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At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

A review of Hib epidemiology in Asia.

Meningitis due to an invasive Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) infection, has been previously perceived to be relatively uncommon in Asia. However, the incidence of disease and its impact may have been underestimated. In addition to a lack of microbiological facilities in some hospitals, difficulties in culturing the organism and the widespread use of antibiotics may have hidden the true incidence of the disease in some countries. Furthermore, the reported disease burden probably underestimates the incidence of Hib pneumonia. The epidemiology of invasive Hib disease for various Asian nations is reviewed in this paper. Hospital-based studies show that Hib is a major cause of bacterial meningitis and/or pneumonia in the Philippines, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam. Singapore and Hong Kong have a low incidence of infection compared with Western and other Asian nations. This low incidence is not due to a higher level of natural protective antibodies, but may be related to an interaction between environmental and genetic factors. Therefore the widespread belief that Hib infection is unimportant in Asia does not refer to Asia as a whole and possibly to Chinese patients only, and failure to recognize this has serious implications. The inclusion of Hib vaccine in the routine infant immunization schedule in many industrialized nations has significantly reduced the incidence of invasive disease. Recent studies have shown Hib vaccination is also effective in preventing invasive disease in children in developing countries. While population-based data may be required to confirm the need for public-funded infant Hib immunization in Asia, its introduction in countries with a high incidence of Hib meningitis and/or pneumonia has the potential to significantly improve pediatric health and survival.

Asia↗
PubMed2004

Mitochondrial DNA variation in the aboriginal populations of the Altai-Baikal region: implications for the genetic history of North Asia and America.

The discovery of mtDNA types common to Asians and Amerinds (types A, B, C, and D) forced investigators to search for those nations of Asia which, though not considered the ancestors of the Amerinds, have retained a close genetic resemblance with them. We collected samples and studied the gene pools of the Turkic-speaking nations of South Siberia: Altaians, Khakassians, Shorians, Tuvinians, Todjins, Tofalars, Sojots, as well as Mongolian-speaking Buryats. The data indicate that nearly all Turkic-speaking nations of Siberia and Central Asia, as well as the Buryats, have types A, B, C, and D in their gene pool. The highest total frequency of these types is observed in the Tuvinians and Sojots. They, as well as the Buryats, also have the lowest frequency of the europeoid types. The most mixed Asian-Europeoid gene pool examined turned out to be that of the Shorians. An important finding was the presence of type X in the Altaians, which had not yet been detected in Asia. As shown by computer analysis, this DNA sequence is not a late European admixture. Rather, the Altai variant X is ancient and can be close to the ancestral form of the variants of contemporary Europeans and Amerinds. The presented results prove that of all nations in Asia, the Turkic-speaking nations living between Altai and Baikal along the Sayan mountains are genetically closest to the Amerinds.

Americas↗
PubMed2006

Systematic review on epidemiology of gastroesophageal reflux disease in Asia.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The epidemiology of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has been a subject of much interest in recent years. This review ascertains the prevalence of GERD in eastern and southeastern Asia, and reports on complications and risk factors. METHODS: This qualitative systematic review of the epidemiology of GERD in eastern and southeastern Asia identified studies in adults reported in English in the Medline database (searched through April 2005), relevant reviews, and our own bibliographic databases. RESULTS: Thirteen studies were included. The reported population prevalence of GERD in eastern Asia ranged from 2.5% to 6.7% for at least weekly symptoms of heartburn and/or acid regurgitation and may be increasing. No reliable data are available on the prevalence of esophagitis in the general population. In case studies, the prevalence of reflux esophagitis ranged from 3.4% to 16.3%. Well-established risk factors for GERD in Asian populations included hiatus hernia and obesity. Age and male sex also may be risk factors. Chest pain is the predominant extraesophageal manifestation of GERD in China, whereas in Japan, a link with asthma has been implicated in patients with severe esophagitis. CONCLUSIONS: There is a paucity of studies reporting the prevalence of GERD in eastern and southeastern Asia. These results highlight the need for further epidemiologic studies using representative study populations and a standardized methodology. Recognition and awareness of GERD need to increase concomitantly to ensure appropriate diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Cost-effective control of SO2 emissions in Asia.

