Rotaviruses, caliciviruses, enteric adenoviruses and astroviruses are common causes of acute gastroenteritis in humans. Their particle and genome structure, classification, replication and pathogenesis, diagnosis, clinical features, epidemiology, disease and outbreak management, and vaccine development are discussed. In the immunocompromized (often infected with HIV), cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, picobirnaviruses and atypical adenoviruses have also been found to be associated with diarrhoea, often chronic. Uncommon causes of diarrhoea are infections with enteroviruses, orthoreoviruses, toroviruses, coronaviruses and parvoviruses.

Plants from Africa and Mauritius with a history of use in traditional medicine have been investigated for their anti-viral activities. Extracts were tested against poliovirus, herpes simplex virus and rhinovirus in plaque reduction assays. Their general toxicity and effects on interferon production were also studied.

We report on fifteen patients with a typical syndrome of Q-fever. Four patients (= 27%) showed signs of nervous system involvement. One patient developed a meningitic syndrome, another patient had a passing psychosis. In two patients, severe cerebellar deficits were predominant. It is pointed out that these two patients were under lithium therapy because of manic-depressive illness. A synergetic neurotoxic effect of cociella burneti infection and lithium is discussed as a possible cause of the severe cerebellar pattern of symptoms.

British Journal of HaematologyVolume 76, Issue 4 p. 557-558 AGGRESSIVE HEPATITIS IN A PATIENT WITH ACUTE MYELOID LEUKAEMIA DURING COMPLETE REMISSION AND DETECTION OF EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS DNA IN A LIVER BIOPSY R. Donhuijsen-Ant, R. Donhuijsen-Ant St Johannes-Hospital, Medical Clinic II/III, DuisburgSearch for more papers by this authorH. Abken, H. Abken Institute of Genetics, Department of Molecular Genetic, University of Bonn St Johannes-Hospital, Medical Clinic II/III, DuisburgSearch for more papers by this authorM. Westerhausen, M. Westerhausen St Johannes-Hospital, Medical Clinic II/III, DuisburgSearch for more papers by this authorJ. Kuupper, J. Kuupper St Johannes-Hospital, Medical Clinic II/III, DuisburgSearch for more papers by this authorB. Miller, B. Miller St Johannes-Hospital, Medical Clinic II/III, DuisburgSearch for more papers by this authorH.-J. Knieriem, H.-J. Knieriem Institute of Pathology, Ev. Krankenkaris Bethesda, Duisburg.Search for more papers by this authorD. Neumann-Haefelin, D. Neumann-Haefelin Department of Virology. University of Freiburg, F.R.G.Search for more papers by this author R. Donhuijsen-Ant, R. Donhuijsen-Ant St Johannes-Hospital, Medical Clinic II/III, DuisburgSearch for more papers by this authorH. Abken, H. Abken Institute of Genetics, Department of Molecular Genetic, University of Bonn St Johannes-Hospital, Medical Clinic II/III, DuisburgSearch for more papers by this authorM. Westerhausen, M. Westerhausen St Johannes-Hospital, Medical Clinic II/III, DuisburgSearch for more papers by this authorJ. Kuupper, J. Kuupper St Johannes-Hospital, Medical Clinic II/III, DuisburgSearch for more papers by this authorB. Miller, B. Miller St Johannes-Hospital, Medical Clinic II/III, DuisburgSearch for more papers by this authorH.-J. Knieriem, H.-J. Knieriem Institute of Pathology, Ev. Krankenkaris Bethesda, Duisburg.Search for more papers by this authorD. Neumann-Haefelin, D. Neumann-Haefelin Department of Virology. University of Freiburg, F.R.G.Search for more papers by this author First published: December 1990 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2141.1990.tb07918.xCitations: 5AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. REFERENCES Buechner, T. & Hiddemann, W. (1990) Treatment strategies in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). A. First-line chemotherapy. Blut, 60, 61–67. Deutsch, J., Wolf, H., Becker, H., Fuchs, B., Goriup, U., Grubbauer, H.-M., Muntean, W., Popow-Kraupp, Th. & Stunzner, D. (1986) Demonstration of Epstein-Barr virus DNA in a previousty healthy boy with fulminaut hepatic failure. European Journal of Pediatrics, 145, 94–98. Donhuijsen-Ant, R., Abken, H., Bornkamm, G., Donhuijsen, K., Grosse-Wilde, H., Neumann-Haefelin, D., Westerhausen, M. & Wiegand, H. (1988) Fatal Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma associated with persistent Epstein-Barr virus in four brothers. Annals of Internal Medicine, 109, 946–952. Hayward, S.D., Nogee, L. & Hayward, C.S. (1980) Organization of repeated regions with the Epstein-Barr virus DNA molecule. Journal of Virology, 33, 507–521. Klein, G., Wiener, F., Zech, L., Zur Hausen, H. & Reedman, B. (1974) Segregation of the EBV-determined nuclear antigen (EBNA) in somatic cell hybrids derived from the fusion of a mouse fibroblast and a human Burkitt lymphoma line. International Journal of Cancer, 14, 54–64. Rapp, C.E., Jr & Hewetson, J.F. (1978) Infectious mononucleosis and the Epstein-Barr virus. American Journal of Disease of Children, 132, 78–86. Young, L., Alfieri, C., Hennessy, K., Evans, H., O'Hara, C., Anderson, K., Ritz, J., Shapiro, R.S., Rickinson, A., Kieff, E. & Cohen, J.I. (1989) Expression of Epstein-Barr virus transformation-associated genes in tissues of patients with EBV lymphoproliferative disease. New England Journal of Medicine, 321, 1080–1085. Citing Literature Volume76, Issue4December 1990Pages 557-558 ReferencesRelatedInformation

Malignant tumours possess coagulative properties that cause deposition of fibrin around them.Such Fibrin is a necessary matrix For proliferating tumour vessels.As in wound repair, old residual fibrin must afterwards be removed.This is done by the fibrinolytlc system which is initiated by plssminogen activators produced by the tumour cells.

The immunity of the populations of several countries of the GFR against poliovirus 1, 2 and 3 was investigated in 11 laboratories. Sera of 4707 persons aged 0 to 30 years were assessed for neutralising antibodies (serum dilution 1:4) against the 3 types of poliovirus. 34.5% of the 4707 investigated sera had no neutralising antibodies at least against one type of the poliovirus, 4.7% showed no antibodies against all 3 types of the virus. Especially children aged 0 to 4 years were protected incompletely against the 3 types of poliovirus. In comparison with similar investigations of 1969 and 1972 no decisive change of immunity of the population of the GFR against poliomyelitis has occurred.

The immunity of the populations of several countries of the GFR against poliovirus 1, 2 and 3 was investigated in 11 laboratories. Sera of 4707 persons aged 0 to 30 years were assessed for neutralising antibodies (serum dilution 1:4) against the 3 types of poliovirus. 34.5% of the 4707 investigated sera had no neutralising antibodies at least against one type of the poliovirus, 4.7% showed no antibodies against all 3 types of the virus. Especially children aged 0 to 4 years were protected incompletely against the 3 types of poliovirus. In comparison with similar investigations of 1969 and 1972 no decisive change of immunity of the population of the GFR against poliomyelitis has occurred.

Rubella infection was produced with a wild rubella virus in 24 volunteers by intranasal application. Some of the subjects were given gamma-globulin intramuscular 24 hours later. In the control group clinically manifest rubella with massive viral excretion in the throat occurred in all in whom infection had taken place. In the majority of subjects rubella virus could be demonstrated in blood shortly before the skin rash appeared. High antibody titres occurred already 20 days after the infection. In subjects who were given gamma-globulin there were no clinical signs of rubella, viral excretion in the throat was diminished and shortened and viraemia was never demonstrated, antibody response was delayed and lower. But there was no significant decrease in the infection rate after gamma-globluin administration. It is concluded that early administration of a sufficient amount of rubella antibodies achieves inhibition of rubella virus multiplication and thus decreases significantly the risk of damage to the fetus.

