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Biomedical subjects

M I Gegúndez

Publications and source records attributed to M I Gegúndez.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

The seroprevalence of human infection with Rickettsia slovaca, in an area of northern Spain.

An epidemiological survey was undertaken to explore human exposure to Rickettsia slovaca in two provinces of northern Spain. When IFAT were used to test 200 members of the general population for antibodies to rickettsiae of the spotted-fever group, six (3.3%) were found positive, presumably, since Dermacentor is one of the most common genera of human-biting tick in the study area, for antibodies to R. slovaca. Thirty-one (16.9%) of an additional 183 subjects who presented shortly after being bitten by ticks were also found seropositive. The difference in seroprevalence between the general and the tick-bitten populations was significant. Subject gender had no influence on seroprevalence in either population, although, in the tick-bitten group, age and occupation did have a significant influence on the prevalence recorded. Immunoblotting was used to confirm the presence of antibodies in the five subjects, all from the tick-bitten group, found to have acute infections. Three D. marginatus ticks obtained from three of these acute cases were found PCR-positive for R. slovaca DNA.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2003

A sero-epidemiological study of Rickettsia typhi infection in dogs from Soria province, central Spain.

Data relating to Rickettsia typhi infection in Spain are scarce. The seroprevalence of canine infection with this species has now been investigated, in dogs from the central province of Soria. The results of indirect immunofluorescence assays indicated that nine (12.3%) of the 73 dogs checked were carrying antibodies against R. typhi. The gender, age and breed of the dog, and whether it was used for hunting, shepherding, guarding or simply as a pet, apparently had no significant affect on the probability of it being seropositive. Being infested with fleas or having a history of such infestation was, however, significantly associated with seropositivity. The present results confirm that dogs may be infected with R. typhi and indicate their potential usefulness as sentinels in epidemiological studies of the pathogen. The results of wide-scale, serological studies of dogs may allow the geographical distribution of R. typhi to be mapped relatively simply.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Serological study of hantavirus in man in the Autonomous Community of Madrid, Spain.

Data relating to hantavirus infection in Spain are scarce and limited to rural areas. The aim of this work was to study the seroprevalence of hantavirus infection in the Autonomous Community of Madrid (ACM), a region containing both rural and urban populations in different ecological settings. Sera from 3852 individuals (1849 male, 2003 female) were screened by indirect inmunofluorescence, with Vero E6 cells infected with Puumala, Hantaan and Seoul viruses as antigens. Screen-positive results were confirmed by Western blot with recombinant Seoul virus nucleocapsid protein as antigen. Antibodies against hantavirus were detected in 12 sera (0.31%). No statistical differences were found according to sex and age. The highest prevalence was found in the southeastern area, significantly higher than the central and north-western areas. The most frequent serological pattern was reactivity against all three viruses used (33.3% of all positive sera). Therefore, this study confirms the presence of hantavirus infection in the ACM, including for the first time an urban area of Spain, but with the highest prevalence in a rural area. Serological evidence suggests that there is more than one circulating serotype.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Prevalence of antibodies to Rickettsia typhi in an area of the center of Spain.

It was the aim of the present work to evaluate Rickettsia typhi antibody prevalence in 'Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid' (CAM), an area in the centre of Spain. A total of 640 serum samples from the general population were tested by an indirect immunofluorescence assay. Specific R. typhi antibodies were found in 44 (6.8%) of the samples. The present survey results demonstrate the occurrence of R. typhi human infections in this area.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Effect of pH and buffer system on the in-vitro activity of five antifungals against yeasts.

We have compared the effect of various media on the in-vitro activity of amphotericin B, flucytosine, fluconazole, itraconazole and ketoconazole against 93 clinical yeast isolates by a micro-broth dilution technique. The media used were: RPMI 1640 with 2% glucose, buffered with 0.165 M MOPS at pH 7.0; the same medium, but buffered at pH 7.4; and the same medium, but buffered at pH 7.4 with 0.15% sodium bicarbonate. The three media gave similar results with azole antifungals and flucytosine, but the medium buffered at pH 7.0 failed to detect different populations of yeasts with respect to amphotericin B susceptibility. In the case of the media buffered at pH 7.4, Candida krusei was significantly less susceptible to amphotericin B than Candida albicans or Torulopsis glabrata. We could not evaluate the results obtained with Candida parapsilosis and Cryptococcus neoformans since these species did not grow adequately in all three media.

Amphotericin B↗
PubMed1996

[Hantavirus infection in Spain: seroepidemiologic study in the province of Soria].

