Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year(sorted ascending) Filter | PMID Filter |
|---|
| atypical chikungunya virus infections: clinical manifestations, mortality and risk factors for severe disease during the 2005-2006 outbreak on réunion. | in april 2005, an outbreak of chikungunya fever occurred on the island of réunion in the indian ocean. during winter 2005, six patients developed meningoencephalitis and acute hepatitis due to chikungunya virus. our objectives were to determine the incidence and mortality of atypical chikungunya viral infections and to identify risk factors for severe disease. a hospital-based surveillance system was established to collect data on atypical chikungunya cases. case reports, medical records and lab ... | 2009 | 18694529 |
| cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (cadasil): a patient from sri lanka. | we report the first patient from sri lanka (the third patient from the indian subcontinent) with cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (cadasil). the patient experienced a young onset familial stroke with an 856t>g missense mutation in exon 5 of the notch3 gene resulting in a c260g mutation in the sixth epidermal growth factor-like repeat. we believe this is the first reported sri lankan patient. cadasil is probably underdiagnosed in the regio ... | 2009 | 19683925 |
| [rift valley fever virus: evolution in progress]. | several viruses now circulating in tropical zones around the globe are potential threats for ever-increasing human populations even in temperate zones that have long remained unaffected. the mechanisms underlying transport and transmission, which can be enhanced by human activity, can be even stronger in zones where factors needed to support development of these viruses, i.e., hosts, reservoirs and vectors, are already present. this possibility has been illustrated by dengue virus, and now by th ... | 2009 | 19702138 |
| typing methods for the plague pathogen, yersinia pestis. | phenotypic and genotypic methodologies have been used to differentiate the etiological agent of plague, yersinia pestis. historically, phenotypic methods were used to place isolates into one of three biovars based on nitrate reduction and glycerol fermentation. classification of y. pestis into genetic subtypes is problematic due to the relative monomorphic nature of the pathogen. resolution into groups is dependent on the number and types of loci used in the analysis. the last 5-10 years of rese ... | 2009 | 19714987 |
| preliminary analysis of the pandemic h1n1 influenza on reunion island (indian ocean): surveillance trends (july to mid-september 2009). | first infections with the 2009 pandemic h1n1 influenza virus were identified on reunion island in july 2009. by the end of july, sustained community transmission of the virus was established. pandemic h1n1 influenza activity peaked during week 35 (24 to 30 august), five weeks after the beginning of the epidemic and has been declining since week 36. we report preliminary epidemiological characteristics of the pandemic on reunion island in 2009 until week 37 ending september 13. | 2009 | 19883550 |
| pandemic h1n1 influenza lessons from the southern hemisphere. | 2009 | 19883551 | |
| field site selection: getting it right first time around. | the selection of suitable field sites for integrated control of anopheles mosquitoes using the sterile insect technique (sit) requires consideration of the full gamut of factors facing most proposed control strategies, but four criteria identify an ideal site: 1) a single malaria vector, 2) an unstructured, relatively low density target population, 3) isolation of the target population and 4) actual or potential malaria incidence. such a site can exist in a diverse range of situations or can be ... | 2009 | 19917079 |
| str polymorphisms in sri lanka: evaluation of forensic utility in identification of individuals and parentage testing. | this preliminary study was carried out to determine the allele frequencies and forensic efficiency parameters for the short tandem repeat loci csf1po, tpox, tho1, d16s539, d7s820, d13s317, vwa, fesfps and f13b in a test sample population of sri lankans. | 2009 | 19999788 |
| a new deep branch of eurasian mtdna macrohaplogroup m reveals additional complexity regarding the settlement of madagascar. | current models propose that mitochondrial dna macrohaplogroups m and n evolved from haplogroup l3 soon after modern humans left africa. increasingly, however, analysis of isolated populations is filling in the details of, and in some cases challenging, aspects of this general model. | 2009 | 20003445 |
| ergonomics related to seating arrangements in the classroom: worst in south east asia? the situation in sri lankan school children. | sri lanka is a resource-poor country in the south-east asian region with good health indices. ergonomics of children in educational environments is still novel in the region. an exploration into such issues and dissemination of the scientific evidence will stimulate policy makers in both education and health sector. an important ergonomic issue of the classroom is the seating arrangement. essential aspects of seating include location of the chair and desk in relation to the blackboard and featur ... | 2009 | 20075518 |
| the pig tapeworm taenia solium, the cause of cysticercosis: biogeographic (temporal and spacial) origins in madagascar. | cysticercosis is a serious public health problem in madagascar. the prevalence rate of active cysticercosis reached 21% in regions with a high level of livestock farming. taenia solium of african-american and asian genotypes are both present on the island. the times of divergence of the 13 specimens studied suggests a very ancient diversification of t. solium. these events are widely thought to be prior to the domestication of pigs, and seem to follow the expansion of homo in asia. multiple huma ... | 2010 | 20093191 |
| a review of the dynamics and severity of the pandemic a(h1n1) influenza virus on réunion island, 2009. | on reunion island, in response to the threat of emergence of the pandemic influenza a(h1n1)2009 virus, we implemented enhanced influenza surveillance from may 2009 onwards in order to detect the introduction of pandemic h1n1 influenza and to monitor its spread and impact on public health. the first 2009 pandemic influenza a(h1n1) virus was identified in réunion on july 5, 2009, in a traveller returning from australia; seasonal influenza b virus activity had already been detected. by the end of j ... | 2010 | 20121825 |
| lessons from the h1n1 influenza pandemic in french overseas territories and interim reports from metropolitan france. | 2010 | 20121826 | |
