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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

[Extension of the area of Aedes albopictus in Italy. 1st report of the species in central Italy].

A new infestation by Aedes albopictus was discovered in Civitavecchia, Central Italy, in October 1992. This follows previous records of the species in North Italy, where the first infestation was observed in 1990 in the city of Genoa. The present finding clearly indicates the capacity of Aedes albopictus to spread all over Italy and to become a permanent pest in Southern Europe. In spite of the expected embryonic diapause in October, larval breeding was observed in a fifteen-liter glass jar with a narrow neck, left outdoor.

Aedes↗
PubMed1992

Survival of children with Down syndrome in Italy.

A cohort of 917 Down syndrome (DS) children born in Italy between 1978 and 1984 was studied for survival through the age of 8 years. The highest mortality occurred in the first month of life (7.9%); survival was about 80% at 1 year, 78% at 2 years, and 76% at 5 years, with small decreases thereafter. At the univariate analysis, survival was lower for subjects with congenital heart disease (CHD), birth weight less than 2,500 g, parity of 3 or plus, maternal age greater than or equal to 35 years, and for those born in Southern Italy compared with Northern Italy. No differences in survival were observed by sex and by socioeconomic status. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to evaluate the effect of each variable adjusted for all the others present in the model. Presence of CHD (odds ratio = 3.27; 95% confidence interval (C.I.) 2.31-4.63), birth in the South (odds ratio = 2.69; 95% C.I. 1.91-3.79), and low birth weight (odds ratio = 1.87; 95% C.I. 1.29-2.72) were independently associated with survival. None of the other variables emerged as a statistically significant prognostic factor. Various hypotheses were considered to interpret the unexpected effect of place of birth on survival. Quality of medical care provided in the South of Italy is the most likely determinant of the high mortality observed among children with DS born in that area of Italy. Such differences in survival within the same country could occur in other developed nations as well.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Baseline seroepidemiology of hepatitis A virus infection among children and teenagers in Italy.

During the period from May 1987 through November 1989, the prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis A virus infection (anti-HAV) was assayed by the ELISA method in the serum samples of 5,507 (54% males, 46% females) apparently healthy subjects three to 19 years old in Italy. Subjects were selected by a systematic cluster sampling in five different geographical areas of Italy. The overall prevalence of anti-HAV was 9.5%; it increased from 2.3% among children three to five-years-old to 16.3% in teenagers 17 to 19 years old (p less than 0.001). A slight preponderance of females was observed (10% versus 9.1%), but the difference was not statistically significant. The prevalence was significantly higher in Southern Italy than in Northern Italy (27.4% versus 4.8%; p less than 0.01). The prevalence of anti-HAV was inversely related to the fathers' years of schooling (O.R. 3.3; 95% C.I. = 2.5-4.2) and positively related to the family size (O.R. 2.4; 95% C.I. = 1.9-3.1). These findings indicate that, today, exposure to HAV infection at a young age in Italy is very low. However, sociodemographic factors are still important determinants in the spread of this infection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Adolescents' attitudes to abortion in samples from Italy and Sweden.

Both Italy and Sweden have legislated abortion without grounds since the 1970s but background conditions in the two countries are bipolar. The overall purpose of the present study was to investigate a sample of adolescents from Italy and Sweden regarding their attitudes towards abortion and their knowledge of family planning and to compare the results from the two countries. A questionnaire was distributed among 400 adolescents, 177 from Stockholm, Sweden and 223 from Rome and Locri, Italy. Whereas Sweden is a relatively homogeneous country. Italy has large regional differences regarding social and other aspects. For this reason two regions of Italy were studied separately. The participants were all secondary school students. The results indicated that nearly all adolescents in both countries were concerned about abortion and its consequences, although their concern was expressed differently, in accordance with their religious and cultural norms and also with their background in sexual education. The present study raises questions concerning the knowledge level as an outcome of sex education programs. In fact comparing the answers between the Italian and the Swedish samples no particular difference, in favour of the Swedish adolescents was noticed.

Abortion, Induced↗
PubMed1992

[Incidence and prevalence of respiratory tumors in Italy. Estimation from mortality data].

