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Biomedical subjects

P Parola

Publications and source records attributed to P Parola.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Molecular survey of Ehrlichia infection in ticks from animals in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.

A total of 82 ticks collected from wild animals and dogs in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan were examined for Ehrlichia infection by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers that amplify DNA of most members of the genus Ehrlichia. A DNA sample from an Ixodes ovatus nymph from a bear in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, was positive in the screening PCR. Subsequent PCR using two sets of primers yielded a 1431 bp segment of the 16S rRNA gene and the sequence was very similar to those of E. chaffeensis and E. muris, and a strain variant of a recently described Ehrlichia species isolated from I. ovatus in other prefectures of Japan.

Animals↗

Gnathostomiasis.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Albendazole↗

Ticks and tickborne bacterial diseases in humans: an emerging infectious threat.

Ticks are currently considered to be second only to mosquitoes as vectors of human infectious diseases in the world. Each tick species has preferred environmental conditions and biotopes that determine the geographic distribution of the ticks and, consequently, the risk areas for tickborne diseases. This is particularly the case when ticks are vectors and reservoirs of the pathogens. Since the identification of Borrelia burgdorferi as the agent of Lyme disease in 1982, 15 ixodid-borne bacterial pathogens have been described throughout the world, including 8 rickettsiae, 3 ehrlichiae, and 4 species of the Borrelia burgdorferi complex. This article reviews and illustrate various aspects of the biology of ticks and the tickborne bacterial diseases (rickettsioses, ehrlichioses, Lyme disease, relapsing fever borrelioses, tularemia, Q fever), particularly those regarded as emerging diseases. Methods are described for the detection and isolation of bacteria from ticks and advice is given on how tick bites may be prevented and how clinicians should deal with patients who have been bitten by ticks.

Animals↗

Tick-borne bacterial diseases emerging in Europe.

Since the identification of Borrelia burgdorferi as the agent of Lyme disease in 1982, 11 tick-borne human bacterial pathogens have been described throughout Europe. These include five spotted fever rickettsiae, the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis, four species of the B. burgdorferi complex and a new relapsing fever borrelia. We present these emerging diseases and focus on the factors that play a role in the recognition of new tick-borne diseases.

Animals↗

Controlled trial of 3-day quinine-clindamycin treatment versus 7-day quinine treatment for adult travelers with uncomplicated falciparum malaria imported from the tropics.

We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to compare a 3-day quinine-clindamycin regimen (group QC) with a 7-day quinine regimen (group Q) for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in travelers returning from the tropics. A total of 55 and 53 patients in groups Q and QC were analyzed, respectively. Adverse effects were similar in both groups, although two patients in group Q had severe adverse reactions, leading to the cessation of treatment. The 28-day cure rate for the evaluated patients (per-protocol analysis) was 100% for group QC, whereas it was 96.3% for group Q (P = 0.5). The 28-day cure rate in the intention-to-treat analysis was 96.2% for group QC, whereas it was 94.6% for group Q (P = 1). There were no significant differences between the two regimens with regard to parasite and fever clearance times. Our study shows that the 3-day quinine-clindamycin regimen is well tolerated and compares favorably with a 7-day quinine treatment. This short-term regimen had previously been evaluated only in areas of endemicity. According to our results, the 3-day quinine-clindamycin regimen may be an alternative for the treatment of imported uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in travelers returning from the tropics.

Adult↗

Tick-borne rickettiosis in Guadeloupe, the French West Indies: isolation of Rickettsia africae from Amblyomma variegatum ticks and serosurvey in humans, cattle, and goats.

Twenty-seven rickettsiae were isolated and/or detected from 100 Amblyomma variegatum ticks collected on Guadeloupe in the French West Indies. In this study, the polymerase chain reaction procedure appeared to be more sensitive in detecting rickettsiae in ticks than the shell-vial technique. Sequencing a portion of the outer membrane protein A-encoding gene showed that these rickettsiae appeared to be identical to Rickettsia africae, a member of the spotted fever group rickettsiae recently described as an agent of African tick-bite fever occurring in sub-Sahelian Africa. A high seroprevalence of antibodies to R. africae was demonstrated among mammals, particularly humans, cattle, and goats. These results and a recently reported case of an infection due to R. africae on Guadeloupe demonstrate that R. africae is present on this island. Although this disease has been underdiagnosed there, it may be frequent and may exist on other Caribbean islands where A. variegatum has propagated dramatically over recent years.

