[Encephalitis by type B influenza: a pediatric clinical case and literature review.].

We report the case of a 6-year-old girl who presented with encephalitis during type B influenza. The clinical picture was characterized by an alteration of the state of consciousness associated with focal neurological signs with electroencephalographic changes and brain MRI. Clinical improvement was rapid and without neurological outcomes.

Serum antibodies from epileptic patients react, at high prevalence, with simian virus 40 mimotopes.

Background And Purpose: It has been demonstrated that inflammation may contribute to epileptogenesis and cause neuronal injury in epilepsy. In this study, the prevalence of antibodies to simian virus 40 (SV40), a kidney and neurotropic polyomavirus, was investigated in serum samples from 88 epileptic children/adolescents/young adults.

Methods: Serum antibodies reacting to specific SV40 peptides were analysed by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Antibodies reacting with Simian virus 40 mimotopes in serum samples from patients with thalassaemia major.

Background: Simian virus 40 (SV40) is a small DNA tumour virus. Footprints of the virus have been detected in different humam lymphoproliferative disorders and in blood specimens of blood from healthy blood donors. This study was carried out to verify whether SV40 antibodies can be detected in serum samples from multiply transfused patients with thalassaemia major.

Hospitalizations for pertussis in Italy, 1999-2009: analysis of the hospital discharge database.

Even if the incidence of pertussis has greatly decreased after the adoption of immunization, it still remains a relevant cause of death in infants in their first years of life. At national level, data are usually greatly underestimated. The objective of this study was to retrospectively review the national hospital discharge form database.