The global uRsurge in tuberculosis (TB), fuelled by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pandemic, and the increase in multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB, has made TB a serious occupational hazard for healthcare workers (HCWs) worldwidel", Recent reports have confirmed a significant risk of occupational infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis among HCWS,3,4,5 medical students,6 attendants at auto...

CONTEXT Parvovirus B19 infection during pregnancy has been associated with fetal death. However, the incidence of and risk factors for infection in pregnant women have not been well studied. OBJECTIVES To estimate a pregnant woman's risk of infection with parvovirus B19 in epidemic and endemic situations and to study risk factors for infection. DESIGN Population-based cohort study conducted...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE The occupational and non-occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium Cr (VI) is common. The effect of chromium compromises the immune response of the host. Dengue virus (DV) infection causes various changes in the peripheral blood cells. It is, therefore, possible that the chromium toxicity may affect the disease process during DV infection. The present study aims to stu...

kill, or sell food animals, and persons who prepare and serve food. (More than one third of the cases in China with onset of SARS before February 1, 2003, were in food handlers [3].); 2) public transportation workers and airline crew (4); and 3) laboratory workers handling samples or items contaminated with SARS-associated coronavirus (5). In Singapore, 2 taxi drivers were infected after ferryi...

A study was conducted among 151 municipal workers (72 solid-waste workers, and 79 workers not exposed to waste). Total antibodies against Hepatitis A virus (HAV) were measured, and socio-demographic information was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Univariate analysis has shown that occupational exposure to waste, age, duration of employment and educational status were signific...

Leptospirosis, brucellosis and toxoplasmosis are widely-distributed zoonosis, being the man an accidental participant of their epidemiological chains. The aim of this paper was to make a seroepidemiological report and identify occupational and environmental variables related to these illnesses in 150 workers in a slaughterhouse in the Northern region of Paraná. For the diagnosis of leptospirosi...

OBJECTIVE Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is the leading cause of acute peripheral neuropathy worldwide, often associated with recent foodborne infection with Campylobacter jejuni. In this cross-sectional analysis of data from the Agricultural Health Study, we tested whether swine and poultry exposure were associated with increased prevalence of GBS-like neurologic symptoms. METHODS Using multi...

OBJECTIVE To verify the prevalence and factors associated with vaccination against hepatitis B among Primary Health Care workers in Montes Claros/MG. METHOD A cross-sectional, analytic study was undertaken. Data were collected through a form, which contained sociodemographic, occupational, general health and behavioral variables. Associations were investigated through bivariate analysis and P...

We report the serological evidence of low-pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) H9N2 infection in an occupational poultry-exposed population and a general population. A serological survey of an occupational poultry-exposed population and a general population was conducted using a haemagglutinin-inhibiting (HI) assay in Shanghai, China, from January 2008 to December 2010. Evidence of higher anti-H9 ...

Background Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is a common cause of sexually transmitted infections (STI) and a prevalent microorganism found in the vaginal discharge of sexually active women. The infection usually has no symptoms; although it may cause chronic complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ectopic pregnancy, chronic pelvic pain, tubal infertility and cervical cancer. This stu...