Syphilis epidemic in Slovenia influenced by syphilis epidemic in the Russian Federation and other newly independent states

In 1994 an 18-fold increase in the annually reported incidence rate of early syphilis (to 1.81 cases per 100,000 total population) in comparison to the preceding year was observed in Slovenia. The reported incidence rates remained elevated for a period of five years. The possible link between the evolving syphilis epidemic in the Russian Federation and newly independent States (NIS) during the 1990s and the observed increases in the reported early syphilis incidence rates in Slovenia, was explored. Surveillance data obtained by mandatory reporting of all newly diagnosed syphilis cases between 1994 and 1999 were analysed according to the information on sexual partners, the country of probable source of infection, and occupation. More than half of all reported cases (62%) were directly or indirectly linked to a source of infection abroad. Among these, the majority of cases (73%) were linked to the Russian Federation or NIS. Of these, 68% occurred in males, a high proportion being long-distance lorry drivers.     

Recent syphilis trends in Belgium and enhancement of STI surveillance systems

Over the past five years, a series of syphilis outbreaks mainly occurring among gay men have been observed in Europe. One of these outbreaks was reported in the city of Antwerp, Belgium, during the first quarter of 2001. This outbreak is still ongoing in 2004. Furthermore, active syphilis diagnoses reported by the Sentinel Laboratory Network rose by 89% in the country during the fourth quarter of 2003. An increase in Brussels was also observed during the same quarter (+300%; 24 cases reported). Overall, the sentinel network of clinicians reported that 93.4% of patients were male; among them, 79.9% were men having sex with men (MSM). The overall proportion of patients co-infected with HIV was 50.5% (MSM: 58.6%; male heterosexuals: 23.8%; females: 8.3%); 76.1% of co-infected patients were already aware of their HIV infection at the time they were diagnosed with syphilis.     

Changes in mental health of UK hospital consultants since the mid-1990s

We assessed changes in the mental health of UK hospital consultants from five specialties, on the basis of surveys done in 1994 (880 participants) and 2002 (1308 participants). The proportion of consultants with psychiatric morbidity rose from 27% (235) in 1994 to 32% (414) in 2002. The prevalence of emotional exhaustion increased from 32% (284) in 1994 to 41% (526) in 2002. Multivariate analyses showed that increased job stress without a comparable increase in job satisfaction accounted for the decline in mental health, which was especially marked in clinical and surgical oncologists. Action is needed to improve the working lives of consultants.     

Syphilis surveillance and epidemiology in the United Kingdom

The aim of this article is to describe trends in infectious syphilis in the UK, and specifically the epidemiology of the London syphilis outbreak, the largest in the UK to date. Analysis of routine surveillance data from genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics was performed as well as data collection through enhanced surveillance systems. There have been substantial increases in diagnoses of infectious syphilis between 1998 and 2003, with a 25-fold increase seen in men who have sex with men (MSM) (from 43 to 1028 diagnoses); 6-fold (138 to 860) in heterosexual men and 3-fold (112 to 338) in women. The national rise in syphilis was driven by a series of local outbreaks, the first of which occurred in 1997. To date, 1910 cases have been reported in the London outbreak, first detected in April 2001. High rates of HIV co-infection were seen among MSM, with MSM likely to be of white ethnicity and born in the UK. In contrast, heterosexuals were more likely to be of black ethnicity and born outside the UK. Most syphilis infections were acquired in London. MSM bear the brunt of the national resurgence in infectious syphilis. Substantial rises in male heterosexual cases has resulted in a divergence between male heterosexual and female cases, which now requires further investigation.     

