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V Hasseltvedt

Publications and source records attributed to V Hasseltvedt.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Systemic pneumococcal disease in Norway 1995-2001: capsular serotypes and antimicrobial resistance.

A total of 4624 pneumococcal isolates from episodes of systemic pneumococcal disease were received at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health during the period 1995-2001. All isolates were serotyped and tested for susceptibility to benzylpenicillin, lincomycin, erythromycin, tetracycline and trimethroprim sulphamethoxazole. The proportion of strains resistant to these antimicrobial agents remained stable at a low level, ranging from 0.1% for benzylpenicillin to 2.5% for erythromycin. The distribution of serotypes was also stable over the 7 years: serotypes 1, 4, 9, 14, 7, 6 and 23 were the most frequent, representing 70.5% of isolates. Overall, 95.8% of the isolates were of serotypes/groups included in the current 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine, 52.2% were of serotypes/groups included in the 7-valent conjugated vaccine and 85.5% were of serotypes/groups included in the 11-valent conjugated vaccine.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Outbreak of Salmonella Livingstone infection in Norway and Sweden due to contaminated processed fish products.

In Europe, the number of reported sporadic human cases of Salmonella Livingstone infection is low, and outbreaks are rare. We report the largest S. Livingstone outbreak described in the literature having an identified source of infection. In February 2001, an increased incidence of infection caused by S. Livingstone was observed in Norway and Sweden. By July 2001, 44 cases were notified in Norway and 16 in Sweden. The median age was 63 years, and 40 were women. There were three deaths, and 22 patients were hospitalized. Based on standardized questionnaires and retrospective studies of S. Livingstone strains in Norway and Sweden, food items with egg powder were suspected, and S. Livingstone was subsequently recovered from a processed fish product at the retail level. Analysis by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis documented that isolates from the fish product belonged to the same clone as the outbreak strain.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Molecular epidemiology of Salmonella typhimurium isolates from human sporadic and outbreak cases.

The molecular epidemiology of a representative collection of sporadic foreign and domestically acquired Salmonella Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) isolates from Norwegian patients in 1996-9 was studied by numerical analysis of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) profiles. Three subclusters (E5, F1 and G1) comprised 47% of the 102 sporadic isolates investigated and 45% of the domestically acquired isolates fell in subclusters E5 and F1. Distinct seasonal and geographic variations were evident for these strains which have been responsible for both local outbreaks (E5) and a national epidemic (F1) where salmonella-infected hedgehogs and birds constituted the suggested primary source of infection. Subcluster G1 was dominated by imported multi-resistant definitive type (DT) 104 isolates. All multi-resistant isolates contained integron-associated gene cassette-structures. This study presents valuable information on the relative significance, geographic distribution and antibiotic resistance features of distinct S. Typhimurium clones causing human salmonellosis among Norwegians.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Botulism in Norway.

Botulism is a severe neuroparalytic disease caused by toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum, an anaerobic spore-forming bacillus. Physicians in Norway are required to notify the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) of cases of botulism immediately

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

Salmonella infections in Norway: descriptive epidemiology and a case-control study.

The epidemiological progression of human salmonellosis in Norway is parallel to trends noted elsewhere in Europe. During the past two decades, the number of reported cases has increased steadily, with a special sharp rise in the early 1980s due to the emergence of Salmonella enteritidis, followed by a levelling off in recent years. However, in contrast to the situation in most other European countries, about 90% of the cases from whom a travel history is available, have acquired their infection abroad. The incidence of indigenous salmonella infections as well as the prevalence of the microorganism in the domestic food chain, are both comparatively low. In 1993-4, a national case-control study of sporadic indigenous salmonella infections was conducted to identify preventable risk factors and guide preventive efforts. Ninety-four case patients and 226 matched population controls were enrolled. The study failed to demonstrate any statistically significant association between salmonellosis and consumption of domestically produced red meat, poultry or eggs. The only factor which remained independently associated with an increased risk in conditional logistic regression analysis, was consumption of poultry purchased abroad during holiday visits to neighbouring countries. A separate analysis of Salmonella typhimurium infections incriminated food from catering establishments and foreign travel among household members, in addition to imported poultry.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Systemic pneumococcal disease after staging splenectomy for Hodgkin's disease 1969-1980 without pneumococcal vaccine protection: a follow-up study 1994.