| livelihoods and protection in situations of protracted conflict. | this paper presents the findings from research on livelihoods-protection linkages from the perspective of conflict-affected populations as well as agency analysis and action. the aim of the research is to understand how greater complementarity between humanitarian protection and livelihoods approaches might reduce the risks facing conflict-affected populations. the findings show that the causes of risks to livelihoods and protection are often the same, and that community responses are intimately ... | 2010 | 20132269 |
| management of blood system in disasters. | managing the blood system in disasters is one of the main challenges for any blood transfusion service exposed to natural hazards such as earthquakes, floods and tsunamis, biological threats such as pandemic influenza as well as manmade disruptions and terrorism. sri lanka had to face contrasting types of situations. the most unexpected and dreadful one was the 2004 december 26 tsunami catastrophe which cost >30,000 human lives, leaving more than 23,000 injured. health services were over-burdene ... | 2010 | 20149686 |
| study on the movement of rattus rattus and evaluation of the plague dispersion in madagascar. | plague affects mainly the rural areas in the central highlands of madagascar. rattus rattus is the main rodent host of yersinia pestis in these localities. since the introduction of plague, endemic foci have continued to expand, and spatiotemporal variability in the distribution of human plague has been observed. to assess the movements of r. rattus and evaluate the risk of dispersion of the disease, a field study at the scale of the habitats (houses, hedges of sisals, and rice fields) in the pl ... | 2010 | 20158335 |
| candidate gene study of susceptibility to cutaneous leishmaniasis in sri lanka. | to investigate the association between selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (snps) in tnf, lta and slc11a1 genes and risk of endemic cutaneous leishmaniasis (cl) in sri lanka through a case-control disease association study. | 2010 | 20214763 |
| paleoenvironment of ankilitelo cave (late holocene, southwestern madagascar): implications for the extinction of giant lemurs. | following human arrival, madagascar suffered well-documented megafaunal extinctions and widespread deforestation. although humans are widely considered to be the primary cause of the extinctions, the relative contributions of climate change and human activities to this ecological transformation remain uncertain. reconstructing the habitats of the giant lemurs of madagascar can provide key information for understanding the evolutionary mechanisms involved in their extinction. in this study, i pre ... | 2010 | 20226497 |
| health and human rights education: time to act. | 2010 | 20226986 | |
| plasmodium vivax clinical malaria is commonly observed in duffy-negative malagasy people. | malaria therapy, experimental, and epidemiological studies have shown that erythrocyte duffy blood group-negative people, largely of african ancestry, are resistant to erythrocyte plasmodium vivax infection. these findings established a paradigm that the duffy antigen is required for p. vivax erythrocyte invasion. p. vivax is endemic in madagascar, where admixture of duffy-negative and duffy-positive populations of diverse ethnic backgrounds has occurred over 2 millennia. there, we investigated ... | 2010 | 20231434 |
| rab23 mutation in a large family from comoros islands with carpenter syndrome. | we report here on a rab23 mutation (c.86dupa) present in the homozygote state in four relatives of comorian origin with carpenter syndrome. all children presented with acrocephaly and polysyndactyly. however, intrafamilial variability was observed with variable severity of craniosynostosis ranging from cloverleaf skull to predominant involvement of the metopic ridge. all children also presented with a combination of brachydactyly with agenesis of the middle phalanges, syndactyly, broad thumbs, a ... | 2010 | 20358613 |
| [isolated prostate tuberculosis. report of a case in madagascar]. | isolated prostate tuberculosis is uncommon. authors report herein the case of 64-year-old man who presented obstructive syndrome of low urinary tract. after clinical and biological examination, and imagery, prostate cancer was highly suspected. transrectal biopsy was performed and histological examination showed tuberculosis lesions. we suggest that prostate tuberculosis should be evoked in old patient presenting similar signs and living in tuberculosis endemic zone. | 2010 | 20380996 |
| myocarditis associated with 2009 influenza a (h1n1) virus in children. | 2010 | 20392309 | |
| novel human parechovirus, sri lanka. | of 362 fecal samples collected from children with acute gastroenteritis in sri lanka during 2005-2006, 30 (8.3%) were positive for human parechovirus (hpev) by reverse transcription-pcr. a novel hpev, designated as hpev10, was identified in 2 samples by sequence analysis of the viral protein 1 gene of the detected hpevs. | 2010 | 20031059 |
| differences and commonalities in physical, chemical and mineralogical properties of zanzibari geophagic soils. | the function of human geophagy has long been questioned. we sought to test hypotheses concerning its potential physiological effects through analysis of soils and patterns in geophagy behavior. eleven samples of geophagic soils consumed by pregnant women on pemba island, zanzibar, tanzania, were characterized according to their color, texture, major element chemistry, trace element chemistry, bulk mineralogy, and clay mineralogy. an epidemiological study (n = 2367) and ethnographic interviews (n ... | 2010 | 20063204 |
| euphane triterpenoids of cassipourea lanceolata from the madagascar rainforest. | fractionation of an ethanol extract of a madagascar collection of the leaves and fruit of cassipourea lanceolata tul. led to the isolation of three euphane triterpenoids 1-3. the (1)h and (13)c nmr spectra of all compounds were fully assigned using a combination of 2d nmr experiments, including cosy, tocsy, hsqc (hmqc), hmbc and roesy sequences. the three compounds showed weak antiproliferative activities against the a2780 human ovarian cancer cell line, with ic(50) values of 25, 25 and 32 micro ... | 2010 | 20074760 |
| common variants at the gck, gckr, g6pc2-abcb11 and mtnr1b loci are associated with fasting glucose in two asian populations. | to test fasting glucose association at four loci recently identified or verified by genome-wide association (gwa) studies of european populations, we performed a replication study in two asian populations. | 2010 | 19937311 |
| human plague occurrences in africa: an overview from 1877 to 2008. | plague remains a public health concern worldwide, but particularly in africa. despite the long-standing history of human plague, it is difficult to get a historical and recent overview of the general situation. we searched and screened available information sources on human plague occurrences in african countries and compiled information on when, where and how many cases occurred in a centralised database. we found records that plague was probably already present before the third pandemic and th ... | 2010 | 19716148 |
