Over a period of 40 months, 4374 foxes were randomly sampled from an area located in northwestern Brandenburg, Germany, and examined parasitologically for infections with Echinococcus multilocularis. Spatial analysis of the origin of infected animals identified two (one central and one southeastern) high-endemic foci with an estimated prevalence of 23·8%. By contrast, a prevalence of 4·9% was found in the remaining (low-endemic) area. The prevalences among juvenile and adult foxes were compared in the high-endemic and the low-endemic areas. To analyse the central high-endemic focus further, the random sample was stratified by zones representing concentric circles with a radius of 13 km (zone 1) or xn−1+7 km for the remaining three zones from the apparent centre of this focus (anchor point). Prevalences calculated for each zone showed a decrease from zone 1 (18·8%) to zone 4 (2·4%) with significant differences for all zones but zones 3 and 4. The relative risk of an infection decreased rapidly in a distance range of 26 km around the high-endemic focus, whereas the relative risk remained unchanged within a distance of 5 km around the anchor point. The importance of heterogeneous spatial distribution patterns for the diagnosis and epidemiology of the infection is discussed.

Rotavirus gastroenteritis should soon be a vaccine-preventable disease. In a 10-year survey of rotavirus gastroenteritis conducted at the Prince of Wales Hospital (PWH), 2281 cases were detected of which 2213 (97%) occurred in children <5 years old. A consistent epidemic occurred each winter during the months of December and January. Of all laboratory-confirmed cases, 78% were community-acquired with a mean hospital stay of 4·7 days. The estimated incidence of rotavirus-attributed hospitalization was 2/1000 children <5 years old. Over the 10 years, rotavirus was responsible for one death, and contributory to three other deaths. On average each year, 195 children <5 years old were hospitalized for a total of 917 days in PWH, accounting for an estimated expenditure of HK$2·8 (∼US$0·4) million on hospitalization costs. The annual financial burden for rotavirus gastroenteritis for the whole of Hong Kong could be in excess of HK$9·6 (∼US$1·2) million.

Age-specific patterns of rotavirus infection were investigated using a randomly selected and representative sample of sera from a suburban community of São Paulo, Brazil screened for class-specific antibodies to group A rotavirus. Age-serology of anti-rotavirus IgG showed primary infection predominant in young infants with a median age of around 18 months consistent with IgM serology suggesting highest rates of recent infection between ages 4 and 48 months. Anti-rotavirus serum IgA prevalence increased gradually with age. Paired samples from infants, collected 1 month apart, indicated high exposure rates with seroconversion occurring in several infants during the reported low transmission season. Between 5 and 10% of adults had elevated IgM levels indicative of recent infection and, potentially, of an important contribution adults may play to rotavirus transmission. Further understanding of the dynamics of rotavirus transmission within populations, at group and serotype level, would benefit the design and monitoring of future immunization programmes.

Epidemiol. Infect.119, (1997), 285

Correct last sentence to: ‘Unnecessary administration of antibiotics as well as unnecessary hospitalization is not advisable when treating the elderly in nursing homes.’

Epidemiol. Infect.118 (1997), 71–5

Figure 3, page 73: the horizontal x axis should be labelled ‘Spores/ml in spray fluid (log10)’. The corrected figure is shown below: