[HIV screening for pregnant women in Israel: evaluation of current selective screening recommendations in the light of the local epidemiology].

Introduction: HIV-testing in Israel for pregnant women (PW) is selective since the year 1998 and recommended if they or their sex partners (SP] are at high-risk for HIV-infection. HIV-infected PW, citizens and non-citizens alike, are eligible for free HIV-care and treatment. This study describes the current recommendations and HIV epidemiology in Israel.

Epidemiology of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis in Israel, 1999-2010.

Setting: The Israeli national tuberculosis (TB) surveillance system.

Objectives: To describe the epidemiology of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) in Israel between 1999 and 2010 and identify more susceptible populations.

Design: Data were retrieved from the National Tuberculosis Registry and the Israeli Bureau of Statistics.

Adult tuberculosis in Israel and migration: trends and challenges between 1999 and 2010.

Background: Israel absorbs many migrants from countries with a high prevalence of tuberculosis (TB).

Objectives: To describe the epidemiology of TB among adults in Israel between 1999 and 2010 and identify populations with a high TB burden.

Design: Data were retrieved from the National Tuberculosis Registry and the Israeli Bureau of Statistics.

Childhood tuberculosis in Israel: epidemiological trends and treatment outcomes, 1999-2010.

Childhood tuberculosis (TB) poses a high risk for morbidity and death. This study describes the characteristics of childhood TB in Israel and examines treatment outcomes. Data sources were the National TB Registry and the National Civil Census.

Association between consumption of Herbalife nutritional supplements and acute hepatotoxicity.

Background/aims: Nutritional supplements are frequently considered to be harmless but indiscriminate use of unlabelled ingredients may lead to significant adverse reactions.

Methods: In 2004, identification of four index cases of acute hepatitis associated with Herbalife intake led to a ministry of health investigation in all Israeli hospitals. Twelve patients with acute idiopathic liver injury in association with consumption of Herbalife products were investigated.

Ischemic threshold during two exercise testing protocols and during ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the dependence of the ischemic threshold during exercise testing on the exercise protocol employed and to determine the relation between the ischemic thresholds observed during exercise and during daily activity.

Background: The ischemic threshold (heart rate at 1-mm ST segment depression) during daily activity has been reported to be lower than that observed during exercise testing. Recent reports have hypothesized that this difference is probably dependent on the exercise protocol employed.