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Query: UMLS:C0017160 (gastroenteritis)
 11,398 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In discussing the background of these studies the importance of faecal carriage of Gram negative organisms by hospital patients is stressed. In many instances it was shown that transmission is by an oral route. This discussion leads on to an assessment of the dose required for Escherichia coli to implant in the bowel. The difficulties of studying the spread of E. coli within a faecal specimen are discussed. A number of papers are quoted which show that E. coli are present in the vagina of women and that the acquisition of these E. coli by babies is related to the length of time that the birth takes, and that there is a relationship between the E. coli found in the faeces of the mothers, the mucus swallowed by the babies at birth and subsequently in the faeces of the babies. Most of the eralier studies quoted deal predominantly with enteropathogenic serotypes, but it was later shown that other serotypes can be similarly acquired by the babies. Although this appears to be the general method by which babies acquire their faecal E. coli, it is well established that they can also be obtained from the environment, hence ward outbreaks of infantile gastroenteritis. Studies on normally delivered babies show that generally two thirds obtain their faecal E. coli from their mothers while the rest appear to pick up environmental strains. Very detailed biochemical and serological studies need to be performed to assess this. Caesarian section babies are generally not likely to become colonized by their mothers' faecal E. coli and studies are described which show that the babies faeces or rectal swabs are usually the first areas colonized and that the E. coli are spread from there. Extensive environmental studies suggest that contaminated hands and uniforms of the nursing staff may be the main vector for transmitting E. coli. There is a wide variety of E. coli serotypes present in a maternity ward at any time and these are related to the presence of the babies excreting them. A variation in the ability of strains to spread was noted.
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PMID:The acquisition of Escherichia coli by new-born babies. 78 55

Campylobacter fetus enteritis is thought to be an unusual infection in the newborn. We describe eight term neonates with gastroenteritis caused by C fetus subspecies jejuni who were seen during a two-year period. Symptoms of bloody diarrhea (7/8) and irritability (6/8) began between 2 and 11 days of age. None of the infants was seriously ill; only one infant was febrile. None of the seven infants who had blood cultures drawn had bacteremia with C fetus, and none of the infants had complications. The infants were treated with antimicrobial agents and recovered rapidly. Five mothers had Campylobacter cultured from the stool or vagina. The cases were not related epidemiologically. We concluded that Campylobacter gastroenteritis in the newborn clinically resembles Campylobacter gastroenteritis in older children and adults, except that it is generally an afebrile illness. The bacterium most likely is acquired from the mother during or shortly after delivery.
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PMID:Campylobacter gastroenteritis in neonates. 729 89

This review focuses on the use and potential of Lactobacillus to prevent infections of the urogenital and intestinal tracts. The presence and dominance of Lactobacillus in the vagina is associated with a reduced risk of bacterial vaginosis and urinary tract infections. The mechanisms appear to involve anti-adhesion factors, by-products such as hydrogen peroxide and bacteriocins lethal to pathogens, and perhaps immune modulation or signaling effects. The instillation of Lactobacillus GR-1 and B-54 or RC-14 strains into the vagina has been shown to reduce the risk of urinary tract infections, and improve the maintenance of a normal flora. Ingestion of these strains into the gut has also been shown to modify the vaginal flora to a more healthy state. In addition, these strains inhibit the growth of intestinal, as well as urogenital pathogens, colonize the gut and protect against infections as shown in mice. Other probiotic strains, such as Lactobacillus GG, have been shown to prevent and treat gastroenteritis caused by rotavirus and bacteria. Given that lactobacilli are not the dominant commensals in a gut which comprises around 10(10) organisms, much work is still needed to define the mechanisms whereby GR-1, RC-14, GG and other strains contribute to health restoration and maintenance. Such critically important studies will require the medical science community to show a willingness to turn away from pharmaceutical remedies as the only solution to health and disease.
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PMID:Use of Lactobacillus to prevent infection by pathogenic bacteria. 1190 42

The prevalence of genital actinomyces infection and possible routes of transmission in IUD users were analyzed in a high-risk population of predominantly indigent Mexican-American family planning clients. The Papanicolaou (Pap) smears of 12 (9%) of the 134 IUD users cultured were positive for actinomyces-like organisms. The IUD involved was the Lippes Loop in 7 cases, the Cu 7 in 2 women, the Dalkon Shield in another 2 cases, and the Saf-T-Coil in the final case. The duration of IUD use ranged from 1-10 years, with a mean of 6 years. Oral-genital sexual contact was the sexual preference in 3/4 of the women with actinomyces infection compared with under 2/3 of the general clinic population. Most of the women with actinomyces-like organisms had a concomitant condition, including gastroenteritis, cholecystitis, scabies, schizophrenia, drug abuse, anemia, herpes genitalis, venereal disease, and urinary tract infection. All of these women complained of vaginal discharge with pelvic pain during their initial visits. Eikenella corrodens was recovered in 1 of these cases and had an overall prevalence of 0.17% in the clinic population. Eikenella corrodens is found in the mouth, on dental plaques, and is not yet recognized as a normal inhabitant of the vagina or gastrointestinal tract. Oral-genital contact appears to be the mode of transmission of both actinomyces and Eikenella corrodens.
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PMID:IUDs and actinomyces. 1228 Aug 26

During the 20th century, food animal agriculture grew from small operations, where livestock (cattle, sheep, and swine) and poultry (chickens and turkeys) had access to free range, to large operations where animals and poultry were concentrated and confined to feed lots or buildings. The quantity of manure produced by confinement animals in the United States has been estimated to be in excess of 61 million tons of dry matter per year, and another report states that 1.2 billion tons of manure are produced by cattle annually in the United States (US Senate Agricultural Committee, 1998). As urban developments have come closer to livestock operations, there has been increasing public concern for the impact of the latter on public health and the environment. Although management practices for livestock production have increased in efficiency, insufficient attention has been given to managing and utilizing wastes so that they benefit rather than pollute the environment. Animal manure includes urine and various bodily secretions such as those from the nose, vagina, and mammary glands. Dust from animals and manure may be blown from buildings by powerful fans, and manure is often piled near the animal quarters or is spread on land in solid or liquid form. Public concerns associated with disposal of animal manure include objectionable odors, flies, excessive levels of phosphorous and nitrogen, and the potential for spread of human pathogens. It has been observed that despite linkages between outbreaks of gastroenteritis in humans and livestock operations, the importance of animal manure in the spread of infectious agents tends to be underestimated.
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PMID:Public health implications related to spread of pathogens in manure from livestock and poultry operations. 1515 64