Swedish Institute

About: Swedish Institute is a government organization based out in Stockholm, Sweden. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 1657 authors who have published 2301 publications receiving 103682 citations. The organization is also known as: Svenska Institutet.

A Norwalk-like virus waterborne community outbreak in a Swedish village during peak holiday season

Abstract: An outbreak of gastroenteritis due to Norwalk-like virus (NLV) affecting approximately 500 people occurred in a Swedish ski resort during February-March 2002. Epidemiological investigations were performed on cohorts of schoolchildren, permanent residents and skiers visiting the area. Attack rates were respectively 39.7, 29.9 and 38.5%. Drinking un-boiled water originating from one of the three communal water systems was a significant risk factor for all groups. For schoolchildren, the risk of illness increased with increasing amount of water consumed. Nine of 12 stool samples of patients analysed tested positive for NLV. The water tested negative for indicator bacteria and results of NLV tests were inconclusive. In the absence of microbiological findings, the environmental authorities were reluctant to act based on the epidemiological analysis alone, and intervention was delayed until mid-April, following the discovery of a crack in a sewage pipe 10 m from the well.

Characterisation of human tick-borne encephalitis virus from Sweden.

Abstract: Viruses of the tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) antigenic complex, within the family Flaviviridae, cause a variety of diseases including uncomplicated febrile illness, meningo-encephalitis and haemorrhagic fever. Different wildlife species act as reservoir hosts with ixodid tick species as vectors. TBE virus (TBEV) causes 40-130 cases confirmed serologically in Sweden each year. Characteristics of TBEV strains circulating in Sweden have not been investigated previously and no viral sequence data has been reported. In the present study, virus strains were isolated from serum of patients with clinical symptoms consistent with acute TBEV infection. Serologic characterisation, using a panel of E-specific monoclonal antibodies and cross-neutralisation tests, indicated that the Swedish strains of TBEV, isolated 1958-1994, all belonged to the Western TBEV subtype, which includes the Austrian vaccine strain Neudoerfl. Genetic analysis of a partial E-sequence confirmed this close relationship: all Swedish TBEV strains belonged to the European lineage of the Western TBEV subtype, which includes the previously characterised strains Neudoerfl, Hypr, and Kumlinge. Further, three Swedish strains showed partial E-sequences identical to that of the Finnish Kumlinge strain, ten Swedish strains formed a well-supported separate cluster, whereas four others did not show any real clustering. No apparent correlation was observed in comparison of clinical parameters with genetic data or geographic origin of the strains.

Synthesis of phosphatidylcholine with (n−3) fatty acids by phospholipase A 2 in microemulsion

Abstract: Phosphatidylcholine containing a long chain polyunsaturated acyl group at the 2-position has been prepared by phospholipase A 2 catalyzed esterification of lysophosphatidylcholine with polyunsaturated fatty acids EPA (C20∶5) or DHA (C22∶6). Preliminary studies showed that the other fatty acids, such as lauric acid (C12), palmitic acid (C16), stearic acid (C18) and linoleic acid (C18∶2), were also incorporated. To our knowledge, phospholipase A 2 catalyzed condensation reactions have not been reported in the literature before. The reactions were performed in sodiumbis(2-ethylhexyl)-sulfosuccinate-based microemulsions containing small amounts of water. Synthesis of the same phospholipid by transesterification of phosphatidylcholine with the polyunsaturated acids in microemulsion failed; however, enzymatic hydrolysis to lysophosphatidylcholine was facile, quantitative conversion from phosphatidylcholine being attained after 16 hr reaction time.