Highly weathered mineral soils have highest transfer risk of radiocaesium contamination after a nuclear accident: A global soil-plant study.

Accidental release of radiocaesium (Cs) from nuclear power plants may result in long-term contamination of environmental and food production systems. Assessment of food chain contamination with Cs relies on Cs soil-to-plant transfer data and models mainly available for regions affected by the Chornobyl and Fukushima accidents. Similar data and models are lacking for other regions.

Differentiation between chemo- and radiotoxicity of Cs and Co on Lemna minor.

The uptake and effects of stable Cs and Co on L.minor were extensively studied, together with the effects of gamma radiation using a Cs or Co source. Innovative is that we combined external irradiation (from Cs or Co sources) with the direct uptake of certain amounts of stable Cs or Co to simulate the impact of the same mass of a radioisotope compared with that of the stable element.

pH and microbial community determine the denitrifying activity in the presence of nitrate-containing radioactive waste.

An important fraction of the currently stored volume of long-lived intermediate-level radioactive waste in Belgium contains large amounts of NaNO homogeneously dispersed in a hard bituminous matrix. Geological disposal of this waste form in a water-saturated sedimentary formation such as Boom Clay will result in the leaching of high concentrations of NaNO, which could cause a geochemical perturbation of the surrounding clay, possibly affecting some of the favorable characteristics of the host formation. In addition, hyper-alkaline conditions are expected for thousands of years, imposed by the cementitious materials used as backfill material.

Effects of environmental parameters on Lemna minor growth: An integrated experimental and modelling approach.

Pollution of surface waters is a worldwide problem for people and wildlife. Remediation and phytoremediation approaches can offer a solution to deal with specific scenarios. Lemna minor, commonly known as duckweed, can absorb and accumulate pollutants in its biomass.

Distribution and behaviour of naturally occurring radionuclides within a Scots pine forest grown on a CaF waste deposit related to the Belgian phosphate industry.

The distribution and behaviour of naturally occurring radionuclides within a vegetated part of a CaF sludge heap from the Belgian phosphate industry was studied. A Scots pine forest plot was selected as study area. Trees were approximately 20 years old and showed a disturbed health state.

Soil microbial community structure and functionality changes in response to long-term metal and radionuclide pollution.

Microbial communities are essential for a healthy soil ecosystem. Metals and radionuclides can exert a persistent pressure on the soil microbial community. However, little is known on the effect of long-term co-contamination of metals and radionuclides on the microbial community structure and functionality.

Exposure to ionizing radiation affects the growth of ectomycorrhizal fungi and induces increased melanin production and increased capacities of reactive oxygen species scavenging enzymes.

Ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi form symbioses with dominant tree families in boreal, temperate and tropical ecosystems and are important drivers of ecosystem function. EM fungal hyphae extend over a large area making them susceptible to enhanced radiation levels from naturally occurring or anthropogenically originating radioisotopes in the rhizosphere. In this study, the in-vitro effects of ionizing radiation on the growth and biomass of EM fungi Suillus luteus, S.

Arabidopsis plants exposed to gamma radiation in two successive generations show a different oxidative stress response.

When terrestrial environments get contaminated with long-lived gamma emitting radionuclides, plants that grow in these contaminated areas are exposed to gamma radiation during consecutive generations. Therefore it is important to evaluate the gamma induced stress response in plants in and between generations. The objective of this research is to reveal differences at the level of the antioxidative stress response between generations with a different radiation history.

Rhizophagus irregularis MUCL 41833 can colonize and improve P uptake of Plantago lanceolata after exposure to ionizing gamma radiation in root organ culture.

Long-lived radionuclides such as (90)Sr and (137)Cs can be naturally or accidentally deposited in the upper soil layers where they emit β/γ radiation. Previous studies have shown that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can accumulate and transfer radionuclides from soil to plant, but there have been no studies on the direct impact of ionizing radiation on AMF. In this study, root organ cultures of the AMF Rhizophagus irregularis MUCL 41833 were exposed to 15.

Toxocariasis diagnosed in international travelers at the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium, from 2000 to 2013.

Although infection with Toxocara canis or T. catis (commonly referred as toxocariasis) appears to be highly prevalent in (sub)tropical countries, information on its frequency and presentation in returning travelers and migrants is scarce. In this study, we reviewed all cases of asymptomatic and symptomatic toxocariasis diagnosed during post-travel consultations at the reference travel clinic of the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.

Serious altitude illness in travelers who visited a pre-travel clinic.

Background: Few data are available on the incidence and predictors of serious altitude illness in travelers who visit pre-travel clinics. Travel health consultants advise on measures to be taken in case of serious altitude illness but it is not clear if travelers adhere to these recommendations.