We surveyed, during 1994, all 325 patients who underwent staging laparotomy with splenectomy for Hodgkin's disease in Norway 1969-80, before pneumococcal vaccine was available in this country. The patients were thus not immunized preoperatively. Of 162 patients (49.8%) who died before 1994, 8 (2.4% of the total study) died from pneumococcal septicaemia and 16 (6.2%) from infections totally. Of 163 patients (50.2%) who were alive in 1994, 158 cooperated and filled in a questionnaire: 22 had been hospitalized for serious infections; 2 with pneumococcal septicaemia, and 6 with pneumonia, although lacking a specified microbiological diagnosis. We observed 325 patients representing 4420 patient-years, 3066 patient-years among survivors and 1354 patient-years among the dead. This resulted in an incidence rate of systemic pneumococcal disease of 226 per 100,000 patient-years, which is a relative risk of 20.5 compared to the general Norwegian population during 1994. Septicaemia for these patients most often had an abrupt clinical start even for relapse-free individuals and occurred from 2 to 17 yr after splenectomy (mean 10 yr). The risk of developing an overwhelming pneumococcal septicaemia with high case-fatality in asplenic patients seems to persist for these patients at about the same level even 15-20 yr after splenectomy. Only 12.7% of the survivors had been given pneumococcal vaccine in the autumn of 1993. Despite the fact that medical journals and media in Norway focused upon the problem of pneumococcal disease in asplenic individuals in the autumn of 1993 and spring of 1994, a substantial proportion of these patients (55.3%) still remained unimmunized when interviewed in the autumn of 1994. None of our systemic pneumococcal disease patients was vaccinated. Our data underline the need for prophylactic immunization with effective vaccines against pneumococcal infection in splenectomized Hodgkin's disease patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

[Surveillance of the HIV-epidemic in Norway].

Surveillance of HIV infection and AIDS is still a cornerstone in the efforts to prevent spread of HIV in Norway. The surveillance system aims at measuring the incidence and prevalence of HIV infection in the country. We describe the development of the surveillance from 1983 until 1996 based on the National Notification System for Infectious Diseases. New cases of HIV infection are reported anonymously but cases of AIDS are reported with name. Key information on each case includes age, gender, residence and the most likely time, place and route of transmission. The notification system is supplemented by screening of pregnant women, military recruits and blood donors, and by surveys of the number of tests performed, and other information. The information is analysed regularly, interpreted and communicated to the health services and the public.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1996

[The HIV-epidemic in Norway 1996--mainly heterosexual transmission].

Up to 1996, a total of 1,537 individuals had been reported as having HIV infection in Norway (population 4.3 million). 511 of these had developed AIDS and 410 had died from AIDS. 223 persons had acquired HIV heterosexually. Less than a fifth of these had acquired the infection from persons who themselves had been infected with HIV heterosexually in Norway. Named testing of pregnant women, recruits and blood donors confirms the limited spread of HIV. We estimate that the annual incidence of heterosexually acquired HIV infection has remained at 20-30 for the last ten years. Earlier prognoses for the epidemic in Norway were grossly erroneous, mainly owing to lack of knowledge about the factors determining the spread of HIV. Given the low rate of transmission of the virus and the sexual behaviour of Norwegians, there was never any real danger of a large heterosexual HIV epidemic in this country. The future efforts to combat the epidemic should focus on maintaining features that make Norwegian society less vulnerable to HIV.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1995

[Increased incidence of severe Streptococcus group A infections in Noway during the last 10 years. New outbreak 1993-94].

The article summarizes the epidemiology of disease caused by Streptococcus pyogenes in Norway during the last two decades, with emphasis on trends since the late 1980s. The description is based on the National Notification System for Infectious Diseases, and on microbiological data. The nationwide outbreak in 1987-88, caused mainly by M-1 organisms, was followed by several years with remarkably low incidences of invasive disease. However, since late in 1992 there has again been a nationwide outbreak that reached even higher numbers of invasive cases than the one in 1988. While 106 cases of systemic group A streptococcal disease were recorded in 1988, the numbers for 1993 and 1994 were 143 and 188 respectively (population 4.3 million). No change has taken place in the laboratory-based notification system that could explain the observed phenomena. Previously seldom observed clinical manifestations, such as fulminant septicaemia, necrotising fasciitis and pneumonia with empyema, were again recorded; as during the 1988 outbreak.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Outbreak of Shigella sonnei infection traced to imported iceberg lettuce.

In the period from May through June 1994, an increase in the number of domestic cases of Shigella sonnei infection was detected in several European countries, including Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In all three countries epidemiological evidence incriminated imported iceberg lettuce of Spanish origin as the vehicle of transmission. The outbreaks shared a number of common features: a predominance of adults among the case patients, the presence of double infections with other enteropathogens, and the finding of two dominant phage types among the bacterial isolates. In Norway 110 culture-confirmed cases of infection were recorded; more than two-thirds (73%) were adults aged 30 to 60 years. A nationwide case-control study comprising 47 case patients and 155 matched control individuals showed that the consumption of imported iceberg lettuce was independently associated with an increased risk of shigellosis. Epidemiological investigation of a local outbreak incriminated iceberg lettuce from Spain, consumed from a salad bar, as the source. The presence of shigellae in the suspected food source could not be documented retrospectively. However, high numbers of fecal coliforms were detected in iceberg lettuce from patients' homes. Three lettuce specimens yielded salmonellae. The imported iceberg lettuce harbored Escherichia coli strains showing resistance to several antimicrobial agents, including ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. During the outbreak it is likely that thousands of Norwegians and an unknown number of consumers in other countries were exposed to coliforms containing antibiotic resistance genes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

[Global transmission of Salmonella--increased risk in Norway. Interdisciplinary measures are necessary to maintain Norway's favourable situation].

