Background: Water-related, including waterborne, diseases remain important sources of morbidity and mortality worldwide, but particularly in developing countries. The potential for changes in disease associated with predicted... more
Background: Water-related, including waterborne, diseases remain important sources of morbidity and mortality worldwide, but particularly in developing countries. The potential for changes in disease associated with predicted anthropogenic climate changes make water-related diseases a target for prevention. Methods: We provide an overview of evidence on potential future changes in water-related disease associated with climate change. Results: A number of pathogens are likely to present risks to public health, including cholera, typhoid, dysentery, leptospirosis, diarrhoeal diseases and harmful algal blooms (HABS). The risks are greatest where the climate effects drive population movements, conflict and disruption, and where drinking water supply infrastructure is poor. The quality of evidence for water-related disease has been documented. Conclusions: We highlight the need to maintain and develop timely surveillance and rapid epidemiological responses to outbreaks and emergence of new waterborne pathogens in all countries. While the main burden of waterborne diseases is in developing countries, there needs to be both technical and financial mechanisms to ensure adequate quantities of good quality water, sewage disposal and hygiene for all. This will be essential in preventing excess morbidity and mortality in areas that will suffer from substantial changes in climate in the future.
Building physics is a general information about the important issues that need to be considered in buildings indoor and outdoor. The article includes essential essays and excerpts from published books by specifying the sources.
Legionella constitutes the main cause of Legionnaires' disease (LD), a severe multisystem illness and life-threatening pulmonary infection. Manmade water systems are the main source of infection. Finding the most effective method is a... more
Legionella constitutes the main cause of Legionnaires' disease (LD), a severe multisystem illness and life-threatening pulmonary infection. Manmade water systems are the main source of infection. Finding the most effective method is a matter of utmost importance. We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of disinfection methods against Legionella and the frequency of use of these methods. We recorded Legionella species and serogroups that are usually detected in manmade water systems, the building types and water systems where Legionella constitutes a problem. Literature search was conducted in two databases. Data were extracted from 141 studies that finally met the inclusion criteria. According to these studies, disinfection methods in manmade water systems were applied 259 times and the corresponding registrations were conducted in the data extraction form. Legionella pneumophila was the most common species detected in manmade water systems and Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 the most common serogroup. The majority of studies dealt with Legionella in hospitals and in hot and cold water systems. Chemical disinfection methods had longer duration, while the combination of physical and chemical disinfection methods was more effective. Point-of-use filters, Cooper silver ionization and Hydrogen peroxide proved to be the most effective methods. Cooper silver ionization had Journal of Environmental Science and Public Health 245 the lowest percentage of Legionella concentration increase, while ultraviolet light had a temporary duration of effectiveness against Legionella in the water system. No disinfection method has a 100% reduction of Legionella concentration, 100% decrease of colonized sites and duration of effectiveness all at the same time.
The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum is increasingly being used as a simple model for the investigation of problems that are relevant to human health. This article focuses on several recent examples of Dictyostelium-based biomedical... more
The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum is increasingly being used as a simple model for the investigation of problems that are relevant to human health. This article focuses on several recent examples of Dictyostelium-based biomedical research, including the analysis of immune-cell disease and chemotaxis, centrosomal abnormalities and lissencephaly, bacterial intracellular pathogenesis, and mechanisms of neuroprotective and anti-cancer drug action. The combination of cellular, genetic and molecular biology techniques that are available in Dictyostelium often makes the analysis of these problems more amenable to study in this system than in mammalian cell culture. Findings that have been made in these areas using Dictyostelium have driven research in mammalian systems and have established Dictyostelium as a powerful model for human-disease analysis.
Background: Legionnaires disease is the systemic manifestation of an infection by the gram-negative bacterium Legionella pneumophila. It most commonly presents with pneumonia, but can also cause extrapulmonary manifestations like cardiac,... more
Background: Legionnaires disease is the systemic manifestation of an infection by the gram-negative bacterium Legionella pneumophila. It most commonly presents with pneumonia, but can also cause extrapulmonary manifestations like cardiac, renal, gastrointestinal as well as neurologic symptoms like encephalopathy. It tends to occur in people who are elderly, immunocompromised and those with impaired respiratory (smokers) or cardiac (advanced heart failure) functions. The Legionella Urinary antigen is commonly used to diagnose Legionella infection. Almost half of the patients diagnosed with Legionnaires disease exhibit neurologic signs and symptoms. These neurologic abnormalities are usually not evident on neuroimaging, laboratory findings, and neuropathology.
Atypical pathogens such as Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, and Legionella pneumophila are increasingly recognized as important causes of community acquired pneumonia (CAP) worldwide. Such etiological data for Vietnam is... more
Atypical pathogens such as Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, and Legionella pneumophila are increasingly recognized as important causes of community acquired pneumonia (CAP) worldwide. Such etiological data for Vietnam is scarce and clinical doctors lack accurate information on which to base their diagnosis and treatment of pneumonia. This study identifies the prevalence and risk factors of severe community acquired pneumonia due to these atypical pathogens (severe-ApCAP) in children aged 1-15 years with CAP in a pediatric hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam. 722 hospitalized children with CAP were recruited for detecting those atypical pathogens, using multiplex PCR and ELISA. Clinical and epidemiological data were collected. Multivariate logistic-regression analyses were performed to evaluate the associations of potential risk factors with severe-ApCAP. Among 215 atypical pathogen-positive CAP cases, 45.12% (97/215) were severe-ApCAP. Among the severe-ApCAP group, 55.67% (54...