This study estimates the incidence and prevalence of larynx and lung cancers using a mathematical model based on available data on specific mortality and survival. In Italy, larynx and lung cancers account for more than 95% of respiratory cancers. In this paper, estimates of age/sex-specific and age-standardized incidence rates and prevalence are presented for the years 1970 and 1987. Age and birth-cohort effects on incidence are also presented by sex and broad geographical area. The procedure was firstly validated using data from four cancer registries: Varese (Northern Italy), Parma (North-Central Italy), Florence (Central Italy), and Ragusa (Southern Italy). Estimates were then carried out at the national level and for each major geographical area (i.e. North, Center and South). Larynx cancer age-standardized incidence rates increased for men by about 25% from 1970 to 1987. Age-specific rates increased for ages greater than 44 years, but decreased for younger ages. Cohort effects are low for older cohorts; they steeply increase and plateau for the 1900-1905 cohorts, and then peak for the 1930 cohort. The risk for cohorts born after 1930 systematically decreases. We estimated that the 1930 birth cohort has a risk five times higher than the 1890 cohort. For women, the incidence rates increased by about 30% from 1970 to 1987, for all age classes. Cohort effects steadily increase from the 1886 birth cohort to the 1960 cohort. The estimated prevalence between ages 30 and 84 increased from about 24,400 cases in 1970 (23,000 males and 1,400 females) to about 51,400 cases in 1987 (48,600 males and 2,800 females). For men, 42% of the increase can be attributed to an increase in the incidence of the disease; 45% can be attributed to population aging, and only 13% to an increase in the survival probability. Corresponding figures for women are 42%, 48%, and 10%. For lung cancer, we estimated 32,000 incident cases for 1987 (28,000 men and 4,000 women), two times the corresponding figures for 1970 (14,000 men and 2,000 women). Looking at age-adjusted rates, the overall risk of lung cancer increased by about 60% for men and 52% for women during a period of 17 years. Age-specific incidence rates increased proportionally with age for ages greater than 50 years. By contrast, there was a slight but systematic risk reduction in younger age classes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Pollen-related allergy in Italy.

Pollen-related allergies are very common in Italy and pollinosis is the commonest allergic disease. The type of allergenic plants and the prevalence of hay fever varies among regions. In the Mediterranean area there are characteristic climatic conditions (mildness of winter, summer dryness) that facilitate the growth of a typical vegetation with its associated various types of allergenic pollen grains, some of them very different from those of central and northern Europe. Italy has a central position in the Mediterranean basin, but because of its geographic characteristics, there are different climatic aspects with different vegetation between northern, central, and southern areas. Gramineae are the most common allergenic plants in northern and central Italy, where more than 60% of patients with pollinosis are grass-pollen sensitive. Parietaria is the most important pollinating plant in southern Italy and Liguria. Olea europaea, the olive tree with cultivation widespread in the whole Mediterranean basin, is responsible for frequently severe pollinosis, particularly in some regions of the southern Italy.

Allergens↗
PubMed1992

Changing epidemiology of hepatitis B in Italy: public health implications.

In Italy, a dramatic decline of hepatitis B infection occurred in recent years as a result of nonmedical and medical factors. The national type-specific surveillance system shows that the age of maximum incidence changed from early childhood, when the risk of becoming a chronic carrier after infection is very high, to late adolescence. Data of several seroepidemiologic studies are consistent with this picture, but could not be compared with previous data on similar age groups. In 1981, a seroepidemiologic study on a national sample of 5,005 recruits showed a high prevalence of serologic markers of hepatitis B infection among young adults in Italy. In 1990, the authors replicated that original study on a national sample of 4,993 recruits. The adjusted prevalence of hepatitis B core antibodies among Italian male recruits dropped from 16.8% to 5.8% in 9 years. The authors anticipate a substantial reduction in the rate of production of chronic carriers and the rates of liver cirrhosis and primary liver carcinoma in Italy in the next decades. Vaccination campaigns, especially if combined with nonimmunologic preventive measures, will further reduce the rate of hepatitis B infection in Italy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Trends in alcohol consumption in Spain, Portugal, France and Italy from the 1950s until the 1980s.

