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At least 433 records · Page 24Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

Biting rates and developmental substrates for biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Iquitos, Peru.

Biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) were collected at 16 periurban and rural sites around Iquitos, Peru, between 17 October 1996 and 26 May 1997. Culicoides paraensis (Goeldi), the principal vector of Oropouche virus, was the most commonly collected species (9,086 flies) with Culicoides insinuatus Wirth & Blanton second (7,229 flies). Although both species were collected at all sampling sites (linear (distance surveyed approximately 25 km), C. paraensis dominated at northern collection sites (> 90%), whereas C. insinuatus prevailed at southern collection sites (> 60%). C. paraensis were collected from human sentinels at a constant rate throughout daylight hours, at similar rates during wet and dry months, and regardless of rainfall. Larval developmental substrates for C. paraensis included decaying platano (Musa x paradisiaca L. [Musaceae]) stems, stumps, flowers, fruits, and debris beneath platano trees as well as from soil beneath a fruiting mamay (Syzygium malaccense Merr. & Perry [Myrtaceae] ) tree and organic-rich mud along a lake shoreline. C. insinuatus adults likewise emerged from decaying platano and organic-rich mud along a lake shoreline, but also from debris accumulated in the axils of aguaje (Mauritia flexuosa L. [Palmae]) fronds and decaying citrus fruit. Despite high numbers of biting adults near putative substrates, adults of neither species emerged from other decomposing plant material, soil, phytotelmata, or artificial containers. Because both species of biting midges emerged in high numbers from all parts of platano (ubiquitous in Iquitos), it will be challenging to control them through sanitation.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Evaluation of a sampling methodology for rapid assessment of Aedes aegypti infestation levels in Iquitos, Peru.

An epidemic of dengue during 2001 in Northwestern Peru reemphasized the need for efficient, accurate, and economical vector surveillance. Between November 1998 and January 1999, we carried out extensive entomological surveys in two neighborhoods of approximately 600 contiguous houses located in the Amazonian city of Iquitos, providing a unique opportunity to evaluate the Aedes aegypti (L.) rapid assessment survey strategy. Based on Pan American Health Organization recommendations, this strategy is used by the Peruvian Ministry of Health (MOH). In our analysis all household locations, including closed and unoccupied houses, were georeferenced and displayed in a geographic information system, which facilitated simulations of MOH surveys based on hypothetical systematic sampling transects. Larval, pupal, and adult mosquito indices were calculated for each simulation (n = 10) and compared with the indices calculated from the complete data set (n = 4). The range of indices calculated from simulations was moderately high, but included actual indices. For example, simulation ranges for house indices (HI, percentage of infested houses from complete survey) were 38-56% (45%), 36-42% (38%), 21-34% (30%), and 13-33% (27%) in four surveys. HI, Breteau index, pupae per hectare, adult index, and adults per hectare were more robust entomological indicators (coefficient of variation [CV]/mean = 0.1-2.9) than the container index, pupae per person, pupae per house, adults per person, and adults per house (CV/mean >20). Our results demonstrate that the MOH's Ae. aegypti risk assessment program provides reasonable estimates of indices based on samples from every house. However, it is critical that future studies investigate the association of these indices with rates of virus transmission to determine whether sampling variability will negatively impact the application of indices in a public health context.

Aedes↗
PubMed2004

Adult size and distribution of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) associated with larval habitats in Iquitos, Peru.

Adult mosquito size may be related to longevity, feeding frequency, and other factors that impact vectorial capacity. Various investigations have shown that characteristics of larval mosquito habitats influence adult size. We studied breeding container characteristics in relation to size and abundance of Aedes aegypti larvae and pupae in Iquitos, Peru, and compared these with the size of resulting adult females. During 22 May to 20 July 2000, immature mosquitoes were collected from 12,722 containers in 2,931 houses, of which 424 held > or =1 Ae. aegypti. A subsample of larvae and all 16,433 pupae detected was removed for study. Resting adult mosquitoes were also collected from the same houses as the immatures. Adult mosquito size was determined by measuring the wing lengths of 672 aspirated adults and 2,316 adult females that emerged from container-derived pupae. Immatures were most commonly found in rain-filled containers, located outside of houses, and without lids. The average wing length of females derived from pupae varied considerably (1.67-3.83 mm), with slightly less variation for females captured as adults (1.80-3.23 mm). Linear regression showed that average wing length of pupae-derived females was positively associated with presence of larvae, container-filling method, diameter of container, and density of females. Size of pupae-derived females was correlated with that of females captured in the same houses as adults. The geographic distribution of pupae and adults indicated that the spatial pattern for Ae. aegypti is heterogeneous, with areas of higher and lower abundance. These findings provide insight for more focused control efforts aimed at reducing Ae. aegypti-borne pathogens.

