Children In Argentina Research Articles

Molecular characterization of hepatitis A virus in children with fulminant hepatic failure in Argentina

Hepatitis A infection, a vaccine-preventable disease, is an important cause of fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) in children in Argentina. Universal vaccination in 1-year-old children was implemented in June 2005. The limited studies about the correlation between the characteristics of the hepatitis A virus (HAV) and FHF have been carried out in adults. Samples from 41 children with FHF were studied from September 2003 to January 2006 and HAV RNA was detected, sequenced and analysed in the 5' non-coding region and VP1/2A region. Eighteen HAV strains were characterized and found to be different at the nucleotide level from the self-limited acute infection strains that have been circulating in Argentina with no temporal or geographical pattern. They did not form a genetic cluster, but some of them were identical in the largest fragment characterized and some of them seemed to be more closely related in time and/or geographically. Our results suggest that viral factors could be involved in the severity of the clinical presentation of HAV infection in children in Argentina.

Prognostic factors in paediatric acute liver failure

Objectives:To study the aetiology, outcome and prognostic indicators in children with acute liver failure (ALF).Study design:Retrospective chart review of 210 patients (107 males/103 females; median age: 5.33 years, range: 1–17.4)....

Shiga toxin-producing and attaching and effacingEscherichia coliin cats and dogs in a high hemolytic uremic syndrome incidence region in Argentina

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), responsible for the hemolytic uremic syndrome, is an endemic pathogen in Argentina. We studied the prevalence of STEC in fecal samples from cats and dogs of Buenos Aires city and suburbs. Cultures were used for screening stx1/stx2 and rfbO157 by multiplex PCR. All E. coli-positive colonies for these genes were further characterized for the eae gene and for serotypes. In dogs, 17 (3.7%), 19 (4.2%) and 34 (7.5%) of samples were positive for stx2, stx1 and rfb, respectively. In cats, six (4.0%) of the samples were positive for stx2, three (2.0%) for stx1 and four (2.7%) for rfbO157. In 18 (4.0%) of the dog samples, a bacteriological diagnosis was obtained by isolation. The percentage of positive isolates corresponding to the rfbO157 and to the stx2 genotypes were 2.9% and 1.1%, respectively. In four of the cat samples, the bacteriological diagnosis for stx2 (2.6% prevalence of STEC) was confirmed. Although these data suggest that the high infection index of STEC in children in Argentina does not seem to be due mainly to the role of cats and dogs, there are some strains with virulence genes in common for humans and their domestic animals.

Disappeared children in Argentina: genocidal logic and illegal appropriation1

On March 24, 1976, a dictatorship began which devastated Argentina. One of its distinctive features was its creation of a systematic plan for the illegal appropriation of children of the victims of...

P.332 Detection and characterization of hepatitis E virus RNA in three fulminant hepatic failure cases in children in Argentina

P.332 Detection and characterization of hepatitis E virus RNA in three fulminant hepatic failure cases in children in Argentina

P.327 Detection and characterization of hepatitis A virus RNA in fulminant hepatic failure in children in Argentina

P.327 Detection and characterization of hepatitis A virus RNA in fulminant hepatic failure in children in Argentina

Hepatitis C virus infection in infants and children from Argentina.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is uncommon in children, and its natural history is still unknown. Our aim was to analyze exposure to HCV in 48 infants and children in Argentina and to evaluate consecutive samples in 26 of them to study the outcome of HCV infection in early stages. HCV viremia, as determined by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) from the 5' untranslated region, showed continuously positive, occasionally positive, and negative patterns during follow-up. Restriction fragment length polymorphism was performed on RT-PCR-positive samples to evaluate HCV genotype. Genotype 1 turned out to be predominant, and no patient displayed a genotype shift during the observation period. Perinatal HCV infection was predominantly observed in patients born to mothers coinfected with HCV and human immunodeficiency virus. HCV viral load was detected by means of the AMPLICOR MONITOR, version 2.0, kit. No correlation was observed between HCV viral load and alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels, although we detected a trend towards higher levels among patients displaying consecutive positive HCV RT-PCR results. Our results demonstrate that pediatric HCV infection is characterized by high viral loads and diverse HCV viremia patterns, independent of both age and route of transmission in the population under study. Further research is necessary to determine whether the high rate of HCV replication is related to virus variability or to host immune response.

Evidence of human metapneumovirus in children in Argentina.

