Three hundred fifty five pregnant women were tested for IgM and IgG type of antibodies by Enzyme Immuno Assay (EIA). Sero-positivity for IgM and IgG antibodies were 13% and 29% respectively. Of 212 pregnant women with abortion, 39 (18%) and 80 (38%) were sero-positive and of 143 pregnant women with normal reproductive performance, 7 (5%) and 23 (16%) were positive for IgM and IgG respectively. ...

OBJECTIVE To describe the perceptions of key stakeholders regarding the counselling needs of HIV sero-discordant couples as part of preparation for a clinical trial involving HIV sero-discordant couples. DESIGN Qualitative study using key informant and couple interviews. SETTING Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH). SUBJECTS A purposive sample of nine key informants and 31 couple int...

BACKGROUND Indigenous populations globally are disproportionately affected by chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection however contemporary sero-prevalence data are often absent. In the Indigenous population of the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia the unique C4 sub-genotype of HBV universally circulates. There are no studies of the sero-prevalence, nor the impact of the vaccination program...

We conducted a community-based cluster sample survey of rubella sero-epidemiology in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 1994. Among 4666 individuals for whom complete data were available, rubella antibody prevalence was 91% (95% confidence interval: 90, 92). On multivariable analysis, seroprevalence was lower among individuals who were resident in Addis Ababa for 1 year or less. Approx. 50% seroprevalenc...

BACKGROUND Leptospirosis is a re-emerging zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic strains of bacteria belonging to genus Leptospira whose symptoms can range from mild clinical manifestations to a severe life threatening illness. This disease may be under-recognized in resource poor settings like Nepal where many clinical laboratories lack appropriate equipment, technology and personnel for proper...

BACKGROUND Previous analyses of sera from a limited number of Ghanaian Buruli ulcer (BU) patients, their household contacts, individuals living in BU non-endemic regions as well as European controls have indicated that antibody responses to the M. ulcerans 18 kDa small heat shock protein (shsp) reflect exposure to this pathogen. Here, we have investigated to what extent inhabitants of regions i...

Background and Aims: Co-infection of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients can develop and increase liver disease and hepatic complications in the world. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of HEV infection in patients suffering from chronic HCV infection. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional study testing anti-HEV antibodies in serum...

AIM The HIV infected population in Romania is at an age when engaging in a serious relationship is more and more an issue. Dyadic adjustment is the process which most couples go through, in their attempt to form a steady relationship. It is represented by important changes that appear in one's perception of himself and the significant other. Dyadic adjustment can be measured by a series of para...

BACKGROUND Gastric cancer incidence in African Americans is twice that of whites, and differing prevalence of Helicobacter pylori strain-specific isolates may help explain the disparity. METHODS Serum levels of antibodies to each of 15 H. pylori proteins were assessed using multiplex serology for a sample of 689 African American and white participants from the Southern Community Cohort Study....