In Yugoslavia, homorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is one of the important national health problem, but no vaccine has been used to prevent HFRS. Since first HFRS case in 1952, sporadic cases of HFRS occurred every year and over 4,000 registered cases with 1~16% mortality so far. We performed a prospective, randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of Hantavax(TM) against HFRS in 3,900 healthy adults living in the endemic areas of Yugoslavia. 1,900 people were given 0.5 ml of Hantavax subcutaneously twice at one month interval and a booster shot at one year after. For controls other 2,000 healthy people were given 0.5 ml of physiolosical saline as a placebo. We investigated HFRS cases in both the vaccinated and nonvaccinated groups by monitoring the program for patient registration in the areas from 1996 to 1998, and the effect of vaccine was analyzed epidemiologically No confirmed case of HFRS was observed among 1,900 Hantavax vaccinees, while 20 confirmed cases were observed among 2,000 nonvaccinated control group. There were no remarkable side effects among the vaccinees either locally or in general after inoculation of the vaccine. The Hantavax vaccine showed statistically significant protective efficacy against HFRS among Yugoslavian people.
Adult ; Fever ; Hantaan virus* ; Hantavirus ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome* ; Humans ; Mortality ; Prospective Studies ; Yugoslavia*

In Yugoslavia, homorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is one of the important national health problem, but no vaccine has been used to prevent HFRS. Since first HFRS case in 1952, sporadic cases of HFRS occurred every year and over 4,000 registered cases with 1~16% mortality so far. We performed a prospective, randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of Hantavax(TM) against HFRS in 3,900 healthy adults living in the endemic areas of Yugoslavia. 1,900 people were given 0.5 ml of Hantavax subcutaneously twice at one month interval and a booster shot at one year after. For controls other 2,000 healthy people were given 0.5 ml of physiolosical saline as a placebo. We investigated HFRS cases in both the vaccinated and nonvaccinated groups by monitoring the program for patient registration in the areas from 1996 to 1998, and the effect of vaccine was analyzed epidemiologically No confirmed case of HFRS was observed among 1,900 Hantavax vaccinees, while 20 confirmed cases were observed among 2,000 nonvaccinated control group. There were no remarkable side effects among the vaccinees either locally or in general after inoculation of the vaccine. The Hantavax vaccine showed statistically significant protective efficacy against HFRS among Yugoslavian people.
Adult ; Fever ; Hantaan virus* ; Hantavirus ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome* ; Humans ; Mortality ; Prospective Studies ; Yugoslavia*

Based on the geographic range and distribution of its rodent reservoir host, the European common vole (Microtus arvalis), Tula virus is likely to be widespread throughout Eurasia. Tula virus-infected voles have been captured in Central Russia, Austria, Czech and Slovak Republics, and the former Yugoslavia. Although serologic evidence for Hantaan (HTN) or Seoul (SEO) virus infection can be found in the vast majority of the more than 300 cases of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) occurring annually in Korea, approximately 4% of Korean patients with HFRS show a more than 4-fold higher antibody titer to Puumala (PUU) virus than to HTN or SEO virus by double-sandwich IgM ELISA, suggesting the existence of pathogenic Puumala-related hantaviruses in Korea. To further define the geographic distribution and genetic diversity of Tula virus in Eurasia and to investigate the existence of previously unrecognized Microtus-borne hantavirus in Korea, arvicolid rodents were captured in Lodz, Poland in 1995 and in Yunchon-kun, Kyungki-do during April to May, 1998. In addition, sera from 18 Korean HFRS patients who showed higher (or the same) antibody titer to Tula virus than HTN and SEO viruses were examined for hantavirus RNA by RT-PCR. Hantaviral sequences were not detected in any of the 18 patients or in 35 reed voles (Microtus fortis) in Korea. Alignment and comparison of a 208-nucleotide region of the S segment, amplified from lung tissues of two hantavirus-seropositive M. arvalis captured in Poland, revealed 80.8~83.2% sequence similarity, respectively, with Tula virus strains from Central Russia and the Czech and Slovak Republics. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the newfound Tula virus strains from Poland were closely related to other Tula hantaviruses from Eurasia.
Arvicolinae* ; Austria ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Genetic Variation ; Gyeonggi-do ; Hantavirus* ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; Korea* ; Lung ; Poland* ; RNA ; Rodentia ; Russia ; Seoul ; Yugoslavia

In humans, echinococcal species produce cystic lesions primarily involving the liver and lung. Echinococcal infection is caused far more commonly by Echinococcus granulosa than by E. multilocularis, which accounts for less than 5 percent of all cases of hydatid liver disease. Hydatid disease occurs principally in sheep grazing areas, particularly in the Australia, New Zealand, Greece, Yugoslavia, Middle East, and South American countries, but with increasing migration and traveling, this disease now has a worldwide distribution. This disease is rare in Korea and only few cases have been reported. This is a clinical case report of hydatid cyst of liver caused by Echinococcus granulosus in a 52-year-old man who had been dispatched in the Vietnam from 1966 to 1968.
Australia ; Echinococcosis* ; Echinococcus ; Echinococcus granulosus ; Greece ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver Diseases ; Liver* ; Lung ; Middle Aged ; Middle East ; New Zealand ; Sheep ; Vietnam ; Yugoslavia