SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “INFECTIOUS DISEASES”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 325 records · Page 18Linked to original sources

PubMed1991

[Susceptibilities of bacteria isolated from patients with respiratory infectious diseases to antibiotics (1988)].

Isolated bacteria from respiratory infectious diseases were collected in cooperation with institutions located throughout Japan, since 1981, and Ikemoto et al. have been examining sensitivities of the isolates to various antibacterial agents and antibiotics, relationships between the isolates and the backgrounds of the patients and so forth each year. We report here the research results for the year 1988. In 18 institutions around the entire Japan from October 1988 to September 1989, 554 strains of bacteria were isolated mainly from the sputa of 439 patients with respiratory infectious diseases and assumed to be the etiologic bacteria. MICs of various antibacterial agents and antibiotics against 68 strains of Staphylococcus aureus, 102 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae, 120 strains of Haemophilus influenzae, 86 strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 65 strains of Branhamella catarrhalis, 18 strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae and so forth, were determined, and the drug sensitivities of these strains were examined except for the strains which died during transportation. The drug sensitivities of the main strains were almost the same as those determined last year for each drug. However, S. aureus strains for which MICs of methicillin were higher than 12.5 micrograms/ml (methicillin-resistant S. aureus) accounted for 38.2%, and the frequency of drug resistant bacteria increased over last year's 18.2%. Also, we examined changes in the backgrounds of patients, the infectious diseases, and the etiologic bacteria and so forth. As to patient backgrounds, there were many infectious diseases found in a high age bracket, and the patients over age 60 accounted for 57.2% of the diseases. In the distribution by disease, bacterial pneumonia and chronic bronchitis accounted for greatest numbers of cases 32.1% and 31.4%, respectively, followed by bronchiectasis and bronchial asthma. As for frequencies of etiologic bacteria by disease, S. aureus (22.5%) and S. pneumoniae (15.4%) in pneumonia, S. pneumoniae (25.7%) and H. influenzae (24.1%) in chronic bronchitis, H. influenzae (32.5%) and P. aeruginosa (23.8%) in bronchiectasis, and H. influenzae (31.4%), S. pneumoniae and B. catarrhalis (20.0%) in bronchial asthma were the most frequent. Regarding effects of administration of antibiotics and isolates obtained on each day after infection, those bacteria which were isolated before antibiotic administration and which decreased after administration included S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, and B. catarrhalis. Frequencies of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, however, increased after antibiotic administration. Also, when dosing continued for more than 15 days, the frequency of P. aeruginosa increased rapidly.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Post-flood--infectious diseases in Mozambique.

INTRODUCTION: The types of medical care required during a disaster are determined by variables such as the cycle and nature of the disaster. Following a flood, there exists the potential for transmission of water-borne diseases and for increased levels of endemic illnesses such as vector-borne diseases. Therefore, consideration of the situation of infectious diseases must be addressed when providing relief. The Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) Medical Team was sent to Mozambique where a flood disaster occurred during January to March 2000. The team operated in the Hokwe area of the State of Gaza, in the mid-south of Mozambique where damage was the greatest. METHODS: An epidemiological study was conducted. Information was collected from medical records by abstracting data at local medical facilities, interviewing in habitants and evacuees, and conducting analyses of water. RESULTS: A total of 2,611 patients received medical care during the nine days. Infectious diseases were detected in 85% of all of patients, predominantly malaria, respiratory infectious diseases, and diarrhea. There was no outbreak of cholera or dysentery. Self-reports of the level of health decreased among the flood victims after the event. The incidence of malaria increased by four to five times over non-disaster periods, and the quality of drinking water deteriorated after the event. CONCLUSIONS: Both the number of patients and the incidence of endemic infectious diseases, such as malaria and diarrhea, increased following the flood. Also, there was a heightening of risk factors for infectious diseases such as an increase in population, deterioration of physical strength due to the shortage of food and the temporary living conditions for safety purposes, and turbid degeneration of drinking water. These findings support the hypotheses that there exists the potential for the increased transmission of water borne diseases and that there occurs increased levels of endemic illnesses during the post-flood period.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

[Epidemiology of selected infectious diseases in Wielkopolska district in the years 1988-2000].

