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Biomedical subjects

A W Smith

Publications and source records attributed to A W Smith.

162 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

Leptospirosis epizootic among California sea lions.

A Leptospira species is suspected of being the etiological agenit in a recent epizootic among California sea lions. The disease was confined to subadult males of the species Zalophus c. californianus.

Animals↗

A comparative study of Lapudrine (chlorproguanil) and Maloprim (pyrimethamine and dapsone) as chemoprophylactics against malaria in Gambian children.

A comparison has been made of Lapudrine (chlorproguanil) and Maloprim (pyrimethamine +dapsone) as malaria chemoprophylactics when given every two weeks for 3 years to Gambian children under the age of 5 years. Both drugs produced falls in spleen and malaria parasite rates and an increase in packed cell volume. Maloprim, but not chlorproguanil, significantly reduced the incidence of episodes of fever accompanied by malaria parasitaemia. Children who received Maloprim, but not those who received chlorproguanil, grew better than children in the placebo group. This finding suggests that brief clinical episodes of malaria are more important in impairing growth than more prolonged periods of asymptomatic parasitaemia. No serious side-effect attributable to either drug was observed. After chemoprophylaxis had been given for 3 malaria transmission seasons the level of resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to pyrimethamine and to chlorproguanil was about 10%.

Animals↗

Do diabetics remember all they have been taught? A survey of knowledge of insulin-dependent diabetics.

A questionnaire survey of 182 insulin-dependent diabetics aged 12-73 years attending a District General Hospital outpatient clinic revealed limitations in the understanding of their disease, with gaps in their knowledge on most aspects of diabetic management, including simple metabolic details, use of insulin, hypoglycaemic reactions, effects of exercise and illness, urine testing, and diet. Only 4 patients (2%) answered all 34 questions correctly and only 27 (15%) answered 11 key questions accurately. The total number of 'knowledgeable' patients who achieved a score of at least 28 in all, including 9 or more key questions correct, was 96 (53%). The degree of knowledge of our patients was unrelated to age, duration of diabetes, place of original diabetic education or degree of diabetic control as measured by blood glucose or HbA1 levels.

Adolescent↗

Calicivirus emergence from ocean reservoirs: zoonotic and interspecies movements.

Caliciviral infections in humans, among the most common causes of viral-induced vomiting and diarrhea, are caused by the Norwalk group of small round structured viruses, the Sapporo caliciviruses, and the hepatitis E agent. Human caliciviruses have been resistant to in vitro cultivation, and direct study of their origins and reservoirs outside infected humans or water and foods (such as shellfish contaminated with human sewage) has been difficult. Modes of transmission, other than direct fecal-oral routes, are not well understood. In contrast, animal viruses found in ocean reservoirs, which make up a second calicivirus group, can be cultivated in vitro. These viruses can emerge and infect terrestrial hosts, including humans. This article reviews the history of animal caliciviruses, their eventual recognition as zoonotic agents, and their potential usefulness as a predictive model for noncultivatable human and other animal caliciviruses (e.g., those seen in association with rabbit hemorrhagic disease).

Animals↗