No description available.

No description available.

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is an important viral pathogen affecting all ages of cattle, resulting in significant economic losses worldwide. BVDV infection is associated with a diverse array of symptoms including gastrointestinal disorder, respiratory distress, fetal malformation, stillbirth, abortions, and mucosal disease (MD). Transplacental infections of fetuses between 42 and 125 days of gestation can result in immune-tolerance and the surviving fetuses become persistently infected (PI). PI animals are major reservoir of BVDV and it becomes problematic to control the disease. The objectives of this dissertation were to: 1) develop a cost-effective testing scheme to detect BVDV PI animals from exposed herds, 2) characterize two virulent BVDV-2 Mississippi isolates associated with severe hemorrhagic diseases, and 3) perform phylogenetic analysis based on sequences of 5'UTR, E2, and NS5B regions. First, we developed a BVDV testing scheme by combining pooled real-time RT-PCR with antigen capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ACE) to screen cattle herds. From positive pools individual positives were identified using ACE. Data from a three year period indicated that 92.94% PI animals were infected with BVDV-1, 3.53% with BVDV-2, and 3.53% with both BVDV-1 and BVDV-2. Analysis of the 5'UTR of 22 isolates revealed the predominance of BVDV-1b followed by BVDV-2a. Second, two virulent BVDV isolates, M10-3432 and M10-5347, were successfully recovered from an adult beef breeding cow and feedlot calf respectively. When compared to the reference strain BVDV-2 125c, five and three unique amino acids in E2 regions were different from M10-5347 and M10-3432 respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of E2 region grouped both Mississippi isolates in BVDV-2a, a subtype containing high virulent strains. M10-3432 was clustered with high virulent strain 890 while M10-5347 was clustered with high virulent strain CD87. Third, we compared the phylogenetic analyses of BVDV based on the sequences of 5'UTR, E2, and NS5B at either nucleotides or amino acids level. Although slight differences were observed, the virulent BVDV isolates were consistently classified into BVDV-2a cluster regardless of region of sequences used. Furthermore, phylogenetic tree constructed using combined two or more regions had higher posterior probability and bootstrap value than phylogenetic trees constructed using a single region

Identify and answer the commonly asked questions by families prior to international travel Recognize and list the vaccines that are required and recommended against preventable infections in the pediatric international traveler Discuss preventive measures useful against insect borne diseases such as malaria and yellow fever Discuss the epidemiology, presentation and treatment of Traveler’s diarrhea

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The study conducted in the rural area of the province of Imbabura included a total of 518 families that when compared with the estimated sample of 96%, 42.7 % corresponding to the indigenous ethnic group, 28.15% to Black and 25% to mixed-race ethnic groups, these differences of involvement between ethnic groups is due to the fact that the indigenous population is greater than the two remaining populations. Of the 518 families studied they were able to obtain a total of 794 children younger than 5, in which 48.5% pertaining to the male sex and 51.4% to the female sex. In linking the number of participating families and the number of children studied we were able to find that mothers have 1 to 2 children younger than the age of 5 in every family. In evaluating the nutritional state of the 794 studied children, 47.09% were found to have global malnutrition (P/E), 67.26% presented a chronic malnutrition that is to say a lower height for their age, whereas 13.97% presented an acute malnutrition, a percentage that doesn’t attract attention due to what I have already noted previously with children presenting low height and weight for their age when using the indicated weight/height, the nutritional state of the children is appropriate. The nutritional state of children under the age of 5, by considering the indicators of weight/age and height/age, identified the indigenous ethnicity having major problems of malnutrition (54% and 80.97%) respectively, while the two remaining ethnic groups have presented similar percentages. The opposite occurs with the indicator of weight/height, which detected that the Black ethnic group presented a major nutritional deterioration (24%) unlike the other two ethnic groups, we believe that this difference is due to indigenous children presenting a diminished height, consequently when we use the indicator of weight/height, an adequate weight for height is presented. According to the magnitude of diarrheal processes we find that 28.34% of children presented EDA, the indigenous ethnicity being that with the highest percentage (12.84%) in relation to the other two ethnic groups. According to the severity of the diarrheal processes, light EDA presents the highest percentage with 62.67%, with the indigenous ethnicity being affected the most, moderate EDA presents a 34.22% similarly affecting the indigenous ethnicity and severe EDA presents a 3.11% with the mixed-race ethnicity being the most affected. Relating the nutritional state with acute diarrheal illnesses, considering the indicators of weight/age and height/age, we find that the indigenous population is mostly affected in nutritional state as well as in the presence of EDA. Malnourished children present a higher number of diarrheal processes. Considering the indicator of weight/height, diarrhea is more frequent in children with a normal nutritional state, with the Black ethnicity that which presents the greater percentage of EDA in normal and malnourished children. For this reason, it is urgent that national programs of health and alimentation are defined and implemented in order to combat the nutritional problem and ensure an adequate supply of food for the whole population, improving the conditions of health and environmental sanitation in order to reduce the high rates of malnutrition, diarrhea and acute respiratory infections.