| surveillance for antibodies to leishmania spp. in dogs from sri lanka. | the global distribution of leishmaniasis is rapidly expanding into new geographic regions. dogs are the primary reservoir hosts for human visceral leishmaniasis caused by infection with leishmania infantum. natural infections with other leishmania spp. can occur in dogs, but their role as reservoir hosts for other species of leishmania is uncertain. leishmania donovani is traditionally considered a visceralizing anthroponotic species; however, cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by l. donovani has be ... | 2010 | 19803542 |
| nutrient composition of plants consumed by black and white ruffed lemurs, varecia variegata, in the betampona natural reserve, madagascar. | the purpose of this study was to quantify the concentrations of crude protein, fat, ash, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, lignin, nonstructural carbohydrates, and gross energy in plant foods consumed by wild black and white ruffed lemurs (varecia variegata). calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, potassium, sodium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, molybdenum, and selenium concentrations were also determined. a total of 122 samples from 33 plant families and more than 60 species were collec ... | 2010 | 19645044 |
| saponins and a lignan derivative of terminalia tropophylla from the madagascar dry forest. | a study of an etoh extract obtained from the roots of the madagascan plant terminalia tropophylla h. perrier (combretaceae) led to isolation of the oleanane-type triterpenoid saponin 1, the lignan derivative 2, and the two known saponins arjunglucoside i (3) and sericoside (4). the structures of compounds 1 (terminaliaside a) and 2 (4'-o-cinnamoyl cleomiscosin a) were elucidated using 1d and 2d nmr experiments and mass spectrometry. compound 1 showed antiproliferative activity against the a2780 ... | 2010 | 19875137 |
| acute human self-poisoning with bispyribac-containing herbicide nominee: a prospective observational study. | self-poisoning with herbicides is an important reason for hospital admission and death in asia. although some herbicides have a well-described toxicity profile in humans, many of the newer compounds rely on extrapolation from animal results as no published literature on clinical outcomes of human self-poisoning has been described. one example of these compounds is bispyribac, a selective herbicide used in rice and wheat cultivation that is marketed in two containers, one containing bispyribac 40 ... | 2010 | 20397802 |
| mhc haplotype m3 is associated with early control of shivsbg infection in mauritian cynomolgus macaques. | the restricted major histocompatibilty complex of mauritian cynomolgus macaques confers exceptional potential on this species in human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) vaccine development. however, knowledge of the effects of mhc genetics on commonly used simian immunodeficiency virus (siv) and simian/human immunodeficiency virus (shiv) stocks is incomplete. we determined the effect of mhc haplotypes on shivsbg replication kinetics in a cohort of 25 naïve cynomolgus macaques. haplotype m3 was associ ... | 2010 | 20403147 |
| genetic complexity of plasmodium vivax infections in sri lanka, as reflected at the merozoite-surface-protein-3alpha locus. | the presence of genetically different strains of malarial parasites in cases of human malaria is a severe drawback in the successful control of the disease. in sri lanka, although this species accounts for 60%-80% of all of the cases of clinical malaria that occur each year, the genetic complexity of plasmodium vivax on the island remains to be elucidated. in recent studies based on pcr-rflp and the parasites' merozoite-surface-protein-3alpha locus, the genetic structure of 201 clinical isolates ... | 2010 | 20406577 |
| pandemic influenza on reunion island and school closure. | 2010 | 20417411 | |
| human rights and health go hand-in-hand. | 2010 | 20428363 | |
| why does fluorosed dentine show a higher susceptibility for caries: an ultra-morphological explanation. | chronic endemic dental fluorosis is a malformation of teeth caused by excessive ingestion of fluoride during period of tooth development. apatite crystallites and collagen fibrils determine the caries susceptibility related properties of dentine. information relating the effect of dental fluorosis with dentine crystallite and collagen structure is currently unavailable. this study examined structural aberrations of apatite crystallites and collagen fibrils in human fluorosed dentine. | 2010 | 20437762 |
| chronic kidney disease associated with environmental toxins and exposures. | people are exposed to various potentially toxic agents and conditions in their natural and occupational environments. these agents may be physical or chemical, may enter the human body through oral, inhalational, or transdermal routes, and may exert effects on all organ systems. several well-known as well as lesser known associations exist between chronic kidney disease (ckd) and both environmental agents and conditions, such as heavy metals, industrial chemicals, elevated ambient temperatures, ... | 2010 | 20439094 |
| haplotype data for 12 y-chromosome str loci of sri lankans. | haplotype data estimated from 12 y-chromosomal strs were obtained from a sample of 207 unrelated male individuals from sri lanka. a total of 195 different haplotypes were identified, of which 183 were unique. haplotype diversity was found be high (0.9948+/-0.0012) indicating increased discriminating capacity of these 12 y-str loci in forensic identification of sri lankan individuals. dys385, representing two loci, was the most diverse marker (0.853). the lowest diversity (0.351) was observed wit ... | 2010 | 20457052 |
| variation in gamma interferon responses to different infecting strains of mycobacterium tuberculosis in acid-fast bacillus smear-positive patients and household contacts in antananarivo, madagascar. | the majority of healthy individuals exposed to mycobacterium tuberculosis will not develop tuberculosis (tb), though many may become latently infected. more precise measurement of the human immune response to m. tuberculosis infection may help us understand this difference and potentially identify those subjects most at risk of developing active disease. gamma interferon (ifn-gamma) production has been widely used as a proxy marker to study infection and to examine the human immune response to s ... | 2010 | 20463103 |
