Granada medium was evaluated for the detection of group B streptococci (GBS) in vaginal and rectal swabs compared with selective Columbia blood agar and selective Lim broth. From May 1996 to March 1998, 702 pregnant women (35 to 37 weeks of gestation) participated in this three-phase study; 103 (14.7%) of these women carried GBS. In the first phase of the experiment (n = 273 women), vaginorectal specimens were collected on the same swab; the sensitivities of Granada tube, selective Columbia blood agar, and Lim broth were 31.4, 94.3, and 74.3%, respectively. In the second and third phases (n = 429 women), vaginal and rectal specimens were collected separately; the sensitivities of Granada plate, selective Columbia blood agar, and Lim broth (subcultured at 4 h on selective Columbia agar in the second phase and at 18 to 24 h in Granada plate in the third phase) were 91.1, 83.9, and 75%, respectively, in the second phase and 88.5, 90.4, and 63.5%, respectively, in the third phase. There were no statistically significant differences in GBS recovery between the Granada agar plate and selective Columbia blood agar, but the Granada plate provided a clear advantage; the characteristic red-orange colonies produced overnight by GBS can be identified by the naked eye and is so specific that further identification is unnecessary. The use of the Granada tube and Lim broth did not result in increased isolation of GBS. In conclusion, the Granada agar plate is highly sensitive for detecting GBS in vaginal and rectal swabs from pregnant women and can provide results in 18 to 24 h.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a parasitic zoonosis caused by the larval stage of the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus. Detection of the adult stage in the canine definitive host is essential for estimating infection rates, surveillance and monitoring of CE control programs. This study sought to develop and validate a coproantigen sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (copro-ELISA), based on antibodies against E. granulosus-soluble membrane antigens (EGMA), that is capable of distinguishing infected and noninfected dogs. Anti-E. granulosus polyclonal immunoglobulin G antibodies were obtained from rabbit antiserum against EGMA. Optimization of the test was performed with 51 positive and 56 negative stool samples of canine echinococcosis. Specificity, sensitivity, cross-reactivity, intra-and inter-assay precision, and over time detection were evaluated. According to the receiver operating characteristic analysis, the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were 96.1% (CI: 85.9-99.6) and 98.2% (CI: 89.5-100), respectively. Negative and positive predictive values were 96.5% (CI: 91.7-100) and 98% (CI: 94.1-100), respectively. No cross-reactivity with Taenia hydatigena, Dipylidium caninum, or Toxocara canis was observed. Intra-and inter-assay repeatability showed values of less than 15% of the variation coefficient. The over time detection was from 20 to 27 days postinfection with E. granulosus. The copro-ELISA based on EGMA detection offers a simplified in-house development of diagnostic testing. This assay showed high specificity and sensitivity and had no cross-reactivity with other parasites. Further studies and development of this test in a kit format may be useful for the detection of active infection in dogs living in CE endemic regions.

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Bolivia is een land dat noch politieke noch economische stabiliteit kent. De ontevredenheid bij grote lagen van de bevolking is dusdanig dat marginale groeperingen steeds sterker worden. De regeringen doen geen inspanningen om de structurele problemen van het land op te lossen. Ze doen enkel een beroep op artificiële en tijdelijke maatregelen die ernstige crisissen moeten voorkomen. Deze maatregelen worden vaak opgelegd door grootmachten als het Internationaal Monetair Fonds, zonder rekening te houden met de historische realiteit, de context en de specifieke maatschappelijke kenmerken van het land. Zo ook hield de regionale inter-Amerikaanse organisatie van de ICFTUgeen rekening met de geschiedenis en de politieke en socio-economische aspecten van het Andesland. De Boliviaanse arbeidersbeweging moest overtuigd worden van het 'sindicalismo libre'. De ORIT-activiteiten om dit te bewerkstelligen en de reactie van de Boliviaanse vakbonden, staan centraal in deze bijdrage. In de loop van het jaar 2003 zal een vervolg van deze syndicale thematiek gepubliceerd worden. Het artikel zal handelen over de introductie van het 'sindicalismo libre' in Ecuador en de rol die het syndicaal onderwijs, en meer bepaald het American Institutefor Free Labor Development', daarin gespeeld heeft.