Immunodiagnostic confirmation of hydatid disease in patients with a presumptive diagnosis of infection

Information obtained from the routine application of hydatid immunodiagnostic techniques in different clinical situations over a seven-year period is presented. The Immunoelectrophoresis test was used until it was replaced by the simpler, more sensitive and equally specific arc 5 double diffusion (DD5) test. Examination of sera from 1,888 patients with signs and/or symptoms compatible with hydatid disease revealed that the presurgical confirmation of Echinococcus granulosus infection is only obtained by detection of anti-antigen 5 antibodies. The latter were not found in 1,539 presumptive hydatidosis patients whose definitive diagnoses corresponded to other disease conditions. However, false positive latex agglutination test results were obtained in two cases. In all patients whose preoperative serum showed three or more uncharacteristic bands in the absence of anti-antigen 5 antibodies, hydatid cysts were found sur gically. DD5 testing of a fluid sample collected by puncture established its hydatid etiology. Post-operative monitoring of hydatidosis patients demonstrated that persistence of DD5-positivity two years after surgery established the presence of other cysts. Further evidence was obtained in patients with hydatid cysts in intrathoracic, abdominal or other locations associating cyst membrane integrity, antigen release and immunodiagnostic test positivity

CONSIDERAÇÕES SOBRE ENCHENTES E LEPTOSPIROSE HUMANA NO MUNICÍPIO DE SÃO PAULO

Analisamos o fenômeno das enchentes no município de São Paulo a partir de dados referentes ao surto de leptospirose humana ocorrido em 1983, nessa região. A nosso ver, esse problema deve continuar merecendo a atenção dos técnicos e dos políticos em relação às necessidades de saúde da população.The occurence of floods in São Paulo is analysed in this article after the existing data on the 1983 outbreak of hitman leptospirosis. This problem deserves the attention and interest of sanitarians and politicians because of its danger to the people's health

LEPTOSPIROSE HUMANA - INFECÇÃO EM HABITANTES DO VALE DO RIO ARICANDUVA, MUNICIPIO DE SÃO PAULO, 1984-1985. Parte I — Aspectos Relativos ao Grupo Estudado e ao Meio Ambiente

Em 1985-86 foi realizada uma investigação epidemiológica em uma zona que fôra inundada, em 1983, pelo rio Aricanduva e seus afluentes, a leste do município de São Paulo; foram estudados 61 coabitantes de casos confirmados laboratorialmente de leptospirose humana ocorrida em 1983, residentes nessa área, com o objetivo de conhecer o nível de infecção por leptospiras nesse grupo de pessoas. No presente artigo são relatados os aspectos referentes ao grupo estudado e ao seu meio ambiente. Foi verificado que, cerca de um ano e meio após o surto, (1984-85), persistiam no ambiente fatores de risco de infecção leptospírica, tais como enchentes e presença de ratos. Em um próximo artigo serão relatados os aspectos sorológicos desta investigação.The article approachs the investigation, from the epidemiological point of view, of one zone that had been flooded in 1983 by the Aricanduva river and its tributaries in the east side of the São Paulo city, Brazil. At that time, zone was affected by human leptospirosis, confirmed by laboratory tests. For the present survey, a population of 61 inhabitants of the region, who dwelled with subjects affected by leptospirosis was studied, in order to establish the level of infection of leptospira remaining in that population. In this paper, the author describes the aspects relatives to the studied group and their environment. It was found that eighteen months after the 1983 outbreak of the disease (1984-5) there still persisted in the environment, risk factors of leptospirotic infection such as floods and the presence of rats. In a next paper, the author will describe the sorological aspects of this investigation