Seroprevalence of three emerging arboviral infections in Kuwaiti nationals

Diseases caused by dengue, s and fly fever and hanta viruses pose a major health risk in many countries. We determined the threat of these arboviral infections through a serologic using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] based tests. Hantavirus-specific antibodies were also detected using immunofluorescence. Of 499 samples tested for dengue virus IgG antibodies l4% were as positive for dengue positive by all the ELISA tests. Among the 42 showing strong IgG reactivity, only 1 was positive for dengue virus IgM antibodies. All samples tested for IgG antibodies to s and fly fever virus were negative. Hantavirus antibodies were detected in 11% of the 46 samples from high-risk individuals. The low prevalences suggest that at present these infections are not a serious problem in Kuwait

Plague-Needs Continuous Surveillance System

Plague was considered to be a re-emerging disease since 1990s. The number of plague cases showed rising trend, and outbreaks were reappearing in various countries of the world after decades of quiescence. Plague is a zoonotic disease primarily of rodents. Natural decline in plague incidence would not justify the conclusion that plague has disappeared from the area Plague is transmitted between rodent and mammals via fleas. Rodents are the carriers of viral, rickettsial, nematode and bacterial diseases and are responsible for the transmission of more than 35 communicable diseases including Hanta viruses. Despite major advances in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, it has not been possible to eradicate plague. The lack of continuous baseline surveillance resulted in an undetected sudden increase of the disease incidence in an enzootic/ endemic plague foci of the world, and a sudden outbreak of human cases, what was then considered a re-emerge of the disease. Regular plague surveillance work enhanced the possibility of detecting and delimiting plague foci and helped in determining the necessity for plague control programme. It is not uncommon to observe the long years of quiescence in natural plague foci and the sudden appearance of human cases is always destabilizing for national or even international authorities.

A Morphometric Analysis of Early Effects of Ethanol on Hepatocyte Organelles from Peromyscusmaniculatus

Pathological changes of hepatocytes from rats fed a 30% ethanol-derived calories diet for three weeks include noticeable ultrastructural changes including steatosis and hypertrophy of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum. We sought to examine hepatocytes of deer mice administered ethanol in an inhalation chamber for two weeks to determine if subtle changes occur in hepatocyte organelles prior to steatosis.Two strains of Peromyscus maniculatus, ADH-positive possessing hepatic cytosolic alcohol dehydrogenase and ADH-negative deer mice lacking this enzyme were purchased from the Peromyscus Genetic Stock Center (Univ. of South Carolina). They tested negatively for Hanta viruses. A morphometric analysis of the ultrastructure of ADH+(n=14) and ADH- (n=14) controls as well as experimentals exposed to chronic, intoxicating levels of ethanol was conducted. Blood ethanol levels were maintained between 1.25-1.75 mg/ml for two weeks in the experimentals.