Marisa Torres

Toxocarosis en Chile: Serie clínica en un centro de pediatría ambulatoria

Between january and august 1997 a study of toxocarosis by ELISA was done in 364 children which had a hemogram done. Twenty four of them had eosinophilia (range: 400-9135 eos/mm) (6.6%) and 8 patients from this group (8/24) showed a seropositive reaction against somatic antigens of Toxocara.

Brotes de salmonelosis y el tamaño y rol del Estado en Chile

Resumen Durante el ano 2011 dos brotes de infecciones por Salmonella afectaron la Region Metropolitana (RM) de Chile: uno de fi ebre tifoidea y otro de gastroenteritis por Salmonella serotipo Enteritidis, infecciones que habian declinado en los ultimos anos. Se analizan las probables causas de esta reemergencia. Para el desarrollo de este trabajo se consultaron sitios web gubernamentales y de las Naciones Unidas. Las tasas de fi ebre tifoidea han declinado progresivamente hasta tasas muy bajas siendo la actual cercana a un caso por 100.000 habitantes, disminucion asociada a las mejorias en las condiciones de vida de la poblacion que se expresa por el indice de desarrollo humano alcanzado. El brote del ano 2011 estuvo asociado a un clon predominante que afecto al sector occidente de la RM y donde el unico factor de riesgo involucrado fue el consumo de verduras adquiridas en distintas ferias libres del mismo sector, sin lograr la identifi cacion del sitio de origen. Aunque la notifi cacion de esta enfermedad se ha optimizado en los ultimos anos, al igual que la capacidad de tipifi cacion molecular por parte del Laboratorio de Referencia (ISP), este brote se produce en forma coincidente con un bajo numero de fi scalizaciones alimentarias en la RM (la mas baja de Chile), explicado probablemente por el bajo numero de personal en la reparticion responsable en relacion al tamano de la poblacion. En el caso de las infecciones porUNLABELLED During year 2011 two outbreaks of Salmonella infection captured media attention in the Metropolitan Area (MA) in Chile: one of typhoid fever associated to Salmonella serotype Typhi, and the other, of gastroenteritis related to Salmonella serotype Enteritidis, both with decreasing or stable rates in the previous years. The aim of this work is to analyze probable causes of their reemergence. METHODS Several government websites were searched looking for epidemiological data. RESULTS Typhoid fever rates have declined to current values of 1 case per 100.000 habitants, a decreased associated to improvements in the human development index. The typhoid outbreak was associated to a predominant clone within the MA. The only risk factor identified was consumption of raw vegetables acquired in open fairs, but without identifying a common source. Despite improvements in disease notification and molecular epidemiology capabilities, this outbreak is coincidental with a reduced number of food inspection visits in the MA, probably explained by the limited personnel available for this task. In the case of Salmonella Enteritidis, rates have increased twice since 1998 (5.3 to 10.7 per 100.000 habitants) with an important increase in the number of outbreaks linked to this agent (7 to 31 annual outbreaks) since year 2005. Persistence of this problem is probably associated to the low surveillance of poultry farms made by the Chilean state, to the absence of a cold chain during collection, distribution and selling of eggs, and to the lack of an educational program directed to the population. The recent regulation that bans home-made mayonnaise in restaurant or fast food stores is an important advance that requires further evaluation. CONCLUSIONS The persistence and reemergence of different kind of Salmonellosis in Chile suggests chronic problems on the size and role of the Chilean state regarding food safety.

First meeting "cystic echinococcosis in Chile, update in alternatives for control and diagnostics in animals and humans"

This report summarizes the outcomes of a meeting on cystic echinococcosis (CE) in animals and humans in Chile held in Santiago, Chile, between the 21st and 22nd of January 2016. The meeting participants included representatives of the Departamento de Zoonosis, Ministerio de Salud (Zoonotic Diseases Department, Ministry of Health), representatives of the Secretarias Regionales del Ministerio de Salud (Regional Department of Health, Ministry of Health), Instituto Nacional de Desarrollo Agropecuario (National Institute for the Development of Agriculture and Livestock, INDAP), Instituto de Salud Pública (National Institute for Public Health, ISP) and the Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero (Animal Health Department, SAG), academics from various universities, veterinarians and physicians. Current and future CE control activities were discussed. It was noted that the EG95 vaccine was being implemented for the first time in pilot control programmes, with the vaccine scheduled during 2016 in two different regions in the South of Chile. In relation to use of the vaccine, the need was highlighted for acquiring good quality data, based on CE findings at slaughterhouse, previous to initiation of vaccination so as to enable correct assessment of the efficacy of the vaccine in the following years. The current world’s-best-practice concerning the use of ultrasound as a diagnostic tool for the screening population in highly endemic remote and poor areas was also discussed.