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present was to study the seroprevalence of Hantavirus infection in the province of Soria, Spain. METHODS: Total specific antibodies against Hantavirus (Hantaan and Puumala virus) were studied by indirect immunofluorescence in 537 sera (251 males and 286 females) of a population from the province of Soria, distributed proportionally to the number of inhabitants from the health care areas. The age range of the population was from 1 to 95 years, the group mode ranging between 25 to 30 years and with a mean age of 36.4 years. The sera with antibody titers equal to or higher than 1/32 were considered as positive. RESULTS: Significant titers of antibodies against Hantaan or Puumala virus were detected in 2.2% of the total of sera studied (12 positive sera); 1.75% in women (5/286) and 2.8% in men (7/251). Of these 12 positive sera, 8 reacted against both virus (1.5%-8/537), 3 exclusively to Puumala and 1 only to Hantaan. Seroprevalence against Puumala was 2% (11/537) and 1.7% against Hantaan (9/537). The age of the subjects with positive sera ranged from 3 to 73 years with a mean of 33.8 years with higher prevalence in the group from 30 to 40 years of age (4.1%). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study confirm the existence of infection by Hantavirus in Spain.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Problems in minimum inhibitory concentration determinations in coryneform organisms. Comparison of an agar dilution and the Etest.

The antimicrobial susceptibility of 159 coryneform organisms was determined by an agar dilution and Etest methods. Overall, the correlation between minimum inhibitory concentrations obtained by both techniques was good (> or = 0.09) for most antibiotics and organisms although the essential agreement ranged from 59% to 88.3%. Most organisms were equally categorized (sensitive, intermediate, or resistant) by both methods with only 0.2%, 0.4%, and 3.5% of very major, major or minor discrepancies, respectively. Such percentages dropped significantly when discrepant strains were retested. The correlation was specially good for Corynebacterium jeikeium and Corynebacterium urealyticum.

Actinomycetales↗
PubMed1994

Development of myelopathy before herpes zoster rash in a patient with AIDS.

We describe the case of a patient with AIDS who developed progressive myelopathy due to varicella-zoster virus 2 months before the appearance of skin lesions typical of herpes zoster. Varicella-zoster virus was isolated from his CSF. Therapy with acyclovir failed to control his neurological complications despite its in vitro efficacy against the isolates.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1993

Cytopathic effect mimicking virus culture due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis grew, from a bronchoalveolar lavage of a patient with AIDS, on a gentamicin-supplemented cell culture monolayer, causing a focal and slowly spreading cytopathic effect resembling that of a virological isolate. The same effect was observed after inoculation of two different inocula of M. tuberculosis onto the same cell culture.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1993

[Incidence of tuberculostatic-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Clinical aspects and impact on therapy and clinical course].

BACKGROUND: To know the incidence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistant to anti-tuberculin drugs in addition to the clinical features, treatment and evolution of the patients. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of the clinical histories of patients with isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with some type of resistance studied from January 1980 to April 1992. RESULTS: During the period studied 470 patients were diagnosed with tuberculosis by cultures. In 30 of these cases (6.4%) Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistant to Isoniazide (8), Streptomycin (6), Isoniazide + Rifampicin (4), Isoniazide + Streptomycin (3), Isoniazide + Ethambutol (2), Isoniazide + Rifampicin + Streptomycin (2), Isoniazide + Rifampicin + Ethambutol (2), Rifampicin (1), Ethambutol (1), Isoniazide + Pyrazinamide (1) and Isoniazide + Rifampicin + Streptomycin + Ethambutol (1) were isolated. Clinical information was obtained on 23 patients, with the most frequent clinical pictures being those of respiratory infection (15). Five cases occurred in HIV+ patients. The resistance was considered as primary in 58.97% of the cases with modifications in empiric treatment being necessary in 6 cases. In 15 out of the 19 patients from whom the data of the follow up was obtained the evolution was good. CONCLUSIONS: Resistance to Mycobacterium tuberculosis was 6.4%, with the high number of strains resistant to Rifampicin being of note. In 79% of the cases in which follow up data was obtained the resistance had no impact on treatment due to the good evolution of the patients in relation with the treatment used.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Mycobacteriosis during 1980-1990 in a Madrid hospital].

BACKGROUND: To assess the incidence and features of environmental mycobacteria that can produce disease over a ten years period (1980-1990) in an University Hospital from Madrid (Spain). METHODS: Medical records of all patients in whom and environmental mycobacteria that can produce disease had been isolated were reviewed and classified as definite, possible or not clinically significant isolates, according to clinical features and microbiologic findings. RESULTS: Mycobacterium species were isolated in 415 patients (491 clinical samples over a total of 3003, 16.3%). In 29 patients a environmental mycobacteria that can produce disease was identified. Medical records from 25 patients were retrieved, being this mycobacteria isolated classified as with definite clinical significance in 8 cases, with possible clinical significance in 4, and without clinical significance in 13 cases. Clinical features in the significant cases were: lung infection (3 cases), pleural and pericardial disease (1 case), peritonitis (1) and soft tissue infection (1) Two patients died. Surgical excision of the lesion was performed in the remaining patients, and clinical cure was achieved in five cases. CONCLUSIONS: The most prevalent mycobacterial infection in our environment is still due to M. tuberculosis infection, followed by M.avium-intracellulare. Surgical treatment is a valid approach in patients with localized infection by environmental mycobacteria that can produce diseases.

Adult↗