Mother-to-child HIV type 1 transmission in Argentina: BF recombinants have predominated in infected children since the mid-1980s

The molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 in Argentina is more complex than was previously appreciated. One circulating recombinant form, CRF12_BF, and many related BF recombinant forms predominate in the capital city, Buenos Aires. This study of HIV-1 subtypes acquired perinatally between 1984 and 2000 has permitted, for the first time, a reconstruction of the history of BF recombination in Argentina. Sequencing of a partial genome region from the beginning of vpu to the beginning of env(gp120), which spans a breakpoint common in most contemporary Argentine BF recombinants, enabled samples to be rapidly screened. Among 23 children born between 1984 and 2000, 15 including 1 child born in 1986, harbored a BF recombinant. Thirteen of the 15 recombinants shared a common breakpoint at the 5' end of env(gp120). Full genome sequencing of two viruses, from 1986 and 1987, respectively, revealed them to be genetically related but not identical to CRF12_BF. Both contained more subtype B sequence than did CRF12_BF. BF recombinants related to CRF12_BF have been in circulation in Buenos Aires since 1986 and continue to predominate in perinatal transmissions.     

Distribution of Chlamydia trachomatis serovars among female prostitutes and non-prostitutes in Thailand, and non-prostitutes in Japan during the mid-90s

The distribution of Chlamydia trachomatis serovars in Thailand and Japan during the same period of the mid-90s was determined. Seventy-one C . trachomatis specimens isolated from female patients who visited the Venereal Diseases Center at Bangkok, Thailand in 1994 were used in this study. Of these, 56 patients were prostitutes. Forty-seven specimens obtained from female non-prostitutes who attended the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Saitama Medical School, Japan during the period from 1993 to 1995 were also used in this study. DNA was extracted from these specimens and typing of C. trachomatis serovars was performed by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. The identified serovars among prostitutes of Thailand (n = 56)/non-prostitutes of Thailand (n = 15)/non-prostitutes of Japan (n = 47) were as follows: Ba 1/0/2, D 8/1/15, E 11/2/8, F 16/9/8, G 4/0/7, H 3/2/3, I 1/0/1, J 3/0/0, and K 10/1/4. Serovar F was most prevalent (35.2%) in both prostitutes and non-prostitutes from Thailand, followed by serovar E (18.3%). On the other hand, serovar D was the most frequent serovar in non-prostitutes in Japan (31.9%) followed by serovars F (17.0%) and E (17.0%). A difference in the distribution of C. trachomatis serovars of Thailand and Japan was noted.     

天津市梅毒血清学检测能力验证对梅毒疫情的影响

目的通过分析2009-2010年梅毒流行趋势,并结合天津市梅毒血清学检测能力验证考核结果,探寻天津市梅毒疫情变化的影响因素,为制定梅毒疫情防治策略提供科学依据。方法随机选取4家医疗机构,收集其2009年第一季度到第三季度的梅毒阳性血清并进行梅毒血清学复验。制备并发放梅毒血清样本,各管辖的性病实验室的常规检测人员,按其实验室常规检测方法,在规定的时间内检测并将检测结果回报。采用SPSS 15.0软件对收集的检测结果与梅毒疫情数据进行统计分析。结果在随机抽取的4家医疗机构收集的血液样本中,性病实验室与确证中心实验室梅毒检测结果的符合率为77.43%(247/319)。性病门诊实验室梅毒血清学检测能力验证结果显示,合格率为97.30%(36/37),其中优秀占78.38%(29/37),良好占13.51%(5/37),合格占5.41%(2/37),不合格率为2.70%(1/37)。结论以梅毒血清学确证能力建设为抓手,可以在一定程度上减少梅毒疫情报告中的误报情况,从而展示天津市真实的梅毒发病情况,为进一步制定梅毒疫情控制方案提供真实数据。     

Increase of syphilis in Finland related to the Russian epidemic

In the early 1990s only 30 to 40 new serologically confirmed cases of syphilis were reported annually in Finland. Typical syphilis patients were heterosexual men who acquired the infection abroad. Since 1993, the incidence of syphilis has increased. In 19     