This paper compares trends in alcohol consumption in Spain, Portugal, France and Italy starting from the beginning of the 1950's and extending until the 1980's and examines the modernization and internationalization of beverage preferences in these countries. The total consumption of alcohol has declined in Spain, France and Italy and the consumption of wine has shown a declining trend in all the countries studied. The traditional beverage, wine, has in Spain, Portugal and Italy been substituted by a new beverage with lower alcohol content, beer. In France the decline in wine consumption has not been substituted by the use of other alcoholic beverages. No noticeable internationalization in beverage preferences has taken place in Spain, Portugal or Italy, whereas imported beverages have gained some ground in France.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1976

Medical education in France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom compared.

1. The purpose of the visit was to compare postgraduate medical education and training in the United Kingdom with that in France, the Federal Republic of Germany, and Italy. 2. Except in Italy, there appeared to be widespread agreement that specific postgraduate training for general practitioners was essential to improve the quality of practice and to relieve the undergraduate curriculum from the necessity to provide comprehensive medical training to prepare a graduate for independent practice. The main difficulty appeared to be the development of good 'teaching' practices. 3. Direct comparison between training programmes for specialist practice is not straightforward in view of the different staffing structure in continental hospitals and the existence of private specialist practice to which patients have direct access. Training appears to be generally longer in the United Kingdom, possibly due to the necessity of passing postgraduate diploma examinations, but outside the university hospitals the fully trained specialist (consultant) enjoys a higher status and independence than most hospital specialists in other countries. The absence of equivalent bodies to the Royal Colleges and Faculties places responsibility upon universities for specialist training on the continent; standards are not coordinated nationally, and vary significantly from region to region. 4. The need for continuing medical education for all doctors is accepted; this is essentially voluntary, although there are variable direct and indirect incentives. Programmes are organized on a local or regional basis in most countries, but in Germany and the U.K. there is a growing trend towards national coordination of both training programmes and the provision of continuing education. 5. The recent reorganization of the National Health Service in the United Kingdom provides opportunities for 'public health' doctors to become involved in the coordination of clinical services and to relate these to the needs of the public at large, as well as to provide preventive health services. These opportunities do not exist in France, Germany and Italy, where public health services remain discrete from clinical medicine, and postgraduate training is largely confined to formal teaching at designated institutes which are university based only in Italy. Opportunities for university staff to become involved in the organization and delivery of health care appear to be greater, therefore, in the United Kingdom than in other countries.

Curriculum↗
PubMed1992

Trends in peptic ulcer mortality in Italy, 1955-1985.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aim was to analyse trends in mortality from peptic ulcer in Italy between 1955 and 1985, disentangling the role of age, cohort of birth, and period of death. DESIGN: This was a descriptive epidemiological survey. Death certification numbers from peptic ulcer and estimates of the resident population were obtained from official sources. From these data, age specific and age standardised mortality rates from peptic ulcer were computed. A log-linear age, period, and cohort model with arbitrary constraints on the parameters was applied to the matrices of age specific rates between 25 and 74 years of age. SETTING: This was a national survey. MAIN RESULTS: For males, overall peptic ulcer mortality was constant or moderately upwards (from 9.0 to 9.4/100,000, on the basis of World Standard Population) from 1955 to the mid-1970s, but declined considerably afterwards to 3.7/100,000 in 1985. Truncated (35-64 years) rates were slightly more favourable, even in earlier calendar periods, but a substantial drop was observed only from the late 1970s onwards. In 1985 the standardised rate was 3.3/100,000 compared to 18.3 in 1955-1959. For females, the time pattern was similar, although the extent of the decline was smaller in absolute terms (from 1.6 to 1.2/100,000, all ages; from 2.3 to 0.7, truncated). Age specific rates showed an earlier decline in the young, while the fall started only after the mid-1970s in older age groups. On the basis of a log-linear age, period, and cohort model, the Italian generations born in the first decade of this century had the highest risk of dying from peptic ulcer, with a substantial decline for each subsequent cohort. Period trends were stable between 1955 and the mid-1970s, but declined appreciably afterwards. CONCLUSIONS: In Italy the peak rate of peptic ulcer mortality was observed in the early 1970s, with a delay of around two decades in comparison with northern Europe and the USA. This can be related to the later process of industrialization in Italy, with the consequent changes in lifestyle habits, and to a later pattern of rise and decline of cigarette smoking. A likely explanation of the falls in mortality on a period of death basis over the last decade is the introduction of new drugs (histamine-2 receptor antagonists) for the treatment of peptic ulcer, with a reduction of complications of the disease and related mortality. This decline in mortality from peptic ulcer corresponds to the avoidance of over 1500 deaths per year in the whole of Italy.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Incidence of the Guillain-Barré syndrome in Ferrara, northern Italy, 1981-1987.

