Background: Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease and its incidence is known in Chile since 2002, when it was incorporated as a disease that must be reported to (Rev Méd Chile 2005; 133: 426-31).

Bacteremia and endarteritis cases secondary to Campylobacter spp. in a metropolitan hospital. Our experience along a quarter of a centurySix cases of bacteremia and one of endarteritis were identifi ed between 1986 and 2010 in a general hospital in Chile. Five of these cases occurred during the second half of this timeframe, Campylobacter fetus predominated (5 out of 7) and the majority of the infections presented during warmer months. The mean age was 32.4 years (range 19 to 63) all had comorbidities, and main clinical manifestations included fever with diarrhea. Four patients developed hypotension and two septic shock. The latter, associated to C. fetus bacteremia, died before microbiological diagnosis. Six out of 7 patients received antimicrobial therapy. During 2004 and 2010, the rates of Campylobacter spp. positive stool cultures in the same hospital increased 4 times, suggesting an emerging profi le. Bacteremia and endarteritis by Campylobacter spp. can develop in vulnerable patients and manifest as fever with or without diarrhea. Finding curved or spiral shaped gram negative rods in blood cultures leads to suspect this pathogen. Species identifi cation is of utmost importance due to antimicrobial resistance especially in C. jejuni. Prognosis is unfavorable due to host characteristics, and case-fatality rate is high.

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Influenza is a seasonally, acute respiratory disease, highly transmissible. The diversity of the natural reservoirs of influenza A virus and its faculty of reassortment increase the risk of a new pandemia. Prevention strategies during the outbreaks include vaccination indicated to risk population as infants between 6 to 2 years old, persons above 65 years old, pregnant women and patients with underlying diseases. Antiviral prophylaxis is useful to control small outbreaks and to be used in household contacts of risk population who have not been vaccinated. Antiviral drugs as a treatment should be considered in persons with severe disease. During a pandemia these prevention measures must be reinforced and rational use of antiviral drugs and vaccine with the pandemic strain should be emphasized.