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PubMed2004

Overview of the Social Transition in the North project 1995- 1998.

OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the overall aims and design of the Social Transitions in the North study. The objective of the STN study was to assess how epidemiological, demographic and domestic changes have affected Northern communities. STUDY DESIGN: Sixteen communities in the Russian Far East and Alaska were compared. Survey data were collected in three phases with a response rate of 70%. METHODS: The experiences of indigenous peoples with demographic, epidemiological and domestic changes were measured using forced-choice questionnaires, focus groups, oral histories, protocol interviews, interviews with institutional informants, genealogies and analysis of secondary data. RESULTS: The principal researchers died during a boating accident before the analysis phase. Alaska researchers were asked to review the data for utility. CONCLUSIONS: The STN data was developed using rigorous cross-cultural research team. It was be used by social science researchers and others to better understand the impact of rapid changes in the Arctic.

Alaska↗
PubMed2004

The preliminary assessment of the Social Transition in the North dataset: a comparison of STN survey and enumeration data for selected Northwest Alaskan communities.

OBJECTIVE: This study compared the results from STN survey data with a mailback health study of the same communities to assess the reliability of the STN data. STUDY DESIGN. Sample characteristics and respondes to health questions were compared through secondary data analysis. Data from the STN sample was compared to an enumeration study for the same or similar questions, including demographic characteristics and health status indicators, were compared. METHODS: The STN study used the sample of 715 households in 18 Alaskan and Russian Far East communities to obtain data on the demographic transition, epidemiological transition and domestic transition of residents in northern communities. A study of the health and human service needs was conducted in Northwest Alaska using a mailback health questionnaire within a few years of the STN study. RESULTS: Both data sets appear to be taken from similar populations. Responses to health questions show marked similarities. CONCLUSION: The comparison strongly suggests that the STN data is representative of northern Alaska communities surveyed and can be a valuable source of reliable data on the health and welfare of northern communities. The data on the self-reported prevalence of health conditions may not be useful at the community level.

Alaska↗
PubMed2005

Antibody levels and protection after hepatitis B vaccination: results of a 15-year follow-up.

BACKGROUND: The duration of protection afforded by hepatitis B vaccination is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To determine antibody persistence and protection from hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: 15 villages in southwest Alaska. PARTICIPANTS: 1578 Alaska Natives vaccinated at age 6 months or older. INTERVENTION: During 1981-1982, participants received 3 doses of plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine. This cohort was followed annually over the first 11 years, and 841 (53%) persons were tested at 15 years. MEASUREMENTS: Antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs), markers of HBV infection, and testing to identify HBV variants. RESULTS: Levels of anti-HBs in the cohort decreased from a geometric mean concentration of 822 mIU/mL after vaccination to 27 mIU/mL at 15 years. Initial anti-HBs level, older age at vaccination, and male sex were associated with persistence of higher anti-HBs levels at 15 years when analyzed by a longitudinal linear mixed model. After adjustment for initial anti-HBs level and sex, those vaccinated at age 6 months to 4 years had the lowest anti-HBs level at 15 years. Asymptomatic breakthrough infections were detected in 16 participants and occurred more frequently in persons who did not respond to vaccination than those who responded (P = 0.01). Among infected persons with viremia, 2 were infected with wild-type HBV and 4 had HBV surface glycoprotein variants, generally accompanied by wild-type HBV. LIMITATIONS: The loss of participants to follow-up at 15 years was 47%. However, characteristics of persons tested were similar to those of persons lost to follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Hepatitis B vaccination strongly protected against infection for at least 15 years in all age groups. Antibody levels decreased the most among persons immunized at 4 years of age or younger.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Further observations on rangiferine brucellosis in Alaskan carnivores.

Antibodies against rangiferine brucellosis, Brucella suis type 4, are commonly found in the serum of various domestic and wild alaskian carnivores which feed on caribou, Rangifer tarandus granti, arctic Alaska. Sled dogs from five native villages on the range of the Artic caribou herd, but not from two villages on the the range of the Porcupine caribou herd, are commonly infected. Wolves (Canis lupus) and red foxes (Vulpes fulva) are less commonly infected. About 90% of the grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) associated with the Artic caribou herd and 30% of those associated with the porcupine caribou herd show serologic signs of exposure to Brucella, presumalby the enzootic strain present in Alaska caribou. This is the first evidence of natural Brucella infection in bears. It is concluded that infection of predators by enzootic strains of Brucella present in prey species (e.g., ruminants) is common to many areas of the world. Evidence from the literature and unpublished experimental data suggest that such infections may intefere with reproduction in wild species, but additional study is needed to clearly resolve this question.

Agglutination Tests↗
PubMed1984

Helminth fauna of sandhill crane populations in Texas.