| incidence and effects of varicella zoster virus infection on academic activities of medical undergraduates--a five-year follow-up study from sri lanka. | the adult population in sri lanka is having high level of susceptibility for varicella zoster virus (vzv) infection. among medical undergraduates, 47% are vzv seronegative. the purpose of the present study was to determine the incidence of vzv infection in medical undergraduates in sri lanka, and to describe the effects of vzv infection on their academic activities. | 2010 | 20465846 |
| [outbreak of influenza pandemic virus a(h1n1) 2009 infections in emergency department, saint-pierre, reunion island. july-august 2009]. | the 2009 pandemic influenza a (h1n1) virus has emerged to cause the first pandemic of the 21st century. on july 3, 2009, novel swine-origin influenza a (h1n1) virus (s-oiv) was identified in reunion island, french overseas department located in the southern hemisphere. the present study describes the characteristics and the impact of the epidemic on the activity of an emergency department (ed) from july 3 to august 31, 2009. | 2010 | 20466514 |
| clinical and epidemiological studies on the cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by leishmania (leishmania) donovani in sri lanka. | sri lanka is the newest reported focus of human leishmaniasis within the indian subcontinent. over the last 8 years, more than 2000 cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis (cl), apparently caused by leishmania donovani (a species usually associated with the visceral form of the disease), have been passively identified in the country. the clinical profiles of 401 suspected cases of cl in sri lanka were recently explored and some of the cases' immunological responses were investigated, in antibody-detect ... | 2010 | 20507695 |
| rift valley fever during rainy seasons, madagascar, 2008 and 2009. | during 2 successive rainy seasons, january 2008 through may 2008 and november 2008 through march 2009, rift valley fever virus (rvfv) caused outbreaks in madagascar. human and animal infections were confirmed on the northern and southern coasts and in the central highlands. analysis of partial sequences from rvfv strains showed that all were similar to the strains circulating in kenya during 2006-2007. a national cross-sectional serologic survey among slaughterhouse workers at high risk showed t ... | 2010 | 20507747 |
| raising awareness of amphibian chytridiomycosis will not alienate ecotourists visiting madagascar. | chytridiomycosis (bd) is contributing to amphibian extinctions worldwide but has so far not been detected in madagascar. the high likelihood for bd to spread to the island and efface this amphibian diversity and endemism hotspot requires respective conservation policies to be developed. bd could be introduced by the large number of tourists that visit protected areas; therefore, increasing awareness among tourists and encouraging them to participate in safety measures should be a priority conser ... | 2010 | 20517634 |
| an antiproliferative xanthone of symphonia pauciflora from the madagascar rainforest. | investigation of a malagasy endemic plant identified as symphonia pauciflora baker (clusiaceae) for antiproliferative activities against the a2780 ovarian cancer cell line led to the isolation of a new compound identified as 2-(3,3-dimethylallyl)-7-methoxy-l,5,6-trihydroxy-2",2"-dimethylpyrano(6",5":3,4) xanthone (1) and the two known guttiferones a (2) and i (3). the structure elucidation of 1 was based on the analysis of its 1d and 2d nmr and mass spectral data. compound 1 showed good antiprol ... | 2010 | 20521541 |
| antiproliferative compounds from pongamiopsis pervilleana from the madagascar dry forest. | bioassay-guided fractionation of an ethanol extract of the roots of the endemic malagasy plant pongamiopsis pervilleana led to the isolation of the three new compounds (2'r)-4'-hydroxyemoroidocarpan (1), pongavilleanine (3), and epipervilline (4) together with two known compounds, identified as emoroidocarpan (2) and rotenolone (5). the structures of all compounds were determined by physical, chemical, and spectroscopic evidence. the stereochemistry at c-2' of the previously reported compound em ... | 2010 | 20804165 |
| anthropophilic mosquitoes and malaria transmission in the eastern foothills of the central highlands of madagascar. | malaria remains a major public health problem in madagascar, as it is the first cause of morbidity in health care facilities. its transmission remains poorly documented. an entomological study was carried out over 1 year (october 2003-september 2004) in saharevo, a village located at an altitude of 900m on the eastern edge of the malagasy central highlands. mosquitoes were sampled weekly upon landing on human volunteers and in various resting-places. out of 5515 mosquitoes collected on humans, 3 ... | 2010 | 20804715 |
| spatiotemporal antibiotic resistance pattern monitoring using geographical information system based hierarchical cluster analysis. | bacterial antimicrobial resistance in both the medical and agricultural fields has become a serious problem worldwide. antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria are an increasing threat to human health, with resistance mechanisms having been described to all known antimicrobials currently available for clinical use. monitoring the geotemporal variations of antibiotic resistance pattern is crucial factor in planning a successful therapeutic guidelines preventing further emergence of antibiotic res ... | 2010 | 20841737 |
| varicella infection and the impact of late entry into the irish healthcare system. | we present a case which highlights several areas of concern relating to the prevention and management of varicella in ireland. we review the pathophysiology of this virus and highlight its greater potential for morbidity in certain groups, most particularly adult males. the experience and opinions with regard to varicella vaccination in the us and other temperate countries is reviewed along with evidence of changing epidemiology of varicella infection. the national immunisation advisory committe ... | 2010 | 20869670 |
| mobile phone-based infectious disease surveillance system, sri lanka. | because many infectious diseases are emerging in animals in low-income and middle-income countries, surveillance of animal health in these areas may be needed for forecasting disease risks to humans. we present an overview of a mobile phone-based frontline surveillance system developed and implemented in sri lanka. field veterinarians reported animal health information by using mobile phones. submissions increased steadily over 9 months, with ≈4,000 interactions between field veterinarians and r ... | 2010 | 20875276 |
| four diphenylpropanes and a cycloheptadibenzofuran from bussea sakalava from the madagascar dry forest. | investigation of the endemic malagasy plant bussea sakalava for antiproliferative activity against the a2780 ovarian cancer cell line led to the isolation of the four new diphenylpropanes 1-4 and the new cycloheptadibenzofuran 5; compound 5 has a previously unreported natural product skeleton. the structure elucidation of these compounds was based on the analysis of their 1d and 2d nmr and mass spectroscopic data. compounds 1-5 were tested for antiproliferative activity against the a2780 human o ... | 2010 | 20942441 |
