To the Editor: Prevalence of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) among blood donors has been assessed in a few West African countries ; most recent estimates range from 1.1% to 6.7% (1–4). A recent meta-analysis of studies, including a confirmation test, yielded an average prevalence of HCV infection of 3.0% (5). Until 2001, no systematic screening of HCV infection occurred among blood donors in Se...

To the Editor: Typhoid fever, caused by Salmonella enterica sero-var Typhi, is a serious form of enteric fever. In 2000, the worldwide number of typhoid cases was estimated to be >21,000,000, and there were >200,000 deaths from this disease (1). Ciprofl oxacin is the fi rst-line drug of choice for treatment of patients with typhoid fever, but there has been an increase in strains resistant to c...

Background: Syndromic management of STDs has been advocated as simplified and cheap approach. Youth have been reported to be at increased risk of acquiring STD which can facilitate HIV transmission. It is important to study the relationship between the syndromic management and specific aetiological diagnosis and the health seeking behaviour in youths. Methods: Between September 1998 and Februar...

Staphylococcus aureus has been well known as a major pathogen for many years, causing a variety of nosocomial infections. The rapid and reliable detection of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) organisms is of utmost importance to prevent the spread of infection. Species identification is primarily based on biochemical characteristics of cultured organisms, but to increase accuracy of identi...

Recently, some of us presented data concerning HIV frequency in female sex workers (FSW) from the port city of Imbituba, Santa Catarina (SC), Southern Brazil. Out of 90 FSW, six (6.7%) were found to be HIV-positive, and significant association were found between HIV infection and the number of clients attended per day (p = 0.008), and sexual relations without frequent use of condoms (p = 0.015)...

This study was carried out to determine the current pattern of Shigella serogroups and their antimicrobial resistance in children with acute gastroenteritis in Manipal, South India. A total of 1,200 stool samples were collected from April 2001 to May 2006 in children suffering from acute gastroenteritis attending the out-patient department of pediatrics at Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, South Indi...

With great interest, we read the paper by Adriana Palom et al.[1]Palom A. Rando-Segura Vico J. Pacín B. Vargas E. Barreira-Díaz al.Implementation of anti-HDV reflex testing among HBsAg-positive individuals increases for hepatitis D.JHEP Rep Innov Hepatol. 2022 Oct; 4: 100547Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (5) Google Scholar published in JHEP report regarding anti-hepatitis delta virus (HDV...

The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA 88) (1 ) have caused great changes not only in US laboratories but in clinical laboratories throughout the world. CLIA’s requirements for preand postanalytical control were harbingers of more complete approaches to the implementation of quality systems in clinical laboratories, such as the quality model just introduced by the National...

Group B streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of neonatal infection in the United States. In May 1996, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed a strategy to reduce the morbidity and mortality of GBS-associated neonatal disease (2). They recommended culturing all pregnant women at 35 to 37 weeks gestation for GBS colonization using vaginal-rectal specimens. For maximum ...

Characterization of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhi isolates for their Vi capsular polysaccharide antigen-related genetic sequences is desirable to define the role of isolates lacking such sequences in differential replication at unusual sites, including those coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Infection with Vi-negative strains might produce typhoid fever among those immuniz...