Malignant external otitis (MEO) is an aggressive infection, primarily affecting elderly diabetic patients. It begins in the external ear canal and spreads to adjacent structures. This study investigated the clinical characteristics of patients diagnosed and treated for MEO and analyzed factors affecting patient outcomes.Historical cohort.Tertiary medical center.Medical records of all patients diagnosed and treated for MEO from 1990 to 2013, were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical features, laboratory, imaging and outcomes were analyzed.88 patients were included, mean age was 73 ± 11.5 years, 61 (69%) were male. Of these, 75% had diabetes. Mean follow-up was 60 months. The most common presenting symptoms were otalgia (89%), external ear canal edema (86%) and otorrhea (84%). Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated in 61% of ear cultures. All patients were treated with antibiotics, 22% had surgery and 8% hyperbaric oxygen. Overall survival rate was 38% in 5 years, with disease specific mortality 14%. DM, facial nerve palsy, positive CT scan and age above 70 were found to correlate and predict disease-specific mortality.MEO carries a grave prognosis. The presence of two or more of the following features, DM, facial nerve palsy, positive CT scan and age above 70, predicts poor outcome, and highlights the need for prolonged, vigorous treatment.

On 17 May 2009, the first two cases of 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) were confirmed in the Metropolitan region (Santiago, Chile). On 6 June 2009, Chile reported 500 confirmed cases, seven severe and two fatal. Because six of the severe cases and the two deaths occurred in the region of Los Lagos in southern Chile, a retrospective study was conducted using data on emergency room visits as well as laboratory viral surveillance, during the period from 1 April to 31 May, in order to establish the date of the beginning of the outbreak. From 1 to 27 June, data were collected in real time, to establish the real magnitude of the outbreak, describe its transmission, clinical severity and secondary attack rates. Confirmed cases, their household contacts and healthcare workers were interviewed. This analysis showed that the outbreak in Los Lagos started on 28 April. By 27 June, a total of 14.559 clinical cases were identified, affecting mostly 5-19 year-olds. The effective reproduction number during the initial phase (20 days) was 1.8 (1.6-2.0). Of the 190 confirmed cases with severe acute respiratory infection, 71 (37.4%) presented a risk condition or underlying illness.

A reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay, coupled with sequencing, was used to detect and genetically characterize different infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) isolates in Chile. The RT-PCR procedure included the use of the primers NT1 and NT2 that were located close to the N-terminus of the SI gene and bracketed the hypervariable region, and the amplified sequences were aligned and analyzed with DNAman software, and compared with sequences from GenBank. The level of detection of the RTPCR assay was equivalent to virus isolation in eggs when testing tissues directly, but the assay was more sensitive when used to detect virus stored in allantoic fluid. The amplimers from all historical Chilean isolates were identical in size (193 bp) and exhibited 71-96% similarity on sequence analysis. These isolates showed between 68-97% similarity to strains from North America, Europe, Asia, New Zealand and Australia.

Resumen es: Una tecnica de reaccion en cadena de la polimerasa transcriptasa reversa (RT-PCR) junto a una secuenciacion fue usada para detectar y caracterizar geneti...

Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD) is still affecting the poultry industry through the appearance of pathogenic and antigenic variations of the virus. This is due to its permanent evolution as a consequence of the immunological pressure caused by the intensive use of vaccines. The antigenic characterization of field viruses is essential in order to use the most appropriate vaccines to control the disease. The purpose of this study was to determine the antigenic interrelationship between Cuban and chilean isolates obtained from flocks vaccinated with the IBD virus. Viral isolates were adapted to cell culture and mono-specific antisera were obtained for each isolate and for a reference strain. The interrelationship between the isolates were established by cross virus neutralization using nine cuban isolates (BD, BL. 35/95, 29/96, 118/96, BF2, BF8, BF9, y 70/98), three chilean isolates (G1, G2, yG4) and a reference strain from serotype I (Lukert). Both types of isolates adapted efficiently to chicken embryo fibroblast cultures. In addition, cuban isolates adapted to VERO cells and showed higher infective titers in chicken embryo fibroblasts than in this cell line. Cross virus neutralization results showed an interrelationship greater than 80% amongst cuban isolates and greater than 70% between the isolates and the reference strain. Chilean isolates G1 and G4 showed a similar result (higher than 77%). The G2 isolate had lower antigenic differences from cuban isolates BL 35/95 y 29/96 (<= 69%). None of the isolates showed antigenic interrelationships lower than 30% with the serotype I reference strain and consequently, they do not correspond to variant strains.

