Risk factors and effectiveness of preventive measures against influenza in the community

Please cite this paper as: Castilla et al. (2013) Risk factors and effectiveness of preventive measures against influenza in the community. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 7(2) 177–183. Background  The role of different risk exposures and preventive measures against influenza has not been well established. Objective  The aim of this study was to evaluate risk factors and measures to prevent influenza infection in the community. Methods  We conducted a multicenter case–control study. Cases were 481 outpatients aged 18 years or older with laboratory‐confirmed influenza A(H1N1)09 in the 2009–2010 season in Spain. A control was selected for each case from outpatients from the same area matched by age and date of consultation. Information on risk situations, preventive measures and other variables was obtained by interview and review of the medical record. Results  In the multivariate conditional logistic regression analysis, the risk of a diagnosis of influenza increased with the number of cohabitants (compared with <3 cohabitants, three cohabitants had an OR = 1·80, 95% CI 1·12–2·89, and ≥5 cohabitants had an OR = 2·66, 95% CI 1·31–5·41) and for health care workers (OR = 2·94, 95% CI 1·53–5·66). The use of metropolitan public transport was associated with a lower frequency of a diagnosis of influenza (OR = 0·45, 95% CI 0·30–0·68) but not the use of taxis or long‐distance transport. The influenza A(H1N1)09 vaccine had a protective effect (OR = 0·13, 95% CI 0·04–0·48), unlike hand washing after touching contaminated surfaces or the use of alcohol‐based hand sanitizers. Conclusion  The home environment appears to play an important role in the spread of influenza in adults, but not the use of public transport. Health care workers have a higher risk of contracting influenza. Vaccination was the most effective preventive measure.     

CT features of mesenteric panniculitis

Mesenteric panniculitis (MP) is an inflammatory process of the mesenteric fat associated with a variable amount of fibrosis. We present the CT findings in four patients with MP. In three patients CT showed a fatty mass in the root of the mesentery and surrounding the mesenteric vessels without distorting them. The fourth patient presented an unusual form of MP with radiologically visible calcifications. Diagnosis was suggested preoperatively in two cases.     

Effect of povidone iodine and chlorhexidine on the mortality and bacterial clearance in the abdominal cavity of peritonitis rats.

Peritonitis was induced in Wistar rats by intraperitoneal inoculation of pure Escherichia coli. The mortality rate in the untreated control group was 36% (18/50). Rats in which 2 ml 1% povidone iodine had been injected intraperitoneally 5 min after the bacterial challenge, had a significantly increased mortality rate (43/50, 86%) (p less than 0.01). When the same experiment was done with 2 ml of 0.05% chlorhexidine the mortality rate decreased significantly to 16% (8/50) (p less than 0.05). Povidone iodine did not have any bactericidal effect; on the contrary, the number of colonies of bacteria had increased in all the animals 12 and 24 hours after challenge. Chlorhexidine, on the other hand, had sufficient bactericidal effect to cause a progressive decrease in the concentration of intraperitoneal bacteria.     

Effects of reducing, oxidizing and alkylating agents on early steps of Junin virus multiplication

Summary.  The action of reducing, oxidizing and thiol-alkylating agents on early steps of Junin virus (JV) multiplication in Vero cells was investigated. The presence of reducing agents during virus adsorption as well as incubation of viral particles with these compounds before infection enhanced JV infectivity. On the contrary, the thiol-alkylating agent 5, 5′ dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoic acid) and the oxidizing compound potassium periodate showed an inhibitory effect, suggesting that sulfhydryl groups and certain sugar moieties of viral glycoproteins play an important role in the first steps of JV infection. Also enzymatic treatment of cell monolayers and addition of concanavalin A to cultures prior to infection suggest that cellular glycoproteins are involved in virus attachment. Received August 26, 1997 Accepted February 4, 1998     

Metals in lung tissue from autopsy cases in Mexico City residents: comparison of cases from the 1950s and the 1980s.

In autopsies performed on residents of Mexico City during the 1950s and 1980s (45 males and 24 females and 42 males and 42 females, respectively), concentrations of cadmium, copper, cobalt, nickel, and lead in the lungs were studied by atomic absorption spectrometry. Sharp increases were noted in samples taken in the 1980s compared to those from the 1950s. In samples from both time periods, the concentrations were influenced by gender. Smoking was not associated with higher levels of the metals. Only lead seemed to have a relation with age. The enormous differences by gender in the 1950s could be due to different patterns of exposure. The differences among samples from both periods appear to be associated with the increase of air pollutants in the metropolitan areas of Mexico City during the years under study. These results reinforce the importance of studying lung tissue to monitor air pollution by metals.