| y chromosome microdeletions are not associated with spontaneous recurrent pregnancy loss in a sinhalese population in sri lanka. | many advances have been made in reproductive medicine, yet the spontaneous loss of a pregnancy remains the most common complication of pregnancy. the aetiology of spontaneous recurrent pregnancy loss (rpl) is multifactorial. y chromosome microdeletions are found in ∼7% of men with low sperm counts and, compared with the general population, a higher frequency of spontaneous pregnancy loss occurs in infertile couples. the current study was designed to examine whether y chromosome microdeletions we ... | 2010 | 20943704 |
| towards eradication: three years after the tsunami of 2004, has malaria transmission been eliminated from the island of simeulue? | the island of simeulue was the first landfall of the tsunami of december 2004. the tsunami destroyed many villages on the island, leaving one third of the population homeless. malaria is endemic in simeulue and an epidemic was reported to have occurred three months prior to the tsunami. information concerning malaria was, however, not easily available. the earthquakes related to the tsunami may have created extensive potential breeding sites of anopheles sundaicus, the probable vector, and incre ... | 2010 | 20952042 |
| living in exile when disaster strikes at home. | as the number of migrants,- forced or voluntary,- increases, there is a growing need to understand how negative events in the country of origin influence those residing abroad. this issue has been actualized by the recent earthquakes in haiti and chile. persons in exile have frequently been exposed to severe human rights violations and other stressors prior to emigration. the present study explored possible associations between ongoing and former stressors and mental health problems among person ... | 2010 | 20952824 |
| social complexity and linguistic diversity in the austronesian and bantu population expansions. | reconstructing the rise and fall of social complexity in human societies through time is fundamental for understanding some of the most important transformations in human history. phylogenetic methods based on language diversity provide a means to reconstruct pre-historic events and model the transition rates of cultural change through time. we model and compare the evolution of social complexity in austronesian (n = 88) and bantu (n = 89) societies, two of the world's largest language families ... | 2010 | 20961903 |
| genetic structure of plasmodium falciparum and elimination of malaria, comoros archipelago. | the efficacy of malaria control and elimination on islands may depend on the intensity of new parasite inflow. on the comoros archipelago, where falciparum malaria remains a major public health problem because of spread of drug resistance and insufficient malaria control, recent interventions for malaria elimination were planned on moheli, 1 of 4 islands in the comoros archipelago. to assess the relevance of such a local strategy, we performed a population genetics analysis by using multilocus m ... | 2010 | 21029525 |
| human parechovirus infection in children hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis in sri lanka. | of 362 fecal specimens collected from infants and children hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis in sri lanka from september 2005 to august 2006, 30 (8.3%) were positive for human parechovirus (hpev). six different hpev genotypes, including hpev1, -3, -4, -5, -10, and -11, were identified, of these, hpev11 was reported for the first time. | 2010 | 21048003 |
| acute human lethal toxicity of agricultural pesticides: a prospective cohort study. | agricultural pesticide poisoning is a major public health problem in the developing world, killing at least 250,000-370,000 people each year. targeted pesticide restrictions in sri lanka over the last 20 years have reduced pesticide deaths by 50% without decreasing agricultural output. however, regulatory decisions have thus far not been based on the human toxicity of formulated agricultural pesticides but on the surrogate of rat toxicity using pure unformulated pesticides. we aimed to determine ... | 2010 | 21048990 |
| [outbreak of influenza a(h1n1)/2009: description of cases and crisis management in a icu in reunion island]. | to describe the characteristics, treatment and outcome of critically ill patients with influenza a(h1n1) infection at st pierre hospital in reunion island during the 2009 outbreak, as well as the measures of care reorganization implemented to face them. | 2010 | 21112729 |
| first isolation and direct evidence for the existence of large small-mammal reservoirs of leptospira sp. in madagascar. | leptospirosis has long been a major public health concern in the southwestern indian ocean. however, in madagascar, only a few, old studies have provided indirect serological evidence of the disease in humans or animals. | 2010 | 21124843 |
| cardenolides of leptadenia madagascariensis from the madagascar dry forest. | investigation of the endemic madagascar plant leptadenia madagascariensis decne. (apocynaceae) for antiproliferative activity against the a2780 ovarian cancer cell line led to the isolation of the four new cardenolides 1-4. the structure elucidations of these compounds were based on analyzes of their 1d and 2d nmr spectra and mass spectrometric data. the cardenolides were strongly antiproliferative to the a2780 ovarian cancer cell line, with ic(50) values of 0.18, 0.21, 0.17, and 0.29μm line, an ... | 2010 | 21159516 |
| [huge dorsolumbar cold abscess associated with pott's disease]. | pott's disease, or tuberculosis of the spine, is the most common osteoarticular tuberculosis. among them, dorsolumbar impairment is predominant. the authors report the case of a patient with a huge cold lumbar abscess associated with pott's disease. the patient is a 32-year-old man presenting dorsolumbar tumefaction associated with an alteration in his general condition and fever for three months. treatment by "traditional healers" did not provide any improvement. he consulted for mild lumbar pa ... | 2010 | 21167445 |
| [epidemic of influenza a(h1n1) 2009 in reunion island: epidemiological data.] | in reunion island, a french subtropical island located in the southern hemisphere, the monitoring of the epidemiological dynamics of the epidemic linked to the emergence of pandemic virus a(h1n1) 2009 was achieved through the regular influenza surveillance system which has been reinforced on that occasion. it was mainly based on a network of sentinel physicians, combined with virologic monitoring, and on surveillance of severe cases and deaths. the data were analyzed and retroinformation was dis ... | 2010 | 21181328 |