Infectious diseases are an ever important medical problem. Health Service reorganization, may contribute to further increase of the diseases. The aim of the study was the retrospective analysis of the incidence of selected infectious diseases in Wielkopolska and the comparison of the regional and national data. Incidence of infectious diseases in Wielkopolska in the scrutinized period was lower than the national one, except 1990 & 1992. The value of incidence for tuberculosis for Wielkopolska various from the national trend which decreases noticeably and significantly from 1997. No other permanent trends in the incidence of infectious diseases were observed throughout the analyzed period.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Infectious diseases in competitive sports.

OBJECTIVE: Participation in competitive sports is popular and widely encouraged throughout the United States. Reports of infectious disease outbreaks among competitive athletes and recent publicity regarding infectious disease concerns in sports underscore the need to better characterize the occurrence of these problems. DATA SOURCES: To identify reports of infectious diseases in sports, we performed a comprehensive search of the medical literature (MEDLINE) and newspaper databases in two on-line services (NEXIS and DIALOG PAPERS). STUDY SELECTION: Articles selected from the literature review included those describing cases or outbreaks of disease in which exposure to an infectious agent was likely to have occurred during training for competitive sports or during actual competition. Articles from the newspaper review included reports of outbreaks, exposures, or preventive measures that directly or indirectly involved teams or spectators. DATA SYNTHESIS: The literature review identified 38 reports of infectious disease outbreaks or other instances of transmission through person-to-person (24 reports), common-source (nine reports), or airborne (five reports) routes; the newspaper search identified 28 reports. Infectious agents included predominantly viruses but also a variety of fungi and gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that strategies to prevent transmission of infectious diseases in sports must recognize risks at three levels: the individual athlete, the team, and spectators or others who may become exposed to infectious diseases as a result of sports-related activities. Team physicians and others who are responsible for the health of athletes should be especially familiar with the features of infectious diseases that occur in sports and measures for the prevention of these problems.

Communicable Disease Control↗

PubMed2000

Infectious diseases in the operating room.

Patients with infectious diseases have special implications for infection control in the operating room. The increased use and abuse of antibiotics has ushered in a category of resistant organisms. These multiresistant organisms are spread by direct or indirect contact, primarily from the hands of caregivers or contact with contaminated environmental surfaces. Another category of infectious diseases is prions (pronounced pree-ons). Unlike other infectious diseases, human prions diseases are not spread through routine exposures such as direct contact, droplet, and airborne routes. The causative agent is highly resistant to traditional disinfecting and sterilization processes. This article provides an overview of the multiresistant infections of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and Staphylococcus aureus with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin along with the human prions diseases Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, German-Straüssler-Scheinker syndrome, kuru, and fatal familial insomnia. We provide a template of precautions that can be used in developing operating room and anesthesia infection control protocols for this patient population.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome↗

PubMed2001

Trends in infectious disease hospitalizations among American Indians and Alaska Natives.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to describe trends in hospitalizations associated with infectious diseases among American Indians and Alaska Natives. METHODS: Infectious disease hospitalizations and rates among American Indians and Alaska Natives from 1980 through 1994 were examined via Indian Health Service hospital discharge data and compared with published trends for the general US population. RESULTS: Annual hospitalization rates for infectious diseases among American Indians and Alaska Natives decreased by 31.0% between 1980 and 1994. Infectious disease hospitalizations accounted for 16.3% of all hospitalizations in 1980 and 21.2% in 1994, an increase of 30.1%. In 1994, the age-adjusted infectious disease hospitalization rate for American Indians and Alaska Natives was 1863 per 100,000 population, approximately 21% greater than that for the general US population. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitalization trends for infectious diseases show that there has been improvement in the health status of American Indians and Alaska Natives but also indicate that this population has a higher infectious disease burden than the general US population.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Prevention of infectious disease transmission in sports.