Three species of trematode [Orchipedium jolliei Schell, 1967; Prohyptiamus grusi Kocan, Waldrup, Ramakka, and Iverson, 1982; Echinostoma revolutum (Froelich, 1802)], three species of nematode (Tetrameres grusi Shumakovich, 1946; Synhimanthus sp.; Contracaecum sp.), and one species of cestode (Anomotaenia sp.) were recovered from 146 sandhill cranes, Grus canadensis (Linnaeus), collected in Alaska, Canada, and two areas in Texas. The only common and abundant species were O. jolliei and T grusi. Of cranes collected in Texas, those that came from the Canadian breeding grounds had significantly greater abundances of O. jolliei and T. grusi than those from Alaska. However, cluster analysis using rank abundances of helminth species across the four geographic regions and stepwise multiple discriminant analysis using the grouping variable of the presence or absence of a subspecies-specific pancreatic protein indicated that classification of cranes into populations based on helminth abundances was impractical as a management technique.

Alaska↗
PubMed1991

Blood parasites of blue grouse (Dendragapus Obscurus) in western North America.

Three hundred thirty-three blue grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) were examined for blood parasites from 11 sites: southern Yukon Territory, southeast coastal Alaska, northern and central interior British Columbia, south coastal British Columbia, northcentral Washington, southcentral Oregon, northwestern California, eastcentral Nevada, northwestern Colorado, and westcentral Montana. Three species of protozoan parasites (Leucocytozoon lovati, Haemoproteus mansoni, Trypanosoma avium) and a splendidofilariid nematode (Microfilaria sp. B) were found in nearly all locations. Prevalence levels were consistently high for L. lovati (92%). The other hematozoa were found less frequently (H. mansoni 29%; T. avium 46%; and microfilaria 29%). The range of these parasites in blue grouse was extended to a more northern (Yukon Territory) and more southern distribution (Nevada than previously reported. Ranges were also extended to blue grouse populations in Alaska, Washington, Oregon and California.

Alaska↗
PubMed1996

Antibody responses to Psoroptes sp. mites in Dall sheep (Ovis dalli).

We determined that antibody responses to Psoroptes sp. mites were not present in 403 of 407 sera samples collected opportunistically from 1979 through 1991 from Dall sheep (Ovis dalli) from five locations in Alaska, USA (Eastern Arctic, n = 61; Central Arctic, n = 15; Western Interior, n = 122; Central Interior, n = 63; Eastern Interior, n = 146). Test values for four samples exceeded the positive cutoff value for the immunoassay, but exposure to mites could not be confirmed since the 95% confidence interval for true prevalence ranged from 0 to 2.3%. Therefore, we concluded that these were probably false positive results. Our analysis, coupled with the lack of previous reports of mites or lesions in Dall sheep or other Alaskan ungulates, provided indirect evidence that Psoroptes sp. are not enzootic in Dall sheep in Alaska. In contrast, Psoroptes sp. have been reported in bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) and other wild ungulate populations from southern Canada to Mexico. These findings are compatible with the hypothesis that Psoroptes sp. were introduced into North America with imported domestic sheep and were not introduced by ancestral wild sheep.

Alaska↗
PubMed1999

Use of western immunoblot analysis for testing moose serum for Brucella suis biovar 4 specific antibodies.

To determine if 12 moose (Alces alces) from northern Alaska with agglutinating antibodies specific for Brucella spp. had been exposed to either B. suis biovar 4 or B. abortus biovar 1, western immnnoblot serologic analysis was performed. Differential serologic responses to strain specific A and M antigenic variances of the lipopolysaccharide O-polysaccharide sugar allowed strain identification. Prior to examination, test sera were absorbed with killed whole cells from either B. abortus biovar 1, containing predominately A antigen (A+ M-); B. melitensis biovar 1, containing essentially M antigen (A- M+); or B. suis biovar 4, containing both antigenic tyes (A+ M+). The resulting sera were then examined by western immunoblot for recognition of either B. abortus biovar 1, B. melitensis biovar 1, or B. suis biovar 4 cell lysates. The results of this study indicate that these moose were exposed to B. suis biovar 4, a known pathogen of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) from arctic Alaska.

Agglutination Tests↗
PubMed2001

New host and geographic records for two protostrongylids in Dall's sheep.