| [influenza a (h1n1) 2009 surveillance on mayotte island: the challenge of setting up a new system facing the pandemic.] | in response to the threat of the pandemic influenza a (h1n1) 2009 virus in mayotte island, influenza surveillance needed to be set up in a matter of weeks, to detect the introduction of the pandemic virus and monitor its spread and impact on public health. surveillance was based on different systems, including a sentinel practitioner network for influenza-like illness, surveillance of the activity at the hospital emergency departments, virological surveillance, surveillance of severe and fatal c ... | 2010 | 21181329 |
| blood-feeding behavior of aedes albopictus, a vector of chikungunya on la réunion. | chikungunya virus (chikv) has long been considered to be transmitted to humans by the human-biting mosquito aedes aegypti, especially in africa. however, the recent outbreak of chikv involved another vector, aedes albopictus, and serological data in the literature suggest that several species of domestic or human-related vertebrates can be contaminated by this virus. however, the role of ae. albopictus mosquitoes as potential enzootic vectors for chikv has not yet been evaluated. here we investi ... | 2010 | 19589060 |
| susceptibility of new entrant university students in sri lanka to varicella zoster infection. | to investigate the susceptibility of sri lankan new entry university students to varicella zoster virus (vzv) infection, a cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out among new entrant medical and engineering students of the university of peradeniya, sri lanka. self-reported history of chicken pox was studied first, followed by serological evaluation for vzv igg antibodies. a total of 451 students participated in the study out of which 189 (41.9%) reported a history of chicken pox. median ... | 2010 | 19411280 |
| genome-wide scan identifies a quantitative trait locus at 4p15.3 for serum urate. | elevated serum urate levels lead to gout and are associated with hypertension, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. the purpose of this study was to identify evidence for genetic linkage with serum urate and to determine whether variation within positional candidate genes is associated with serum urate levels in a non-european population. genetic linkage analysis and single nucleotide polymorphism (snp) genotyping was performed in a large family pedigree cohort from m ... | 2010 | 20588307 |
| antiplasmodial, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activities of various plant extracts from the mascarene archipelago. | aim of the study: antiplasmodial activity, inhibition of nitric oxide (no) overproduction, and anti-proliferative activity were investigated in vitro to evaluate the bioactive potential of the traditional pharmacopoeia of the mascarene archipelago, which is known for its biodiversity and for the richness of its endemic flora. materials and methods: a total of 45 methanol (meoh) and dichloromethane (dcm) extracts were prepared from 19 plant species collected on réunion and mauritius islands. nine ... | 2010 | 20600776 |
| influenza virus infections among a sample of hospital attendees in ragama, sri lanka. | this study was carried out to define the types of influenza viruses circulating among humans and to understand the seasonality of influenza virus activity. such information is essential for deciding on influenza vaccination strategy and on the appropriate time for delivering influenza vaccination, if such a vaccination policy was decided to be a priority. | 2010 | 20645542 |
| high prevalence of hepatitis b virus genotype e in northern madagascar indicates a west-african lineage. | the prevalence of hepatitis b virus (hbv) markers was investigated in 563 inhabitants aged 15-55 years from a sugar cane region, sirama, and from a village, mataipako, in northern madagascar. serological markers of past or present infection were significantly higher in sirama, 74% versus 45%. there was no difference in the prevalence of chronic hbsag carriers, 8.7% versus 8.5% between the two regions. sequencing the s gene in 45 strains revealed a predominance of genotype e, in 53%, followed by ... | 2010 | 20648605 |
| plasmodium vivax and the duffy antigen: a paradigm revisited. | the duffy blood group antigen is the portal of entry of the plasmodiumvivax malaria parasite into human red blood cells and the receptor for a number of cxc and cc chemokines. we review here epidemiological data and evidence derived from therapeutic or experimental human infections associating p. vivax and the duffy glycoprotein and laboratory studies indicating that p. vivax uses the duffy antigen as a receptor to invade the red cell. we then review recent field observations indicating that the ... | 2010 | 20655790 |
| in vitro screening on β-amyloid peptide production of plants used in traditional medicine for cognitive disorders. | the aim of the study was to investigate the activity on β-amyloid peptide production of crude extracts of 9 plant species traditionally used in benin or in madagascar for the treatment of cognitive disorders, in order to select candidates for alzheimer's disease treatment. | 2010 | 20673795 |
| theorising the 'human subject' in biomedical research: international clinical trials and bioethics discourses in contemporary sri lanka. | the global spread of clinical trials activity is accompanied by a parallel growth in research governance and human subject protection. in this paper we analyse how dominant ideas of the 'human subject' in clinical trials are played out in countries that are deemed to be scientifically under-developed. specifically, we show how rhetorics of individualism, rationality and autonomy implicit in international ethical guidelines governing human subject research are operationalised and localised. we gi ... | 2010 | 21208703 |
| implementation of istanbul protocol for effective documentation of torture - review of sri lankan perspectives. | documentation of torture is a multidisciplinary, multistage scientific procedure evolved over the past decades through the experience of various strata in medical and related fields. it plays a key role in effective corroboration of facts, providing redress to victims and also has a long term regulatory impact on prevention of torture in a society. the un endorsed istanbul protocol serves as the model for effective documentation of torture in the present context and there were many attempts in t ... | 2010 | 21216370 |
| human papillomavirus and cervical neoplasia among female sex workers in madagascar. | human papillomavirus (hpv) prevalence and type distribution were estimated among 90 female sex workers (fsws) aged 18 to 58 years in antananarivo, madagascar. | 2010 | 21370602 |
