Carrier State ; epidemiology ; Child ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Streptococcal Infections ; epidemiology ; Streptococcus pneumoniae

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a typical pathogen of nosocomial infection, and has recently emerged as an important community-acquired pathogen. MRSA is notorious as a multidrug-resistant organism. Its resistance to all beta-lactams is mediated by PBP2a which is encoded by mecA, and it is also resistant to many antimicrobials of other classes due to frequently co-carrying resistance genes, which accounts for becoming a clinical and laboratory issue. This article reviews the microbiological characteristics, surveillance methods, and molecular epidemiology of MRSA.
Adenosine ; beta-Lactams ; Carrier State ; Cross Infection ; Methicillin Resistance ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Molecular Epidemiology

Carrier State ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China/epidemiology* ; Cluster Analysis ; Humans ; Infant ; Nasopharynx ; Pneumococcal Infections ; Streptococcus pneumoniae

OBJECTIVETo study the status of oral pharyngeal carriage and characteristics of Haemophilus influenzae (Hi) in healthy preschool children in Fuzhou.

METHODSSix hundred and three healthy children in two representative kindergartens in Fuzhou were studied as research subjects, and the rates of oral pharyngeal carriage of Hi were studied in four seasons. All Hi strains were serotyped and biotyped.

RESULTSThe oral pharyngeal carriage of Hi in day care nursery healthy children were 36.7% in winter, 18.0% in autumn, 12.4% in summer and 10.9% in spring respectively. Serotype Hib was preponderant in autumn (6.9%). In winter, the carriage rates of NTHi and Hib were 17.1%, 5.4% respectively. The carriage rates of other serotypes were low. Biotype VII and VIII were preponderant in autumn, spring and summer but biotype VII and VIII were decreasing evidently in winter.

CONCLUSIONThere was evident seasonal difference in the rates of oral pharyngeal carriage and type of Hi in healthy preschool children. The carriage rate of Hi strains was high in autumn and winter. Results suggested that while the inoculation of Hib-binding bacterial vaccine was expanded the study on new bacterial vaccine of Hi still needs to be augmented.

Carrier State ; epidemiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Haemophilus influenzae ; classification ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Male ; Pharynx ; microbiology ; Seasons ; Serotyping

Carrier State ; immunology ; prevention & control ; China ; epidemiology ; Hepatitis B ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Hepatitis B Vaccines ; immunology ; Humans ; Prevalence ; Vaccination

OBJECTIVE: To understand the relation among drinking, characteristics and emotion in outpatient male carriers with hepatitis B virus (HBV), and to provide reference for alcohol intervention. METHODS: We used alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT), self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), and Beck depression inventory (BDI) to investigate 980 male HBV carriers in the outpatient department. RESULTS: The questionnaires were responded by 544 people with drinking experience for nearly a year (drinking rate 58.18%). The prevalence of moderate drinking was 37.8% (354 patients), hazardous and harmful drinking 17.97% (168 patients) and alcohol dependence 2.35% (22 patients). In groups with different ages, education levels, occupations, income and symptoms, the constituent ratio of the hazardous harmful drinking and alcohol dependence (AUDIT 7-26 scores) was different (P<0.05). The total score in SAS in the alcohol dependence group was much higher than that in the normal group (35.95±11.55 vs 29.78±0.46, P =0.020); the total score in SAS and in BDI was significantly higher in the alcohol dependence group than that in the moderate drinking group and the hazardous harmful drinking group (35.95±11.55 and 10.45±8.95 vs 29.65±7.97 and 6.35±5.65 vs 29.68±7.06 and 6.44±5.27, respectively). CONCLUSION Male HBV carriers of 30-49 years old, with education level lower than elementary school or higher than bachelor degree, cadres/professionals with high income and major symptoms show higher harmful/alcohol dependence (AUDIT 7-26 points). Anxiety and depression in the alcohol-dependent male hepatitis B virus carriers are obviously higher than in the moderate drinking group and the hazardous harmful drinking group.
Adult ; Alcohol Drinking ; Alcohol-Related Disorders ; epidemiology ; Carrier State ; China ; epidemiology ; Hepatitis B ; Humans ; Male ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the potential relationship between age and Streptococcus pneumoniae vaccination coverage in kindergarten children, and to provide a basis for guiding vaccination and developing new protein vaccines. METHODS: The stratified cluster random sampling method was used to select 1 830 healthy children from six kindergartens in Shunde District, Foshan City, China, and nasopharyngeal swabs were collected for the isolation and identification of Streptococcus pneumoniae. The logistic regression model based on restricted cubic spline was used to analyze the dose-response relationship between age and Streptococcus pneumoniae vaccination coverage. RESULTS: The rate of nasal Streptococcus pneumoniae carriage was 22.46% (411/1 830) among the kindergarten children, with the predominant serotypes of 6B, 19F, 15A, 23A, 34, and 23F. The coverage rates of 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV10) and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) were 53.0% and 57.9%, respectively, and there was a significant non-linear dose-response relationship between age and the coverage rates of PCV10 and PCV13 (P<0.05), with a higher coverage rate of PCV10 (88.0%) and PCV13 (91.1%) in the children aged 2 years. There was a significant non-linear dose-response relationship between age and the coverage rates of pilus islet 1 (PI-1) and pilus islet 2 (PI-2) (P<0.05), with a lower vaccination coverage rate for PI-1 (37.7%) and PI-2 (16.1%). The coverage rates of PI-1 (13.0%-58.5%) and PI-2 (6.0%-29.4%) were lower in all age groups. The virulence genes lytA (99.5%) and ply (99.0%) associated with candidate protein vaccines showed higher vaccination coverage rates. CONCLUSIONS There is a significant non-linear dose-response relationship between the age of kindergarten children and the coverage rates of PCV10 and PCV13 serotypes, and kindergarten children aged 2 years have a relatively high coverage rate of PCV. The high prevalence of the virulence genes lytA and ply shows that they are expected to become candidate virulence factors for the development of a new generation of recombinant protein vaccines.
Humans ; Child ; Infant ; Streptococcus pneumoniae/genetics* ; Pneumococcal Infections/epidemiology* ; Vaccination Coverage ; Pneumococcal Vaccines ; Serogroup ; Vaccination ; Nasopharynx ; Carrier State/epidemiology*