Biodiversity survey and inventory have resulted in new information on the distribution of Protostrongylidae in Dall's sheep (Ovis dalli dalli) from the Northwest Territories (NT, Canada) and from Alaska (AK, USA). In 1998, Parelaphostrongylus odocoilei adults were found for the first time in the skeletal muscles of Dall's sheep in the Mackenzie Mountains (NT). Adult P. odocoilei were associated with petechial and ecchymotic hemorrhages and localized myositis; eggs and larvae in the lungs were associated with diffuse granulomatous pneumonia. Experimental infections of the slugs Deroceras laeve and Deroceras reticulatum with dorsal-spined first-stage larvae assumed to be P. odocoilei, from ground-collected feces from Dall's sheep in the Mackenzie Mountains, yielded third-stage larvae by at least 28 (in D. laeve) and 48 (in D. reticulatum) days post-infection. Third-stage larvae emerged from D. laeve between days 19 and 46 post-infection and emergence occurred both at room temperature and at 10 to 12 C. Protostrongylus stilesi were definitively identified from the lungs of Dall's sheep collected in the Mackenzie Mountains, NT in 1998. Specimens collected from sheep in the Mackenzie Mountains, NT in 1971-72, and the Alaska Range, AK in 1972 were also confirmed as P. stilesi. Lung pathology associated with adults, eggs, and larvae of P. stilesi was similar to that described in bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis). Concurrent infections with P. odocoilei and P. stilesi in a single host have not been previously reported.

Alaska↗
PubMed1998

Arterial calcification as a marker for atherosclerosis in three Arctic populations.

Accumulation of calcification in the arterial wall in the course of the atherogenic process is considered to be a manifestation of advanced atherosclerosis. In this study of autopsy specimens from Alaska non-Natives, Alaska Natives, and Greenland Natives, comparisons were made of the prevalence and extent of arterial calcification with that of all raised (advanced) lesions in the thoracic aorta, abdominal aorta, right coronary artery, and left anterior descending coronary artery, to determine the degree to which calcified lesions track the development of advanced lesions. Calcification was determined quantitatively from radiograph images of the fixed specimens; advanced lesion data on these specimens were available from prior studies. Findings show that the prevalence and extent of calcified lesions closely follows the pattern of prevalence and extent of advanced lesions among the groups. We conclude that calcification is a good marker for comparisons of the prevalence and may also provide a good measure of the extent of atherosclerosis in these populations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Cultural concerns regarding contaminants in Alaskan local foods.

Indigenous people of Alaska, who depend in many ways on foods which they obtain locally by hunting, fishing, and gathering, have raised concerns about the changing quality of their foods in light of confirmation of the long-range transport of global pollutants. A review of a variety of parallel research efforts has shown little consistency in practice, no clear evaluation of exposure levels through dietary surveys on a broad scale, and no comprehensive educational effort to inform the general public of the changing levels of pollutants in local foods. Nor has there been adequate communication regarding the source of the contamination, whether natural contaminants or anthropogenic pollution. Alaska Native cultural issues that contribute to the risk perception of a health problem inherent in eating a traditional diet that is showing signs of increasing levels of pollution, no matter how small, must be considered in any recommendations regarding locally obtained foods and in public health efforts. Recommended cross-cultural communication methods should be employed in dealing with topics of high community concern.

Alaska↗
PubMed1992

Method for evaluating and establishing reimbursement rates for health care services authorized under the Indian Health Service contract health services regulations--selected IHS sites--IHS. Addition of sites to the IHS pilot project.

The Indian Health Service (IHS) issues this notice to inform the public that additional sites will be added to the IHS Pilot Project now being conducted in the Portland Area. This Pilot Project is to determine whether an alternative method of evaluating and establishing reimbursement rates for contract health services (CHS) will result in greater participation and lower cost to the IHS. The additional sites include the Alaska Native Medical Center and other selected locations within the Alaska Area IHS; the metropolitan Billings, Montana vicinity and other selected locations within the Billings Area IHS; and the Cherokee Service Unit, within the Nashville Area IHS.

Alaska↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Regional health assessment relating to mercury content of fish caught in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta rivers system.

Seven species of fish were surveyed for muscle tissue mercury content across a broad area of western Alaska. Total mercury levels were determined by cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectroscopy in 66 fish sampled during 1997. Methylmercury in sampled fish amounted to 97 to 100% of total mercury values. Using mercury consumption risk levels derived from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency hazard assessment models, mean total mercury was determined to be above the human critical value of 0.2 g/g (ppm) in 29% of the fish species, and 62% of the fish species contained mercury exceeding the wildlife critical value for piscivorous mammals. Overall, 24% of the fish exceed the critical value for human consumption and 58% the wildlife critical value. Similarly 31% of sites sampled exceeded the human consumption critical value. Based on the mean of all fish sampled and a small number of river otters, a biomagnification factor of 12 was calculated for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Region of Alaska.

Alaska↗
PubMed1999

One year in an Alaskan arthritis clinic.

