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Raquel Escudero-Nieto

Publications and source records attributed to Raquel Escudero-Nieto.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

[Q fever outbreak in an urban area following a school-farm visit].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe an outbreak of Q fever in a group of people (day care centre for mental-handicapped individuals) previously exposed to animals in a school-farm. PATIENTS AND METHOD: A retrospective cohort study among the 25 mental-handicapped individuals and the 30 workers of the centre was performed. The information about symptoms and signs and antecedents of exposition was obtained by an epidemiological survey and a clinical-epidemiological case definition was established. Serum samples from 29 people (5 mental-handicapped individuals and 24 workers) were processed for serology (Indirect Immunofluorescence against Coxiella burnetii). RESULTS: Twenty two cases of Q fever were detected. Ten were confirmed by serology (6 of them asymptomatic). More frequent symptoms were fever (100%), anorexia (81.3%), asthenia (68.8%) and non-productive cough (56.3%) among the 16 clinical cases. The risk of acute infection was 8.6 times higher in individuals of the centre that visited the school-farm (95% CI, 1.26-58.27). CONCLUSIONS: The investigation of the epidemiological antecedents allowed to detect and confirm a Q fever outbreak, to identify the probable source of exposition and to orientate the clinical and serological diagnosis.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

[Diseases produced by Borrelia].

Lyme borreliosis, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, is a multi-organ infection with dermatological, rheumatological, neurological, and cardiac manifestations. The main characteristic is a skin lesion, named erythema migrans. Relapsing fever, caused by numerous species of Borrelia, is characterized by a periodic cycle of acute and afebrile episodes. The serological diagnosis of these infections has limited value in sensitivity, specificity and predictive values. Lyme borreliosis is usually diagnosed by recognition of a characteristic clinical picture with serological confirmation, and the diagnosis of relapsing fever relies on direct observation of spirochetes in peripherical blood. The elected treatment is almost always tetracycline for the young or for adults but not for pregnant women, although betalactamic (such as penicillin or 3rd generation cephalosporin for the central nervous system) or macrolides are indicated in several situations. The prognosis, with adequate treatment, is good. In the majority of Spanish regions, due to the low incidence of these diseases, the prophylactic antimicrobial treatment after a tick bite is not indicated.

Adult↗