Adolescent↗

[Infections of vascular prostheses of the abdominal aorta. Diagnostic and therapeutic problems].

UNLABELLED: Aortic graft infection is one of the most serious complication of vascular surgery. While the incidence of such infections has declined over the years, it continues to be associated with high mortality and high rates of limb loss. Graft implanted in the inguinal area have a higher rate of infection than those that lie entirely within the abdomen. Infection of the intraabdominal extremities of vascular grafts is most frequently associated with prostheto-enteric fistula. DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT: Despite the many available sophisticated imaging techniques diagnosis remains difficult, particularly with intra-abdominal grafts because of nonspecific clinical and imaging findings. A variety of approaches to aortic graft infection have been proposed and optimal treatment usually requires an association of systemic antibiotic administration with surgery. Removal of the entire infected graft is often necessary for cure and there are only few situations in which conservative treatment is acceptable. A careful identification of the infecting microorganisms and in vitro susceptibility testing are essential for successful therapy. PREVENTION: Prevention consists in a strict adherence to principles of asepsis and the use of prophylactic antibiotics in vascular surgery. The use of antibiotics-bound knitted grafts has been recently proposed.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

[Chloroquine sensitivity of Plasmodium falciparum at the Gamkalley Clinic and the Nigerian armed forces PMI (Niamey, Niger)].

In vivo tests for Plasmodium falciparum were carried out in 1998 during the rainy season among children in Niamey, in the Republic of Niger. Chloroquine was prescribed at 25 mg/kg for 3 days in febrile patients with uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria. Forty-five 1-5 year-olds and thirty-three 6-15 year-olds were included in the study. A group of 53 adult patients was also surveyed to evaluate the efficacy of chloroquine in semi-immune persons. Body temperature and blood smears including parasitemia were recorded on days 0, 3, 7 and 14. Less than 10% of the patients were delinquent. Around 75% of the patients were successfully treated in the 1-5 year-olds and 6-15 year old age groups. Relapses were observed in 20% of the 1-5 year-olds (early relapses 8.9%, late relapses 11.1%) and in 16.7% in the 1-15 year-olds (early relapses 6.4%, late relapses 10.3%). Among adults, successful treatment was obtained in 86.8% of the cases and early and late relapses were respectively observed in 3.8% and 1.9% of the cases. All the patients with malaria relapses were cured with second-line treatments (pyrimethamine-sulfadoxine or quinine). According to these results, chloroquine resistance appears to be moderate in Niamey. Therefore chloroquine should remain the first line treatment of uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in this population.

Adolescent↗

First isolation of Rickettsia helvetica from Ixodes ricinus ticks in France.

Two rickettsial isolates recovered from Ixodes ricinus ticks in Puy-de-Dôme (Central France) were characterized by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Western blot immunoassay, restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, and sequencing of a portion of the citrate-synthase gene. By these methods, the isolates appeared to be identical to a member of the spotted fever group rickettsiae, Rickettsia helvetica. This first isolation of Rickettsia helvetica in France has epidemiologic importance; a serosurvey on Mediterranean spotted fever conducted previously in Puy-de-Dôme, where the infection is not endemic, demonstrated a high seroprevalence of nonspecific antibodies directed against spotted fever group rickettsiae lipopolysaccharides, and thus the possibility of infection due to a rickettsia different from Rickettsia conorii was suggested. The isolation of Rickettsia helvetica in anthropophilic ticks in the same area further supports this hypothesis.

Animals↗

Use of 16S rRNA gene sequencing to identify Lactobacillus casei in septicaemia secondary to a paraprosthetic enteric fistula.

Human infections caused by Lactobacillus spp. are rarely reported in the literature. Underlying conditions are frequently reported, and identification of lactobacilli to the species level remains rare. A case of Lactobacillus casei septicaemia secondary to a vascular graft infection is reported. The 16S rRNA sequencing technique was used to definitively identify Lactobacillus casei.

Aged↗