Infants intestinal infections

Cryptosporidiosis, an intestinal infection caused by protozoa of C ptosporidium species is a taxonomicaHy related disease (12). The disease affects animals, such as calves, lambs, and chickens, and infects humans woddwide, especially infants and children in developing countries. Symptoms range from mild self-limiting diarrhea and abdominal pain to a potentially fatal extreme diarrhea that results in weight loss and poor nutritional absorption. 

Baumler, A. J., TsoUs, R. M., Bowe, F. A., Kusters, J. G., Hoffmann, S., and Heffron, F. (1996a). The pef flmbrial operon of Salmonella typhimurium mediates adhesion to murine small intestine and is necessary for fluid accumulation in the infant mouse. Infect. Immun. 64, 61-68. 

The data about fields of application of Silics in clinics for treatment for infectious diseases are presented in Table 4. From Table 4 it is evident that the field of application of Silics is rather large and covers both intestinal infections and toxicoses which victimize infants, as well as viral hepatitis, and botulism. It is appropriate to mention here that inclusion of Silics into the complex treatment of patients suffering from salmonellosis, dysentery, and intestinal toxicoses accelerates normalization of clinic manifestations of these diseases by a factor of two and more. In the case of botulism the normalization of symptoms characteristic of lesions of the nervous system is shortened by almost 4 days. If intestinal infections are not severe, Silics can be recommended as a single therapeutic agent. In the case of a considerable diarrheal syndrome it is more expedient to use it together with rehydration substances. Inclusion of Silics into a complex of therapeutic agents for patients suffering from viral hepatitis substantially accelerates recovery rates of patients, so that their normal level of bilirubin and activity of alanine aminotranspherase are recovered within shorter periods of time. 

As shown in Figure 3.1, the concentrations of IgA and IgG decline in human breast milk in the weeks following birth. These antibodies tend to survive digestion in the infant s stomach because of its poor digestive powers and because the antibodies have structures that resist proteolysis. Breast-f infants are more resistant to enteric (intestinal) infections than formula-fed infants. Breast milk is espe-... 

In coli enteritis which is a rather frequent intestinal infection in infants, furazolidone is also highly effective. Most reports " which were published during the last three years indicate a cure rate of 75-100 per cent. The daily... 

One other mode of botulinum toxin poisoning has a significant number of cases in the United States infant botulism.1 These cases involve an ongoing colonization of the intestines of infants, usually in the first year of life, by the usually benign C botulinum organism. Apparently, the flora of newborns, their intestinal environment, or both is such that the organism can grow and produce toxin there are no well-documented cases of intestinal infections in adult humans. 

It is seen that the sphere of application of Silics is rather large and covers both intestinal infections and toxicoses which victimise infants, as well as viral hepatitises, botulism. 

The antimicrobial activity of milk is mainly associated with lactofenin, which is able to chelate iron or to bind to bacterial surfaces (Korhonen and Pihlanto, 2006). The protein lactofenin offers the potential as a therapeutic intervention for preterm infants modulating infections and intestinal pathologies (Embleton et al., 2013). Lactofenin demonstrate anti-bacterial action as intact molecules or after partial digestion to produce bioactive fragments (Yuan and Walker, 2004). The peptides produced by pepsin digestion of lactofenin possess greater antimicrobial activity than lactofenin itself (Tomita et al., 1994). 

Botulism is a disease caused by ingestion of foods contaminated with Clostridium botulinum (food-borne botulism) or, very rarely, by wound infection (wound botulism) or colonization of the intestinal tract with Clostridium botulinum (infant botulism). The toxins block the release of acetylcholine. Botulism is characterized by generalized muscular weakness, which first affects eye and throat muscles and later extends to all skeletal muscles. Flaccid paralysis can lead to respiratory failure. 

Botulism is a potent neurotoxin produced from Clostridium botulinum that is an anaerobic, spore-forming bacterium. There are three different types ofbotulism Foodborne botulism occurs when a person ingests a pre-formed toxin that leads to illness within a few hours or days. Foodborne botulism is a public health emergency because the contaminated food may still be available. Infant botulism occurs in a small number of susceptible infants each year who harbor C. botulinum in their intestinal tract. Wound botulism occurs when wounds are infected with C. botulinum that secretes the toxin. Approximately 100 cases of the three types of botulism are reported within the United States each year about 5 percent are wound botulism, 25 percent are foodborne botulism, and a full 70 percent are infant botulism. Death can result from respiratory failure, but those who survive may have fatigue and shortness of breath for years. 

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a hereditary disease of abnormal fluid secretion. It affects cells of the exocrine glands, such as intestine, sweat glands, pancreas, reproductive tract, and especially the respiratory tract. The disease affects about 1 in 2500 infants of the Caucasian population to varying degrees of seriousness. Patients produce thickened mucus that is difficult to get out of the airway. This leads to chronic lung infection, which progressively destroys pulmonary function. 

When substantial carbohydrate maldigestion occurs in infants, it can lead to diarrhea. This is most often seen when the infant has experienced some other insult that has damaged the small intestine enterocytes, producing a secondary hypolactasia.This is more so when the infant has a rotavirus infection, and rotavirus is the most important cause of gastroenteritis in infancy. Rotavirus infects only mature enterocytes,... 

Boshuizen JA, Reimerink JH, Korteland-van Make AM, et al. Changes in small intestinal homeostasis, morphology, and gene expression during rotavirus infection of infant mice. J Virol 77 13005-13016, 2003. 

Three classified types of botulism (foodborne, intestinal-infant type, and wound) result from infection... 

Typhoid fever is an illness caused by infection with Salmonella typhi. Typhoid is spread via the fecal-oral route. Clinical illness in its severe form is characterized by gradually rising fever that reaches 39 to 41°C (102.2 to 105.8°F) and persists for up to 2 weeks. Headaches, abdominal discomfort, malaise, myalgia, and anorexia usually are present. Older children and adults usually have constipation, whereas diarrhea is common in infants. Complications include intestinal perforation and hemorrhage. Between 2% and 5% of patients become chronic gallbladder carriers of S. typhi. 

Intestinal colonization by bifidobacteria has been an important topic, especially in pediatrics, because the colonization seems to prevent infection by some pathogenic bacteria and diarrhea (Bezkorovainy 1989). It has been known for some time that within a week after birth, breast-fed infants form intestinal flora consisting predominantly of bifidobacteria, which account for 95%-99.9% of the intestinal flora (Benno and Mitsuoka 1986, Rotimi and Duerden 1981). Conversely, bifidobacteria... 

Botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. There are three main kinds of botulism. Foodbome botulism is caused by eating foods that contain the botulism toxin. Wound botulism is caused by toxin produced from a wound infected with Clostridium botulinum. Infant botulism is caused by consuming the spores of the botulinum bacteria, which then grow in the intestines and release toxin. All forms of botulism can be fatal and are considered medical emergencies. Foodbome botulism can be especially dangerous because many people can be poisoned by eating a contaminated food. 

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