INVESTIGADORES
BIANCO Maria Isabel
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
EPTDEMIOLOGY OF INFANT BOTULISM IN ARGENTINA: 1982-2010
Autor/es:
FERNANDEZ RA; VANELLA DE CUETOS EE; DE JONG LIT; PAREJA V; BIANCO MI; LÚQUEZ C; FARACE MI
Lugar:
Santa Fe, New México
Reunión:
Encuentro; 48th ADDual Interagency Botulism Research Coordinating Committee (IBRCC) Meeting; 2011
Institución organizadora:
Interagency Botulism Research Coordinating Committee (IBRCC)
Resumen:
Purpose of Study: Infant botulism (lB) is a rare disease that affects infant infants younger than one year (usual1y between 2 and 24 weeks of age). The illness results from absorption of botulinum toxin (BoT) produced in situ by neurotoxigenic clostridia that can temporari1y colonize the intestinal tract (intestinal toxemia). To 2009, all inhabited continents except Africa have reported cases of IB, and is the most common form of human botulism in Argentina and the USA. Recognition of cases seem directly related to physician awareness. We summarize microbiological and epidemiological features of IB in Argentina. Methods Used: We conducted a retrospective study on cases of IB registered in Argentina from 1982 to 2010. Surnmary of Results: From 1982 to 2010, Argentina reported 605 lab-confinned cases, with a mean of 39.5 cases per year in the last 10 years (2.2 per 100,000 live births). Of them, 91.3% of 572 cases less than 6 months of age, with 20.9 cases/year (4.0 in the first 10 years, and 39.5 in the last ten); 57.1% male, and 42.9% female. No case was registered in only 3 of 23 provinces, possibly because of an erroneous diagnosis. With the exception of 1 case, in which was identified BoNT type B, they all were caused for the type A. BoNT was identified in all stool specimens cultures, and 61.2% of the sera samples of 85 cases of IB belonging to Mendoza province. As possible vehic1es of spores, 268 samples of honey were analyzed detecting C. botulinum (Cb) in 10 (3.7 %), and only 4 were associated with cases of IB. The infusions of medicinal herbs can be another potentíal source of spores, in Argentina Cb type A was identified in 6 vegetable species: chamomile (15/200), anise (119), linden (3/200) chicken herb (1/9), poleo (1/7), and senna (1/3). Conc1usions: Our hypothesis is that in arid regions with high winds, low humidity and low rainfall, the main route of transmission is swallowing spores transported by the atmospheric dust.