Aedes↗
PubMed2004

Temporal and geographic patterns of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) production in Iquitos, Peru.

Large-scale longitudinal cohort studies are necessary to characterize temporal and geographic variation in Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) production patterns and to develop targeted dengue control strategies that will reduce disease. We carried out pupal/demographic surveys in a circuit of approximately 6,000 houses, 10 separate times, between January 1999 and August 2002 in the Amazonian city of Iquitos, Peru. We quantified the number of containers positive for Ae. aegypti larvae and/or pupae, containers holding pupae, and the absolute number of pupae by 4-mo sampling circuits and spatially by geographic area by using a geographic information system developed for the city. A total of 289,941 water-holding containers were characterized, of which 7.3% were positive for Ae. aegypti. Temporal and geographic variations were detected for all variables examined, and the relative importance of different container types for production of Ae. aegypti was calculated. Ae. aegypti larvae and pupae were detected in 64 types of containers. Consistent production patterns were observed for the lid status (lids: 32% wet containers, 2% pupal production), container location (outdoor: 43% wet containers, 85% pupal production), and method by which the container was filled with water (rain filled: 15% wet containers, 88.3% pupal production); these patterns were consistent temporally and geographically. We describe a new container category (nontraditional) that includes transient puddles, which were rare but capable of producing large numbers of pupae. Because of high variable pupal counts, four container categories (large tank, medium storage, miscellaneous, and nontraditional) should be targeted in addition to outdoor rain-filled containers that are not covered by a lid. The utility of targeted Ae. aegypti control is discussed, as well as the ability to achieve control objectives based on published but untested threshold values.

Aedes↗
PubMed2005

Intraspecies genetic variability of Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale in commercial birds in Peru.

Strains of the bacterium Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT), a causal agent of respiratory diseases in birds, were microbiologically isolated, identified, and molecularly characterized. Blood-enriched culture media and biochemistry tests were used for microbiologic identification. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and repetitive extragenic palindromic PCR (rep-PCR) techniques were used for molecular identification and characterization, respectively, of the microorganism. ORT strains were isolated in enriched media from the trachea and air sacs of broilers, breeders, and layers from several geographic zones of Peru. Of the original 75 strains isolated from 75 clinical samples from which ORT was recovered during 1998-2000, 25 were selected for further study based on ORT as the primary pathogenic isolate (no other pathogens were detected). Selected isolates were molecularly identified and characterized by PCR using specific primers designed from the conserved zones of the 16S ribosomal genes. Primers used for the identification of ORT produced a specific fragment of 784 base pair (bp), which did not appear in Haemophilus paragallinarum or Pasteurella multocida, microorganisms with similar morphologic and biochemical characteristics that produce dinical signs identical to those of ORT. All 25 strains of ORT tested with rep-PCR had a genetic profile similar to that of ORT American Type Culture Collection 51463, indicating the presence of only one genotype in the ORT strains studied.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Arthropod and helminth parasites of the wild guinea pig, Cavia aperea, from the Andes and the cordillera in Peru, South America.

As part of an ongoing research project concerning the diversity and distribution of parasites of Caviidae in South America, 143 wild guinea pigs (Cavia aperea) were collected from 3 localities in the Andean Highlands of Peru. Samples were collected between November 1996 and May 1999 and included representatives of arthropods, nematodes, and trematodes. Seven species of arthropods: Leptopsylla segnis (27.3%), Tiamastus cavicola (6.9%), Gliricola porcelli (55.2%), Hoplopleura alata (6.9%), Polyplax spinulosa (12.6%), Myobia musculi (1.4%), and Eutrombicula bryanti (49.6%); 4 species of nematodes: Capillaria hepatica (6.9%), Graphidioides mazzai (18.8%), Trichuris gracilis (3.5%), and Paraspirudera uncinata (37%); and a single trematode, Fasciola hepatica (4.2%), were identified.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Fecal contamination of shanty town toddlers in households with non-corralled poultry, Lima, Peru.