A variety of infectious diseases can be transmitted during competitive sports. Modes of transmission in athletic settings include person-to-person contact, common-source exposures and airborne/droplet spread. This paper reviews the most commonly reported infectious diseases among athletes and discusses the potential for transmission of bloodborne diseases in sports. Guidelines are provided regarding measures to prevent transmission of infectious diseases in athletic settings, including hygiene and infection control practices, vaccination, and education of officials, coaches, trainers and sports participants.

Bacterial Infections↗

PubMed2000

National intelligence estimate: the global infectious disease threat and its implications for the United States.

Infectious diseases are a leading cause of death, accounting for a quarter to a third of all deaths worldwide. The spread of infectious diseases results from both human behavior such as lifestyle choices, land-use patterns, increased trade and travel, and inappropriate use of antibiotic drugs, as well as mutations in pathogens. These excerpts from a January 2000 National Intelligence Estimate highlight the rising global health threat of new and reemerging infectious diseases. The National Intelligence Council argues that the infectious disease threat will complicate US and global security over the next 20 years. These diseases will endanger US citizens at home and abroad, threaten US armed forces deployed overseas, and exacerbate social and political instability in key countries and regions in which the US has significant interests, according to the report.

Americas↗

PubMed2003

Prevalent infectious diseases in patients with HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia.

Infectious diseases are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among HIV-infected persons in Ethiopia. Though no systematic studies have been performed, anecdotal reports are available mostly from cross-sectional studies on the associations between the most prevalent infectious diseases and HIV/AIDS. In this review, we present the most frequently reported infectious diseases among people living with HIV/AIDS in the country, with the need for strengthening diagnostic laboratories being urgent in order to support surveillance as well as control measures.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

PubMed2005

Ethics and infectious disease.

Bioethics apparently suffers from a misdistribution of research resources analogous to the '10/90' divide in medical research. Though infectious disease should be recognized as a topic of primary importance for bioethics, the general topic of infectious disease has received relatively little attention from the discipline of bioethics in comparison with things like abortion, euthanasia, genetics, cloning, stem cell research, and so on. The fact that the historical and potential future consequences of infectious diseases are almost unrivalled is one reason that the topic of infectious disease warrants more attention from bioethicists. The 'Black Death' eliminated one third of the European population during the 14th Century; the 1989 flu killed between 20 and 100 million people; and, in the 20th Century smallpox killed perhaps three times more people than all the wars of that period. In the contemporary world, epidemics (AIDS, multi-drug resistant turberculosis, and newly emerging infectious diseases such as SARS) continue to have dramatic consequences. A second reason why the topic of infectious disease deserves further attention is that it raises difficult ethical questions of its own. While infected individuals can threaten the health of other individuals and society as a whole, for example, public health care measures such as surveillance, isolation, and quarantine can require the infringement of widely accepted basic human rights and liberties. An important and difficult ethical question asks how to strike a balance between the utilitarian aim of promoting public health, on the one hand, and libertarian aims of protecting privacy and freedom of movement, on the other, in contexts involving diseases that are--to varying degrees--contagious, deadly, or otherwise dangerous. Third, since their burden is most heavily shouldered by the poor (in developing countries), infectious diseases involve issues of justice--which should be a central concern of ethics. I conclude by providing sociological and historical explanations of why the topic of infectious disease has not already received more attention from bioethicists.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1995

[Infectious diseases from the hygienic viewpoint with special reference to environmental infections--a retrospective and prospective view].

Infectious diseases showed a considerable change in their epidemiologic significance during this century. Twenty years ago it seemed that infectious diseases would be definity under control. As a result there was a neglect of the efforts for prevention, recognition and controlling of infectious diseases, especially in the administration. Today we have to state that old and new infectious diseases have regained a new and partly dramatic epidemiologic importance, influenced by several factors like overpopulation, wars, hunger, migration in the underdeveloped countries and the increase of the old and the immunosuppressed people of the population in the developed countries. A review is given of the increasing significance of old and new infectious diseases in the last 2 decades. Transmissible diseases from the environment have a special importance because many people are affected hereby. Hygienic aspects of drinking and swimming water, air- and ground caused infectious diseases are treated. The political support is requested. The institutions have had an important role in the prevention and control of infectious diseases in the past like the public health departments, hygiene and medical microbiologic urgently need the support and promotion of the government.