The few incidence estimates on Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in Italy indicate rates lower than the values provided by other previous non-Italian population-based studies. The latter range from 0.6 to 1.9 cases per 100,000 population per year. To verify whether Italy may be considered a low-risk area for GBS we studied the incidence of the disease in Local Health Unit No. 31 (USL 31) of Ferrara, Northern Italy (mean population 180,701 inhabitants) for the years 1981-1987. The annual incidence rates were stable during this period with an average incidence of 1.26 cases per 100,000 population per year. No significant difference was found for urban or rural residence and there was no significant seasonal clustering. In 37.5% of the series an antecedent infection was recorded within 4 weeks before GBS onset. The survey seems to support the hypothesis of a homogeneous distribution of GBS in space and time and does not support the notion that GBS is less common in Italy than elsewhere.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Tuberculosis in HIV-infected subjects in Italy: a multicentre study. The Gruppo Italiano di Studio Tubercolosi e AIDS.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the strength of the association between tuberculosis and HIV infection in Italy, to assess the pattern of this association in relation to HIV transmission categories, and to describe clinical presentation of tuberculosis in a large group of Italian HIV-infected subjects. DESIGN: Multicentre review of clinical records. SETTING: Twenty-one infectious disease hospital units in nine of the 20 administrative regions of Italy. PATIENTS, PARTICIPANTS: All HIV-infected adults observed by each participating unit (in- and outpatients) between 1985 and 1989. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Culture-proven tuberculosis. RESULTS: A total of 306 cases of tuberculosis were observed. Of these, 85 were pulmonary, 167 extrapulmonary, and 54 both pulmonary and extrapulmonary. The proportion of HIV-infected subjects diagnosed with tuberculosis increased during the study period from three out of 1380 (0.2%) in 1985 to 152 out of 6504 subjects (2.3%) in 1989 (P less than 0.0001). Two hundred and twenty-six of the 2760 (8.19%) patients with AIDS had tuberculosis within 12 months of AIDS diagnosis; the proportion of AIDS patients with tuberculosis remained stable after 1985. Compared with AIDS patients who were intravenous drug users, only homosexual AIDS patients had a significantly lower proportion of tuberculosis (178 out of 1958 versus 30 out of 522; P less than 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that tuberculosis is quite common among HIV-infected subjects in Italy, and suggest that the risk of tuberculosis in these subjects has not changed. There are some differences between the pattern of the association between tuberculosis and HIV infection in Italy, compared with other industrialized countries.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Hepatitis-C virus infection in Italy: a multicentric sero-epidemiological study (a report from the HCV study group of the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver).

To assess possible geographical differences in the spread of hepatitis-C virus (HCV), the prevalence of antibodies against HCV (anti-C-100-3) was investigated in various adult population groups in 29 centres in Italy. Anti-HCV was positive in 375 out of 28,433 voluntary blood donors (1.3%): prevalence was higher in southern Italy (1.51%) than in the northern regions (1.28%), but the difference was not statistically significant. Anti-HCV prevalence was similar in the north and south in post-transfusion chronic hepatitis (91%), haemophiliacs (73%), intravenous drug users (70%), and haemodialysis patients (28%), where parenteral contacts are obvious, and in HBsAg carriers (14%), a group with evidence of previous parenteral contamination. In contrast, anti-HCV prevalences were found to be significantly higher in the south than in the north and central Italy among patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (73 vs 59%), cryptogenic liver disease (67 vs 58%), autoimmune chronic hepatitis (72 vs 44%) and alcoholic liver disease (51 vs 34%). These results indicate a very high circulation of HCV in Italy, with maximum incidence in the south and in the islands. They suggest that its spread in the community can occur through inapparent parenteral routes as observed for hepatitis-B (HBV) and hepatitis-delta viruses (HDV) and possibly facilitated by poorer social-demographic and life-style factors.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Decline of incidence of A, B and non-A, non-B hepatitis in Italy. Results of four years surveillance (1985-88). SEIEVA collaborating group.