Over the last 20 years, Salmonella infections in humans have increased considerably in the industrialized world, including Norway. The situation has been characterized as a serious problem, with considerable economic, political and public health implications. In contrast to the situation in most other countries, a large majority of the Norwegian patients have contracted the infection abroad. The endemic level of salmonellosis in Norway is low, and the prevalence of Salmonella in Norwegian food products is negligible. Appropriate intersectorial actions are required to maintain Norway's favourable status. Such actions include: preventing import of infected food, feed, and live animals; ensuring good hygienic practices at all stages of production, processing, and preparation of food; maintaining the present good health status of meat producing animals; providing consumers with drinking water of adequate hygienic quality; and intensifying national and international collaboration to prevent and control salmonellosis.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

[Lyme borreliosis].

In Norway, physicians and patients alike are becoming increasingly aware of Lyme borreliosis. This fact has created a need for information on different aspects of this disease. This paper reviews the historical background for Lyme borreliosis and the epidemiological situation in Norway, based on data collected by the national system for notification of infectious diseases (MSIS) in 1993. The role of the tick vector and the overall clinical picture is presented briefly. The authors discuss indications for and possibilities of different microbiological diagnostic methods, and finally list the recommendations for treatment and prophylaxis.

Humans↗
PubMed1994

The AIDS epidemic among Scandinavian women: 1980-1990.

OBJECTIVE: To describe trends and patterns in the AIDS epidemic among Scandinavian women with AIDS. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: All women with AIDS reported to national surveillance units in Denmark, Norway and Sweden in 1980-1990 were included for analyses. RESULTS: The number of heterosexually infected female AIDS cases increased over time. AIDS-defining diseases varied with transmission categories, a variation similar to that found among heterosexual Danish male AIDS cases. Heterosexually infected women were more frequently diagnosed with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia than with oesophagus candidiasis compared with intravenous drug using women. Twenty-five out of 56 heterosexually infected women reported having a male partner who was bisexual or from a Pattern II country, while one in four did not recognize any risk in their sex partner(s). Survival time increased between 1980 and 1990 and did not differ from survival in male AIDS cases. In a proportional hazards model, age, year of diagnosis and the duration of known HIV-positivity before development of AIDS had an independent impact on survival. The number of women known to be HIV-positive for more than 1 year before diagnosis of AIDS increased over time, although the number of women tested for HIV close to the development of AIDS was especially high among heterosexually infected women. CONCLUSION: Increasing numbers of heterosexually infected women are being diagnosed with AIDS in Scandinavia.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1992

Asymptomatic subjects at HIV diagnosis have prolonged survival as AIDS patients.

The median AIDS survival for all AIDS patients was estimated as 11 months (95% confidence interval (Cl): 8-13 months). For the group of AIDS patients who were asymptomatic when HIV seropositivity was established, the median AIDS survival was 20 months (95% Cl: 13-23 months). For the group with symptomatic HIV infection or those who already had AIDS when HIV seropositivity was established, survival was estimated to 5 months (95% Cl: 1-15 months) and 4.5 months (95% Cl: 2-8 months), respectively. By using a Cox proportional hazard model it was found that being asymptomatic when HIV seropositivity was established or having Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia as the initial AIDS-related disease were associated with long AIDS survival. Being HIV infected by transfusion was associated with short survival. Long AIDS survival in the asymptomatic group may be explained by a positive selection of slow disease progressors. Differences in diagnostic routines may also cause systematic differences in the estimated AIDS survival.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1991

Chlamydia pneumoniae infections in Norway 1981-87 earlier diagnosed as ornithosis.

Ornithosis has been a notifiable disease in Norway since 1957. During an outbreak of respiratory disease in 1981-82, described as ornithosis, contact with birds was stated in only 50% of the cases, suggesting that the infection was spread by interhuman transmission. A similar outbreak occurred in the western part of Norway in 1987. Serum specimens from altogether 260 patients, collected during the outbreaks in 1981-82 and in 1987, were investigated for antibodies against Chlamydia pneumoniae (strain TWAR). Evidence of recent infection with C. pneumoniae was found in 67.7% of the cases. The results indicate that the increased incidence of ornithosis in 1981-82 and in 1987 was due mainly to C. pneumoniae infections.

Chlamydia Infections↗