Despite recent efforts to limit the growth of SO(2) emissions in Asia, the negative environmental effects of sulphur emissions are likely to further increase in the future. This paper presents an extension of the RAINS-Asia integrated assessment model for acidification in Asia with an optimisation routine that can be used to identify cost-effective emission control strategies that achieve environmental targets for ambient SO(2) concentrations and sulphur deposition at least costs. Example scenarios developed with this optimisation module demonstrate a potential for significant cost savings in Asia, if emission controls are allocated to those sources that have the largest environmental impact and are cheapest to control. It is shown that strategies that simultaneously address harmful population exposure and the risk of vegetation damage from acid deposition result in the most cost-effective use of resources spent for emission controls.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed2005

Stroke in Asia.

The epidemic of cardiovascular disease across most of Asia is at a different stage from that in the West; the incidence and prevalence of stroke are increasing steadily, associated with nutritional changes and aging of the population. Epidemiologic data, crucial in combating stroke, have been relatively sparse in Asian populations, but a few international collaborative studies on stroke have been in progress for several years. Through these, we now know that ischemic stroke is actually the most frequent type of cerebrovascular accident in Asia, although hemorrhagic stroke remains more common in Asia than in the West. Also, the percentage of ischemic stroke attributable to intracranial vascular disease is much higher than in the West. In Japan and a few other countries, stroke rates are declining; however, increasing rates in most other countries make primary prevention of critical importance in minimizing the severe impact of this epidemic in Asia.

Asia↗
PubMed2003

Taenia solium taeniosis/cysticercosis in Asia: epidemiology, impact and issues.

Several reports of patients with cysticercosis from many countries in Asia such as India, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Korea, Taiwan and Nepal are a clear indicator of the wide prevalence of Taenia solium cysticercosis and taeniosis in these and other Asian countries. However, epidemiological data from community based studies are sparse and available only for a few countries in Asia. Cysticercosis is the cause of epilepsy in up to 50% of Indian patients presenting with partial seizures. It is also a major cause of epilepsy in Bali (Indonesia), Vietnam and possibly China and Nepal. Seroprevalence studies indicate high rates of exposure to the parasite in several countries (Vietnam, China, Korea and Bali (Indonesia)) with rates ranging from 0.02 to 12.6%. Rates of taeniosis, as determined by stool examination for ova, have also been reported to range between 0.1 and 6% in the community in India, Vietnam, China, and Bali (Indonesia). An astonishingly high rate of taeniosis of 50% was reported from an area in Nepal populated by pig rearing farmers. In addition to poor sanitation, unhealthy pig rearing practices, low hygienic standards, unusual customs such as consumption of raw pork is an additional factor contributing to the spread of the disease in some communities of Asia. Undoubtedly, cysticercosis is a major public health problem in several Asian countries effecting several million people by not only causing neurological morbidity but also imposing economic hardship on impoverished populations. However, there are wide variations in the prevalence rates in different regions and different socio-economic groups in the same country. It is important to press for the recognition of cysticercosis as one of the major public health problems in Asia that needs to be tackled vigorously by the governments and public health authorities of the region.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

The continuing challenge of hepatic cancer in Asia.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer in the world. The number of new cases is estimated to be 564,000 per year. About 80% of all cases are found in Asia. The goal of HCC management is "cancer control"--a reduction in its incidence and mortality as well as an improvement in the quality of life of patients with HCC and their family. Overall, 80% of HCC can be attributed to chronic hepatitis B and C infection. Prevention of infection with hepatitis B and C virus is the key strategy to reduce the incidence of HCC in Asia. Liver resection and liver transplantation remain the options that give the best chance of a cure. In the past two decades, operative mortality and surgical outcome of liver resection and liver transplantation for HCC have improved. Progress also has been made in multi-modality therapy which can increase the chance of survival and improve the quality of life for patients with advanced HCC. Many challenges are still present in Asia, such as the high prevalence of chronic hepatitis, the low resection rate of HCC, the high postoperative recurrence and the severe shortage of cadaveric organ donor. This article aims to discuss the development and challenges in the prevention and management of HCC in Asia.

Asia↗
PubMed1994

Genetic relationships between foot-and-mouth disease type Asia 1 viruses.

