Data from the 1997–2004 Surveys of Prevalent HIV Infections Diagnosed were analysed by three geographical areas of residence and treatment to describe the heterogeneous growth of the HIV epidemic in England and provide projections to 2007. Between 1997 and 2004, the number of diagnosed HIV-infected adults resident in England increased by 163% (14223 to 37459). Within the ‘London environs’ the increase was 360% (742 to 3411), within the rest of England 219% (4417 to 14088) and within London 120% (9064 to 19960). By 2004, the London environs had the largest proportion of infections acquired through heterosexual sex (and in particular women) and the most recently diagnosed population. Projections indicate over half of diagnosed HIV-infected adults will live outside London by 2007. The epidemiology of diagnosed HIV infection within the London environs is likely to be a predictor of future trends in England overall.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection produces more severe disease and increased hospitalization rates in high-risk babies. The monoclonal antibody palivizumab offers protection against complications, and the first of five monthly doses should be administered before the onset of community RSV activity. However, the required real-time prediction of this onset is problematic. We attempted to identify seasonal RSV patterns by retrospectively examining 10 years of laboratory reports for RSV and clinical episode reports for certain respiratory presentations in both primary and secondary care. Analysis of hospital laboratory reports, incidence of acute bronchitis in primary care, and hospital admissions for acute bronchitis and bronchiolitis in young children revealed a consistent increase in RSV activity during week 43 each year. Promptly commencing prophylaxis during the second week of each October (week 42) would precede the onset of the RSV season in the United Kingdom, and provide coverage until its decline in mid-March.

Notifications of campylobacteriosis by New Zealand medical practitioners have increased steadily in the last two decades. To determine if this increase is real, as opposed to a surveillance artefact, we examined both available notification (1980–2003) and hospitalization data (1995–2003). The similarity in the temporal pattern of increasing hospitalizations for campylobacteriosis, with that of notifications, is suggestive that this increase is indeed real. Although some risk factors for this disease have been identified (e.g. uncooked poultry consumption) it is unclear what the likely causes of the increasing rates are. The overall disease burden is also high compared with other developed countries (an annual notification rate of 396 cases per 100000 population in 2003), with highest rates in children aged 1–4 years, males, Europeans, and those living in urban areas. Given the large disease burden, further research and intervention studies should be public health priorities in this country.

CYP2C19 polymorphisms and smoking influence the efficacy of H. pylori eradication therapy, but interaction between the two have hitherto not been examined. A total of 142 H. pylori-positive patients who received triple drug therapy with lansoprazole, amoxicillin and clarithromycin were categorized into three groups with regard to diplotypes of CYP2C19: homozygous extensive metabolizer (homEM), heterozygous EM (hetEM), and poor metabolizer (PM). The overall success rate was 61·3%. Smoking was an independent risk factor of eradication failure (OR 2·81, 95% CI 1·14–6·91), whereas CYP2C19 polymorphisms were less influential. Among non-smokers, the homEM and hetEM groups showed worse eradication rates (58·5 and 67·3%) relative to PM (76·2%) as expected; however, an opposite trend was observed among smokers (homEM 50·0%, hetEM 46·7%, PM 20·0%), indicating possible interactions with CYP2C19 polymorphisms. Smoking has a greater influence on H. pylori eradication than the CYP2C19 genotype. Interaction between smoking and CYP2C19 should be examined in the future.