Twenty-two group A rotavirus positive stool specimens that had been collected from 19 children in Chiang Mai, Thailand, followed up for two years from birth in 1988 to 1990 (Supawadee et al., 1995), were examined for subgrouping (I and II), and VP7 serotyping (1, 2, 3 and 4) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with specific monoclonal antibodies and RNA electropherotyping by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Of these, 18 (82%) could be subgrouped (10 subgroup I and eight subgroup II) and serotyped (five serotype 1, 10 serotype 2, one serotype 3 and two serotype 4). Serotype 1 virus was more predominant than type 2 during the period from January to June 1989 and type 2 was more predominant than type 1 from August 1989 to June 1990. Reinfection with rotavirus was observed in four children during the two years of the follow-up period after birth : one volunteer (No. 11) had an asymptomatic infection with serotype 2-RNA electropherotype S and a symptomatic infection with serotype 3-RNA electropherotype L. Each of the other three had asymptomatic infections twice, i.e. : one (No. 21) with serotype 1-RNA electropherotype L and undetermined serotype-RNA electropherotype L; one (No. 38) with serotype 2-RNA electropherotype S and undetermined serotype-RNA electroherotype L; and the other one (No. 23) with undetermined serotype-RNA electropherotype L and serotype 2-RNA electropherotype S. The results of 18 specimens from asymptomatic infections were compared with those of 202 specimens from symptomatic infections in the same geographical area in the same period of time and no definite relation was found between the VP7 serotype and severity of the illness.

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A total of 84 serum specimens were collected from 67 Japanese residents in Manila, the Philippines, at a clinic during the periods from September 1992 through February 1993 and November 1993 through March 1994, during which time dengue viruses were actively circulating, and tested for antibodies to dengue (DEN) viruses. Fifteen (22.4%) individuals were confirmed as recent DEN infection by either the detection of anti-DEN IgM or a four-fold or more rise in neutralizing antibody titer in acute-convalescent paired sera. Major serotypes of current DEN epidemic appeared to be DEN type 1 and type 2 viruses. There was a case in which all three members of a family had been infected with DEN simultaneously, and their symptoms varied from DEN fever to DEN hemorrhagic fever.

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The host susceptibility of Malaysian Paragonimus westermani was observed in cats, dogs and rats, infected with metacercariae. In rats, worms were harboured in the muscles and the flukes were morphologically similar to the excysted metacercariae except for their slightly larger body size. In cats, about a half number of the flukes were recovered from muscles and 40% from cysts found in the lungs. Majority of the flukes from these cysts were mature. In dogs, few mature flukes were obtained from cysts in the lungs and about 90% of flukes were recovered from muscles. The flukes from the muscles of cats and dogs were of the same juvenile stage as those from rats. The juvenile flukes recovered from muscles of the animals were orally given to dogs and cats. Majority of the flukes were found in cysts in the lungs and most of them were fully mature. However, some juvenile flukes still remained in the muscles of cats and dogs. Therefore, the Malaysian P. westermani has a higher final host susceptibility than those from other localities. The present study suggests that many species of animals living in Malaysian jungle serve as paratenic hosts and may play an important role in the completion of the life cycle of P. westermani in Malaysia.

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A total of 841 serum samples collected and stored at the Center of Gastroenterological Disease, Aybar Hospital, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic were tested for antibodies against hepatitis E virus (anti-HEV). Sera of 60 hepatitis B virus (HBV) asymptomatic carriers selected from 2, 000 apparently healthy individuals in the Dominican Republic were tested for antibodies against hepatitis D virus (anti-HDV). The study demonstrated that the prevalence of anti-HEV was 19.0% in individuals under 15 years of age as compared with the lower prevalence of 4.5% in individuals older than 16 years. The prevalence of anti-HDV in HBV carriers was 6.7%, demonstrating that HDV and HEV are prevailing in this country

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Western blot analysis was carried out on sera obtained from patients with P. falciparum (Pf) and P. vivax (Pv) on an antigen preparation of a laboratory propagated isolate of Pf (# 40) cultured in vitro. The reactivity to a 47kD band was sought based on the results from a previous study (Kano et al., 1990a). Pooled Pf sera (n=15) reacted with the 47kD band whereas pooled Pv sera (n=13) as well as pooled normal human sera (n=45) were not reactive with the 47kD band. An interesting finding was that the pooled Pvsera reacted with a 29kD band instead, while the pooled Pf sera was non-reactive to the 29kD band. In addition, two of four Pf-and three of four Pv-individual sera reacted with the 47kD and 29kD bands respectively. All of these sera had high IFAT (indirect fluorescent antibody test) titer. One of the sera obtained reacted with both the 47kD and 29kD bands but was later found to be from a patient with mixed Pf and Pv infection. The potential of these findings in diagnosis of Pf and Pv infections is discussed.

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