Communicable Disease Control↗

PubMed2005

Controlling emerging infectious diseases like SARS.

To control emerging infectious diseases like SARS, it is necessary to resort to basic control measures that limit exposures to infectious individuals. These measures include isolating cases at diagnosis, quarantining household members and tracing contacts of diagnosed cases, providing the community with advice on how to reduce exposures, and closing schools. To justify such intervention it is important to understand how well each of these measures helps to limit transmission. In this paper, we determine the effect of a number of different interventions on the effective reproduction number and estimate requirements to achieve elimination of the infectious disease. We find that the strategy of tracing and quarantining contacts of diagnosed cases can be very successful in reducing transmission.

Australia↗

PubMed2002

Neuropsychological sequelae of adolescent infectious diseases.

This article discusses the neuropsychological sequelae of adolescent infectious diseases. Primary care physicians are encouraged to extend their clinical activities beyond the primary medical care aspects of the infectious disease process to encompass a comprehensive, multidisciplinary, continuum of health care approach. Patient, disease, and socioecologic parameters are the foundation of this approach. This article is designed to help primary care physicians appreciate the complexity of neuropsychological infectious disease issues in the adolescent. Human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) is emphasized because the legion of related sequelae demands a comprehensive health care approach and serves as a model for discussing other principal infectious diseases such as encephalitis (particularly Lyme disease) and bacterial meningitis.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Polio eradication initiative in Africa: influence on other infectious disease surveillance development.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization (WHO) and partners are collaborating to eradicate poliomyelitis. To monitor progress, countries perform surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP). The WHO African Regional Office (WHO-AFRO) and the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are also involved in strengthening infectious disease surveillance and response in Africa. We assessed whether polio-eradication initiative resources are used in the surveillance for and response to other infectious diseases in Africa. METHODS: During October 1999-March 2000, we developed and administered a survey questionnaire to at least one key informant from the 38 countries that regularly report on polio activities to WHO. The key informants included WHO-AFRO staff assigned to the countries and Ministry of Health personnel. RESULTS: We obtained responses from 32 (84%) of the 38 countries. Thirty-one (97%) of the 32 countries had designated surveillance officers for AFP surveillance, and 25 (78%) used the AFP resources for the surveillance and response to other infectious diseases. In 28 (87%) countries, AFP program staff combined detection for AFP and other infectious diseases. Fourteen countries (44%) had used the AFP laboratory specimen transportation system to transport specimens to confirm other infectious disease outbreaks. The majority of the countries that performed AFP surveillance adequately (i.e., non polio AFP rate = 1/100,000 children aged <15 years) in 1999 had added 1-5 diseases to their AFP surveillance program. CONCLUSIONS: Despite concerns regarding the targeted nature of AFP surveillance, it is partially integrated into existing surveillance and response systems in multiple African countries. Resources provided for polio eradication should be used to improve surveillance for and response to other priority infectious diseases in Africa.

Africa↗

PubMed2001

Endemic infectious diseases and biological warfare during the Gulf War: a decade of analysis and final concerns.

Infectious diseases were one of the first health threats confronted by Coalition troops deployed to the Arabian desert in August 1990. On the basis of experiences in World War II, the major endemic infectious disease risks were thought to be sandfly fever, cutaneous leishmaniasis, diarrheal disease, and malaria. Although there was active surveillance, no case of sandfly fever and few other endemic infectious diseases were identified among over 500,000 U.S., British, and Canadian ground troops. In addition, there was no diagnosis of biological warfare (BW) exposure, and BW agents were not detected in clinical, environmental, or veterinary samples. The most common infectious disease problems were those associated with crowding (acute upper respiratory infections) and reduced levels of sanitation (travelers-type diarrhea). Only one endemic infectious disease has been confirmed as causing chronic health problems: visceral Leishmania tropica infection (viscerotropic leishmaniasis). However, this protozoan infection was diagnosed in only 12 U.S. veterans, and no new cases have been identified during the last 8 years. Infectious diseases were not a serious problem for Gulf War troops because of extensive preventive medicine efforts and favorable weather and geographic factors. Moreover, it is unlikely that an endemic infectious disease or a BW agent could cause chronic health problems and remain undetected over a 10-year period.