Background: Diarrhea is the passage of 3 or more loose or liquid stools per day. Globally, it is the second-leading cause of death among under-five children, accounting for 9% of all under-five deaths, and kills more young children than Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), malaria and measles combined. In developing countries, an estimated 1.8 million people die annually due to diarrheal diseases, and more than 80% of them are children under 5 years, while 88% of these deaths are in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). There are limited studies that investigate the prevalence and factors associated with diarrhea in SSA despite the health burden. Method: The Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) children’s recode dataset of 2015 for Chad was used for this study. The predictor variables were; age of child, source of drinking water, maternal highest level of education, drank from bottle with nipple, and the outcome variable was diarrhea recently. Descriptive statistics for all variables were completed, and Chi-square analyses were conducted to determine associations between predictor variables and the outcome, diarrhea recently. Simple and multiple logistic regressions were completed to determine factors that predict diarrhea in the last two weeks. Odds ratios, 95% confidence intervals, and p-values were reported. Results: The total sample size was (N=16,710). About 3292 (19.70%) children had diarrhea, 13418 (80.30%) children had no diarrhea. A high prevalence of diarrhea in under-five children was observe particularly in those who drink water from unprotected well (1070 cases), had mothers with only primary level of education (796 cases), and did not drink from bottles with nipple (2961 cases). Based on the age of child, the odds of having diarrhea were over 60% lower in children 3 years old and below [aOR = 0.39, C.I (0.279-0.538), p <.0001] compared to 4 years old and above. Based on the source of drinking water, children that drank from a protected spring were 74% less likely to have diarrhea [0.26, 0.084-0.827, p=0.0223] compared to those that drank from other sources. The study also showed that children that drank from bottles with nipple were 16% less likely of having diarrhea [0.84, 0.726-0.968, p=0.0166] compared to those that did not drink from bottles with nipple. However, maternal highest level of education had no significant association with the odds of having diarrhea in these children. Conclusion: Caregivers should ensure absolute hygiene and provide safe drinking water to under-five children, especially those above 3 years who may easily access contaminated water sources themselves. We also encourage the use of bottles with nipple heads for drinking in children. Further studies are needed in SSA on other factors influencing diarrhea risk in those under five.

The P2Y inhibitor, ticagrelor, has been shown to prevent thrombotic events and hence, improve morbidity and mortality in patients with acute coronary syndrome following coronary artery stent placement. Despite many clinical benefits, ticagrelor has been associated with several adverse effects, including dyspnea, easy bruising, and gastrointestinal bleeding. We report the case of a 67-year-old patient with an acute coronary artery syndrome requiring percutaneous coronary artery intervention with stenting who developed ticagrelor-induced diarrhea. The patient's ticagrelor medication was replaced with clopidogrel, and his diarrhea completely resolved within one week with no complications observed at his one-month follow-up visit. Clinicians should be aware of this adverse effect of ticagrelor so as to guide them toward possible underlying etiologies and appropriate workup of chronic diarrhea.

Problem/Purpose: Antibiotic associated diarrhea (AAD) and clostridium-difficile diarrhea (CDAD) are the most common forms of infectious diarrhea in long-term care facilities. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of probiotics in preventing AAD and CDAD in the long term care geriatric population, and to identify interventions that can be used to improve clinical practice. Background/Significance: Prophylactic use of probiotics have been purported to decrease the incidences of AAD and CDAD. Previous studies have yielded contradictory results on the efficacy of probiotics. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of administration of probiotics on the rate of infectious diarrhea in the Long Term Care (LTC) population Method: This was a retrospective cohort study. The charts of residents of a LTC facility who were 65 years of age and older, and were administered antibiotic therapies, with or without co-administration of probiotics were reviewed. A data collection instrument was created for this study and piloted prior to its utilization. A chi-square test of independence was calculated to obtain the results. Results: Forty-four residents received probiotics with antibiotics, five cases of diarrhea were reported; no cases of CDAD were reported. In 39 residents who received antibiotics without probiotics, two cases of diarrhea and one case of CDAD were reported. Conclusion: The study showed no statistically significant evidence to support the effectiveness of probiotic use in the prevention of AAD and CDAD in a long term care facility. The incidence of AAD was higher in the group with probiotics

Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) is a significant disease causing agent with major economic impact on the cattle industry, causing both productive and reproductive losses. One reason for its widespread distribution is that the majority of all BVDV infections occur without clinical signs, leaving most cases of BVDV undetected in cow herds. BVDV occur as cytopathic (CP) or non-cytopathic (NCP) biotypes, classified according to whether or not they produce visible changes in cell culture. CP BVDV biotype but not NCP biotype is implicated in the induction of apoptosis in vivo. The interaction of BVDV with its host has several unique features, most notably the capacity to infect its host either transiently or persistently. The pathogenesis of the disease caused by BVDV is complicated and interaction between BVDV and the host are poorly understood. The overall goal of this research is to identify mechanistic pathways that govern the outcome of BVDV infection in susceptible host cells. Specific aspects of this goal is to understand BVDV biotypes-induced changes on cellular proteome, cell death and survival mechanisms used by BVDV biotypes in apoptosis pathway, interactions of BVDV NS3 viral protein with host cellular proteins and how BVDV cell entry and infection interfere with an early step of professional antigen presentation, antigen uptake. The results of this work showed, for the first time, the successful use of proteomics in studying BVDV-host interactions in a comprehensive approach. Using the Gene Ontology and systems biology analysis we identified biotype-related differences in significant biological pathways and functions. Also, using a proteomics approach, we identified multiple critical cellular proteins that interact with CP NS3 viral protein at multiple stages of CP BVDV replication cycle. This project provides insight into the cellular pathways and functions involved in the viral cytopathogenicity of CP BVDV biotype. In addition, our data not only confirmed the previous observations on the critical involvement of the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis in CP BVDV infection, it also identified multiple mitochondrial and antioxidant proteins contributing to this pathway. Finally, we show that BVDV exploit selective antigen uptake mechanisms in professional antigen presenting cells monocytes during viral entry.