Israel Medical Association Journal

Objectives: To define the incidence of congenital CMV infection in two different subpopulations, as a model for the entire population of Israel.

Methods: Urine specimens were randomly collected from 2,000 newborns in Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, and HaEmek Medical Center, Afula (1,000 specimens each). These hospitals have many characteristic differences, presumably representing the diverse population of Israel. Urine specimens were subjected to a CMV PCR[2] reaction and positive specimens were validated by urine viral culture. Maternal seroprevalence was determined in a representative sample of the mothers in each hospital. Epidemiologic characteristics of the mothers were extracted from hospital records and compared.

Results: The population in Shaare Zedek Medical Center was mostly Jewish (95.8%) and urban (87.0%), as compared to that of HaEmek Medical Center (49.2% and 61.0%, respectively, P < 0.01). Nevertheless, CMV seroprevalence was similar: 81.5% and 85%, respectively. Ten (1.0%) and 4 (0.4%) newborns, respectively, were found to have congenital CMV infection (not significant).

Conclusions: The combined incidence of congenital CMV infection in the study population was 0.7% (95% confidence interval 0.3–1.0%). If this rate is extrapolated to the entire population of Israel, then a total of 945 cases of congenital CMV can be expected among the 135,000 annual deliveries. A nationwide screening program for congenital CMV should be considered.

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[1] CMV = cytomegalovirus

[2] PCR = polymerase chain reaction

Background: Salmonella species commonly produce acute gastroenteritis. The clinical course may be affected by factors such as age, immunosuppression, and underlying disorders.

Objectives: To investigate clinical and laboratory differences in the infected population and the risk of complications according to the different age groups.

Methods: The records of 295 patients with positive cultures for Salmonella were divided into six age groups and reviewed retrospectively for the years 1994–1997. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data, extraintestinal manifestations, underlying disorders, organism source, and susceptibilty to antibiotics were analyzed.

Results: We found that 88.5% were only stool positive, 9.2% had positive blood cultures, and 2.4% were positive in both blood and stool; 3.6% were found to have underlying disorders. Anemia, disturbed liver function tests and hypoalbuminemia were the most common pathologic laboratory findings. Salmonella serogroups B and D were isolated most frequently. The rate of positive blood cultures increased significantly during the years, as did resistance to ampicillin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Salmonella infection has two peaks of incidence: at ages 1–5 and 15–65 years. Bacteremia was prominent in the extreme ages.

Conclusions: Salmonella infection has a different clinical presentation in different age groups. The significant increase in the rate of bacteremia in the extreme age groups necessitates a different attitude and management for these heterogeneous patient populations.

Background: Until recently trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole was the drug recommended in the Leumit Health Fund for the empiric treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infection in women. However, due to increased uropathogen resistance to this drug, the fund has designated nitrofurantoin as its new drug of choice.

Objectives: To evaluate the potential economic impact of implementing this new pharmaco-policy.

Methods: Using data derived from the electronic patient records of the Leumit Health Fund we identified all non-recurrent cases of women aged 18–49 with a diagnosis of acute cystitis or UTI[1] without risk factors for complicated UTI and empirically treated with antibiotics throughout 2003. The final sample comprised 5,489 physician-patient encounters. The proportion of cases treated with each individual drug was calculated, and the excess expenditure due to non-adherence to the new guideline from the perspective of the health fund was evaluated using 5 days of therapy with nitrofurantoin as the reference treatment.

Results: Ofloxacin was the most frequently prescribed drug (30.24%), followed by TMP-SMX[2] (22.43%), cephalexin (15.08%), and nitrofurantoin (12.59%). The observed net aggregate drug expenditure was 2.3 times greater than expected had all cases been treated with nitrofurantoin according to the guideline duration of 5 days. The cost of treatment in 53% of the cases exceeded the expected cost of the guideline therapy.

Conclusions: Successful implementation of the new drug policy will likely improve quality of care and reduce costs to the health fund.

Background: Visceral leishmaniasis was first reported in Israel (then Palestine) in 1929. In the 1960s and 1970s, it was endemic to northern Israel, but only partial data about the disease have been gathered since then.

