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There is interest in the paradigm that relates environmental sea changes to the emergence of diseases that affect both aquatic organisms in the sea and human beings. The emergence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus as an important cause of epidemic summer diarrhea in 2004 and 2005, confined mainly to the tenth region in Chile, could be a manifestation of this trend. This and other areas of the country have also experienced several outbreaks of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), diarrheal shellfish poisoning (DSP) and amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP) caused by harmful algal blooms (HAB) of Alexandrium catenella, Dinophysis acuta and Pseudonitzchia species, respectively. The short historical record of these pathological phenomena in Chile suggests that they are increasing in frequency and expanding their geographical range. The V parahaemolyticus isolates responsible for the Chilean outbreaks correspond mainly to the pandemic strain O3:K6. HAB found in Chile and the intoxications caused by them have similar biological characteristics to those described in other areas of the world. The tenth region, the area where these problems are emerging, produces approximately 80-90% of the shellfish consumed in Chile and a large proportion of the shellfish that is exported. Prevention of these public health problems can be attained by developing policies that increase environmental surveillance for Vibrios and toxic algae, improve the epidemiological surveillance of acute diarrhea and algal intoxications after the ingestion of raw bivalves, and educate the population on the mode of transmission of these diseases. Scientific capacity and laboratories need to be developed to widen the limited knowledge of the biology of Vibrio and toxic algae and the environmental factors that favor their emergence as public health and economic problems in Chile.

Saccharomyces boulardii es una levadura recomendada para la prevención y el tratamiento de la diarrea. Se presentan los resultados de la comparación de la actividad relativa de varias presentaciones de esta levadura disponibles en Chile. La comparación se realizó midiendo: i) la rapidez de crecimiento en el producto suspendido en un medio de cultivo y ii) el número de células vivas después de re-hidratar los productos. En las diferentes experiencias, la presentación Perenteryl® mostró un crecimiento más rápido, alcanzando los valores máximos de concentración de células alrededor de tres a cinco horas antes que los otros productos. Aunque el número total de células fue prácticamente igual en todas las presentaciones, el número de células vivas fue muy superior en las presentaciones Perenteryl® Saccharomyces boulardii is a yeast employed in the treatment of diarrhea. We present here the results of a study measuring the relative activity of this yeast in four different formulations available in Chile. The activity was assessed by determining both the number of live cells after re-hydrating the products and the growth observed in the product suspended in culture medium. In each experience the product Perenteryl® showed a faster growth, reaching maximum cell density values three to five hours earlier that the other products. Though the total number of cells was practically the same in each product, the number of live cells was larger in the product Perenteryl®