In a continuous series of 457 patients with presumed herpetic eye disease, virus isolation and typing revealed 154 patients with herpes simplex virus type 1 and three patients with type 2 infections. In 219 isolates that were examined for neutralization by specific antisera, for growth in human fibroblasts, and, in part, for temperature sensitivity, there were found substantial strain differences in addition to the type-specific characteristics. The clinical features of each of the three type 2 infections are described in detail. A suggestive correlation found between clinical courses and virus growth characteristics of the type 1 strains indicates that further virologic differentiation of these strains would be useful.

The rubella antibody titres were evaluated in 158 girls who had been seronegative prior to immunization and had been immunised 4 years previously (1971) with the rubella vaccine HPV77DE5. In 138 girls (87%) the 1975 titres were unchanged in comparison with 1971. Only in 5 girls (3.2%) the titres had decreased by up to 2 log2 steps. In two patients the titre reached the critical value of 1:8 which must be considered negative due to the high sensitivity of the haemagglutination inhibition test. A titre increase by two or more steps was observed in 15 girls (9.5%). A third of the titre increases might be due to reinfection with rubella wild virus which would correspond to a reinfection rate of less than 1% per year. Present knowledge indicates that reinfection during pregnancy does not endanger the unborn child.

In the autumn of 1975 five cases of poliomyelitis occurred within 6 weeks in German children of families of low socioeconomic class. They lived in two districts of Freiburg with close familial and occupational contacts. One child had been immunised against polio once orally several years ago and none of the others were immunised. The clinical course and results of investigations of the environment are reported. Included is the state of immunisation of 472 school beginners in Freiburg schools and the antibody levels of 284 children aged 1 to 10 years from Freiburg and the adjoining areas.

The virological surveillance of poliomyelitis in 1974-1975 led to the detection of specific characteristics of wild viruses in 57 out of 221 cases of poliovirus isolation. The disease symptoms were typical for poliomyelitis in 36 of these cases, less characteristic in 13. Polio wildvirus was isolated 8 times from the surroundings of the patients. In 36 foreign patients and one German the causative agent was imported from an endemic area. In these cases and in a further 7 German patients the disease was sporadic. In contrast 5 cases in German children in late autumn 1975 constitute a local epidemic of poliomyelitis.

The effectiveness of high-titre rubella immunoglobulin was tested on rubella-susceptible female juveniles or young adults after intranasal immunization with rubella strain RA 27/3, 20 ml of rubella immunoglobulin having been administered intramuscularly to 56 subjects at different times (1, 3 and 5 days) after the immunization. The effect was demonstrated by seroconversion and virus isolation from the throat. In the control subjects (26) the secroconversion was 96% and in 42% of subjects virus was demonstrated in the throat. Early administration of rubella immunoglobulin (up to three days after immunization) depressed the seroconversion rate to 55% and virus isolation rate to 17.5%. Later administration (five days after immunization) increased the conversion rate to 81%, the isolation rate to 31%. There were no serious side effects of the immunization and the injection of the immunoglobulin. The results indicate that on early administration of an adequate amount of high-titre rubella immunoglobulin a protective effect can be expected, although this favourable effect-obtained in the conditions of this study-cannot be unreservedly transposed to the situation in wild virus infections.

Six virus laboratories from various parts of the German Federal Republic and West Berlin undertook investigations into polio-myelitis immunity in 1972. A total of 267 persons aged up to 20 years were investigated for neutralizing antibodies against the three types of polio virus. The study showed that from the fourth year of life approximately 70% of the persons investigated had antibodies against all three types of polio virus. In some younger children the equivalent values were considerably lower. After the fourth year of life there were only slight differences in the humoral immunity against the three polio virus types. There was no evidence that the immunity level had deteriorated up to the 20th year of life and thus there is no indication of the necessity for a repeat immunisation at a certain time. The investigation confirmed that three oral administrations of trivalent vaccine, as are now generally recommended as basic immunization in the German Federal Republic, result in a conversion rate of over 90% against each of the three virus types.

Drug Prescribing for Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease in General Practice: a Cross-Sectional Study