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a virus, which was first associated with acute lower respiratory infection in children but is detected currently in all age groups. Clinical symptoms are similar to those described for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections, ranging from mild respiratory illness to severe bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children. To date, no cases of hMPV have been reported in Argentina. In this study, 440 respiratory samples obtained during the period 1998-2002 from children under 5 years old with acute respiratory infection were evaluated. Routine detection for RSV, adenovirus, influenza, and parainfluenza was undertaken by immunofluorescent assay. Of the samples negative for these viruses, only 100 were available. All these samples were tested for hMPV by RT-PCR using primers for the L gene. Eleven out of 100 (11%) respiratory samples were positive for hMPV by RT-PCR. A higher frequency of detection was observed in spring. hMPV was detected in all the years studied, except in 2001. Ten out of 11 children positive for hMPV were hospitalized. Median age was 5 months. Of seven patients, five (71%) required oxygen supplementation. The most frequent diagnosis was bronchiolitis (86%), sometimes accompanied by conjunctivitis and otitis media. The present study showed that hMPV was associated with acute lower respiratory infections in children in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This evidence strongly suggests that hMPV is a common pathogen with a wide geographical distribution, which should be included in the routine diagnosis of respiratory viruses in young children.

Publishing Strategies of Translated Children’s Literature in Argentina

This article is a presentation of the general framework of a research project in which 56 translated and 94 non-translated books published for children in Argentina during 1997 are analyzed. In the project, the translated books are compared with the non-translated ones from paratextual, literary and linguistic viewpoints. Translation is considered to be a decision-making process and the broad approach proposed here makes possible a comparison of the decisions taken by publishers and translators in different areas and, most importantly, to the interrelations of these decisions. The results will increase the general knowledge of translation for children and of literature published for children in an Argentinean context. Moreover, they will be of importance for methodological issues such as the selection of corpora.

Islam and Equality: Debating the Future of Women's and Minority Rights in the Middle East and North Africa, and: Searching for Life: The Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo and the Disappeared Children of Argentina, and: The Space Between Us: Negotiating Gender and National Identities in Conflict (review)

Islam and Equality: Debating the Future of Women's and Minority Rights in the Middle East and North Africa, and: Searching for Life: The Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo and the Disappeared Children of Argentina, and: The Space Between Us: Negotiating Gender and National Identities in Conflict (review)

Cost-effectiveness of influenza vaccination in high-risk children in Argentina

Objectives: our study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of influenza vaccination in high-risk children in Argentina. Methods: a decision analysis model was performed, using data from published and unpublished sources, to compare two strategies — to vaccinate or not to vaccinate. We simulated the expected consequences of vaccination on direct medical costs, related to disease management and indirect costs, related to lost parental working days (absenteeism). Results: Using base-case assumptions vaccination of high-risk children aged 6 months to 15 years old, in Argentina (estimated cohort of 1 184 748) would prevent 207 331 cases of influenza, resulting in a reduction of 58 052 days of hospitalization and 207 331 outpatient visits. Vaccination would lead to net savings of US$ 11 894 870 per vaccinated cohort (US$ 10.04 per vaccinated child). Conclusion: our economic analysis shows that in Argentina, routine vaccination of high-risk children against influenza would be cost saving for society.

Book Reviews: Can We Live Together? Equality and Difference, Who is My Neighbor? Social Affinity in a Modern World, Searching for Life: The Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo and the Disappeared Children of Argentina, The Maximum Surveillance Society: The Rise of CCTV, beyond Management, Football: A Sociology of the Global Game, Realism and Social Science

Book Reviews: Can We Live Together? Equality and Difference, Who is My Neighbor? Social Affinity in a Modern World, Searching for Life: The Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo and the Disappeared Children of Argentina, The Maximum Surveillance Society: The Rise of CCTV, beyond Management, Football: A Sociology of the Global Game, Realism and Social Science

Rita Arditti, Searching for Life: The Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo and the Disappeared Children of Argentina (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1999), pp. xvi+235, $45.00, $17.95 pb; £35.00, £13.95 pb.

Rita Arditti, <i>Searching for Life: The Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo and the Disappeared Children of Argentina</i> (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1999), pp. xvi+235, $45.00, $17.95 pb; £35.00, £13.95 pb.

