Leptospiral infection: a serosurvey in urban and rural communities in Olavarría county, Argentina.

Introduction: Leptospirosis is a neglected zoonotic disease, affecting mainly poor and vulnerable populations.

Methodology: A cross sectional-study was carried out in 557 subjects from Olavarría county (Argentina) to estimate the seroprevalence of leptospirosis and the factors associated with seropositivity. A survey was carried out to obtain clinical and epidemiological data.

Current status of poliomyelitis in Latin America.

Oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) has been instrumental in controlling the polio epidemic, and stands out for its safety, efficacy, ease of oral administration, and low cost. However, despite these advantages, as it is a live attenuated virus vaccine, there is the possibility of mutations that confer neurovirulence. Therefore, surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) is important, whether associated with live vaccines (VAPP) or vaccine-derived viruses (VDPV).

Human rotavirus vaccine is highly efficacious when coadministered with routine expanded program of immunization vaccines including oral poliovirus vaccine in Latin America.

Background: The efficacy of a rotavirus vaccine against severe rotavirus gastroenteritis when coadministered with routine Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) vaccines including oral polio vaccine (OPV) was evaluated in this study.

Methods: Double-blind, randomized (2:1), placebo-controlled study conducted across 6 Latin American countries. Healthy infants (N = 6568) 6 to 12 weeks of age received 2 doses of RIX4414 vaccine or placebo following a 0, 1- to 2-month schedule.

Pertussis in Argentina and France.

We have studied the epidemiology of pertussis in two countries, Argentina and France, which have similar histories of long-term mass vaccination with a whole-cell vaccine. Both countries display a comparable epidemiology, with an increase of the incidence of the disease in non-vaccinated newborns. We used pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis and genotyping to compare Bordetella pertussis clinical isolates recovered in Argentina and France in 2001-2004.

Epidemiological and molecular evidence of two events of father-to-child HIV type 1 horizontal transmission.

HIV-1 infection in children less than 15 years of age is mainly due to mother-to-child transmission. The aim of this work was to investigate molecular evidence to prove father-to-be horizontal transmission in two possible events of transmission. In the first event a boy was identified as HIV infected at 2-3 years of age.