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Between May and August 1995, 5 patients in a bone marrow transplantation (BMT) ward developed bacteremia caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistant to tobramycin (TRPA). Previously, isolates of TRPA had been limited to patients who were treated in 1 intensive care unit (ICU) of this tertiary care teaching hospital in Helsinki, Finland. To study whether the outbreak was caused by a single or multiple strains of P. aeruginosa, 102 isolates of TRPA from clinical samples obtained from different hospital units and 22 isolates obtained from the hospital environment were characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. All isolates from hematological patients produced 1 unique fragment pattern, which was also isolated from 3 ICU patients before the BMT ward outbreak began as well as from 5 shower heads in the BMT ward. The outbreak in the BMT ward was successfully controlled by eradicating the probable environmental source – contaminated hand showers – but the endemic infections continued in the ICU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Encephalitis has been described as a rare complication of pandemic 2009 (H1N1) influenza A infection in children and adolescents. This report is on two adult patients who presented with encephalitis in relation to acute H1N1 influenza. Encephalitis is therefore also a potential complication of pandemic 2009 (H1N1) influenza infection in adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Botulism is a rare but potentially life-threatening disease caused by Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin. In Finland only a few cases have been diagnosed during the past ten years but mild cases may be underdiagnosed. The diagnosis of botulism is clinical. Patients present with weakness in muscles innervated by the cranial nerves. In more severe cases the paralysis gradually progresses in a descending order and may affect respiratory muscles leading to mechanical ventilation. Routine laboratory tests or radiology are unhelpful in initial diagnostics. A practicing physician should administrate botulinum antitoxin immediately when food-borne botulism is suspected since it may be life-saving.

Rabies is a mammalian zoonosis caused by a virus belonging to the family of rhabdoviruses. In Finland, the risk of rabies is associated with imported animals and traveling. We describe the second case of human rabies diagnosed in Finland. Strong hydrophobia was present in the initial phase of the disease. The patient had encephalomyelitis, and he died 11 days after the onset of symptoms. Diagnosis was confirmed by RT-PCR using Saliva. Rabies infection leads invariably to death, but can. be prevented after the exposure with vaccine and immunoglobulin therapy.

Introduction: In the Finnish folklore, the time from June 23 to August 23 has been called "rotten month" (dog days), whereupon wound healing is delayed due to infections., Patients and Methods: A retrospective comparison was made of surgical infections entered in the infections register at Töölö hospital over the dog days of 2002 to 2005., Results: Of 49517 surgical operations, 8 % were performed during dog days, during which the number of contaminated and infected surgeries was higher., Conclusions: The risk of deep surgery wound infection of organ infection during dog days is two times higher than at other times.