| viral etiology of influenza-like illnesses in antananarivo, madagascar, july 2008 to june 2009. | in madagascar, despite an influenza surveillance established since 1978, little is known about the etiology and prevalence of viruses other than influenza causing influenza-like illnesses (ilis). | 2011 | 21390235 |
| genetic variation in sh3-domain grb2-like (endophilin)-interacting protein 1 has a major impact on fat mass. | objective:the sh3-domain grb2-like (endophilin)-interacting protein 1 (sgip1) gene has been shown to be differentially expressed in the hypothalamus of lean versus obese israeli sand rats (psammomys obesus), and is suspected of having a role in regulating food intake. the purpose of this study was to assess the role of genetic variation in sgip1 in human disease.subjects:we performed single-nucleotide polymorphism (snp) genotyping in a large family pedigree cohort from the island of mauritius. t ... | 2011 | 21407171 |
| pandemic influenza a(h1n1) 2009 virus outbreak among boarding school pupils in madagascar: compliance and adverse effects of prophylactic oseltamivir treatment. | in october 2009, the first outbreak of pandemic influenza a(h1n1) 2009 virus in madagascar occurred at a school in antananarivo. among the first 12 cases, five were reported in boarding pupils at the school. the school closed 10 days into the outbreak. mass oseltamivir prophylactic treatment was used to contain the outbreak. this study aimed to determine the transmission of infection among boarding school pupils and to evaluate the adverse effects of oseltamivir chemoprophylactic treatment and ... | 2011 | 21444983 |
| [outbreak of influenza pandemic virus a(h1n1) 2009 infections in the emergency department, saint-pierre, réunion island, july-september 2009]. | a new h1n1 virus originating from swine recently emerged as the first influenza pandemic of the 21st century. on july 3, 2009, this new influenza a(h1n1) virus (s-oiv) of swine origins was identified in réunion island, a french overseas department located in the southern hemisphere. the present study describes the characteristics of the epidemic from july 3 to september 30, 2009. among the 479 patients included in our study (236 males, 37.3 ± 19.0 years), 255 (53.2%) were reported to have comorb ... | 2011 | 21451954 |
| [one case of nosocomial a(h1n1)v2009 influenza in réunion island]. | a 19-year-old patient admitted in an oncology unit for an autograft (hodgkin disease), developed on day 20 a fatal acute respiratory failure and multiple organ failure due to an infection of the a(h1n1)v2009 virus, which was acquired in the hospital, despite partial preventive measures. at that time, the specific vaccine was not available in réunion. we discuss the nosocomial origin of the infection. following the epidemic wave, the vaccination rate of the general population and the hospital emp ... | 2011 | 21451955 |
| antiproliferative compounds of cyphostemma greveana from a madagascar dry forest. | bioassay-guided fractionation of the etoh extracts obtained from a plant identified as cyphostemma greveana desc. (vitaceae) led to the identification of one macrolide, lasiodiplodin (1), three sesquiterpenoids, 12-hydroxy-15-oxoselina-4,11-diene (2), 1β,6α-dihydroxyeudesm-4(15)-ene (3), and (7r*)-opposit-4(15)-ene-1β,7-diol (5), and a new diterpenoid, 16,18-dihydroxykolavenic acid lactone (4). all the isolates were tested against the a2780 human ovarian cancer cell line, and compound 4 and a fr ... | 2011 | 21480509 |
| a new xpc gene splicing mutation has lead to the highest worldwide prevalence of xeroderma pigmentosum in black mahori patients. | xeroderma pigmentosum (xp) is a rare, recessive disease characterized by sunlight hypersensitivity and early appearance of cutaneous and ocular malignancies. we report the first description of a very high incidence (around 1/5000) of black xp patients in the mayotte population in the indian ocean. among a cohort of 32 xp, we describe the clinical and genetic features of 18 living comorian black xp patients. we discuss the remarkable clinical differences between white and black xps. skin and ocul ... | 2011 | 21482201 |
| genetic diversity, geographical range and origin of bemisia tabaci (hemiptera: aleyrodidae) indian ocean ms. | the whitefly bemisia tabaci is a pest vector of begomoviruses on crops worldwide. bemisia tabaci is composed of a complex of cryptic species which barely interbreed. an exception is the ms from the south west indian ocean (swio), which crosses in low proportions with the exotic b. the ms, together with b and q is part of the same phylogenetic clad. to infer the genetic structure, the geographical range and putative origin of this putative species, microsatellite data and mitochondrial dna (cytoc ... | 2011 | 21492491 |
| isolation and synthesis of antiproliferative eupolauridine alkaloids of ambavia gerrardii from the madagascar dry forest (1). | investigation of the madagascan endemic plant ambavia gerrardii for antiproliferative activity against the a2780 ovarian cancer cell line led to the isolation of the three new alkaloids 8-hydroxyeupolauridine (1), 9-methoxyeupolauridine 1-oxide (2), and 11-methoxysampangine (3) and the three known alkaloids 4-6. the structures of 1 and 2 were confirmed by synthesis. compounds 3, 4, and 6 showed moderate to good antiproliferative activities, with ic(50) values of 10.3, 3.5, and 0.60 μm, respectiv ... | 2011 | 21504145 |
| [influenza a(h1n1)2009 epidemic in réunion island: experience in the out-patient influenza clinic, july-september 2009.] | from july 6 to september 29, 2009, 380 patients were seen as out-patients for flu-like illness, and 355 files (253 women and 102 men) were available for retrospective analysis. mean age was 32 years. 158 patients, including 22 with a(h1n1)2009 influenza had underlying medical conditions: pregnancy (n = 87), asthma (n = 37), obesity (n = 17). most frequent symptoms of a(h1n1)2009 influenza patients were fever (97% of the patients), cough (94%), rhinorrhea (59%), myalgia (56%), headache (36%). a n ... | 2011 | 21509521 |
| [severe cases of a(h1n1)v2009 infection in réunion island in 2009 and 2010.] | in the southern hemisphere, réunion island acts as a sentinel for infections preferentially occurring during the austral winter that are likely to reach the northern hemisphere a few months later. we relate the main features concerning patients that were admitted during years 2009 and 2010 in our intensive care unit with an a(h1n1)v2009 infection, mainly for acute respiratory distress. demographic, clinical, and biological data as well as given medications and outcome were prospectively collecte ... | 2011 | 21509522 |