Objective: To investigate the epidemiologic trends of visceral leishmaniasis in Israel from 1960 to 2000, and to delineate some clinical features of the infection.

Methods: Data were collected from hospital charts, scientific publications, and reports of the Ministry of Health and the Kuvin Center for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases.

Results: During the last four decades, 87 cases of visceral leishmaniasis were diagnosed in Israel, 76 of them (87%) in children. All 54 patients diagnosed in the 1960s occurred in the northern part of the country. The rate of infection declined significantly in the 1970s (5 cases) and then increased slightly in the 1980s (11 cases) and 1990s (17 cases). More than 50% of the cases in the 1990s were in central Israel. Children accounted for 100% of cases in the 1960s but only 58% in the 1990s. The main clinical features of the patients diagnosed in the last decade were fever, weight loss, hepatosplenomegaly and pancytopenia. Three of the adults were co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus.

Discussion: The decline in the incidence of visceral leishmaniasis in the 1970s and the slight increase in the 1980s and 1990s can be attributed to changes in the animal reservoir and vectors, and in the immunity status of part of the population exposed to Leishmania.

Conclusions: Visceral leishmaniasis has reemerged in Israel. This mandates better control of the animal reservoir and vectors and increased awareness of this infection.

Background: The humanized SCID mouse model is an attractive tool for testing gene therapy to combat human immunodeficiency virus infection in vivo.

Objectives: To devise a more specific gene therapy directed against HIV, replacing the formerly used interferon with either soluble CD4 molecule immunoadhesin (sCD4-IgG) and/or anti-gp41 monoclonal antibody (2F5), or negative transdominants (Tat, Rev).

Methods: Human monocytoid cell line (U937) was transfected with IFNa[1], b or g genes. 3T3 murine fibroblastic cell line was transfected with sCD4-IgG or 2F5, or both genes, and a human T4 cell line (CEM) was grafted to SCID mice. Negative transdominant genes (Tat, Rev or both) were also transduced in CEM T cell line. Animals were then challenged with HIV-1[2]. Viral load was followed.

Results: IFNa or b were potent anti-HIV, reducing viral load in vivo and inhibiting reverse transcriptase activity in human-removed cells from animals. sCD4-IgG immunoadhesin and gp41 monoclonal antibody resulted in a dramatic reduction of HIV-1 cellular and plasmatic viral load in humanized SCID mice. The simultaneous introduction of negative Tat and Rev genes resulted in a synergistic inhibition of HIV-1 replication in vivo.

Conclusions: Despite the marked reduction of HIV-1 propagation by IFN genes or by negative Tat and Rev transdominants, the gene therapy using soluble CD4 immunoadhesin or anti-gp41 was a more efficient preventive treatment against HIV infection.

Background: Seroepidemeliogic surveys have provided valuable information on the prevalence and incidence of herpes simplex virus-2 infection in general and in selected populations.

Objective: To review the reliability of traditional diagnostic approaches in herpes simplex virus-2 infection.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 472 patients attending a clinic for sexually transmitted disease in 1998-1999 were evaluated for HSV-2 infection through collection of epidemiologic and clinical data.

HSV-2 infection was confirmed by the presence of specific Viral glycoprotein, gG-2, antibody in sera.

Results: The seroprevalence of HSV-2 among clinic attendees was 9.33%. Of these attendees only 22% presented with or reported a history of typical vesicular lesions in the genital area. Infection rate was  higher in patients with multiple sex partners (20.8% vs. 8.7%, P< ( 0.0023 in individuals aged 30 or older (12.6 vs. 6.4%, P = 0.03) and  in the Israeli Jewish population as compared to the Israeli Arab population (11.1% vs. 2.4%, P ~ 0.01). Females with multiple sex partners exhibited higher rates of infection than did their male counterparts (50 vs. 16.1%, P < 0.0275(.

Conclusion: The findings support the need for HSV-2 serologi  testing in patients presenting to STD clinics even when typical genital  lesions are not evident but where risk factors for HSV-2 infection are  identified.