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Serum samples from 22 patients with proven typhoid fever, 60 febrile nontyphoidal patients, and 120 healthy subjects were tested for immunoglobulin A (IgA), IgG, and IgM anti-Salmonella typhi lipopolysaccharide antibodies by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The levels of all three classes of immunoglobulin antilipopolysaccharide were higher in typhoid patients than in controls; the test for IgM anti-lipopolysaccharide gave the best discrimination between typhoid and nontyphoidal sera. The absorbance values obtained with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for IgM anti-lipopolysaccharide were highly correlated to the titers of anti-O agglutinins. However, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was much more specific than the Widal test, and hence it could be a useful tool for the serological diagnosis of typhoid fever with a single blood sample.

The aim of this work was to verify the in vitro virucidal activity of VIRKON No Foam (VIRKON NF) against the HBV DNA, notoriously one the most resistant viruses to heat and to the most commonly used disinfectants. VIRKON NF, an oxidizing agent, has a synergic effect on nucleic acids, polypeptides, glycoproteins, and structural proteins. The experiment was conducted using the serum of a patient with HBsAg+/HBeAg+/HBVDNA+ with a DNA concentration 100 pg/ml. The virucidal activity was tested using the Slot Blot method, the result being evaluated as an inhibition of the autoradiographic signal because of contact of different concentrated solutions and various contact times with the serum. Preliminary tests were carried out after contact of VIRKON NF with serum solutions at 0.1-0.5-1-4% concentrations for a 15 min contact time. VIRKON NF showed an inhibition of autoradiographic signal equal respectively to 0%, 25-50%, 50-70%, 100%. Further experiments were carried out to compare VIRKON NF virucidal activity on HBV to the activity of the most common disinfectants, such as formic aldehyde, Amuchina, glutaraledhyde and phenol. In this way, the infected serum was put into contact with both the most common disinfectant and 1-1.5-2-3-4% VIRKON NF solutions in contact times of 15, 10, 5, 2 min. Using 3% concentrations for a contact time of 10 min, VIRKON NF showed an autoradiographic inhibition signal of 90%. Regarding other disinfectants, only a 2% glutaraldehyde solution for a contact time of 15 min showed similar virucidal activity.

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