Treasures of the South: Gifted and Talented Children in Argentina

Talents are manifested regardless of children’s age, gender, culture, or country of origin. All over the world, young people are assessed in their intellectual and socio-emotional development, and a wide range of educational practices exist to serve gifted students. This article provides an overview of the status of gifted education in Argentina. A study was conducted to examine definitions, policies, research, and practices for gifted and talented children in this southern part of the Western Hemisphere. To gather information, a closed-and open-ended questionnaire was developed, interviews took place, and historical information was sought. Two hundred respondents completed a questionnaire on attitudes about giftedness. They included teachers, administrators, and government representatives. There were 3 major findings of this study across all respondents: (a) a high interest in talent development for Argentinean students, (b) the absence of gifted programs, and (c) the scarcity of information and training of educators and administrators.

Microbiology of acute arthropathies among children in Argentina: Mycoplasma pneumoniae and hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum.

To describe the isolation of mycoplasmas and ureaplasmas from synovial fluid in pediatric patients with joint disorders. During 1 year 45 samples of synovial fluid, blood and urine were collected from 33 hospitalized pediatric patients up to 17 years old who had joint disorders. Mycoplasmas and ureaplasmas were isolated in joint fluid by culture methods. Of the 33 patients 12 (36%) had joint disorders associated with pathogens (bacteria, Mycoplasma/Ureaplasma, Chlamydia) present at the site of inflammation. Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum were isolated from 3 and 1% of joint fluid samples, respectively. M. pneumoniae was isolated from nasopharyngeal secretion in a patient with evidence of a reactive arthritis. Our results raise the question of the possible role of Mycoplasma as a cofactor in the triggering of inflammatory joint disease, as well as the hypothesis that arthropathies may be caused by chronic local infection. These findings may contribute to early diagnosis of the disease and initiation of specific treatment.

179 Sensitization to house dust mites in asthmatic children in Argentina and cross-reactivity studies

179 Sensitization to house dust mites in asthmatic children in Argentina and cross-reactivity studies

A rearranged genomic segment 11 is common to different human rotaviruses.

Gene 11 of human rotaviruses with short electropherotype, independently obtained from infected children in Argentina, have an insertion of 148 nt in the 3' untranslated region. All viruses were highly homologous among them and with two others human strains, DS-1 and RV5.

Feminism and Philosophy for Children in Argentina

Feminism and Philosophy for Children in Argentina

Demonstration of Epstein-Barr viral DNA in paraffin-embedded tissues of Burkitt's lymphoma from Argentina using the polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization.

Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) is the most frequent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in children in Argentina. Although epidemiologic studies have linked Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) to more than 90% of African BL cases but to only 10-20% of American and French cases, increased EBV-specific antibody titers were demonstrated in 73% of Argentinian patients with BL. To characterize the relationship between EBV and BL in Argentina, we analyzed paraffin-embedded tissues from 16 cases of BL for the presence of EBV DNA using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and in situ hybridization (ISH). PCR analysis showed that only 4 of 16 specimens contained the EBV BamW fragment, and these specimens were all from cases diagnosed in 1984. Results of ISH performed with a specific biotinylated DNA probe against the NotI/PstI fragment of EBV correlated with the PCR findings. EBV sequences were detected with ISH in 70-90% of the tumor cells from the 4 positive cases. These data may suggest an epidemic outbreak of EBV-related BL in 1984 superimposed on sporadic cases of BL, for which EBV may not have been an essential factor. This study also demonstrates the value of using molecular techniques on archival tissue to track epidemiologic trends.

Etiologic and Clinical Evaluation of Acute Lower RespiratoryThact Infections in Young Argentinian Children: An Overview

This paper summarizes the first study on clinical, etiologic, and epidemiologic features of acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRI) in children in Argentina. A total of 1,003 children less than 5 years of age (805 inpatients and 198 outpatients) presenting with ALRI were studied during a 40-month period. Nasopharyngeal aspirate (NPA), blood, urine, and throat-swab samples were collected when each child was first seen for care. Virologic studies were performed on the NPA by means of indirect immunofluorescence and isolation of virus in cell culture. Bacteriologic studies primarily were done by means of culture of blood or pleural fluid (when available); Bordetella pertussis and Mycoplasma pneumoniae, however, were searched for by the use of immunofluorescence and complement-fixation testing, respectively, in paired sera. Respiratory syncytial virus was the most commonly isolated virus, followed by adenovirus, parainfluenza virus, and influenza virus. Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most frequently isolated bacterium, followed by B. pertussis and Haemophilus influenzae type b. Overall, the patient fatality rate was 3.8% among inpatients with pneumonia or bronchiolitis.