DSpace collection: A. Original papers

Serum ferritin and cholera: A prospective study

Mon, 31 Dec 1990 22:58:59 GMT

title: Serum ferritin and cholera: A prospective study authors: Alam, A. N.; Goff, Paul A.; Abdal, N. M.; Rashid, M. A.; Rahaman, M. M.
abstract: An association has been shown between iron deficiency and a low gastric acidity while the latter is known to increase susceptibility to cholera. This study was undertaken to ascertain whether iron deficiency is a risk factor for contracting cholera. The subjects were 60 adult males-30 with cholera admitted to ICDDR,B and 30 controls matched for age, sex and socio-economic status from the same household or immediate neighbourhood of the index case. Fingerstick blood was taken from all subjects to estimate the haematocrit, and serum ferritin concentration by an ELISA. The mean ferritin level of the study group was 38.7 ng/100 ml, in the controls. There was a significant difference in the serum ferritin level between the groups (P less than 0.005), Wilcoxon Sign Rank test for matched pairs suggesting that cholera patients tend to have lower serum ferritin concentration. Further prospective studies are required to define the possible association between iron deficiency and cholera more accurately.

The use of soap and water in two Bangladeshi communities: implications for the transmission of diarrhea

Tue, 26 Feb 1991 22:58:59 GMT

title: The use of soap and water in two Bangladeshi communities: implications for the transmission of diarrhea authors: Sushila, Zeitlyn; Islam, Farzana
abstract: Efforts to reduce the incidence of diarrheal infections in which enteropathogens are endemic have focused on education about the importance of hand washing to interrupt transmission of such organisms. Since the effectiveness of health education depends on an understanding of the recipients' ideas and customs, we studied perceptions of cleanliness and the role of soap and hand washing in two poor Bangladeshi communities, one rural and one urban. We found that ideas about cleanliness generally are not based on germ theory; cleanliness is viewed in a larger, socioreligious context of purity vs. impurity. Washing serves both physical and spiritual needs and is performed according to defined patterns that may not effectively interrupt transmission of microorganisms. Soap is regarded as a cosmetic rather than an agent for removal of microorganisms.

Surveillance of shigellosis in rural Bangladesh: a 10 years review

Fri, 29 Mar 1991 22:58:59 GMT

title: Surveillance of shigellosis in rural Bangladesh: a 10 years review authors: Zaman, K.; Yunus, Md.; Baqui, A. H.; Hossain, K. M. B.
abstract: Over a period of 10 years 35,620 patients, admitted from a defined surveillance area, had a rectal swab culture done at a rural diarrhoea treatment centre in Bangladesh. Shigella spp. were isolated from 3,440 (9.7%) cases. Marked year to year variations were observed in isolation rates of Shigella spp. ranging from 5.7% to 16.7%. Sh. flexneri was the predominant isolate between 1978 to 1982 (56%-67%), Sh. dysenteriae type 1 predominated from 1983 to 1985 (45%-50%), and again Sh. flexneri became predominant in 1986 (55%) and 1987 (61%). Shigella were most commonly isolated from children aged 1-4 years followed by children 5-9 years and elderly people aged 45+ years. Sh. flexneri was isolated most frequently during August - January and Sh.dysenteriae type 1 during June to July. The overall case fatality rate in patients with shigellosis was 0.96%. It was 1.10% in children under 5 years of age. Prevalence of multiple antibiotic resistant strains increased over the years and at present most strains are resistant to commonly used antibiotics such as ampicillin and cotrimoxazole. Nalidixic acid is currently the drug of choice for Shigella infection in this area.

Culture adaptation and characterization of group A rotaviruses causing diarrheal illnesses in Bangladesh from 1985 to 1986

Thu, 29 Aug 1991 22:58:59 GMT

title: Culture adaptation and characterization of group A rotaviruses causing diarrheal illnesses in Bangladesh from 1985 to 1986 authors: Ward, Richard L.; Clemens, John D.; Sack, David A.; Knowlton, Douglas R.; Mcneal, Monica M.; Huda, Nurul; Ahmed, Faruque; Rao, Malla; Schiff, Gilbert M.
abstract: Group A rotaviruses collected between 1985 and 1986 during comprehensive surveillance of treated diarrheal episodes occurring in a rural Bangladesh population were culture adapted and characterized by electropherotype, serotype, and subgroup. Of 454 episodes of rotavirus-associated diarrhea, rotaviruses were culture adapted from 381 (84%), and 335 contained 11 electrophoretically identical segments in unpassaged and cultured preparations. These 335 comprised 69 different electropherotypes with between 1 (32 isolates) and 79 representatives. The persistence of specific rotavirus strains within the study population, as defined by the detection of viruses with particular electropherotypes, was generally limited to a period of only a few months. All 335 isolates were serotyped by neutralization with hyperimmune antisera to prototype rotavirus strains representative of serotypes 1 to 4, i.e., Wa, DS-1, P, and ST-3. It was found that 80, 48, 119, and 88 isolates belonged to serotypes 1 to 4, respectively. The concentrations of hyperimmune antisera required to neutralize these isolates, however, were at least threefold greater than those needed to neutralize the homologous strains. Therefore, the isolates appeared to have altered neutralization epitopes from their prototype strains. Furthermore, the serotype 4 isolates were consistently shown to be much more closely related to the serotype 4B VA70 strain than the serotype 4A ST-3 strain. All but two isolates identified as serotypes 1, 3, or 4 had long electropherotypes and were subgroup II, and all but one serotype 2 isolate were subgroup I and had short electropherotypes. The three disparate strains appeared to be genetic reassortants. Evidence is presented that dual infections required for reassortant formation were not uncommon. Thus, formation of multiple reassortants may have been a cause for the observed rapid shift in viral strains within the study population.