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T Rostila

Publications and source records attributed to T Rostila.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Rapid decrease of endemic gonorrhea in Finland.

OBJECTIVES: The incidence of gonorrhea has decreased in several European countries while a recent epidemic has occurred in Russia and the Baltic countries. In 1990, Finland had a higher gonorrhea incidence than the other Nordic countries. Therefore we studied prospectively the epidemiology of gonorrhea with special reference to the endemic or imported source of infection. STUDY DESIGN: The study included three gonorrhea patient series from STD clinics in Helsinki in 1990 to 1995. Each series covered a 12-month period. Case controls with Chlamydia trachomatis infection were included. Demographic and epidemiological findings, including source partner profiles, were analyzed. RESULTS: Gonorrhea decreased rapidly during the study period. In 1990 to 1991, there were 490 patients (3.3% of all patient visits); in 1992 to 1993, 162 (1.3%); and in 1994 to 1995, only 92 patients (0.9%) with gonorrhea. The change in the prevalence was highly significant (p < 0.0001) and was entirely because of the decreased number of endemic infections. The rate of imported gonorrhea remained constant with 50 to 60 patients, although traveling had increased markedly to Russia and Estonia where the incidence of gonorrhea was very high. Thirty-one percent of the patients with endemic gonorrhea but only 14% with imported gonorrhea (p < 0.0001) had a concomitant C. trachomatis infection. The prevalence of chlamydia decreased from 10.2 to 8.1% (p < 0.001), but in contrast to gonorrhea the source of infection was mainly endemic (89% to 97%) during the whole study period. The patients with gonorrhea were older and had a higher frequency of casual source partners than those with chlamydia. Overall, from 80% to 74%) of the men and from 48% to 33% of the women had contracted infection from a casual partner. CONCLUSION: The present study documented a rapid decrease of endemic gonorrhea in Finland, whereas the rate of imported gonorrhea remained constant. Demographic findings or source partner profiles of patients with gonorrhea or chlamydia gave no obvious explanation for the rapid decline of endemic gonorrhea, which is in sharp contrast to C. trachomatis infection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Hepatitis A outbreak amongst intravenous amphetamine abusers in Finland.

This article describes a widespread outbreak of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection amongst drug abusers in Finland. Although attempts to demonstrate the virus in amphetamines failed, the infection was assumed to be linked to intravenous use of the drug. The unusual mode of transmission prompted us to analyse possible atypical clinical features as well as the spread of the virus to the general population, nowadays practically without protective immunity. Serologically verified cases that occurred in Helsinki were interviewed, their hospital records were analysed and their contacts were serology tested. Amphetamine lots, as well as faecal samples from patients, were examined with RT-PCR. Detailed information was obtained from 238 subjects, among whom 131 admitted drug abuse and 67 cases were classified as secondary cases. Phylogenetic analysis of virus strains from HAV-infected cases suggested a common origin, and epidemiological observations linked it with particular lots of amphetamine. Three cases died, and 3 presented with severe clinical disease. Icterus was more common among i.v. drug abusers than others. Infection with hepatitis A virus was probably related to the faecal contamination of amphetamine associated with the transportation of the drugs in the gastrointestinal tract.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Association of high fever and short bacterial excretion after salmonellosis.

One hundred and two children with salmonella gastroenteritis were studied for factors affecting the length of convalescent bacterial excretion. There was a significant correlation between degree of fever and duration of excretion: a fever of greater than or equal to 40 degrees C had the shortest and no fever the longest duration of excretion. Fever therefore appears to have a favourable prognostic influence on the length of salmonella excretion.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Erythromycin acistrate and erythromycin stearate in the treatment of non-gonococcal urethritis.

The antibacterial efficacy and tolerability of erythromycin acistrate (EA) and erythromycin stearate (ES) were compared in 100 male patients with non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU). The dosage of EA was 400 mg tid and that of ES 500 mg tid. Mean duration of treatment was ten days. When the final evaluation of the trial was made, the patient material was divided into two groups. One group consisted of patients with chlamydia-positive culture before treatment, the other of chlamydia-negative patients with signs of infection in the direct smear. There were 17 patients with chlamydial infection in the EA-group, and the microbiological cure rate was 100%. In the ES-group there were 21 patients with chlamydial infection and the microbiological cure rate was 95%. In the EA-group, the cure rate of chlamydia-negative NGU patients was 78%, and the corresponding figure in the ES-group was 86%. There was no difference in the cure rates between the two groups on either drug. In the EA-group, 25 patients (50%) reported side effects, in 22 these were gastrointestinal. In the ES-group, 26 patients (52%) reported side effects; in 22 these were gastrointestinal. Two patients in the EA-group discontinued the treatment because of gastrointestinal side effects. There were no differences between the groups in the frequency, severity and duration of side effects.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Warts and wart virus antibodies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Warts were found in 25 out of 56 patients with definite or probable systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) but in only 19 out of 160 control patients. Warts were particularly prevalent in elderly patients with SLE. The corticosteroid and antimalarial drugs used to treat SLE did not influence the frequency of warts. Wart-virus antibodies were found significantly less often in patients with SLE than in controls: antibodies were detected in 23 out of 51 patients and in 40 out of 54 controls. Ihe findings suggest that some deficiency in the immune mechanisms of patients with SLE predisposes them to develop warts. There was an inverse correlation among the patients with SLE between the occurrence of warts and rheumatoid factor activity. This suggests that rheumatoid factor may interfere with resistance to warts.

Adolescent↗