We used direct observer techniques to measure the frequency with which toddler-aged children were contaminated by poultry feces in homes in a peri-urban shanty town in Lima, Peru. The mean number of fowl was 5.4 (SD 3.1), with 10.0 (SD 10.7) poultry defecations per 12 hours. Toddlers' hand contact with poultry feces occurred a mean of 2.9 (SD 3.0) times/12 hours. A mean of 3.9 (SD 4.6) feces-to-mouth episodes per household/12 hours occurred both by direct hand-to-mouth contamination and indirectly by handling soiled objects which were then placed in the mouth. There was a strong correlation between feces-to-hand contamination and feces-to-mouth contamination (r = 0.94). There was also an association between feces-to-mouth contamination and the number of stools deposited in the house (r = 0.66). For each additional chicken stool deposited during the day, there was an average increase of 0.27 in feces-to-mouth episodes. We collected feces from 68 infected chickens and found viable Campylobacter jejuni for up to 48 hours after deposition. Yet, a survey of 108 families demonstrated that free-roaming poultry were often not thought of as a health risk for children. An intervention program to reduce oral-fecal contamination should emphasize that all poultry be corralled and not allowed access into the house.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Costs and benefits of implementing child survival services at a private mining company in Peru.

Costs and savings of child health services were studied in a private mining company in Peru. Despite considerable outlays for medical services, few children under age 5 were vaccinated, and half of their illnesses went untreated. Children who were attended at the company clinic usually received unnecessary medication. As a result of the study, the company hired additional staff to provide integrated maternal-child preventive health care and family planning and contracted for intensive training and periodic on-site supervision. In less than 2 years, vaccination coverage reached 75%, and virtually all children under age 1 were enrolled in growth monitoring. Prescriptions were reduced by 24%, including a 67% drop in antimicrobials. The cost of the new services was $13,200 for the first 2 years. Approximately $6800 has been saved in pharmaceuticals prescribed for respiratory infection and diarrhea. Recently, two more mines adopted maternal and child health and family planning services. It is hoped that cost-benefit arguments will encourage other companies to incorporate aggressive child survival measures into their health plans.

Child Health Services↗
PubMed1996

Gender differences in sexual practices and sexually transmitted infections among adults in Lima, Peru.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the prevalences of antibodies to Treponema pallidum, Chlamydia trachomatis, and herpes simplex virus type 2 in a sample of Peruvian adults. METHODS: Among adults seeking health certification in Lima, Peru, 600 were randomly selected to undergo interviews and serologic testing. RESULTS: Men's reported mean lifetime number of partners (10.6) far exceeded women's (1.1), yet antibody to sexually transmitted infection pathogens among sexually experienced participants was 2.8 times more prevalent among women than among men. Among men, female sex workers accounted for 37% of recent partners, and only sex with female sex workers while using condoms less than half of the time was independently associated with antibody (odds ratio = 3.6, 95% confidence interval = 1.5, 8.8). among women, number of partners was associated with any sexually transmitted infection antibody, while intercourse before 18 years of age was associated with C trachomatis antibody. At every level of perceived risk, sexually transmitted infection antibody was more frequent among women. CONCLUSIONS: Men having unprotected sex with female sex workers had the greatest risk of acquiring infections and (by inference) of transmitting them to women.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Community environmental health assessment in Peru's desert hills and rainforest.

Peru's expanding population and rapid urbanization--a result of migration to its largest cities--have stressed the country's public services infrastructure and the provision of public health and environmental health services. In response, the Ministry of Health established the General Directorate of Environmental Health (DIGESA), the branch charged with assuring adequate environmental health services to populations in rural and urban areas. The magnitude of the environmental health problems in peri-urban settlements, however, has exceeded the capacity of DIGESA to respond. The Urban Environmental Health Project is an effort to develop the ability of local communities to address these problems

Community Health Planning↗
PubMed2004

Blood lead survey of children, pregnant women, professional drivers, street workers, and office workers in Trujillo, Peru.

