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At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Epidemiology of canine leishmaniasis: prevalence, incidence and basic reproduction number calculated from a cross-sectional serological survey on the island of Gozo, Malta.

Assessment of the resilience of canine leishmaniasis to control or, more ambitiously, the effort needed to eradicate infection, requires an estimate of the basic case reproduction number (R0). This paper applies the theoretical results of Hasibeder, Dye & Carpenter (1992) to data from a cross-sectional survey on the Maltese island of Gozo in which dogs of known age, sex and occupation (pet, guard etc) were subjected to three different serological tests for the presence of specific antibody (IFAT, DAT and ELISA). Difficulties in interpreting these test results, and hence of determining the proportion of dogs infected, present the main obstacle to estimating R0: estimates are critically dependent on the choice of threshold separating seropositives from seronegatives. The data do, however, allow a robust comparative analysis of risk which shows that the force of infection experienced by working dogs is about three times higher than that of pet dogs, a degree of non-homogeneous contact which actually has little effect on estimates of R0. We suggest a cautious point estimate of R0 congruent to 11, and comment briefly on its significance for leishmaniasis control.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1998

History, diagnosis, surgery and epidemiology of pulmonary stenosis in Malta.

The Maltese population constitutes an ideal location for epidemiological and historical studies dealing with congenital heart malformations. Pulmonary stenosis was studied retrospectively from 1943 to 1994. A sharp, significant decline in age at diagnosis was found, which predates the introduction of echocardiography. All defects are now diagnosed by echocardiography, which has resulted in an increased prevalence at birth of this lesion, particularly of pulmonary stenosis not requiring intervention. The prevalence at birth of pulmonary stenosis from 1990 to 1994 was 1.65/1000 live births (95% CI: 1.21-2.24), with 1.11/1000 mild lesions (95% CI: 0.76-1.62) and 0.54/1000 lesions requiring intervention (95% CI: 0.31-0.92). The prevalence at birth overall was significantly higher than that reported in recent studies with similar methodologies due to the higher pickup of milder variants of pulmonary stenosis by echocardiography. Significantly more pulmonary stenosis was found in females than in males.

Age Distribution↗
PubMed1999

Kawasaki disease in Malta.

Kawasaki disease is an acute febrile illness of childhood of unknown origin which may cause coronary arteritis and death. The Maltese incidence of 3.2/100,000 population <5 years of age is similar to that reported in non-Asiatic communities. None of the patients had coronary arteritis or other complications. A significant decline in delay to diagnosis was found, attributed to increased awareness of the disease.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed2003

Tinea capitis due to Microsporum audouinii in Malta.

We describe a case of tinea capitis in a 4-year-old boy caused by Microsporum audouinii var. langeronii. This is the first recorded case of tinea capitis due to this dermatophyte in the Maltese Islands.

Antifungal Agents↗
PubMed2003

One or two: an examination of the recent case of the conjoined twins from Malta.

The article questions the assumption that conjoined twins are necessarily two people or persons by employing arguments based on different points of view: non-personal vitalism, the person as a sentient being, the person as an agent, the person as a locus of narrative and valuation, and the person as an embodied mind. Analogies employed from the cases of amputation, multiple personality disorder, abortion, split-brain patients and cloning. The article further questions the assumption that a conjoined twin's natural interest and wish is separation. I first contend that separation is such a radical procedure as to render the post-separation person different from the pre-separation one. Therefore, it is not possible to benefit the pre-separation twin by the act of separation. The article concludes with a critical evaluation of the tendency in bioethics to regard ethical challenges as rivalry between individuals competing for scarce resources.

Abortion, Induced↗
PubMed2002

Seasonal variations in hospital admissions for asthma in Malta.

The seasonality of asthma exacerbations may reflect varying exposure to triggers. This study retrospectively analyzes the seasonality of asthma hospital admissions, at all ages, in a population-based study. Analysis of the seasonality of asthma admissions and correlation with temperature was carried out in the setting of a regional hospital covering all acute asthma admissions in an island population. Admissions were divided into pediatric (1994-8) and adult (1989-8) cases. Both pediatric (0-14 years; n = 2916) and adult (15-59 years; n = 1269) admissions showed a peak in January and a trough in August. The seasonality in pediatric admissions was far more pronounced than in adults. Both cohorts exhibited a second, smaller peak in spring. In school-aged children, the end of school in June was associated with a sharp (91%) drop in admissions, and restarting school in October was associated with an even sharper rise (165%). A negative correlation was found between admissions and mean monthly ambient temperatures, and this was most pronounced in the pediatric age groups. This marked seasonality may indicate that temperature is a proxy for the total time spent indoors. Both the start and end of school had a profound impact on pediatric admission rates. Prospective studies are necessary to establish the role of viral infections and the influence of indoor and outdoor aeroallergens on the seasonality of hospitalization rates for asthma in the local setting.

Adolescent↗