The sequence of 165 nucleotides at the 3' end of the 1D (VP1) gene of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus was determined for 44 type Asia 1 strains isolated from throughout Asia between 1954-92. Analysis of the relationships between the virus genomes showed epidemiological links not previously evident. The possible origin of the only outbreak of FMD Asia 1 to have occurred in Europe, in Greece in 1984, was identified because the nucleotide sequence of this virus was closely-related to the sequences of those present in the Middle East between 1983-5. Variation in the region sequenced was not as great as that seen in the other FMDV serotypes and all viruses shared greater than 85% nucleotide identity. Thus all the virus isolates examined were considered to belong to a single genotype. A database of Asia 1 virus sequences has been established which will facilitate the rapid analysis of new outbreaks strains.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2005

Genetic diversity in the gypsy moth fungal pathogen Entomophaga maimaiga from founder populations in North America and source populations in Asia.

Entomophaga maimaiga is a naturally occurring fungal pathogen specific to larvae of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar. E. maimaiga is thought to be native to Asia where its epizootics can suppress gypsy moth outbreaks. However, in the USA this beneficial fungal pathogen was not observed until 1989, although an isolate of E. maimaiga from Tokyo was released in Massachusetts to control gypsy moths as early as in 1910-1911, and another isolate from Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan was later released in 1985 and 1986 in New York and Virginia. Our objectives were to: (1) test the hypothesis that E. maimaiga populations in the USA have reduced genetic variability due to founder effects compared to the putative ancestral populations in Asia; (2) track the origin of the North American populations of this fungus; and (3) assess whether genetic differences among E. maimaiga isolates are correlated to morphological differences. We compared genetic diversity among 30 E. maimaiga isolates originating from seven states in the USA, five prefectures in Japan, one province of China and one region of far eastern Russia by AFLPs. Among 14 USA isolates, only ten polymorphic AFLP loci were found, whereas 56 polymorphic loci were found among 16 Asian isolates; 29 loci were polymorphic among 12 isolates from Japan alone. Average gene diversity (h) for the polymorphic loci was 0.223 +/- 0.005 for Asia (including Japan), 0.131 +/- 0.006 for Japan only, and 0.041 +/- 0.004 for the USA. Thus, native populations from Asia were more diverse than the USA populations. These results are consistent with the expectation of a population founded from a source population by a small number of individuals. Distance and parsimony analyses of AFLP data showed that the isolates from the USA formed one distinct clade that was most closely related to Japanese isolates collected outside the Tokyo area. No morphological variation of E. maimaiga from different geographical locations was detected.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Antigenic variation in Foot and Mouth Disease Virus type Asia 1 isolates circulated during 1993-95 in India.

The antigenic variation in Foot and Mouth Disease Virus (FMDV) is very high. The effective strategy to control the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in India which is a habitat of four serotypes O, A, C and Asia 1, is by regular vaccination, using the vaccine strain most suitable for the local situation. India is an endemic country with the disease being widely distributed. Selection of vaccine strain should therefore need the information on the circulating viruses. Asia 1 causes the second largest number of disease outbreaks in India. As there is no information available with respect to the extent of antigenic variation in FMDV type Asia 1, we have studied FMDV isolates from vaccinated and unvaccinated animals from different parts of the country and compared their relationship with Asia 1 vaccine virus. The immunogenic, hypervariable region of viral protein 1 (VP1) gene was amplified by RT-PCR and sequenced. Analysis of sequence data showed that the viruses from two field outbreaks of Southern India were closely related to each other when compared to the isolate from the North and all the three isolates are away from the vaccine virus.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Capsid protein-encoding (P1) sequence of foot and mouth disease virus type Asia 1 ind 63/72.

Variations in the amino acid sequence of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus (FMDV) structural proteins are the basis for the antigenic diversity of the virus. Majority of antigenic sites for the virus neutralization are present on VP1, the major immunogenic protein. However, a few conformational epitopes are present on the structural proteins VP2 and VP3. The nucleotide sequence encoding all the four structural proteins (P1 region) of FMDV type Asia 1 Ind 63/72 was determined. The nucleotide and the deduced amino acid sequence of P1 of Asia 1 of Indian strain was compared with that of Asia 1 Israel strain. Differences were observed at 284 (14%) nucleotide positions resulting in 69 (10%) amino acid changes. The variation in the derived amino acid sequence is the highest in VP1 (14.4%) followed by VP2 (10%), VP3 (6.4%) and VP4 (3%). Deletion of two amino acids, which was observed in the case of Indian strain as well as in Israel strain indicated that these deletions are specific for type Asia 1. The P1 sequence was also compared with the corresponding region of the other serotypes O1K, A12, Cl and SAT-1. The sequence has been submitted to EMBL data bank, under accession number Y09949.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2004

The Helicobacter pylori restriction endonuclease-replacing gene, hrgA, and clinical outcome: comparison of East Asia and Western countries.

