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P Varughese

Publications and source records attributed to P Varughese.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Measles in adults in Canada and the United States: implications for measles elimination and eradication.

BACKGROUND: Despite the implementation of mass school catch-up campaigns for measles in Canada, an outbreak of measles occurred in early 1997 mostly affecting the adult population. The higher incidence in Canada in adults led us to compare immunization policies and the evolution of measles among adults in Canada and the US. METHODS: Based on information gathered from both national immunization programmes and surveillance systems. RESULTS: Although the proportion of cases occurring in adults has increased tremendously in both countries in the past decade, there was no increase in measles incidence in these populations. The most likely factors to explain the higher rate of measles occurring in adults in Canada are the younger age at administration of first dose in Canada, the delay in implementation of a second dose policy in Canada compared with the US combined with the lack of prematriculation immunization requirements in Canadian colleges and universities, and the higher rate of overseas travel to and from Canada. The situation in Canada may also have been exacerbated by incomplete efforts to control measles for many years without attempting to eliminate the disease. CONCLUSIONS: In order to prevent measles in adults, high-risk groups must be identified and catch-up for selected groups considered. Vaccination of international travellers to endemic areas should be recommended until global elimination has been achieved. Appropriate measles control strategies in younger populations seem to be effective in preventing measles in adults. The experience in Canada and the US suggests that measles transmission in adults is unlikely to be a major impediment to regional elimination or global eradication.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Applications of fluorinated compounds as phases and additives in chromatography and their uses in pharmaceutical analysis.

A review is presented of the use of fluorinated phases and fluorine-containing surfactants in chromatography. Additionally, new information is provided on the application of two nonionic perfluorosurfactants as reversed-phase mobile phase additives to enhance chromatographic performance of aromatic amines and some amines of pharmaceutical significance.

Chromatography↗
PubMed1984

Listeria monocytogenes infections in Canada.

Since its first isolation by Murray in 1926 Listeria monocytogenes has become recognized as a significant pathogen occurring worldwide and involving a wide range of wild and domestic animals including man. The first confirmed human listeriosis case in Canada was published by Stoot in 1951. A later survey based on records maintained at the Laboratory Centre for Disease Control, Ottawa showed 101 cases detected over a 21 year period in nine provinces. The overall mortality was 30%. The most frequently isolated serotype was 4b followed by 1 and 1b. Prior to the Nova Scotia epidemic (41 cases) of 1981, fewer than 15 cases per annum had been diagnosed based on hospital discharge records. The Nova Scotia epidemic was unique in that the source and mode of transmission of the organism were determined. Sixty-three strains isolated from this outbreak were typed, and with the exception of one 1a strain, were identified as 4b. These were subsequently classified mainly as phage type 00 042 0000 and 00 002 0000. Listeriosis appears to be a common infection in the animal population in Canada primarily in cattle, sheep, chinchillas, chickens and goats. Outbreaks have been described in rabbits, goats, and chinchillas. Chinchilla farms were affected in one outbreak (serotype 1) in Nova Scotia which was attributed to feeding a new batch of meal containing beet pulp. Many aspects of the epidemiology of listeriosis are obscure. A cycle involving contaminated soil and consumption of raw vegetables has been confirmed as the cause of the Nova Scotia epidemic and could explain a proportion of the sporadic cases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1974

Comparison of strip and Ziehl-Neelsen methods for staining acid-fast bacteria.

The efficiency of the Ziehl-Neelsen method for staining acid-fast bacteria was compared with that of the strip-staining procedure in which one kind of impregnated strip is used to stain the bacteria and another kind for simultaneous decolorization and counter-staining of the smear. The methods were evaluated in 1 136 duplicate smears prepared from digested sputum and 307 pairs of direct smears. The efficiency of the strip method was comparable to that of the Ziehl-Neelsen method with digested sputum; with direct smears, however, it generally depended on the quality of the smear. With thick, uneven smears, lower bacterial counts were obtained by strip staining. On the basis of this trial, the authors suggest improvement of the strip method.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1973

Simplification of isoniazid phenotyping procedure to promote its application in the chemotherapy of tuberculosis.

In this investigation a simple urine test for phenotyping isoniazid inactivators is evaluated. In the new method, isoniazid is artificially acetylated in urine and determined by the same colour reaction as that used for acetylisoniazid. Comparative studies showed that the test is reliable and can be performed with accuracy and ease even in poorly equipped laboratories. In contrast to other urine tests, it does not require an expensive spectrophotometer, tedious hydrolysis processing of the samples, or standard curves. The results can be read on a plain colorimeter, or even without any instrument.

Acetates↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Rubella immunization strategies in Canada.

Rubella vaccine was introduced in Canada in 1969. Immunization practices and vaccine coverage varied from province to province. In the 1970s the Canadian National Advisory Committee on Immunization endorsed both the policy of mass vaccination--in combination with measles and mumps vaccines--for infants, which seven provinces followed, and that of selective immunization of prepubertal girls, which three provinces followed. In 1982, the Committee advocated a comprehensive policy that incorporated the best features of the two policies and also increased the emphasis on immunization of susceptible adolescent and adult women. As of 1983, in all provinces the vaccine has been routinely administered to infants 12-15 months old; in seven, also to prepubertal girls. After the introduction of rubella vaccine, rubella incidence declined markedly, but the endemic level of rubella incidence remained unchanged. Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) was added to the federal list of notifiable diseases only in 1979. Sixty-seven CRS cases were reported by five provinces from 1979 to 1983, during which a trend of declining CRS incidence rates (per 100,000 live births) was indicated. However, the numbers of cases are too small to draw definite conclusions regarding the impact of immunization programs.

Adolescent↗