Evaluation of immune responses to seasonal influenza vaccination in healthy volunteers in South Apulia, Italy: a pilot study.

Background: The aim of our pilot study is to investigate different components of the immune response to influenza vaccination in a group of healthy volunteers. We evaluated the cellular immune response (CD4(+) T lymphocytes) by flow cytometry. The humoral immune response was assessed by measuring the serum haemagglutination inhibition antibody response.

[Evaluation of a rapid diagnostic test for influenza viruses A and B].

This study analysed the performance of a rapid test for the diagnosis of human influenza A and B. Three-hundred nasopharyngeal samples were analysed using the BD Directigen Flu A+B test and real-time PCR, during the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 flu seasons. Specificity of the BD Directigen Flu A+B test was 100% and sensitivity was fpund to be 67% for influenza B virus and 89% for the detection of influenza B virus.

Ten-year (1999-2009) epidemiological and virological surveillance of influenza in South Italy (Apulia).

Clinical and epidemiological surveillance of influenza and other Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) are currently a major objective of Public Health. The aim was to describe the epidemiology of influenza using the Italian surveillance system. Vaccination Coverage (VC) rates were calculated during 1999-2009 influenza seasons.

[Seroepidemiology of Helicobacter pylori in the province of Lecce (Italy)].

A seroepidemiologic study was conducted in the province of Lecce (Italy) to describe the epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori infection in the general population. IgG and IgA Helicobacter pylori antibodies were measured by the Elisa assay. Overall, 21.

[Evaluation of hydrocarbon-oxidizing bacteria in port water and of health risks related to harbour activities: port of Otranto (Italy)].

The aim of this study was to evaluate the water quality of the port of Otranto (Italy), through a combined approach which integrates monitoring of traditional microbiological parameters and studying the dynamics of some autochthonous bacterial communities. The fecal contamination indicators, total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and fecal streptococci were measured to evaluate the sanitary aspects, while the presence of organic matter was considered as a parameter strictly related to dumping. In addition, being the port of Otranto especially exposed to hydrocarbon pollution, hydrocarbon-oxidizing bacteria were evaluated.