It has been suggested that the putative Helicobacter pylori virulence factor hrgA is the first disease-specific marker for an H. pylori-related disease, (i.e., development of gastric cancer in East Asia). Our aim was to test the hypothesis that the presence of hrgA has disease specificity. We examined 458 H. pylori isolates including 289 from East Asia and 169 from Western countries whose cagA and vacA genotypes had previously been characterized. hrgA/hpyIIIR status and iceA genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction using DNA expanded from a single colony. hrgA was present in 29% of gastric cancers, 29% of ulcers, and 31% of gastritis cases among H. pylori from East Asia (P > 0.9). Overall, there was no significant relationship between the presence of the hrgA gene and disease presentation (cancer, ulcer, or neither) or between its presence and the cag pathogenicity island, vacA s1 , babA2, and oipA, "on" genotypes. The prevalence of the hrgA gene was significantly lower in H. pylori from East Asia (29%) vs. those from the West (49%) (P < 0.001). The prevalence of the hrgA gene was not related to clinical outcome or to other important putative virulence factors.

Age Distribution↗
PubMed2003

Assessment of depression and anxiety in East Asia.

This article provides a critical review of the literature on research with self-report measures of depression and anxiety in East Asia. Three trends are noteworthy. First, research on depression and anxiety in East Asia has relied heavily on the use of a limited number of translated instruments. Second, available research suggests that the Asian language versions of these instruments are reliable and valid for use with Asian populations. Third, some subpopulations in East Asia have been studied extensively with respect to depression and anxiety, but there are many regions of Asia where little research literature is available outside of those published in native language journals. The review concludes with recommendations for future research.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Transmission of hepatitis C virus in Asia: past and present perspectives.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major public health problem. The epidemiology of HCV infection in different parts of Asia is similar, with an average seroprevalence of hepatitis C antibody (anti-HCV) less than 2.5% in healthy adults. The infection is rarely seen in children. The major routes of HCV transmission in Asia during the past few decades have been through administration of therapeutic blood products and injecting drug use, similar to the pattern observed in other parts of the world. However, obvious parenteral routes of transmission only account for 30-60% of anti-HCV-positive cases, depending on the geographic area. Other inapparent parenteral or per-mucosal exposures, including medical intervention, tattooing, acupuncture, vertical and sexual transmission, accidental needlestick and household contact, are also possible routes of HCV transmission. Although screening of blood donors for anti-HCV and improvements in infection control have significantly decreased the exposure to HCV, it is believed that HCV is still spreading in some areas of Asia because of the lack of routine screening of donated blood, injecting drug usage, traditional medicine practices or medical treatment under suboptimal hygienic conditions that involve blood contamination, and tattooing. Accordingly, until effective and safe immunoprophylaxis is available, interruption of transmission routes, such as implementation of blood donor screening for anti-HCV, adequate sterilization of surgical instruments or the use of disposable medical instruments, especially needles and syringes, and avoidance of sharing personal grooming aids remains the mainstay to prevent HCV infection in Asia today.

Asia↗
PubMed2000

Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease in Asia.

Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) occurs more frequently in Europe and North America than in Asia but its prevalence is now increasing in many Asian countries. Many reasons have been given for the lower prevalence of GORD in Asia. Low dietary fat and genetically determined factors, such as body mass index and maximal acid output, may be important. Other dietary factors appear to be less relevant. Increased intake of carbonated drinks or aggravating medicines may influence the increasing rates of GORD in some Asian countries but no strong evidence links other factors, such as the age of the population, smoking or alcohol consumption, to GORD. The management of GORD in Asia is similar to that in Europe and North America but the lower incidence of severe oesophagitis in Asia may alter the approach slightly. Also, because Asians tend to develop stomach cancer at an earlier age, endoscopy is used routinely at an earlier stage of investigation. Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease is essentially a motility disorder, so short-term management of the disease can usually be achieved using prokinetic agents (or histamine (H2)-receptor antagonists). More severe and recurrent GORD may require proton pump inhibitors (PPI) or a combination of prokinetic agents and PPI. The choice of long-term treatment may be influenced by the relative costs of prokinetic agents and PPI.

