Rapid detection of polioviruses in environmental water samples by one-step duplex RT-PCR.

This study describes the rapid detection of polioviruses in environmental waters by a simple reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using two primer pairs for differentiation of poliovirus from non-polio enteroviruses in a single reaction by a one-step method, combining RT and PCR in a single tube. The detection by agarose gel electrophoresis yielded 2 bands of 153-bp and 293-bp for poliovirus tested without the need for further hybridization. The detection sensitivity of this one-step duplex RT-PCR, as measured with RNA extracted by heat treatment from supernatant of infected cell extracts, was 10(-1) 50% tissue culture effective doses (TCID50).

A community-based study of acute respiratory tract infection in Thai children.

A 2-year longitudinal study was conducted among the population of a socioeconomically depressed urban community in Bangkok, Thailand, from January 1986 through December 1987 to determine the incidence, etiologic agents, and risk factors associated with acute respiratory tract infection (ARI) in children less than 5 years of age. Data were obtained for a total of 674 children, who were visited twice weekly for detection of signs and symptoms of ARI. During the first year of the study, throat-swab specimens were obtained for bacterial culture from both ill and healthy children and a nasal wash was performed on mildly ill children for detection of virus.

Complement activity in children with protein-calorie malnutrition.

Using the hemolytic complement (CH50) assay, we evaluated the complement system of 28 children with severe protein calorie malnutrition (PCM) during their hospital admission and recovery. The mean CH50 activity in children with kwashiorkor was significantly less on hospital days 1 and 4 than in 17 healthy control subjects. On day 8 it rose to normal, and by day 50 it was significantly higher than the controls.