-nm enteric virus.

A 29 nm non-cultivable virus (NCV) was detected in faecal extracts from children hospitalized for gastroenteritis. The NCV had a density of 1.35 g/ml in glycerol-potassium tartrate density gradients and was resistant to degradation by proteolytic enzymes, non-ionic detergents and pH extremes. The surface of these virus particles had knob-like projections which appeared to have a symmetrical arrangement. When heated to 56 degrees C, the virus was completely degraded to soluble components which could not be seen by electron microscopy.

Adult↗

The return of Boston exanthem. Echovirus 16 infections in 1974.

Although the "Boston exanthem" has been seen rarely over the past 20 years, in the summer of 1974 we identified ten children, aged 1 week to 7 years with echovirus 16 infections. Seven of the children had rashes, and in four, the illness suggested roseola infantum. Five of these children were neonates, all with illnesses severe enough to mimic sepsis. In addition information obtained on echovirus 16 isolations occurring in 1974 elsewhere in the country showed an additional 27 isolations from eight states. It is postulated that more outbreaks of the Boston exanthem or other echovirus 16 illnesses will appear during the next several years, before the virus again "disappears".

Boston↗

Reovirus-like agent as a cause of nosocomial diarrhea in infants.

Surveillance for nosocomial diarrhea due to a reovirus-like agent was maintained on the pediatric wards of a large metropolitan hospital in January and February, 1976, during a large community outbreak of that illness. During this period, 30 (27%) of 111 children under surveillance were admitted for dehydration secondary to diarrhea; 21 (70%) of these 30 children had RLA in stool samples obtained at admission. Ten (17%) of the 60 children admitted without diarrhea, hence at risk of acquiring nosocomial RLA infection, contracted the illness. With human RLA as an antigen, no hospital personnel had serologic (complement fixation test) evidence of infection. Early attempts to control the diarrhea at home and in the outpatient department by the use of oral fluid rehydration, isolation of patients with severe symptoms requiring hospitalization, and strict attention by hospital personnel to hand washing between examination of patients may limit nosocomial spread of the disease.

Child↗

Vaccine-associated poliomyelitis in a child with sex-linked agammaglobulinemia.

Paralytic poliomyelitis was observed in a child with a sex-linked defect in immunoglobulin synthesis. Evidence is presented that this was secondary to administration of oral, live poliovaccine. The demonstration of a familial sex-linked gammaglobulin deficiency and the failure to document a defect in cell-mediated immunity in this child extends the risk of vaccine associated poliomyelitis to virtually all forms of immunodeficiency. The critical host factors in the pathogenesis of poliovirus vaccine infection and in particular its unfavorable outcome appear to include either a deficiency in the humoral (B cell) system or in the cell-mediated (T cell) system.

Agammaglobulinemia↗

Acute enteritis associated with reovirus-like agents.

In Atlanta, from January to April 1975, reovirus-like agents (RLAs) were detected by a simplified electron-microscopic technique in the stools of 16 of 29 children with acute enteritis. Complement fixation tests with purified RLA antigens demonstrated antibody titer rises in seven children with RLA in their stools and in two mothers (one symptomatic) from whom acute and convalescent sera were available. Complement fixation tests performed on 207 individuals of varying ages and 60 laboratory workers indicated a high frequency of past infection with RLA, the highest frequency being in children 6 months to 4 years of age. These results corroborate the high rate of RLA detection in the stools of children with acute enteritis in other parts of the world and suggest that such infections can also occur in adults.

Acute Disease↗

Modified counterelectrophoresis method for subtyping hepatitis B antigen.

A modified counterelectrophoresis (CEP) method was developed for determining the d and y subtypes of hepatitis B antigen (HBSAg). In this method, HBSAg of known subtype was diffused into the agarose gel before electrophoresis from the wells which were subsequently to receive the subtyping antiserum. This served to absorb the common anti-alpha antibody from the subtyping antiserum, which was heterologous with respect to the d or y component, during electrophoresis. The remaining d or y antibody then reacted type specifically with the antigen to be subtyped. The modified CEP method was much more sensitive than the immunodiffusion (ID) method for subtyping HBSAg. Sixty-two sera which could not be subtyped by ID were successfully subtyped by the CEP method. The geometric mean HBSAg complement fixation titer determined on 48 of these sera was significantly lower (P congruent to 0.016) than that of a group of sera which could be subtyped by ID. Sixteen other sera could not be subtyped by either the CEP or the ID procedure (geometric mean titer equal to 5.2). Therefore, more sensitive means of subtyping must be used for some HBSAg-positive sera.

Counterimmunoelectrophoresis↗