What is going on here Cacaito??? And if you can give some insight can it be done WITHOUT cursory bashing of Xoma?? If it has to be done with the bashing I would still like your insight.<g>>>>>>>>>>>>Canadian E. coli outbreak kills 4, infects 500
By Rajiv Sekhri
TORONTO, May 24 (Reuters) - An infant and three elderly people died, 20 others have been hospitalized and 500 more may be infected in Canada's worst outbreak of E. coli bacteria, health officials said on Wednesday.
Authorities said the outbreak in Walkerton, Ontario, a town of about 5,000 people about 125 miles (200 km) northwest of Toronto, had reached ``epidemic proportions.''
``There has never been this kind of number of cases (in Canada),'' Murray McQuigge, chief medical officer at the Bruce and Grey counties' health unit, told Reuters.
McQuigge said an infant and an 82-year-old woman died on Wednesday and at least half of the 20 people admitted to hospitals were in critical condition.
Two other elderly people, one a Walkerton woman, also died on Wednesday local hospital officials said, but few details were being released.
Eight children were being treated at Children's Hospital of Western Ontario, in London, said Julie Troyano, a hospital spokeswoman.
E. coli (Escherichia coli) is usually found in the intestines of humans and animals. Some strains cause dangerous, even life-threatening, infections.
Symptoms include fever, severe cramping, diarrhoea and vomiting. It can take two to 10 days for symptoms to appear and normally about a week to recover.
Doctors were unsure what had caused the E. coli outbreak. But it was believed the bacteria might have found its way into the town's water supply after heavy rains two weeks ago.
Five investigators from the Ontario Ministry of Environment were investigating the cause of the outbreak.
``We want to make sure we have all the answers before we jump the gun on anything,'' said Dan Newman, the province of Ontario's environment minister.
``I don't think we ought to be pointing fingers at anyone or anything at this time but focus on the people of Walkerton,'' Newman told a news conference. He said the investigators would release their conclusions ``shortly'' but did not elaborate.
Meanwhile, Walkerton residents were being told not to even wash their hands unless the water was boiled or treated with chlorine.
``We are not going to lift the water advisory until the environment ministry assures us that everything is okay,'' McQuigge told Reuters.
McQuigge said health officials were alerted to the outbreak on Friday by a pediatrician in a nearby town who had seen two cases of bloody diarrhoea.
By Sunday, McQuigge said his office received the first positive culture for E. coli 0157 taken from a patient with bloody diarrhoea.
``The concern is seven to 10 per cent of people with E. coli 0157 may develop kidney complications about nine days after,'' McQuigge said. ``This is especially a concern in the very young and the elderly. There is a death rate of 1 to 3 percent.''
McQuigge added: ``We are saying do not use antibiotics to treat these cases. Preliminary evidence shows that using antibiotics to treat E. Coli can cause kidney failure.''
23:13 05-24-00>>>>>>>>>>>.: Ann Surg 1999 Feb;229(2):262-71 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut
Protective effect of bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (rBPI21) in baboon sepsis is related to its antibacterial, not antiendotoxin, properties.
Schlag G, Redl H, Davies J, Scannon P
Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Experimental and Clinical Traumatology, Vienna, Austria.
OBJECTIVE AND SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: The recombinant fragment of bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein, rBPI21, has potent bactericidal activity against gram-negative bacteria as well as antiendotoxin (lipopolysaccharide [LPS]) action. On the basis of these activities, the authors sought to discover whether rBPI21 would be protective in baboons with live Escherichia coli-induced sepsis and whether the potential protective effects of rBPI21 (together with antibiotics) would be more closely related to its antibacterial or LPS-neutralizing effects. METHODS: In a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled subchronic laboratory study, the efficacy of rBPI21 or placebo was studied over 72 hours in chronically instrumented male baboons infused with live E. coli under antibiotic therapy. RESULTS: Intravenous rBPI21 attenuated sepsis-related organ failure and increased survival significantly. Bacteremia was significantly reduced in the rBPI21 group at 2 hours after the start of the E. coli infusion, whereas circulating LPS was less affected. The in vivo formation of tumor necrosis factor was significantly suppressed by the rBPI21 treatment regimen. Microcirculation and organ function were improved. CONCLUSIONS: In baboon live E. coli sepsis, the salutary effect of rBPI21 results from a more prevalent antibacterial than antiendotoxin activity.<<<<<<<<<<<<< |
