Rapid assessment of health needs and medical response after the tsunami in Thailand, 2004-2005.

On December 26, 2004, an earthquake triggered a massive tsunami in the Indian Ocean, causing an estimated 183,172 deaths and 40,320 missing in 12 countries. In Thailand, six provinces (Krabi, Phang-Nga, Phuket, Ranong, Satun, and Trang) were affected. U.

The centennial of the Yellow Fever Commission and the use of informed consent in medical research.

The year 2000 marked the centennial of the discovery of the mode of transmission of yellow fever. Informed consent was systematically used for the first time in research. This process was the result of a complex social phenomenon involving the American Public Health Association, the US and Spanish Governments, American and Cuban scientists, the media, and civilian and military volunteers.

Safety and immunogenicity of a prototype enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli vaccine administered transcutaneously.

Transcutaneous immunization (TCI) is a new method for vaccine delivery that has been shown to induce immunity relevant to enteric disease vaccines. We evaluated the clinical safety and immunogenicity of a recombinant subunit vaccine against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) delivered by TCI. Adult volunteers received patches containing the recombinant ETEC colonization factor CS6, either with heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) or patches containing CS6 alone.

Prevalence of human T cell lymphotropic virus types 1 and 2 (HTLV-1/2) in selected Tijuana subpopulations.

To assess the prevalence of human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 and 2 (HTLV-1/2) infections among potentially high-risk populations in the city of Tijuana, Mexico, the prevalence of specific antibodies was determined and information on risk behaviors was obtained between June and October 1988. The study involved 631 presumably healthy individuals, randomly selected from a study population recruited sequentially from prisoners, prostitutes, and injecting drug users (IDUs), and randomly from homosexual and bisexual men. The presence of HTLV-1/2 antibodies was determined by enzyme immunoassay and an immunofluorescence method, and positive reactions were confirmed by a radioimmunoprecipitation assay and Western blot.

HIV-1 prevalence in selected Tijuana sub-populations.

To assess the prevalence of HIV-1 (human immunodeficiency virus) infection among high-risk populations in Tijuana, Mexico, HIV-1 antibody status was determined and information on risk behavior was obtained from 1,069 individuals in three high-risk groups. The prevalence of HIV-1 among 415 prostitutes was 0.5 percent; 410 prisoners, 1.