| [clinical study of a cohort of 94 children with influenza a(h1n1) on the réunion island.] | we conducted a monocentric retrospective study at the félix-guyon regional hospital, saint-denis, réunion island, from august 1, 2009 to september 30, 2009. we included 94 children with nasal and/or throat swabs tested positive for influenza a(h1n1)v during the study period. we describe the clinical, biological, and radiological presentations, the hospitalization rate, and the antiviral and antibiotic therapies. children between six months and two years were the ones most at risk of severe forms ... | 2011 | 21509523 |
| estimation of stature from cephalo-facial dimensions by regression analysis in indo-mauritian population. | determination of stature from fragmented human remains is vital part of forensic investigation for the purpose of identification. the present study was aimed to modelling the stature both for male and female separately on the basis of craniofacial dimensions. the study was conducted on 150 young and healthy students (75 males and 75 females) in the age group ranging from 20 to 28 years. the stature and fourteen cephalo-facial dimensions were measured on each subject by using standard anthropomet ... | 2011 | 21550566 |
| case report - death by subcutaneous injection of cyanide in sri lanka. | an elderly man was stabbed with a needle and syringe onto his abdomen while asleep. he progressively developed respiratory failure and coma and died an hour later. autopsy findings and laboratory analysis confirmed the death as being due to poisoning by cyanide. this case highlights the need to consider cyanide as a possible agent where there is a rapid death with progressive respiratory failure after injection of an unknown substance. cyanide poisoning by ingestion is frequently seen in suicida ... | 2011 | 21550570 |
| phylogeography of a successful aerial disperser: the golden orb spider nephila on indian ocean islands. | abstract: | 2011 | 21554687 |
| the regional sero-epidemiology of rhinosporidiosis in sri lankan humans and animals. | no data is available in the world literature on serum anti-rhinosporidial antibody levels in animals, and as far as we aware this is the first report. although rhinosporidiosis in farm and domestic animals has been widely reported from other countries, rhinosporidiosis in animals has not been reported in sri lanka, though this country has the highest world-wide prevalence of human rhinosporidiosis on a unit-population basis. serum igg titres in 6 species of sri lankan animals (buffalo, cat, catt ... | 2011 | 21801708 |
| variable prevalence and functional diversity of the antiretroviral restriction factor trimcyp in macaca fascicularis. | the retroviral restriction factor trimcyp, derived from the trim5 gene, blocks replication at a post-entry step. trimcyp has so far been found in four species of asian macaques, macaca fascicularis, m. mulatta, m. nemestrina, and m. leonina. m. fascicularis is commonly used as a model for aids research, but trimcyp has not been analyzed in detail in this species. we analyzed the prevalence of trimcyp in samples from indonesia, indochina, the philippines, and mauritius. we found that trimcyp is p ... | 2011 | 21795330 |
| people of the ancient rainforest: late pleistocene foragers at the batadomba-lena rockshelter, sri lanka. | batadomba-lena, a rockshelter in the rainforest of southwestern sri lanka, has yielded some of the earliest evidence of homo sapiens in south asia. h. sapiens foragers were present at batadomba-lena from ca. 36,000 cal bp to the terminal pleistocene and holocene. human occupation was sporadic before the global last glacial maximum (lgm). batadomba-lena's late pleistocene inhabitants foraged for a broad spectrum of plant and mainly arboreal animal resources (monkeys, squirrels and abundant rainfo ... | 2011 | 21777951 |
| molecular characterization of the parasitic tapeworm bertiella studeri from the island of mauritius. | specimens of bertiella studeri (cyclophyllidea, anoplocephalidae) that have been preserved in ethanol or fixed permanently in formalin for >2 years were used for dna extraction and molecular characterization. dna was amplified via pcr from samples collected from different monkey and human hosts using eucestoda-specific primers. phylogenetic trees were inferred from two sets of sequence data corresponding to the first and second halves of the 18s rdna gene using two methods (distance-based nj and ... | 2011 | 21750870 |
| the invaders: phylogeography of dengue and chikungunya viruses aedes vectors, on the south west islands of the indian ocean. | aedes albopictus and aedes aegypti are the two main worldwide arbovirus vectors that have experienced invasion phases. aedes aegypti is a pantropical species that spread centuries ago whereas ae. albopictus started the main wave of invasion in the 1980s. both species have been at various times on the different islands in southwestern indian ocean (swio). this area provides an opportunity to examine the extent to which mosquitoes colonization patterns are influenced by different introductory even ... | 2011 | 21827872 |
| spatial and temporal distribution patterns of anopheles arabiensis breeding sites in la reunion island - multi-year trend analysis of historical records from 1996-2009. | abstract: | 2011 | 21708013 |
| occurrence and exposure assessment of perchlorate, iodide and nitrate ions from dairy milk and water in japan and sri lanka. | perchlorate is known to competitively interfere with iodide uptake by the thyroid gland and thereby human exposure to perchlorate is a public health concern. prevalence of perchlorate in dairy milk is documented; nevertheless, co-occurrence of perchlorate with other thyroid-binding monovalent ions such as iodide and nitrate is not well understood. in this study, we analyzed perchlorate, iodide, and nitrate-n in dairy milk, water and other dairy-related samples collected from japan and sri lanka. ... | 2011 | 21738937 |
| spatial epidemiology of suspected clinical leptospirosis in sri lanka. | summaryleptospirosis is one of the most widespread zoonoses in the world. a large outbreak of suspected human leptospirosis began in sri lanka during 2008. this study investigated spatial variables associated with suspected leptospirosis risk during endemic and outbreak periods. data were obtained for monthly numbers of reported cases of suspected clinical leptospirosis for 2005-2009 for all of sri lanka. space-time scan statistics were combined with regression modelling to test associations dur ... | 2011 | 21676347 |
| Transmission parameters of vector-borne infections. | Vector-borne infections are those for which the agent (virus, bacteria, or parasite) is transmitted from an infected host (animal or human) to another by a hematophagous arthropod (mosquito, tick, lice, and flea). Two parameters quantify the dynamics of a vector-borne infection: (1) the basic reproductive number (R(0)) that is the mean number of secondary infections transmitted from an infectious host by the bite of the vector and (2) the generation interval that explores the speed of occurrence ... | 2011 | 21993137 |