Mumps: a current epidemiologic pattern as a necessary background for the choice of a vaccination strategy.

Before the measles mumps rubella (MMR) vaccination was widely offered, the epidemiologic data about mumps (morbidity, immunization level, vaccine coverage) were analyzed in Piedmont region (Italy). The disease had a 3- to 5-year epidemic recurrence with morbidity rate between 40 and 150/100,000; the surveillance conducted by 'sentinel' pediatricians showed that the notifications underestimated the real data by about 5- to 7-fold. The 12-year-old subjects showed an immunization level (reached by the disease or the vaccination) of about 50% and their parents tended to refuse the MMR vaccination.

Moderate alcohol consumption and spontaneous abortion.

A prospective study was carried out on 546 women interviewed during pregnancy about their drinking habits, in order to evaluate the association between alcohol consumption during pregnancy and spontaneous abortion. Pregnancy outcome (normal or abortion) was analysed as a dependent variable in a multivariate model where different levels of drinking were taken into consideration as independent-effect variables. A significant increase in the risk of abortion was observed in the 30+ age category and in the higher parity category; no significant trend was evidenced for alcoholic variables, even after controlling for the other potentially confounding variables.

Compulsory and non-compulsory immunizations: contraindications perceived by medical practitioners.

A total of 284 general practitioners (GPs), paediatricians and doctors of public vaccination centres (DPVC) were interviewed to investigate their willingness to immunize children with compulsory (diphtheria-tetanus, oral polio) and non-compulsory (measles, pertussis) vaccines in the presence of 19 different medical histories. We observed a reluctance to immunize in the case of false contraindications, a lack of information mainly about non-compulsory immunizations, and doubts about the real contraindications to polio, measles and pertussis vaccines. The frequency of correct answers to the question posed was significantly higher in the group with less than 20 years of experience, and the DPVCs proved better informed about immunization.

[Reliability and completeness of an integrated epidemiologic system of acute viral hepatitis].

An integrated epidemiological system for the surveillance of acute viral hepatitis (Seiva) has been performed in Italy. Aim of the present work is to evaluate diagnostic completeness and reliability of the surveillance system in the Piedmont Region. Results show that 15% of Acute Viral Hepatitis are not reported by the system and that the potential diagnostic errors are 7.