In this pilot study, conducted in summer 2002, the authors measured blood lead levels (BLLs) for 118 subjects in the city of Trujillo, Peru, where leaded gasoline is in the process of being phased out. Subjects included bus drivers, combi (minivan) drivers, street vendors, newspaper vendors, traffic police, taxi drivers, gas station attendants, children living both near and distant from gas stations, pregnant women, and office workers (controls). The highest BLLs were 9.2 microg/dl and 9.3 microg/dl from a child who lived near a gas station and from a traffic policeman, respectively; however, all BLLs were below the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's advisory level of concern (10 microg/dl). Office workers (n = 8) and pregnant women (n = 36) had significantly lower BLLs (geometric mean +/- standard deviation = 2.1 +/- 0.7 microg/dl, p < 0.022; and 2.5 +/- 1.1 microg/dl, p < 0.008, respectively) than total traffic-exposed workers (n = 48; 3.2 +/- 1.8 microg/dl). BLLs of children living near gas stations (n = 17; 3.7 +/- 2.2 microg/dl) were marginally higher (p = 0.07) than for children not living near gas stations (n = 9; 2.9 +/- 1.1 microg/dl). The study was limited by small sample size and the fact that the data were based on a convenience sample not fully representative of the cohorts studied. Nevertheless, the authors' findings suggest that leaded gasoline use in Trujillo continues to affect BLLs in traffic-exposed populations.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Enzootic transmission of yellow fever virus in Peru.

The prevailing paradigm of yellow fever virus (YFV) ecology in South America is that of wandering epizootics. The virus is believed to move from place to place in epizootic waves involving monkeys and mosquitoes, rather than persistently circulating within particular locales. After a large outbreak of YFV illness in Peru in 1995, we used phylogenetic analyses of virus isolates to reexamine the hypothesis of virus movement. We sequenced a 670-nucleotide fragment of the prM/E gene region from 25 Peruvian YFV samples collected from 1977 to 1999, and delineated six clades representing the states (Departments) of Puno, Pasco, Junin, Ayacucho, San Martin/Huanuco, and Cusco. The concurrent appearance of at least four variants during the 1995 epidemic and the genetic stability of separate virus lineages over time indicate that Peruvian YFV is locally maintained and circulates continuously in discrete foci of enzootic transmission.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in HIV-infected persons, Peru.

During 1999 to 2000, we identified HIV-infected persons with new episodes of tuberculosis (TB) at 10 hospitals in Lima, Peru, and a random sample of other Lima residents with TB. Multidrug-resistant (MDR)-TB was documented in 35 (43%) of 81 HIV-positive patients and 38 (3.9%) of 965 patients who were HIV-negative or of unknown HIV status (p<0.001). HIV-positive patients with MDR-TB were concentrated at three hospitals that treat the greatest numbers of HIV-infected persons with TB. Of patients with TB, those with HIV infection differed from those without known HIV infection in having more frequent prior exposure to clinical services and more frequent previous TB therapy or prophylaxis. However, MDR-TB in HIV-infected patients was not associated with previous TB therapy or prophylaxis. MDR-TB is an ongoing problem in HIV-infected persons receiving care in public hospitals in Lima and Callao; they represent sentinel cases for a potentially larger epidemic of nosocomial MDR-TB.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Environmental exposure and leptospirosis, Peru.

Human infection by leptospires has highly variable clinical manifestations, which range from subclinical infection to fulminant disease. We conducted a population-based, cross-sectional seroepidemiologic study in Peru to determine potential relationships of environmental context to human exposure to Leptospira and disease associated with seroconversion. Three areas were studied: a flooded, urban slum in the Peruvian Amazon city of Iquitos; rural, peri-Iquitos villages; and a desert shantytown near Lima. Seroprevalence in Belen was 28% (182/650); in rural areas, 17% (52/316); and in a desert shantytown, 0.7% (1/150). Leptospira-infected peridomestic rats were found in all locales. In Belen, 20 (12.4%) of 161 patients seroconverted between dry and wet seasons (an incidence rate of 288/1,000). Seroconversion was associated with history of febrile illness; severe leptospirosis was not seen. Human exposure to Leptospira in the Iquitos region is high, likely related both to the ubiquity of leptospires in the environment and human behavior conducive to transmission from infected zoonotic sources.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Multidrug-resistant commensal Escherichia coli in children, Peru and Bolivia.