La Enfermedad Infecciosa de la Bolsa (EIB)sigue afectando la industria avicola por la aparicion de veriantes patogenicasw y antigenicas del virus, originadas en la permanente evolucion del virus producto de la presion inmunologica por el uso intensivo de vacunas. La caracterizacion antigenica de los virus de campo resulta esencial para la aplicacion de vacunas mas adecuadas en el control de la enfermedad. En este trabajo se determinaron las relaciones antigenicas de aislados cubanos y chilenos, obtenidos de poblaciones de pollos vacunados con el virus de la EIB. Los aislados virales se adaptaron a cultivos celulares y se obtuvieron antisueros monoespecificos de cada uno de ellos y de una cepa de referencia.

El presente estudio comparo las vias de inoculacion intramuscular (IM) y subcutanea (SC) para la produccion de anticuerpos en gallinas. Seis gallinas Leghorn de postura fueron separadas en dos grupos de inoculacion identicos e inmunizadas con fructosa-1, 6-bisfosfatasa (FBPasa) purificada de rinon de cerdo. Las gallinas fueron inoculadas con un intervalo de 2 y 4 semanas, con una emulsion mezclada con FBPasa purificada y adyuvante de Freund completo (primera inoculacion) y adyuvante de Freund incompleto (segunda y tercera inoculacion). Los anticuerpos obtenidos desde yema de huevo fueron purificados y titulados por ensayo en gota. Elevadas cantidades de anticuerpo fueron producidas por ambos grupos de gallinas y los titulos fueron comparables. Sin embargo, en cada grupo de inoculacion se encontraron algunas diferencias atribuibles a variaciones individuales. Los resultados muestran que ambas vias de inmunizacion (SC e IM) son igualmente efectivas en la generacion de anticuerpos desde gallinas contra enzimas citosolicas. Ademas, el analisis mediante inmunodeteccion revelo que los anticuerpos anti-FBPasa obtenidos por inoculacion intramuscular y subcutanea, reconocieron a la enzima en extractos de higado de rata, los cuales contenian mas de 50 diferentes proteinas. Estos resultados demostraron que los anticuerpos producidos por estas dos vias de inoculacion son altamente especificos.

The present study compares the intramuscular (IM) and subcutaneous (SC) inoculation routes for antibody production in hens. Six laying Leghorn hens were separated in two identical inoculation groups and immunized with purified Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase) from pig kidney extract. The hens were inoculated at two and four week intervals with an emulsified mixture of purified FBPase and Freund's complete adjuvant (first inoculation) and Freund's incomplete adjuvant (second and third inoculations). The egg yolk antibodies were purified and titrated with immune dot blot. High amounts of antibody were produced by both hen groups and the titers were comparable. However, in each inoculation group we found some differences which we attributed to individual variations. These results show that both routes of inoculation (SC and IM) are equally effective in generating hen antibodies against a cytosolic enzyme. Moreover, the immune-blot analysis revealed that the antibodies anti-FBPase obtained from intramuscular and subcutaneous inoculations recognized the enzyme in rat liver extract containing much more than 50 different proteins. These results demonstrated that the antibodies produced by these two routes of inoculation are highly specific.

The distribution and persistence of three field strains of the IB virus (Austral 3, 5 and 14), on experimentally inoculated SPF chicken was studied. In order to determine its distribution, three groups of 30 chicks that were each two-weeks old, were inoculated by ocular and nasal instillation with 10(4) EID50/0.1 ml of each strain. Three chicks of each group were slaughtered before and after the infection (every 8 hours until the second day post infection and every 12 hours until the fourth day), collecting samples of trachea, lung, proventriculus, gall bladder, small intestine, large intestine, kidney, thymus and Fabricius bursa. On every sampling, tissues of the same kind were grouped and homogenized, later, PBS with antibiotic was added in a 5% weight/volume relationship. The recovery of the strains were performed on SPF embryonated eggs and tracheal rings, and their results were expressed as isolation index.The study of persistence of the virus in tissues was performed in three groups of 21 chicks that were each two-weeks old. Every group was infected with 10(5) EID50/0.1 ml of viral suspension through ocular, nasal and tracheal instillation on days 7, 12, 19, 26, 33, 40 and 47. After the inoculation tracheal, lung, proventriculus, small intestine, large intestine and kidneys samples were collected, and its isolation on embryonated eggs and tracheal rings was initiated.On the first trial, the strains were recovered from both biological substratum of the nine tissues examined throughout the whole experiment; although they were not recovered from 100% of the samples. The largest isolation indexes were obtained from the tracheal suspension, lung, proventriculus, kidney and large intestine. In some tissues the frequency of isolations of the strains in the first passage was higher in the tracheal rings. There were no major differences in the persistence of the strains on the different tissues, only a longer permanence on the large intestine and kidneys was observed (19 and 47 days respectively).

Se describe un brote de abomasitis ulcerativa asociada con infeccion por Clostridium perfringens tipo O en terneros lactantes. Seis terneros Holstein, de 2 semanas de edad, murieron despues de presentar anorexia y apatia. Otros animales del mismo establecimiento habian muerto de la misma forma seis meses antes. A la necropsia el abomaso estaba muy distendido con contenido fluido y oscuro, la mucosa estaba edematosa y presentaba gran cantidad de ulceras milimetricas y habian depositos de fibrina en la serosa. En el ciego de un animal se observaron extensas areas de infarto. En frotis de la mucosa abomasal se observaron bacilos cortos Gram positivos, no esporulados, aislandose de ella un cultivo rico de C. Perfringens tipo D. Es probable que la baja inmunidad de los terneros debido a falta de calostro y estres alimenticio, haya sido el predisponente para la infeccion por C. Perfringens tipo D. Intestino grueso y rinones (19 y 47 dias respectivamente).

With the purpose of contributing to the characterization of two Avian Infectious Bronchitis Virus (AIBV) field isolates in Chile (A-3 and A-5), some physical, chemical and biological properties were studied. The Massachusetts 41 (Mass 41) was used as a reference strain. The behaviour of the strain when exposed to ether (20% for 18 to 24 hours at 4-degrees-C), to different pH (3.0 and 11.0 for 3 to 4 hours at 4-degrees-C) and to different temperatures (37-degrees-C and 56-degrees-C for 90 minutes) was studied. Furthermore, then strain's growth kinetic in tracheal organ cultures (TOC) was studied for 32 hours. The viral suspensions titration was carried out by duplicates in TOC.The results of the tests show that the A-3 strain is sensitive to pH 3.0 and resistant to pH 11.0. The A-5 strain is resistant to both pH values and the Mass 41 is sensitive to pH 3.0 and to pH 11.0. All the strains were ether sensitive. In the temperature treatments, the three strains presented total inactivation at 56-degrees-C for one hour. The A-3 strain showed a great resistance, which was more evident at 37-degrees-C and 45-degrees-C.The growth kinetic in TOC of the national strains was similar to the observed for the Mass 41 reference strain, presenting an exponential growth of viral particles between 6 and 18 hours of incubation.

The demand for cellular telecommunications services is increasing rapidly. Shortly, providers will not be able to supply the demand for services based on current analog FM systems. Therefore, the communications industry is investigating new technologies for application to digital communications. The new system is not yet in operation and many of its characteristics are only hypothesized as derived from approximate analytical models. It is widely believed that the new system must use distributed processors to download processing overhead from the central office cell-sites. Such a distributed system is a good candidate for AI technology. A problem-solving expert system prototype has been constructed to control the duties and functions of a cellular radio base station or cell-site assuming a system based on spread spectrum CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) technology. Knowledge has been advanced to create tractable solutions for this envisioned system where knowledge acquisition is the most acute barrier.

The immune response against infectious Bronchitis Virus was studied in two Broiler vaccination programs. Eighty day-old chicks were divided into two groups of 40 chickens each and vaccinated by eyedrop with H120. A second H120 vaccine dose was administred, as coarse drop spray, when chicks were 14 and 20 days old respectively. A third group without vaccination was considered control. Antibody titres were determined weekly by haemagglutination inhibition (HI) and serum neutralization (SN) until 47 days of age. Experimental groups were challenged when chickens were 50 days old with IBV strain Mass 41, to evaluate protection.A high maternal antibody transference to progeny which lasted for approximately 19 days, at titres considered specific, was observed. Vaccinated groups did not present seraconversion after both antigenic stimulations. However, the persistance of antibody titres after the first vaccination was higher than in the control group. Antibody titres determined by HI and SN were significatively correlated. Protection in vaccinated groups was partial four days after challenge. No relation was observed between protection and serum antibody titers.Results allowed us to conclude that age difference for the second vaccination had no effects on the protection at slaughter age.