Long-term trends of the demographic aging in Germany

At the beginning of the 21st century, Germany is experiencing the highest demographic aging after Japan. The aging process was first initiated by the increase of life expectancy, especially at the age above 60 years which caused an increase in the number of old people. During the next phase (1970-2000) the aging process was additionally affected by decreasing birth rates. Since the end of the 1960s the total fertility rate in Germany has been below the replacement level. As a consequence the number of children is decreasing and the number of old people has been increasing for 30 years. Various population projections published by the Institute for Population Research and Social Policy (IBS) demonstrate that the aging process will intensify during the next 50 years: the number of the oldest old population will triple, and the dependancy ratio will at least double. This process cannot be stopped or considerably diminished by an increasing number of young immigrants. After 2050 the cohorts born after the second world war (the baby boom cohorts) will be dead. But the decreasing number of old people beyond 2050 will not automatically lead to a lower dependancy ratio, because the age group 0-20 is diminishing continuously. Only a rise of the total fertility rate to the replacement level of 2.1 children per women could stop the aging process effectively in the long run (i.e., after two generations or after 60 years, respectively). In this case, the dependancy ratio will not double or triple but increase by a factor of 1.5.     

Development of mortality in western and eastern Germany since 1991

At the beginning of the 1990s, life expectancy was clearly higher in the western part of Germany than in the eastern part (life table 1991/93, difference in life expectancy of newborn boys 3.25 years, girls 2.3 years). Since then the life expectancy has increased in western and eastern Germany differently. Despite a harmonization, differences still exist (life table 1997/99: boys 1.8 years, girls 0.8 years). Based on age-specific mortality rates, the decrease of mortality between 1991 and 1999 was particularly strong in the group of 25- to 35-year-old persons in eastern Germany as well as in the group of 30- to 35-year-old persons in western Germany. The largest differences in mortality - based on the probabilities of death in 1997/99 - are evident in the group of 18-year-old men and women as well as in the group of men between 35 and 44 years. At present women in eastern Germany show a lower mortality in some age groups than in western Germany.     

Erratum to: Seroepidemiology of a second epidemic of hepatitis E in a population that had recorded first epidemic 30 years before and has been under surveillance since then

Purpose  

Large-scale waterborne epidemics of hepatitis E occur in developing countries. It is not known why these epidemics occur repeatedly and selectively in adult population?     

境外人群梅毒血清学检测结果分析

目的 对潜伏期梅毒的外籍人群进行监测,以防止性传播疾病的蔓延。方法 应用快速血浆素反应试验、苍白螺旋体明胶颗粒凝集试验和酶联免疫吸附实验方法。结果2000年度上海口岸应用血清学方法对出入境的境外人群 8 583人次进行梅毒监测,发现阳性者 39例,感染率为 0.454％,并对其中的 20例,用 EIA方法检测了梅毒特异性抗体IgG和IgM,4例IgG+和IgM+,16例IgM-和IgG+。结论 根据检测到的IgG和IgM抗体结果,应对早期潜伏期梅毒和晚期潜伏期梅毒,分别采取不同的卫生检疫措施。     

2010年浙江省血吸虫病疫情监测结果分析

目的 及时掌握浙江省血吸虫病疫情动态变化,为制定防治策略提供科学依据.方法 根据<浙江省血吸虫病监测巩固方案(2007年修订版)>,对浙江省54个县的452个乡(镇)3 657个村开展螺情和疫情监测.螺情监测用系统抽样结合环境抽查法,查到的钉螺用压碎法检查血吸虫感染,用土埋结合药物方法灭螺;疫情监测用血清学筛查,对阳性者作粪检,检查有螺村和来自尚未控制血吸虫病县的人(畜).结果 在18个流行县(市、区)中查出有螺面积691 100 m2;解剖钉螺81 314只,未发现感染性钉螺.血清学检查194 186人,阳性2 853人,阳性率为1.47%;发现输入性血吸虫病病例9例,未发现本地粪检阳性的人(畜).结论 今后血吸虫病防治工作重点应是查灭残存钉螺和防控外来传染源.