Rotaviruses were prospectively studied in 51 rural Costa Rican children from birth to two years. Samples of feces were collected weekly over a 33-month period. Rotavirus was detected in 45 (1.04%) of 4,317 fecal specimens; 39 infections were documented (an incidence of 0.5 infection per child-year), only five of which were associated with diarrhea (a pathogenicity of 12.8%). Secretory antibody in fecal extracts, detected in six of 39 infections, was short lived and did not protect against reinfection. Serum antibody was present in 69.6% of two-year-old children, but was not detected in 18.8% with documented infections. On the other hand, serum antibody was present in six of 14 children in whom rotavirus was not detected, thus increasing the overall incidence to 0.6 infection per child-year. The combination of prolonged breast-feeding, exposure to a lower infecting dose (compared with urban children), and a higher standard of hygiene than expected may explain the low incidence and low pathogenicity of rotavirus among these rural children.The epidemiology of rotavirus infection in populations observed in their own environment needs further elucidation, particularly in less-developed countries where diarrheal disease takes its highest toll. In Costa Rica, rotavirus was demonstrated as the most important etiologic agent of acute diarrhea among outpatients at the National Children's Hospital in San Jose [1]. Hospital-based studies are of limited epidemiological value, however, because they are cross-sectional in nature; cover, by definition, the most serious cases that require hospital treatment; and thus, do not reflect the situation in the general population. Consequently, a cohort study was designed in order to study patterns of infection and immunity to rotavirus under natural conditions. This longitudinal study permitted investigation of the
Plaque-induced gingivitis is the most common form of periodontal disease and can affect 100% of the population. Gingivitis prevalence in Latin American population is not well documented, therefore the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and severity of plaque-induced gingivitis in adult populations of three Latin American cities. Methods: This cross sectional multicenter study included 1650 participants, 550 from the Great Metropolitan Area of Costa Rica (GAM), 550 from Mexico City, Mexico (CDMX) and 550 from Bogota City, Colombia (BC). Subjects completed a questionnaire about their medical history and oral hygiene. Clinical assessment included recording of missing teeth, visible plaque index, calculus recording and gingival index (GI, Loe-Silness index). Results: Average GI was 1.36. No statistical difference was found between GAM (1.45) and BC (1.48); however, GI in CDMX was significantly lower (1.16). Average gingival bleeding on probing was 43%. Total plaque index was 0.76 showing the highest accumulation at interproximal sites (p=0.0001). A positive correlation was found between plaque and gingivitis (r=0.59). Dental calculus was present in at least one of the 18 evaluated sites per subject with no statistical difference between cities. There was no statistical difference in GI between smokers, former smokers and non- smokers. Conclusion: Gingivitis prevalence was 99.6%. Moderate Gingivitis was the predominant form, with no statistically significant difference between cities or gender. Dental plaque accumulation was the most important risk factor associated with the establishment of the disease.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.