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) carrier state in Korean children is markedly reduced after the introduction of routine HBV vaccination program. The aims of this study were to evaluate the recent changing patterns of acute HBV infection, and to elucidate the diagnostic value of IgM anti-HBc in distinguishing acute hepatitis B from acute exacerbation in chronic HBV infection (CHB). METHODS: Fifty seven patients with acute hepatitis B and ninety nine patients with acute exacerbation in CHB were included. The titer of IgM anti-HBc was measured and the distribution of age was analyzed retrospectively. Signal to cut off ratio (S/CO ratio) of IgM anti-HBc was calculated in each IgM anti-HBc positive cases. RESULTS: The peak age of acute hepatitis B was 30~39 years old in 2000's. IgM anti-HBc was positive in 25.3% of CHB with acute exacerbation and the peak age of this group was also 30-39 years old. Mean(+/-SD) value of S/CO ratio was 8.3+/-9.1 in CHB group, while 22.9+/-18.7 in acute hepatitis group. The difference was significant between two groups (p value=0.001). However, S/CO ratio in 43.6% of CHB group was greater than 3. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of acute hepatitis in Korea was highest in 30-39 years old recently. Therefore, catch-up vaccination is better to be recommended in adults. As the peak age of distribution of acute hepatitis B and CHB with acute exacerbation overlaps, much more caution is needed to differentiate these two conditions from each other by IgM anti-HBc only.
Adult ; Carrier State ; Child ; Epidemiology ; Hepatitis B virus ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; Incidence ; Korea* ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Vaccination

OBJECTIVETo investigate the carrier ratio and the genotype of thalassemia in the rural people of reproductive age in Nanning, and to analyze the characteristics of hematologic parameter in thalassemia carriers.

METHODS2044 cases of productive age youths were detected with hemoglobin autoanalyse-Variant (HPLC) and Cell Dyn 1700 automatic hemocyte analysator. Among them,430 cases (75 couples randomly selected in thalassemia screening, 140 couples who were told that one or both of them were positive for thalassemia phenotype through hemocyte analysis) carried out thalassemia gene detection in synchronism.

RESULTS163 cases were detected beta-thalassemia and the thus beta-thalassemia carrier ratio was 7.97%. 13 cases were detected HbH disease, and 2 cases Hb Manitoba, 2 cases HbJ, and 1 case HbQ. As for genotypes,-alpha (3.7)/alpha,-alpha(CS)/alphaalpha and -alpha(WS)/alphaalpha were common ones with in alpha-thalassemia-2, --(SEA)/alphaalpha the most common one in alpha-thalassemia-1, and 41-42 were the most common ones in beta-thalassemia heterozygotes. The detection ratio of alpha,beta combination thalassemia was also relatively high. Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) were low in all cases of HbH disease and beta-thalassemia, also low in 86 cases of alpha-thalassemia-1 with the exception of normal MCH in 1 case, yet normal in 17 cases out of 66 cases of alpha-thalassemia-2. HbF raised in 32 cases out of 69 cases of beta-thalassemia heterozygote, no case showed raised HbF without the raise of HbA2. Hematologic characteristic of alpha, beta combination thalassemia was mainly caused by beta-thalassemia.

CONCLUSIONCarrier ratio of thalassemia in rural productive age youths in Nanning was high while alpha-thalassemia-2 with the genotype -alpha(WS)/alphaalpha and -alpha(CS)/ alphaalpha were common. To those with low MCV and MCH in high-risk region, thalassemia should be suspected.

Adult ; Carrier State ; China ; epidemiology ; Genotype ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Rural Population ; alpha-Thalassemia ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; genetics ; beta-Thalassemia ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; genetics

The aim of this study is to determine the Toxocara seropositive rate among healthy people with eosinophilia. A total of 97 people residing in Seoul who were healthy and whose blood eosinophilia was over 10%, as shown by regular health check-ups in 2004, were subjected to this study. Their sera were tested by immunoblotting and ELISA with the antigen of larval Toxocara canis excretory-secretory (ES) protein. Sixty-five sera were band-positive (67.0%). The seropositve control sera were positive to band sizes of 66 kDa, 56 kDa, 32 kDa, and 13 kDa. In ELISA, 63 sera (65.0%) were positive to T. canis ES protein. There was no significant correlation between the IgG ELISA titer and the level of eosinophilia (r = 0.156, P = 0.156). As there were insufficient data to determine whether there were cross-reactions with other helminthic infections, or whether atopy occurred, further studies are required to verify the cause of the seropositive reactions against T. canis ES antigen. Toxocariasis seropositivity is suggested to be the major cause of eosinophilia, since the Toxocara seroprevalence among Korean rural adults was shown to be approximately 5%.
Antigens, Helminth/blood ; Carrier State/blood/*epidemiology ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Eosinophilia/*complications ; *Health ; Humans ; Immunoblotting ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Toxocariasis/blood/complications/*epidemiology