Alfredo Guillén

Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Brucella melitensis Isolates in Peru

ABSTRACT Brucellosis is an important public health problem in Peru. We evaluated 48 human Brucella melitensis biotype 1 strains from Peru between 2000 and 2006. MICs of isolates to doxycycline, azithromycin, gentamicin, rifampin, ciprofloxacin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole were determined by the Etest method. All isolates were sensitive to tested drugs during the periods of testing. Relapses did not appear to be related to drug resistance.

MLVA genotyping of human Brucella isolates from Peru

Recent human Brucella melitensis isolates from Peru were genotyped by multiple locus variable number repeat analysis. All 24 isolates originated from hospitalized patients living in the central part of Peru and consisted of six genomic groups comprising two to four isolates and nine unique genotypes. The isolates were most closely related to the two previously genotyped isolates from Mexico, with a maximum distance of 2 to 4. The Peruvian strains were clearly distinct from the East and West Mediterranean groups of B. melitensis genotypes, suggesting that they may constitute a unique Latin American cluster.

Enfermedad diarreica: un problema recurrente de salud pública

, siendo muy superior al promedio mundial. La enfermedad diarreica acompana al hombre desde sus inicios y junto con las enfermedades respiratorias han sido las principales causas de morbilidad y mortalidad. La multicausalidad de la diarrea, hacia que esta enfermedad se viera como de dificil control; la aparicion de nuevos agentes causantes de diarrea, sobre todo virales, aumento esta idea, aunque probablemente se deba a que contamos con mejores metodos de deteccion. Por otro lado, el mejoramiento de las condiciones sanitarias ha hecho que exista una disminucion de la incidencia, sobre todo en paises donde estas medidas implementadas como politica de salud han contando con el apoyo de decisores, administradores y trabajadores de salud. En ese contexto, cuando hablamos de diarrea, aun cuando consideramos muchos agentes microbianos, como

Detection of human leptospirosis as a cause of acute fever by capture ELISA using a Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni (M20) derived antigen

BackgroundLeptospirosis is a potentially lethal zoonosis mainly affecting low-resource tropical countries, including Peru and its neighbouring countries. Timely diagnosis of leptospirosis is critical but may be challenging in the regions where it is most prevalent. The serodiagnostic gold standard microagglutination test (MAT) may be technically prohibitive. Our objective in this study was to assess the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of an IgM antibody capture enzyme-linked immunoassay (MAC-ELISA) derived from the M20 strain of Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni (M20) by comparison to MAT, which was used as the gold standard method of diagnosis.MethodsAcute and convalescent sera from participants participating in a passive febrile surveillance study in multiple regions of Peru were tested by both IgM MAC-ELISA and MAT. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value (PPV, NPV) of the MAC-ELISA assay for acute, convalescent and paired sera by comparison to MAT were calculated.ResultsThe sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of the MAC-ELISA assay for acute sera were 92.3%, 56.0%, 35.3% and 96.6% respectively. For convalescent sera, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of the MAC-ELISA assay were 93.3%, 51.5%, 63.6% and 89.5% respectively. For paired sera, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of the MAC-ELISA assay were 93.6%, 37.5%, 59.2%, 85.7% respectively.ConclusionsThe M20 MAC-ELISA assay performed with a high sensitivity and low specificity in the acute phase of illness. Sensitivity was similar as compared with MAT in the convalescent phase and specificity remained low. Paired sera were the most sensitive but least specific by comparison to MAT serodiagnosis. NPV for acute, convalescent and paired sera was high. The limited specificity and high sensitivity of the MAC-ELISA IgM suggests that it would be most valuable to exclude leptospirosis in low-resource regions that lack immediate access to definitive reference laboratory techniques such as MAT.

Reporte histórico: Primer aislamiento de Vibrio Cholera serogrupo O1 biovar el tor serovar Inaba durante la epidemia de cólera en el Perú - 1991

years ago, a new diarrheal disease was introduced in Peru and the Enteropathogens Reference Laboratory of the Instituto Nacional de Salud had an outstanding role in the isolation and rapid and timely identification of Vibrio cholerae. Cholera had not been seen before, but during the last week of January 1991 an outbreak of acute diarrhea was detected, presenting intense dehydration and some deaths. The epidemic affected, in the beginning, many locations of the peruvian coast. Some working teams of the General Office of Epidemiology and of the Instituto Nacional de Salud obtained fecal samples from patients with acute diarrhea coming from the cities of Chancay, Chimbote, Piura and some hospitals in Lima. The collected samples were transported on Cary and Blair media and processed in the National Reference Laboratory of Enteropathogens (LANARE) of the Instituto Nacional de Salud. Vibrio cholerae serogroup 01 biovar El Tor serovar Inaba was isolated from all the samples, it was sensible to tetracyclines and other antibiotics. This research confirmed the first outbreak of cholera in Peru.

Retos y Problemas en el diagnóstico microbiológico en diarrea

Clinical microbiology laboratories in Peru have the task to diagnose the infectious agents present in the clinical samples, for this, they have different tools available; their use depends on having material and human resources. The microbiological laboratory can perform simple and complex tests, depending on the level, the geographical location and the available resources. We mention the problems found with the available laboratory procedures and their potential diagnostic aid. We emphasize the need of having standardised procedures, the continuous education and training of the staff, and the importance of the laboratory network led by the Instituto Nacional de Salud.

Larvas de Strongyloides spp. en lechugas obtenidas en mercados de Lima

. En la industria alimentaria son cada vez mas conscientes de la posibilidad de contaminacion de sus productos con protozoos y estadios de helmintos y platelmintos; estos parasitos se han convertido en riesgos para la salud publica y en una preocupacion para quienes trabajan en la comercializacion de alimentos.Los productos frescos, en particular la lechuga, son consumidos con una preparacion minima y, al ser empleadas crudas en las ensaladas, son un vehiculo

Oscar Grados Bazalar (1929 - 2008)

1 Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matematicas, Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal. 2 Facultad de Tecnologia Medica, Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal. 3 Clinica San Borja. a Biologo; b Medico Microbiologo. Recibido: 26-01-11 Aprobado: 09-03-11 El doctor Oscar Grados Bazalar nacio en Puerto Supe, Provincia de Barranca, departamento de Lima, el 17 de febrero de 1929. Realizo sus estudios escolares en el Colegio San Jose Maristas del Callao. Ingreso a la Facultad de Medicina de San Fernando (Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos) de donde se graduo como Medico Cirujano en el ano 1958. En 1972 obtuvo el grado de Doctor en Medicina .