Methods: Visitors to six travel clinics who planned to travel to an altitude of ≥3,000 m were asked to complete a diary from the first day at 2,000 m until 3 days after reaching the maximum sleeping altitude.

Chikungunya virus and West Nile virus infections imported into Belgium, 2007-2012.

Arboviral infections are emerging among tourists travelling to (sub)tropical regions. This study aims to describe the importation of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and West Nile virus (WNV) into Belgium over a 6-year period from 2007 to 2012. Clinical samples were obtained from travellers presenting at the outpatient clinic of the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Antwerp, Belgium or submitted to the Central Laboratory for Clinical Biology of the ITM.

Heat-shock protein 70 gene sequencing for Leishmania species typing in European tropical infectious disease clinics.

We describe Leishmania species determination on clinical samples on the basis of partial sequencing of the heat-shock protein 70 gene (hsp70), without the need for parasite isolation. The method is especially suited for use in non-endemic infectious disease clinics dealing with relatively few cases on an annual basis, for which no fast high throughput diagnostic tests are needed. We show that the results obtained from this gene are in nearly perfect agreement with those from multilocus enzyme electrophoresis, which is still considered by many clinicians and the World Health Organization (WHO) as the gold standard in Leishmania species typing.

Self-diagnosis of malaria by travelers and expatriates: assessment of malaria rapid diagnostic tests available on the internet.

Introduction: In the past malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for self-diagnosis by travelers were considered suboptimal due to poor performance. Nowadays RDTs for self-diagnosis are marketed and available through the internet. The present study assessed RDT products marketed for self-diagnosis for diagnostic accuracy and quality of labeling, content and instructions for use (IFU).

Schistosomiasis in Belgian military personnel returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The detection of schistosomiasis cases among Belgian military personnel returning from a mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) prompted a nested case-control study of all military personnel deployed in the DRC between 2005 and 2008 to identify all infections and to start appropriate treatment. Of 197 patients exposed at Lake Tanganyika in the Kalemie area of DRC, 49 (24.9%) were diagnosed with schistosomiasis.

Acute mountain sickness in travelers who consulted a pre-travel clinic.

Background: The main objective of this study was to investigate the incidence and predictors of acute mountain sickness (AMS) in travelers who consulted a pre-travel clinic and the compliance with advices concerning this condition.

Methods: A post-travel questionnaire was sent to clients of five travel clinics who planned to climb above 2,000 m.

Results: The response was 77% and the data of all 744 respondents who stayed above 2,500 m were used for the analysis.

Epidemiology and outcome of Shigella, Salmonella and Campylobacter infections in travellers returning from the tropics with fever and diarrhoea.

Introduction: During a study on fever after a stay in the tropics, we aimed at investigating the epidemiology and outcome of invasive bacterial enteritis due to Shigella, Salmonella or Campylobacter spp. in patients diagnosed with febrile traveller's diarrhoea.

Methods: From April 2000 to September 2006, we evaluated prospectively 594 travellers presenting with fever and diarrhoea within a month after a stay in the tropics.

Therapy of vector-borne protozoan infections in nonendemic settings.

Vector-borne protozoan infections are responsible for a wide variety of illnesses (mainly malaria, trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis) affecting tropical and subtropical areas, but increasingly diagnosed in nonendemic settings. This article summarizes the therapeutic developments for these conditions during the past decade and focuses specifically on treatment recommendations for returning travelers and migrants. The treatment of malaria has known the most spectacular improvements.

Schistosomiasis in travellers and migrants.

Schistosomiasis is a tropical parasitic disease caused by blood-dwelling fluke worms of the genus Schistosoma whose infective stages, the cercariae, are amplified through mollusks acting as intermediate hosts. People are infected when exposed to fresh water containing cercariae that penetrate the skin. There are however considerable differences in intensity of infection and morbidity, depending on the pattern of exposure and the infective species.

Anaphylaxis in an airplane after insecticide spraying.

Flights departing from malarious areas are sprayed with pyrethroids. They are presumed to be safe since reports of adverse responses among passengers or crew were only anecdotal. However, asthmatic reactions after domestic and occupational exposure have been published.

Vaccinations in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.

Patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID) such as RA, IBD or psoriasis, are at increased risk of infection, partially because of the disease itself, but mostly because of treatment with immunomodulatory or immunosuppressive drugs. In spite of their elevated risk for vaccine-preventable disease, vaccination coverage in IMID patients is surprisingly low. This review summarizes current literature data on vaccine safety and efficacy in IMID patients treated with immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory drugs and formulates best-practice recommendations on vaccination in this population.