South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde
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Hepatitis C is a viral infection that leads to chronic liver disease, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. ⋯ Compared with other genotypes, genotype 5 was predominant in our cohort, particularly in older age groups. Moreover, APRI and FIB-4 scores correlated significantly with advanced fibrosis in HCV patients. Finally, EVR during therapy was found to determine SVR.
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Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common infections during pregnancy, which can lead to significant maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality if left untreated. Challenges when treating UTIs in pregnancy include fetal protection and resistance development of uropathogens. Currently, the Essential Medicines List recommends nitrofurantoin to treat cystitis and ceftriaxone to treat pyelonephritis in pregnant women. ⋯ E. coli is unsurprisingly the most common cause of UTI in pregnancy in KwaZulu-Natal. Susceptibility to ceftriaxone and nitrofurantoin remains good. Among Gram positives, GBS is prevalent and susceptible to penicillin, while E. faecalis is susceptible to ampicillin. As antimicrobial resistance evolves, routine surveillance is necessary to modify recommended empirical antibiotic use.
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Human rabies cases continue to be reported annually in South Africa (SA). Previous investigations have shown the association between the occurrence of human rabies cases and dog rabies cases in the country. ⋯ The epidemiological trends of human rabies cases reported in SA for the period 2008 - 2018 remained largely the same as in previous reports. Dog-mediated rabies remains the main source of human rabies in SA.