<sec><title>Objectives</title><p>Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1)-contaminated dairy products pose serious human health risks, causing liver and renal failure if consumed. They are also related to decreased milk and egg production in infected animals. This study investigated the AFM1 contamination levels in cheeses sold in Isfahan province, Iran, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>A total of 100 white cheese samples were randomly collected from supermarkets in Isfahan province and after extraction using dichloromethane were prepared for the ELISA.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Of the 100 samples, 52 (52%) were contaminated by AFM1, at levels ranging from 50.2 to 424.4 ng/kg. The remaining 48% of the samples had undetectable AFM1 levels (< 50 ng/kg). Based on the standard limit set by the European Commission and Iran, 8% (8/100) of the AFM1-positive samples (with concentrations between 250.2 and 424.4 ng/kg) had levels higher than the permissible value of 250 ng/kg.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>Although the percentage of cheese samples in Isfahan province with AFM1 levels exceeding the national permissible limit was low, the examination of cheeses and the milk used for their production is nevertheless important for ensuring public health. Furthermore, optimum storage conditions of animal feed should be ensured, and livestock nutrition must be monitored for the presence of AFM1 and other aflatoxins.</p></sec>
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Objectives
Several different methods are currently used to detect antibodies to Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) in serum samples or cerebrospinal fluid. These methods include the plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT), the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test, indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of each method in detecting vaccine-induced antibodies to JEV. Methods
The study included 29 children who had completed a primary immunization schedule with an inactivated vaccine against JEV derived from mouse brain (<i>n</i> = 15) or a live attenuated SA14-14-2 vaccine (<i>n</i> = 14). Serum samples were collected between 3 months and 47 months after the last immunization. The serum samples were tested by performing the PRNT, HI test, in-house IFA, and commercial ELISA. The antibody detection rates were compared between tests. Results
All 29 serum samples were positive with the PRNT, showing antibody titers from 1:20 to 1:2560. The HI test showed positive rates of 86.7% (13/15) and 71.4% (10/14) in the inactivated and live attenuated vaccine groups, respectively. The results of the IFA for immunoglobulin (Ig)G were positive in 53.3% (8/15) of children in the inactivated vaccine group and 35.7% (5/14) in the live attenuated vaccine group. Neither the IFA nor ELISA detected JEV IgM antibodies in any of the 29 children. Conclusion
These results show that detection rates of vaccine-induced antibodies to JEV have a wide range (0–100%) depending on the testing method as well as the time since immunization and individual differences between children. These findings are helpful in interpreting serological test results for the diagnosis of Japanese encephalitis in situations where vaccines are widely administered.
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Objectives
Chikungunya (CHIK) has been classified as a communicable disease group IV in South Korea since late 2010. Based on this, we investigated the extent of imported cases of CHIK in dengue-suspected individuals returning from dengue-endemic regions. Methods
A total of 486 dengue-suspected serum samples were screened for CHIK by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. Further RT-PCR-positive samples were used for the viral culture, and CHIK was subsequently confirmed by sequence analysis of the culture samples. Results
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The present study documents the first evidence of travel-associated CHIK infection in South Korea. Considering the intense international traffic between countries, our finding emphasizes the urgent need for active patient and vector surveillance for timely response to reduce the introduction of CHIK in Korea.
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