Using a rapid screening method, we investigated the prevalence of fecal carriage of antimicrobial drug-resistant Escherichia coli in 3,174 healthy children from 4 urban settings in Peru and Bolivia. High resistance rates were observed for ampicillin (95%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (94%), tetracycline (93%), streptomycin (82%), and chloramphenicol (70%). Lower resistance rates were observed for nalidixic acid (35%), kanamycin (28%), gentamicin (21%), and ciprofloxacin (18%); resistance to ceftriaxone and amikacin was uncommon (<0.5%). In a random sample of 1,080 resistant E. coli isolates, 90% exhibited a multidrug-resistance (MDR) phenotype. The 2 most common MDR phenotypes (ampicillin/tetracycline/trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and ampicillin/tetracycline/trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole/chloramphenicol) could be transferred en bloc in conjugation experiments. The most common acquired resistance genes were blaTEM, tet(A), tet(B), drfA8, sul1, sul2, and catI. These findings underscore the magnitude of the problem of antimicrobial drug resistance in low-resource settings and the urgent need for surveillance and control of this phenomenon.

Bolivia↗
PubMed2006

Periurban Trypanosoma cruzi-infected Triatoma infestans, Arequipa, Peru.

In Arequipa, Peru, vectorborne transmission of Chagas disease by Triatoma infestans has become an urban problem. We conducted an entomologic survey in a periurban community of Arequipa to identify risk factors for triatomine infestation and determinants of vector population densities. Of 374 households surveyed, triatomines were collected from 194 (52%), and Trypanosoma cruzi-carrying triatomines were collected from 72 (19.3%). Guinea pig pens were more likely than other animal enclosures to be infested and harbored 2.38x as many triatomines. Stacked brick and adobe enclosures were more likely to have triatomines, while wire mesh enclosures were protected against infestation. In human dwellings, only fully stuccoed rooms were protected against infestation. Spatially, households with triatomines were scattered, while households with T. cruzi-infected triatomines were clustered. Keeping small animals in wire mesh cages could facilitate control of T. infestans in this densely populated urban environment.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

The natural history of untreated HIV infection in Lima, Peru: implications for clinical trial endpoints for HIV vaccines.

Most candidate HIV vaccines are directed at priming memory T cell responses and are being evaluated on their effects on post acquisition viremia and/or disease progression. These vaccines are being studied in areas of high HIV-1 prevalence. As such, we evaluated the frequency of CD4+ T cell decline and time course of opportunistic infections of patients presenting at a major metropolitan hospital in Lima, Peru, an area where such candidate vaccines are being tested. We examined 92 patients with untreated HIV-1 in calendar year 2002: 35% presented with CD4+ T cell counts of <200, 25% between 201 and 400, and 17% with >400 cells/mm3, 30 of 92 patients presented with overt AIDS, 6 were without an AIDS defining OI but CD4 counts <200. Over the course of follow-up, CD4 count decreased by a mean of 31 cells/mm3/year in women and 28 in men (p>0.5). Among persons presenting with CD4 counts >250 cells/mm3, the median time to first OI was 3.5 years. If clinical endpoints are required to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of T cell based vaccines, extended clinical follow-up of subjects enrolled in such trials will be required.

AIDS Vaccines↗
PubMed1988

South American brugian filariasis: report of a human infection acquired in Peru.

A 27-year-old white woman from New York City acquired an infection by a Brugia species while she camped in the Amazon basin of Peru. She was infected by at least one adult male worm and one gravid female worm. Both worms were intact and in a lymphatic vessel of a right cervical lymph node. The lymph node and surrounding fibroadipose tissue contained many microfilariae. The male worm was 50 micron wide and the female, 100 micron. Both worms had thin (1 micron) cuticles with fine transverse striations. There were 3 to 4 somatic muscle cells per quadrant. Microfilariae had tails characteristic of the genus Brugia. Although specific identification was not possible from the available material, the worm closely resembled Brugia guyanensis, a parasite of the coatimundi (Nasua nasua) and the only species of Brugia known in South America.

Adult↗