Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

Introducción: El nuevo coronavirus ha continuado propagándose por todo el mundo donde existen otras enfermedades endémicas que han sido una carga para la salud pública durante muchos años. Como cualquier infección, se habría esperado encontrar en coinfección con algunas de éstas. Específicamente, los países tropicales y subtropicales han venido manejando la carga del dengue a medida que aumentan los picos con períodos de tiempo más cortos. Objetivo: Resumir la evidencia que existe en la coinfección relacionada con el SARS-CoV-2 y el virus del dengue. Metodología: Se realizó una revisión narrativa en bases de datos sobre reportes de coinfección y diagnóstico erróneo de SARS-CoV-2 y el dengue dado que la temporada de lluvias cada año aumenta la prevalencia de infecciones virales en países endémicos. Informes recientes incluso han descrito casos positivos en uno de estas infecciones que luego resultaron en falso positivo. Una prueba positiva para COVID-19 o fiebre del dengue en áreas endémicas no debe excluir la otra infección. Conclusión: A partir de ahora, estos dos deberían ser considerados como un diagnóstico diferencial y esto debe generar preocupación de salud pública por su coinfección en países endémicos para reforzar la promoción y prevención a las comunidades y mitigar estas enfermedades.

La sífilis congénita es la infección del recién nacido (RN) por Treponema palllidum transmitida durante el embarazo desde la madre al feto. Actualmente, sigue siendo una causa importante de morbi-mortalidad fetal prevenible en todo el mundo, pese a que con un tratamiento adecuado y oportuno en la madre, se logra revertir en forma efectiva los resultados adversos en el feto y RN. Lo anterior destaca la importancia del control del embarazo, y la pesquisa precoz de la infección materna. Si bien, Chile ha experimentado un aumento de la incidencia de sífilis en la población general, se ha mantenido una tasa estable de sífilis congénita de 0,1 por 1.000 RN vivos. Presentamos el caso clínico de un RN, hijo de una madre sin control del embarazo, que presentó lesiones compatibles con un pénfigo sifilítico.

Background: The appearance and spread of carbapenems-resistant Enterobacterales have generated a major impact on health care-associated infections worldwide. Recently, a Klebsiella pneumoniae outbreak expressing OXA-48 like-carbapenemases was detected in Chile, the first reported cases corresponded to hospitalized patients mainly from northern Chile. Aim: To characterize the phenotypic and genotypic profiles of antimicrobial susceptibility of 16 clinical isolates referred during May 2021 from Antofagasta and Metropolitan regions to the Reference Laboratory of Instituto de Salud Publica. Methods: Antimicrobial susceptibility of all strains was analyzed using traditional (Kirby-Bauer and epsilometry) and automated methods, and complemented with colorimetric, immunochromatographic and molecular (PCR and PFGE) techniques. As a result of the genetic characterization, blaoxa-48 and blaoxa-232 genes were detected, showing the isolates an unusual resistance profile to both carbapenems (ertapenem, imipenem, and meropenem) and cephalosporins (cefepime, cefotaxime, and ceftazidine), as well as piperacillin/tazobactam and temocillin. Two subtypes were detected by PFGE, with a predominant clone CL-Kpn-Spe-329 (93.8%), with two resistance mechanisms identified: carbapenemase and extended-spectrum b-lactamase (ESBL). Conclusion: Due to this epidemiological alert, it is essential the establishment of national guidelines for early detection, surveillance, and control of future outbreaks of OXA-48 like carbapenemases isolates.

Background: The spread of SARS-CoV-2 required widespread lockdown to mitigate the pandemic. Argentine authorities imposed preventive social isolation for 234 days (March 20th to November 9th 2020). This measure led to major changes in the population’s lifestyle. Aim: To examine the influence of COVID-19 lockdown measures on the metabolic profile of HIV-infected patients in Argentina. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of 10,300 HIV-infected patients under follow up in a private clinic for HIV care. Adult patients with ongoing antiretroviral therapy (ART) and a baseline determination of blood glucose, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides done before lockdown (BL: second semester of 2019) and a second determination during lockdown (DL: May 2020) were included. Patients with recent changes in ART that may have metabolic impact, those starting lipid/glucose lowering agents and pregnant women were excluded. Categorical variables were compared using the c2 test or Fisher's exact test, and continuous variables using the t-test or the Mann-Whitney test. A two-tailed value of p <0.05 was considered significant. Results: 540 individuals were included, median of age was 47 years and 74.6% were male. Median body mass index was 26.1 and 94.6% had low cardiovascular risk. There was a significant increase in the percentage of patients that met criteria for hyperglycemia (BL 4.8% and DL 8.5%, p<0.001). We also observed significant (p<0.001) increase in median (IQR) BL vs DL values in LDL-cholesterol [109 (90-128) vs 118 (97-139) mg/dL]; and triglycerides [120 (87-172) vs. 132 mg/dL (96-184)]. The proportion of patients with hyper-LDL cholesterolemia according to individual cardiovascular risk increased from 12.6 to 17.2% (p=0.04). Conclusions: Our results suggest that quarantine, at least in its initial phases, may have a negative impact on the metabolic profile of this population.

Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have increased their incidence worldwide in the last decade, as well as in Chile. One of the affected populations is the deprived of liberty. Aim: To evaluate the STI prevalence in women from the Arica y Parinacota Preventive Detention Center (Chile) and its association with biodemographic factors. Methods: 127 women were studied who underwent a bivariate analysis of the serology results for HBV, HCV, HIV1-2 and VDRL, and a study of conventional microbiological vaginal discharge including Trichomonas vaginalis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis. Results: 33.1% of the inmates had at least one STI, where, women under 34 years old, drug use and more than one sexual partner were at greater risk. The most prevalent STI were HIV (15.7%) and syphilis (7.9%) associated with drug use and sexual intercourse before the age of 14. Trichomonas vaginalis (12.9%) was identified in young women with more than one sexual partner. 53.2% had a positive culture, mainly with Gardenella vaginalis (32.3%) associated with an increase in sexual partners and a shorter stay in prison. Candida albicans (11.3%) had a higher prevalence in non-heterosexual women between 19 and 24 years old. Chlamydia trachomatis, HBV, HCV and N. gonorrhoeae had lower prevalences. Conclusion: There is a high frequency of HIV, syphilis and T. vaginalis, predominance of G. vaginalis in approximately a third of the women studied and about half of the cases studied have vaginal dysbiosis.

Background: The estimated tuberculosis (TB) mortality rate in Paraguay in 2019 was 3.9 per 100,000 people. Indigenous communities are at high risk for TB. Aim: To determine the factors associated with mortality in indigenous people with a diagnosis of TB in Paraguay, 2014-2019. Methods: A retrospective observational study was done. sociodemographic data and risk factors data from the National TB Program of Paraguay between the years 2014 to 2019 were used. Results: A total of 2,210 indigenous people with a diagnosis of TB were included, 53,8% were male, between 20 to 39 (32.3%) and 0 to 19 years old (30.2%), the localization of TBC was majority pulmonary (92,3%). During 2014 to 2019 the were 217 deaths (9,8%). The factors associated to mortality in TB patients were the age (adOR=13.95; CI: 7.07 - 27.55 older than 80 years), (adOR=4.20; CI: 2.59 - 6.82 older than 60 years), and (adOR=3.30; CI: 2.06 - 5.2840 to 59 years), HIV co-infection (adOR=7.07; CI 3.74-13.87), and localization of TB (adOR=3.60; CI: 1.88-6.90 for disseminated TB). Conclusion: Older age, HIV co-infection and disseminated localization of TBC are associated with a higher risk of death in indigenous people with TB.

Background: Chile leads the percentage increase of new HIV infections in Latin America. Aim: To characterize new diagnosis of HIV/AIDS and describe the rates evolution in the regions during the 2010-2019 period. Methods: Ecological design. The HIV/AIDS cases used were obtained from the ISP (Instituto de Salud Pública de Chile) and the population estimates from the INE (Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas). The variables studied were year, sex, age, nationality, and region. The sample was described in numbers and percentages, then, the incidence was estimated and the trend was evaluated with the Prais Winsten model. Stata V.14 and ArcGis version 10 were used for the maps. Results: 84.3% (38,863/46,125) were men. The median for age were 30 and 34 years for men and women, respectively. The incidence increased until 2018 and showed a slight decrease in 2019. The rates increased for both sexes and all ages. Unlike the national population, immigrant’s cases increased and reached 40% in 2019, with a frank increase in young adults, with a predominance for Venezuelan (35,2) and Haitian (22%) nationals. According to region, all the samples showed a rate increase with a heterogeneous distribution in statistically significant magnitude in men. Conclusions: There are changes in the epidemiology of HIV and special vulnerability in young people, women, immigrants and the elderly.

Melioidosis is an endemic disease to several regions and occurs predominantly in Southern Asia, Northern Australia, China and Taiwan. In South America, Colombia is second after Brazil in number of melioidosis cases reported. Clinical manifestation varies from asymptomatic infection to multiorgan compromise involving multiple abscesses and septic shock. Cardiac compromise is infrequent, with an incidence of < 1%. We report the case of a 51-year-old patient from Colombia with a mechanical aortic valve who had an abscess in right leg and in the prosthetic valve. Burkholderia pseudomallei was isolated in blood cultures and drained pus from the leg cultures. Patient was treated with meropenem and cotrimoxazole and required aortic valve replacement, resulting in adequate improvement in clinical symptoms.

Hansen’s disease or leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, mainly a ecting the skin and peripheral nerves. In recent years, a better control of the disease has been achieved globally. However, in Chile the incidence of leprosy has continued to increase. We present a case of a 40-year-old patient, Haitian nationality, with lesions and histopathology compatible with tuberculoid leprosy. We discuss the importance of education on less prevalent diseases in Chile, in conjunction with a review of the pathophysiology, clinic, and classification of Hansen ́s disease.

La Sociedad Chilena de Infectología, a través de su Comité de Infecciones Neonatales, en conjunto con la Sociedad Chilena de Obstetricia y Ginecología, proponen un documento de diagnóstico y manejo de la Infección por Citomegalovirus en la Mujer Embarazada y el Recién Nacido. Esta guía aborda el manejo de la infección en el binomio, su enfrentamiento diagnóstico y terapéutico orientado al equipo de salud que atiende a mujeres embarazadas y recién nacidos con infección por citomegalovirus (CMV) en Chile. Considera la situación epidemiológica global y latinoamericana, con recomendaciones para la evaluación clínica y de laboratorio; establece criterios de diagnóstico, propone enfoques terapéuticos de acuerdo a la situación clínica, analiza las medidas de prevención y establece una propuesta nacional para el seguimiento de esta enfermedad. Se ha puesto especial énfasis en entregar, de forma práctica, y con la mayor evidencia posible, las recomendaciones para el manejo del binomio con infección por CMV.