Asia↗
PubMed2000

Pooled analysis of Helicobacter pylori eradication regimes in Asia.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Differences in Helicobacter pylori strains and their resistance to antimicrobials between Asian and Western countries may affect the success in eradicating this bacterium. Our objective was to systematically review the regimens that have been tested in Asia. METHODS: Data on anti-H. pylori therapies reported from Asia in a large number of publications identified up to December 1998 were pooled into a few groups based on the combination of drugs used. A comparison of different groups was made by calculating the pooled eradication rates. RESULTS: Seventy-three studies with 134 treatment arms were reviewed. Pooled eradication rates of dual, triple and quadruple therapies were 61.0, 86.5 and 93.4%, respectively. Proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-based combinations were more widely used and effective, with overall eradication rates of 90.7% in triple therapy and 93.4% in quadruple therapy. Bismuth combined with tetracycline and metronidazole also showed a high eradication rate of 92.0%. CONCLUSIONS: Proton pump inhibitor-based triple therapy with either clarithromycin, amoxycillin or metronidazole was one of the most commonly used and effective anti-H. pylori triple therapy regimens in Asia. The classical triple therapy with a bismuth, tetracycline and metronidazole combination has a similar efficacy. The results of anti-H. pylori treatment in Asia are not different from those in Western countries.

Asia↗
PubMed2004

The future of injury prevention in Asia and the Pacific.

UNLABELLED: Unintentional injury is gaining attention in the broad Asia-Pacific region, primarily but not solely associated with rapid and disturbing growth in traffic injury. OBJECTIVE: This paper considers the nature and features of the injury problem and of current prevention efforts that are likely to be significant in injury prevention in the Asia Pacific region. METHOD: Prior to the first Asia-Pacific Injury Prevention Conference an e-mail discussion on the challenges and needs of injury prevention was conducted and a discussion paper circulated. The analysis was presented at the conference and the issues were taken up at a special regional network meeting, in the conference sessions and in informal discussion. RESULTS: The paper outlines the injury situation facing the broad Asia-Pacific region, with a particular focus on low- and middle-income countries, outlining the size and nature of the problem. The challenges to prevention are lack of awareness and misconceptions about injury, weak intent and low levels of effort and a lack of capacity. The positive elements of work under way or in prospect are described. CONCLUSION: The key tasks are to apply what is already known: to test and trial interventions in low- and middle-income countries; to identify the key causes of injury within the broad categories; and to foster and build partnerships.

Accident Prevention↗
PubMed1998

Genetic evidence for the proto-Austronesian homeland in Asia: mtDNA and nuclear DNA variation in Taiwanese aboriginal tribes.

Previous studies of mtDNA variation in indigenous Taiwanese populations have suggested that they held an ancestral position in the spread of mtDNAs throughout Southeast Asia and Oceania (Melton et al. 1995; Sykes et al. 1995), but the question of an absolute proto-Austronesian homeland remains. To search for Asian roots for indigenous Taiwanese populations, 28 mtDNAs representative of variation in four tribal groups (Ami, Atayal, Bunun, and Paiwan) were sequenced and were compared with each other and with mtDNAs from 25 other populations from Asia and Oceania. In addition, eight polymorphic Alu insertion loci were analyzed, to determine if the pattern of mtDNA variation is concordant with nuclear DNA variation. Tribal groups shared considerable mtDNA sequence identity (P>.90), where gene flow is believed to have been low, arguing for a common source or sources for the tribes. mtDNAs with a 9-bp deletion have considerable mainland-Asian diversity and have spread to Southeast Asia and Oceania through a Taiwanese bottleneck. Only four Taiwanese mtDNA haplotypes without the 9-bp deletion were shared with any other populations, but these shared types were widely dispersed geographically throughout mainland Asia. Phylogenetic and principal-component analyses of Alu loci were concordant with conclusions from the mtDNA analyses; overall, the results suggest that the Taiwanese have temporally deep roots, probably in central or south China, and have been isolated from other Asian populations in recent history.

Alleles↗