Current measles outbreak in Greece.
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Adolescent↗
Biomedical subjects
T Panagiotopoulos
Publications and source records attributed to T Panagiotopoulos.
A pseudo-outbreak of human A/H5N1 infections in Greece and its public health implications.
The recent wide geographic spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza A/H5N1 virus has important public health implications. Several wild migratory birds were confirmed to be infected with avian influenza A/H5N1 in Greece in February and March 2006. The aim of this paper is to report data from potential H5N1 human cases that presented to local hospitals during this period with a respiratory infection and expressing concern about exposure to avian influenza. A case-control investigation was conducted that included case identification with the use of a structured definition, review of epidemiological and clinical characteristics and molecular testing for avian influenza A/H5N1. The setting was the entire country of Greece during February and March 2006. The main outcomes were rates of possible cases (meeting both a clinical and an epidemiological criterion) and clinical or epidemiological characteristics differentiating them from potential cases that met either one of the criteria of a possible case, but not both. Twenty six potential patients (81% of whom met a clinical criterion, and 39% of whom met an epidemiological criterion) presented and most (85%) were admitted in local hospitals during the period of interest. The majority of cases (85%) were observed in northern Greece where most of the confirmed A/H5N1 avian cases were documented. Five of the 26 evaluated patients met the definition of a possible case. These clustered within the early period of confirmed A/H5N1 cases in wild migratory birds (P=0.05). Molecular testing was negative for all possible cases. Application of a revised case definition constructed according to newer European Union guidance resulted in the exclusion of two possible cases. Several potential A/H5N1 human cases were recently identified in Greece. Both the timing of identification and the geographical location of potential cases suggest an increased awareness on the part of the general public, as well as poor interpretation of the case definition by the clinicians.
Adolescent↗
Coxsackievirus B3 sequences in the myocardium of fatal cases in a cluster of acute myocarditis in Greece.
AIM: The investigation of three fatal cases during a nationwide cluster of cases of an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) associated with myocarditis and/or pericarditis in Greece in 2002. METHODS: In the three women who died, necropsies were performed and tissue sections were taken for histological examination, antigen detection by immunohistochemistry and indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), amplification of viral genomes by nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and sequence analysis. RESULTS: All samples showed histological signs of active myocarditis. Immunohistochemistry revealed the presence of the enterovirus VP1 family of proteins and IFA revealed the presence of coxsackievirus B3 antigen. Nested RT-PCR amplified enteroviral alleles of the 5'-untranslated region which were identical to each other and to the coxsackievirus B3 sequences. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides pathological evidence of enteroviral infection among fatal myocarditis cases in a nationwide URTI cluster of cases associated with myocarditis and/or pericarditis.
Acute Disease↗
Epidemiology of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome in Greece, 1994-2003.
In 1993, there was a large epidemic of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) in Greece. The epidemiology of rubella and CRS after 1993 is described in this paper using information from surveillance data and published studies and reports. The incidence of rubella fell sharply after 1993, but a smaller outbreak occurred in 1999, mainly in young adults, and four CRS cases (4.0 per 100,000 live births) were recorded. A very high proportion of the child population in Greece are currently vaccinated for rubella, while teenagers are inadequately covered (60-80% in different studies). A substantial proportion of women of childbearing age are susceptible to rubella (10-20% in urban areas). This could lead to local or more extended outbreaks. This situation shows that a comprehensive preventive policy should be implemented.
Adolescent↗
Incidence of congenital rubella in Greece.
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Disease Outbreaks↗
Increase in congenital rubella occurrence after immunisation in Greece: retrospective survey and systematic review.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the events leading to the epidemic of congenital rubella syndrome in Greece in 1993 after a major rubella epidemic. DESIGN: Retrospective survey and systematic review. SETTING: Greece (population 10 million), 1950-95. SUBJECTS: Children, adolescents, and women of childbearing age. RESULTS: Around 1975 in Greece the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine started being given to boys and girls aged 1 year without policies to attain high vaccination coverage and to protect adolescents and young women. During the 1980s, vaccination coverage for rubella remained consistently below 50%, and the proportion of pregnant women susceptible to rubella gradually increased. In 1993 the incidence of rubella in young adults was higher than in any previous epidemic year. The epidemic of congenital rubella that followed, with 25 serologically confirmed cases (24.6 per 100 000 live births), was probably the largest such epidemic in Greece after 1950. CONCLUSIONS: With low vaccination coverage, the immunisation of boys and girls aged 1 year against rubella carries the theoretical risk of increasing the occurrence of congenital rubella. This phenomenon, which has not been previously reported, occurred in Greece.
Adolescent↗
Long-term effect of magnesium pyridoxal 5-phosphate glutamate in rabbits developing hypercholesterolemia.
36 male rabbits were fed with a diet enriched with 20 g cholesterol/kg for a period of 8 weeks under a strict daily dietary control. Magnesium pyridoxal 5-phosphate glutamate (MPPG, Sedalipid) was supplemented to the diet at different quantities. Hypercholesterolemia developed later and less pronounced in animals receiving a medium or high dose of MPPG. Microscopical analysis indicated a protective effect of MPPG on calcium deposition in the aorta. The fatty acid pattern in serum showed only minor differences and was unchanged in liver extracts in animals supplemented with MPPG. This observation suggest that MPPG may act on the mechanism of cholesterol absorption in the intestine.
Animals↗