During 1997 visits were made by 852 individuals to an arthritis clinic in Alaska serving predominantly Alaska Natives. Three hundred twenty- seven of these were seen for the first time. The ratio of women to men was 3:1. Rheumatoid Arthritis was the most common arthritic condition seen, followed by Degenerative Joint Disease and Spondyloarthropathies. Three hundred five Tlingit and 246 Eskimo made up 65% of the patients seen that year. Methotrexate was the most frequently used Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drug but the other such drugs were prescribed as well. Recording demographic and clinical information on a portable computer at the time of visit provided record linkage and the data for this report and was used in Health Care Planning.

Alaska↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Training injury control practitioners: the Indian Health Service model.

Many individuals practicing injury control have not received specific training for their work, in large part because of a scarcity of training opportunities. Consistent with its mission of "raising the health status of American Indian and Alaska Native people to the highest possible level," the Indian Health Service (IHS) created an innovative training program for federal and tribal employees. The model emphasizes training that is practical and can be applied immediately to community interventions. Many features of the IHS training model have broad applicability to other settings. These features include the use of experiential instruction, preceptors, and community case studies to train individuals from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds; educational strategies for employed adults; and courses that promote community empowerment. The development of IHS training courses are guided by community input, epidemiological data, advances in knowledge, and program evaluations. Courses range from a half-day "minicourse" to a full-year fellowship program. The success of the training model is evident in programs instituted by IHS Injury Prevention Specialist Fellowship graduates, whose projects have ranged from drowning prevention in Alaska to fire safety in North Dakota. The IHS training model could be applied in a variety of other community-based settings, but it is most relevant to programs that train individuals from diverse backgrounds who are not full-time students and programs that make community needs an organizational priority.

Accident Prevention↗
PubMed1992

Injuries in the Alaskan Arctic.

In recent years, the State of Alaska has developed a Trauma Registry data collection system on injuries which result in hospitalization or death. All 25 acute care hospitals in Alaska have agreed to participate in this Trauma Registry. Data are presented from this registry on injuries which occurred between March 1988 and December 31, 1990 in the North Slope Borough, the Northwest Arctic Borough, and the Norton Sound Region. Causes of death and serious injury are presented and comparisons made among regions and between Natives (primarily Inupiat Eskimos) and non-Natives. Use of firearms accounted for the majority of fatalities (32%), while falls were the most reported injury (19%). Trauma Registry Data can be used to target high risk groups and activities for the development and evaluation of prevention programs. This database also is used for quality assurance reviews of patient care and outcomes.

Alaska↗
PubMed1991

Health attitudes and behaviours of Native Alaskans.

Health attitudes and behaviours were determined for residents of Western Alaska in a survey administered during the winter of 1988-89. One third of the villages in this region were randomly selected for inclusion in he study and one in three households in these villages were randomly selected to be interviewed. Bilingual interviewers successfully completed questionnaires for 477 households (77%). The vast majority of the sample population believed that a balanced diet, weight control, regular physical exercise, stress avoidance, regular medical attention and cessation of smoking and excessive drinking were important to health. Nevertheless 41% of respondents did not deny smoking, and 50% of these did not believe smoking cessation was important for health. Similarly, 34% of the population did not deny heavy drinking, and 38% of them did not think it was important to stop. When those who did not deny smoking were asked if they had tried to stop, 36% said they did not try. Of those who did not deny drinking heavily, 26% did not try to stop. Western Alaska has high rates of alcohol-related health problems and growing rates of tobacco-related diseases. The attitudes and behaviours with respect to alcohol and tobacco use exhibited in this study suggest a great need for health education and promotion activities directed at these habits.

Alaska↗
PubMed1992

Digital dermatoglyphic patterns of Eskimo and Amerindian populations: relationships between geographic, dermatoglyphic, genetic, and linguistic distances.

Dermatoglyphic traits have been used to assess population affinities and structure. Here, we describe the digital patterns of four Eskimo populations from Alaska: two Yupik-speaking villages from St. Lawrence Island and two Inupik groups presently residing on mainland Alaska. For a broader evolutionary perspective, these four Eskimo populations are compared to other Inuit groups, to North American Indian populations, and to Siberian aggregates. The genetic structures of 18 New and Old World populations were explored using R-matrix plots and Wright's FST values. The relationships between dermatoglyphic, blood genetic, geographic, and linguistic distances were assessed by comparing matrices through Mantel correlations and through partial and multiple correlations. Statistically significant relationships between dermatoglyphics and genetics, genetics and geography, and geography and language were revealed. In addition, significant correlations between dermatoglyphics and geography, with linguistic variation constant, were noted for females but not for males. These results attest to the usefulness of dermatoglyphics in resolving various evolutionary questions concerning normal human variation.

Alaska↗