A specific surveillance system for acute viral hepatitis which uses weekly notification of cases and a standard risk factor questionnaire was started in Italy in 1984. From 1985 to 1988 153 Health Departments (27% of Italian population) joined the system. Estimated incidence of reported viral hepatitis was 30 per 100,000 in 1985 and 14 in 1988. The decline was impressive for hepatitis A, particularly in the south. Reduction of incidence was also evident for hepatitis B and Non-A, Non-B hepatitis, particularly in young adults. The decrease of viral hepatitis in Italy is consistent with recent seroepidemiological data. Shellfish consumption was the most frequent risk factor reported for hepatitis A cases at all ages. Hospitalization, surgical intervention, dental therapy and other percutaneous exposures still play a role in the transmission of parenteral hepatitis in Italy. Blood transfusions seem to be important only for Non-A, Non-B. Interventions other than vaccination to prevent B and Non-A, Non-B hepatitis due to hospitalization, surgical intervention, other percutaneous exposures and dental therapy are needed and can further contribute to the decline of hepatitis virus infection rates in Italy.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1990

rRNA probing of chromosomal DNA of epidemic and sporadic isolates of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Kottbus from northern and southern Italy.

Fifty-two strains of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Kottbus, identified at the Centres of Enterobacteriaceae of Northern and Southern Italy, were investigated by molecular genetic methods. Thirteen isolates were recovered during two food-poisoning outbreaks that occurred in May 1987 in Lombardy. The rDNA gene restriction patterns, obtained by probing endonuclease cleaved chromosomal DNA with photobiotin labeled Escherichia coli rRNA, revealed some heterogeneity among strains isolated from Southern Italy, whereas Northern Italy isolates exhibited virtually identical banding patterns.

Blotting, Southern↗
PubMed1992

A population-based prevalence survey of known diabetes mellitus in northern Italy based upon multiple independent sources of ascertainment.

The aims of this survey were (1) to estimate the prevalence of known diabetes mellitus in 1988 in Casale Monferrato (Northern Italy); (2) to validate different data sources available in Italy; (3) to identify a population-based cohort of diabetic patients. Multiple independent data sources were used and the capture-recapture method was applied to estimate the completeness of ascertainment of the survey. The primary data source was the list of all patients attending the diabetic clinic or those referred by family physicians and paediatricians of the area. The secondary data sources were the list of hospital discharges, the prescriptions data source and the list of all people using reagent strips and insulin syringes. On 1 October 1988 (the cut-off date) 2,069 cases of known diabetes were identified. The estimated completeness of ascertainment of the survey was 91%. Prevalence of known diabetes, Type 1 (insulin-dependent), Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) and insulin-treated diabetes were, respectively, 2.21% (95% CI 2.13-2.29), 0.80/1,000 (0.62-0.98) and 2.10% (2.01-2.19), 2.92/1,000 (2.57-3.27). A higher prevalence of Type 2 diabetes was observed in women (2.30%, 2.18-2.42) than in men (1.88%, 1.76-2.00). Age-specific prevalence of Type 2 diabetes increased with age. Computerized data sources routinely available in the Piedmont Region (hospital discharges and prescriptions data sources) showed a low completeness of ascertainment when considered together (65%, 1,338 of 2,069), indicating the need to involve the diabetic clinic and family physicians in the ascertainment of known diabetes. In conclusion, the prevalence of known diabetes in Italy was lower than in Northern Europe and the United States.

Adolescent↗