DSpace collection: Infectious diseases and vaccine sciences conference papers

Introduction and goals of the conference

Sun, 29 Mar 1981 22:58:59 GMT

title: Introduction and goals of the conference authors: Greenough III, W.B.

Maternal cholera immunization and secretory IgA in breast milk[abstract]

Sat, 29 Mar 1980 22:58:59 GMT

title: Maternal cholera immunization and secretory IgA in breast milk[abstract] authors: Merson, Michael H.; Black, Robert E.; Sack, David A.; Svennerholm, Ann-Mari; Holmgran, Jan

Evaluating the alternative strategies for hepatitis A and B vaccination in Bangladesh: an economic analysis

Tue, 29 Oct 0003 22:58:59 GMT

title: Evaluating the alternative strategies for hepatitis A and B vaccination in Bangladesh: an economic analysis authors: Ali, Disha; Khan, M. Mahmud
abstract: Objective: Compare the costs and benefits of adopting alternative strategies for hepatitis A and B vaccination in Bangladesh to determine the most cost-effective approach of preventing the infection. Methodology: Three alternative strategies that have been evaluated are: (a) vaccinate all individuals in the society without testing, (b) vaccinate only those who are not immune to hepatitis A and B, and (c) vaccinate the non-immune cases among the high-risk population. A simple economic model, explaining the costs and benefits associated with screening and vaccination, was developed to examine the alternatives. The model predicts the costs and benefits at different levels of prevalence, cost of identification of the high-risk groups, sensitivity and specificity of the tests, the direct and indirect economic cost of infections, and effectiveness of the vaccinations in Bangladesh context. Costs of tests and vaccinations were obtained through the private provider survey in Dhaka, and the direct medical benefits of preventing the infections were derived from the expert opinion surveys. The indirect economic costs were estimated by considering the degree and duration of morbidity, and case-specific fatality information was obtained either from literature or through expert opinion surveys. The costing implicitly assumed that successive three doses of immunization would provide life-long immunity to an individual. Results: Hepatitis A vaccination, due to its low direct and indirect cost, turned out to be a low-priority intervention for Bangladesh. Hepatitis B-screening tests and vaccinations are relatively costly. However, the benefit of preventing hepatitis B is also high. Despite the high cost of screening and vaccination, the prevention of hepatitis B remains a highly desirable intervention for Bangladesh. Conclusion: Immunization against hepatitis B appears beneficial to the society at a reasonable range of prevalence. Economic benefits of preventing hepatitis B are high, but the intervention appears too costly to be funded through the public sector alone. Alternative methods of funding hepatitis B vaccination (HBV) should be considered. Therefore, in the short run, a mass campaign on HBV will not be feasible due to the financial resource constraints

Immunoblot analysis as a diagnostic tool for detection of visceral leishmaniasis in Bangladesh

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 04:56:05 GMT

title: Immunoblot analysis as a diagnostic tool for detection of visceral leishmaniasis in Bangladesh authors: Iftekhar, Nahid Tofail; Qadri, F.; Rahman, M.; Amin, M.R.; Rahman, K.M.
abstract: Objective: Develop a specific diagnostic test for visceral leishmaniasis in Bangladesh. Methodology: Sera of 32 confirmed visceral leishmaniasis (VL) patients, obtained from different hospitals in Bangladesh during November 1996-April 1997, were studied by the immunoblot technique with antigen prepared from Leishmania donovani. Controls included sera of 34 healthy individuals from both endemic and non-endemic regions, 25 patients with non-lcishmanial infections, and one individual treated for visceral leishmaniasis. Direct agglutination test (DAT) was performed on all sera. Results: Sera of the VL patients showed heterogeneity of polypeptide recognition and identified many polypeptides with relative molecular mass ranging from 16 to > 106 kD. The 56-64-kD band was recognized by all sera, while the 106, 78, 76 and 66-kD polypeptide bands were identified by 91%, 91%, 97%, and 97% of the sera from the VL patients respectively. Three of these polypeptides and the 56-64 kD polypeptide were recognized by 97% of the sera from the VL patients. The 76-kD polypeptide band was not recognized by sera of only two patients, of whom one had been treated for VL. The recognition of the 56-64-kD band had a sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 90% respectively and that of the 76-kD band has a sensitivity and specificity of 97% and 98%. For both VL patients * and the treated individual, DAT was positive at high litre (1:102400). The sera of patients with non-leishmanial infection identified one or two of the five specific polypeptides, but in no case more than two. Conclusion: Immunoblot analysis can be a valuable tool in specific diagnosis of active visceral leishmaniasis in ^ ^ Bangladesh. The recognition of the 56-64-kD band, in addition to any three bands, may be considered diagnostic of - * VL. Additionally, further studies can confirm if this technique can differentiate active infection from treated infections unlike DAT, which is currently used in Bangladesh.