Measles outbreak after a post-honeymoon period in Mongolia, 2001.
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In spite of the routine 2-dose vaccination and three recent supplemental immunizations, Mongolia experienced a measles outbreak in 2001, the largest epidemic in the country since 1984. The majority of cases were reported in the capital city, and the disease incidence was higher in infants and adolescents than in other age groups. Young adults who received the immunization only once may have low immunity, and may be exposed to the virus most frequently. Immunization strategies such as the age range that is targeted for vaccination and the interval between supplemental immunizations should be based on reasonable epidemiological observations. (+info)
Taeniasis in Mongolia, 2002-2006.
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Survey on secondary data of taeniasis/cysticercosis was carried out in Mongolia in 2002-2006. A total of 118 taeniid proglottids, a diphyllobothriid segment, and 59 serum samples from 118 taeniasis cases were collected at National Center for Communicable Diseases, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. In 2006, 14 serum samples were collected from local people who had histories of epileptic seizures in Selenge Province where pig husbandry was the main business. The 118 proglottids were confirmed to be Taenia saginata by mitochondrial DNA analysis using cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 and cytochrome b genes. T. saginata taeniasis was widely distributed at least in 10 of 21 provinces. No variation in the nucleotide sequences of the two genes was observed among T. saginata isolates from Mongolia. There was no evidence of Taenia solium taeniasis/cysticercosis or Taenia asiatica taeniasis. A diphyllobothriid segment was confirmed to be Diphyllobothrium latum by mitochondrial DNA analysis. (+info)
Apolipoprotein E gene polymorphism in the Mongolian population.
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Apolipoprotein E plays a key role in the regulation of lipid metabolism. ApoE function is determined by the presence of three common alleles (epsilon2, epsilon3, epsilon4). The apo epsilon3 allele is the most prevalent, apo epsilon2 is associated with dysbetalipoproteinaemia, and apo epsilon4 is frequently associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular and Alzheimer's diseases. Mongolian population has a high rate of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity and there might be genetic susceptibility of the population to cardiovascular disease. The aim of our study was to establish the frequency of apoE genotypes in 744 Mongolian subjects and to compare the results with findings from other Asian populations. The apo E sequence was amplified using polymerase chain reaction and apo E genotyping was performed by restriction enzyme cleavage with CfoI. The relative apoE allele frequencies were epsilon2 = 3.7%, epsilon3 = 80.8%, and epsilon4 = 15.5%, the genotype frequencies were epsilon2/epsilon2 = 0% (N = 0), epsilon2/epsilon3 = 5.7% (N = 42), epsilon2/epsilon4 = 1.7% (N = 13), epsilon3/epsilon3 = 65.3% (N = 486), epsilon3/epsilon4 = 25.4% (N = 189), epsilon4/epsilon4 = 1.9% (N = 14); the occurrence of the risk epsilon4 allele in Mongolia is among the highest in Asia. The high frequency of the apo epsilon4 allele may increase the susceptibility of Mongolian population to cardiovascular diseases. (+info)
A basal dromaeosaurid and size evolution preceding avian flight.
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Fossil evidence for changes in dinosaurs near the lineage leading to birds and the origin of flight has been sparse. A dinosaur from Mongolia represents the basal divergence within Dromaeosauridae. The taxon's small body size and phylogenetic position imply that extreme miniaturization was ancestral for Paraves (the clade including Avialae, Troodontidae, and Dromaeosauridae), phylogenetically earlier than where flight evolution is strongly inferred. In contrast to the sustained small body sizes among avialans throughout the Cretaceous Period, the two dinosaurian lineages most closely related to birds, dromaeosaurids and troodontids, underwent four independent events of gigantism, and in some lineages size increased by nearly three orders of magnitude. Thus, change in theropod body size leading to flight's origin was not unidirectional. (+info)
Relationships among running performance, aerobic physiology and organ mass in male Mongolian gerbils.
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Relationships among individual variation in exercise capacity, resting metabolism and morphology may offer insights into the mechanistic basis of whole-animal performance, including possible performance trade-offs (e.g. burst versus sustainable exercise, resting ;maintenance' costs versus maximal power output). Although there have been several studies of correlations between performance, metabolism and morphology in fish, birds and squamate reptiles, relatively little work has been done with mammals. We measured several aspects of forced and voluntary locomotor performance in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus), along with minimal and maximal aerobic metabolic rates and organ sizes (mainly visceral organs and the musculoskeletal system). Maximal sprint and aerobic speeds and maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max)) during forced exercise were similar to those of other small rodents; basal metabolic rate was below allometric predictions. At all tested speeds, voluntary running had a lower energy cost than forced treadmill running, due primarily to a higher zero-speed intercept of the speed-versus-power (oxygen consumption) relationship during forced running. Incremental costs of transport (slopes of speed-versus-power regressions) were slightly higher during voluntary exercise. Few of the correlations among performance variables, or between performance and organ morphology, were statistically significant. These results are consistent with many other studies that found weak correlations between organismal performance (e.g. VO2max)) and putatively relevant subordinate traits, thus supporting the idea that some components within a functional system may exhibit excess capacity at various points in the evolutionary history of a population, while others constitute limiting factors. (+info)
Prevalence and determinants of adolescent cigarette smoking in Mongolia.
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INTRODUCTION: Cigarette smoking is the single most important risk factor for non-communicable chronic medical conditions. Estimating the prevalence of cigarette smoking and its determinants will aid in the design, implementation and evaluation of public health interventions. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence and determinants of smoking among school-going adolescents in Mongolia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using standardised methodology was conducted among school-going adolescents in 2003 in Mongolia. RESULTS: 4,105 adolescents (mean age 14.1 years, standard deviation 0.8 year) participated in the study. Approximately 55 percent were females, 30.4 percent of the study population was 15 years old, 63.5 percent had never smoked and 93.2 percent perceived tobacco as harmful. About 58 percent had parents, and 52 percent had friends, who were smokers. The prevalence of current cigarette smoking was 9.2 percent; 15.4 percent among males versus 4.4 percent among females. Cigarette smoking was associated with the male gender, parental and peer influence and having spending power. The perception that smoking was harmful to health was associated with lower odds of smoking. CONCLUSION: Cigarette smoking is prevalent among school-going adolescents in Mongolia. There is a need to implement public health interventions, with special attention to the determinants of smoking in this age group. (+info)
Effects of vitamin D fortified milk on vitamin D status in Mongolian school age children.
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Mongolians are at high risk for vitamin D deficiency because of their residence at northern latitude, reduced exposure to UV-B rays during the winter months, and a low availability of vitamin-D fortified foods. We performed a pilot study in May 2005 to estimate the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in Mongolian school age children and to determine the feasibility of conducting a longer and larger trial with fortified milk and vitamin D supplements. In a group of 46 Mongolian children (22 girls and 24 boys) aged 9-11 years, 76% (35) had levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) below 50 nmol/L (20 ng/mL) and 32% had levels below 37 nmol/L (15 ng/mL). After a month of consuming 710 ml of vitamin D-fortified (total 300 IU or 7.5 microg) milk daily, only 3 of the children were below 50 nmol/L (20 ng/mL) and none below 37 nmol/L (15 ng/mL). These results reveal prevalent and serious 25(OH)D deficiency among Mongolian prepubertal school age children that appears to be ameliorated by a month of consuming approximately 7.5 microg of vitamin D3 in fortified milk. (+info)
Heterotrophic denitrification at extremely high salt and pH by haloalkaliphilic Gammaproteobacteria from hypersaline soda lakes.
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