Biological Warfare↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Emerging infectious diseases in Alaska and the Arctic: a review and a strategy for the 21st century.

Emergence of new, previously unknown, and drug-resistant infectious diseases pose a major threat to global health. The emergence of infectious diseases in Alaska and the Arctic parallels the resurgence of infectious diseases worldwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has developed a strategy to revitalize the capacity to protect the public from emerging infectious diseases by improving four major public health activities: surveillance and response, applied research, infrastructure and training, and prevention and control. The plan targets high-priority emerging infectious disease problems and particular groups of people at increased risk. These target areas encompass a number of diseases of special concern in Alaska, such as drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae infections, foodborne botulism, alveolar hydatid disease, viral hepatitis, Helicobacter pylori infections, Haemophilus influenzae type b bacteremia and meningitis, and infections of immunocompromised persons, pregnant women and newborns, and tourists. To address these and other emerging infectious disease issues, including the threat of bioterrorism in Alaska and the Arctic, future issues of Alaska Medicine will include updates on specific emerging infectious diseases for health care providers, clinical laboratory workers, and community public health professionals who form the front lines for recognizing, treating, and preventing emerging infectious diseases.

Alaska↗

PubMed2005

Molecular diagnosis of infectious diseases in dermatology.

UNLABELLED: The molecular diagnosis of infectious disease has been growing considerably over the past decade. Nucleic acid amplification techniques, such as polymerase chain reaction, ligase chain reaction, transcription-mediated amplification, and nucleic acid sequence-based amplification, provide highly accurate diagnosis of numerous bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections involved in a variety of dermatologic diseases. In addition, signal amplification with hybrid capture, branched-DNA assays, and in situ hybridization have been used to detect numerous viral pathogens with high degrees of sensitivity and specificity. New technology that involves the use of DNA and protein microarrays has also enabled the detection of a variety of genes and gene mutations. With time, these diagnostic assays are decreasing in cost, gaining approval of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and becoming easier and more efficient to use. In the future, these assays will be able to deliver rapid and accurate diagnosis of infectious diseases within a single clinic visit. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: At the completion of this learning activity, participants should be familiar with molecular diagnosis of infectious diseases in dermatology.

Bacteria↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Real-time polymerase chain reaction: a novel molecular diagnostic tool for equine infectious diseases.

The focus of rapid diagnosis of infectious disease of horses in the last decade has shifted from the conventional laboratory techniques of antigen detection, microscopy, and culture to molecular diagnosis of infectious agents. Equine practitioners must be able to interpret the use, limitations, and results of molecular diagnostic techniques, as they are increasingly integrated into routine microbiology laboratory protocols. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the best-known and most successfully implemented diagnostic molecular technology to date. It can detect slow-growing, difficult-to-cultivate, or uncultivatable microorganisms and can be used in situations in which clinical microbiology diagnostic procedures are inadequate, time-consuming, difficult, expensive, or hazardous to laboratory staff. Inherent technical limitations of PCR are present, but they are reduced in laboratories that use standardized protocols, conduct rigid validation protocols, and adhere to appropriate quality-control procedures. Improvements in PCR, especially probe-based real-time PCR, have broadened its diagnostic capabilities in clinical infectious diseases to complement and even surpass traditional methods in some situations. Furthermore, real-time PCR is capable of quantitation, allowing discrimination of clinically relevant infections characterized by pathogen replication and high pathogen loads from chronic latent infections. Automation of all components of PCR is now possible, which will decrease the risk of generating false-positive results due to contamination. The novel real-time PCR strategy and clinical applications in equine infectious diseases will be the subject of this review.

Animals↗