ENTEROPARASITOSIS EN LA POBLACION DE LA TERCERA EDAD CONSULTANTE EN CENTROS MEDICOS DE LA PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD CATOLICA DE CHILE, 1997

RESUMEN La poblacion senil rara vez ha sido estudiada especificamente para determinar prevalencia de enteroparasitosis y sus repercusiones. Por lo anterior, se realizo un estudio retrospectivo a partir de 493 examenes coproparasitologicos seriados analizados por tecnica de PAF y Teleman y 9 Test de Graham realizados a pacientes senescentes en el laboratorio de parasitologia de la Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, entre el 1° de Enero al 31 de Diciembre de 1997. Los resultados fueron analizados por sexo, edad, especies, y estacion del ano. Al analizar los resultados se encontro presencia de parasitos y/o comensales un 37,7% de los examenes, de los cuales un 38,7% corresponde a parasitos, un 26,3% a comensales y un 34,9% ambos 20,3% presento una sola especie, siendo el agente mas frecuente el protozoo Blastocystis hominis 23,1%, seguido por los comensales Endolimax nana y Entamoeba coli con 14,1% y 12,7% respectivamente. Afecta en forma similar a ambos sexos y sin variacion significativa estacional. A diferencia de los grupos pediatricos, Giardia lamblia no constituyo un agente frecuente en la tercera edad. Finalmente se considera necesario fomentar la realizacion de nuevos estudios que permitan conocer y mejorar aun mas el manejo de la patologia del paciente senescente, dada la mayor esperanza de vida que existe para estos actualmente en las puertas del siglo XXI.

Loxosceles laeta, identificación y una mirada bajo microscopía de barrido

Loxosceles laeta is a spider of importance in Chile and produce hight morbilethality in humans. The majority of the patients with a spider bite go to primary attention and to the emergency room. It is very important to know the morphology of the spider in order to be prompt identify and make a correct management of the patients. We showed its morphology in a photography of scanning electronic microscopy that detach its most fundamental aspects, like its six eyes located in a triangular disposition.

Un caso de anisakiosis en un adulto

Un paciente de 38 anos de edad con antecedentes de haber comido pescado crudo (mariscal) doce horas antes, presento un severo dolor gastrico y elimino por via bucal una larva de nematodo de aproximadamente 20 mm de largo. La endoscopia mostro una leve gastritis, sin evidenciar la presencia de otras larvas o lesiones ulcerosas. El dolor desaparecio totalmente a las dos semanas luego de un tratamiento con antihistaminicos y analgesicos

Use of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF α) antagonists in a patient with psoriasis and Chagas disease

There are several studies on the benefits of using TNFα antagonists in the treatment of psoriasis, but few studies addressing the interaction of these drugs with chronic infections. We report the case of a 52-year-old patient diagnosed with psoriasis refractory to traditional systemic agents, who was treated with biologic therapies. After one year of treatment with biologic agents, the patient was diagnosed with Chagas Disease.

Teniosis: Serie clínica en 35 pacientes

Se presenta una serie clinica de 35 pacientes con teniosis. Los pacientes tenian un rango de edad que fluctuaba entre 4 a 71 anos, 32 pacientes eran de zona urbana. En la serie se demostro la presencia de 6 casos con Taenia solium, 24 con Taenia saginata, 4 con Taenia spp, 1 caso con Diphyllobothrium latum. El motivo de consulta en 34 casos fue la eliminacion de proglotidas. Entre los antecedentes de riesgo 27 pacientes tenian como antecedente consumir carne cruda de vacuno y 5 de ellos consumian ademas carne cruda de cerdos. El tiempo de eliminacion de proglotidas vario entre 4 dias a 40 anos. Los pacientes fueron tratados con niclosamida o praziquantel sin presentar reacciones adversas a los medicamentos

First meeting "Cystic echinococcosis in Chile, update in alternatives for control and diagnostics in animals and humans" (vol 9, 502, 2016)

Erratum Unfortunately, the original version of this article [1] contained an error. Within the author list, “Ministry of Health, SAG and other organizations attending the meeting” and “a list of collaborators” was erroneously included. The correct author list can be found here and has also been updated in the original article. The publisher would like to apologize for any inconvenience this oversight may have caused.

Toxoplasmosis, zoonosis parasitaria prevalente en Chile: recuento y desafíos

BACKGROUND Toxoplasmosis, cosmopolitan parasitic zoonosis often found in humans, is transmitted mainly by food and water, and is considered a significant risk of morbidity and mortality in pregnant women, newborns and immunocompromised patients. OBJECTIVE To identify the information about this zoonosis and its first reports in Chile. MATERIALS AND METHODS Review of publications in Pubmed, Mesh search of systematic reviews, case studies, cross-sectional studies, systematic reviews, meta-analysis and specialty publications. In addition, other publications in parasitology journals were analyzed. CONCLUSIONS There are reports of the presence of this disease in Chile for 60 years. During this time several differences in prevalence depending on geographic location, age and education level of the population have been detected. There is low epidemiological vigilance and lack of specific official preventive measures for this disease, despite the possible introduction of new parasite genotypes of an increased virulence and pathogenicity in the country through the importation of meat. New enigmas have arisen in relation to this disease associating it with Alzheimer, Parkinsons disease, autism, learning disabilities, among others.