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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Cancer mortality in Cuba and among the Cuban-born in the United States: 1979-81.

The Cuban-born population of the United States, enumerated at 608,000 in the 1980 census, has been little studied with regard to cancer mortality. Being older and rarely migrating back to Cuba, Cuban Americans present a good subject for comparative cancer mortality. Age-adjusted death rates for selected causes of cancer are compared in this paper for Cubans in Cuba, the Cuban-born in the United States, and all whites in the United States. Two forms of cancer have been of particular concern in Cuba, cancer of the lung and cancer of the prostate, because of their relatively high death rates. The age-adjusted death rates for both of these cancers are lower among the Cuban-born in the United States than they are among Cubans in Cuba and whites in the United States. Death rates for cancer of the cervix and cancer of the rectum among the Cuban-born in this country are also low relative to Cubans in Cuba and whites in the United States. Stomach cancer mortality among Cuban-born men in the United States is lower than for men in Cuba or for white men in the United States, but Cuban-born women in this country have rates that are slightly higher than those of U.S white women. Mortality rates from colon cancer in both sexes and breast cancer among women are intermediate between the lower rates in Cuba and the higher rates among U.S. whites. Finally, the Cuban-born in the United States have higher death rates from cancer of the liver than do Cubans in Cuba or whites in the United States. In general, the profile found for the Cuban-born in the United States reflects the high socioeconomic status of the pre-1980 migrants as well as their exposure to the U.S. environment.

Cuba↗
PubMed1986

Epstein-Barr viral serology in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients in the USSR and Cuba, and its value for differential diagnosis of the disease.

Serological responses to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated antigens were studied in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients in 2 countries non-endemic for the disease: the USSR (77 cases) and Cuba (55 cases). Two age- and sex-matched control groups were available, one consisting of patients with other head-and-neck tumours (OHNT) (171 from the USSR and 56 from Cuba), and the other of normal individuals (blood donors) (83 from the USSR and 80 from Cuba). Unlike the control groups, NPC patients from both countries had high levels of IgG and IgA antibodies, similar to those seen in patients from endemic areas. The only difference between NPC patients in the USSR and those in Cuba was lower (2-2.5 fold) anti-VCA IgG and IgA antibody titres. Using one-factor and multi-factor statistical methods the diagnostic value of different titres of EBV-specific IgG and IgA antibodies and their combinations for NPC patients (in the USSR) was evaluated. It was found that with simple mathematical analysis of EBV-specific antibody titres a differential diagnosis of NPC could be made to a significance level of 90%. The data obtained demonstrated the importance and reliability of EBV serology in the diagnosis of NPC in areas of low incidence of the disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

[Characteristics of the ecology of the eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus in the Republic of Cuba].

Virologic and serological surveys of wild vertebrates carried out in various provinces of Cuba demonstrated definitely that birds were the main hosts of eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) virus in this territory. Fifteen strains of this virus were isolated from 8 species of birds belonging to 5 orders. Isolation of EEE virus from the blood of the endemic genus of iguanas indicates a certain role of cold-blooded animals in the ecology of this agent. Active EEE virus foci have been found in 4 provinces of the Republic of Cuba: Pinar del Rio, Havana, Matanzas and Las Villas. Isolation of a number of EEE virus strains from sick horses during an epizootic in the latter province confirmed the importance role of this agent in the infectious pathology of domestic animals in Cuba. The experimental results suggest that in Cuba there occur at least two types of foci of this infection: forest and water-littoral (fresh-water swamps and lakes, and sea coast with mangrove forests).

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein screening for neural tube defects and other disorders using an ultramicro-ELISA. Collaborative study in Cuba and in the German Democratic Republic.

In Cuba and in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) a total of 24,412 pregnant women were tested for maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (MSAFP) at the 16th to 20th week of gestation. An inexpensive and partly automated ultramicroliter enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) with final volumes of 10 microliter was used to analyze simultaneously 50 samples. The intraassay coefficient of variation (CV) of 5-8% and day/day CVs of 6-10.5% were obtained with a test frequency of 320 assays/day. A cut-off level of twice the median value (MoM) was chosen. An amniocentesis was done in a total of 0.5% (in the GDR) and 0.7% (in Cuba) of the screened women. The prevalence of open neural tube defects (ONTD) was calculated from the present study and was 1.43% in Cuba and 1.34% in the GDR. Through MSAFP screening 88.2% ONTD were detected. There was no therapeutic abortion of a normal fetus. The approximate cost for this program was about 2.36 marks-GDR per patient screened, or about 2,048 marks per ONTD detected.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed1990

Epidemiological study of Hodgkin's disease in Cuba and Sweden.

In this register study the epidemiologic features of Hodgkin's disease (HD) in Cuba and Sweden during 1964-1981 are compared. HD in the adult (greater than or equal to 15 years of age) is more common in Sweden than in Cuba (age-standardized incidence rate 3.6 X 10(5) vs. 3.1 X 10(5) but for childhood HD the opposite is true (2.1 X 10(5) vs. 3.0 X 10(5). In both countries a male predominance is found. A decrease in the incidence of HD is noted only in the Swedish population after 1973. The study reveals a stable bimodal age incidence pattern in Sweden but a shift from a linear increasing to a bimodal incidence pattern in Cuba, which parallels the Cuban development from an agricultural to an industrialized country.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Cuba's response to the HIV epidemic.

BACKGROUND: Cuba's response to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic has been to conduct mass testing of the population to ascertain seroprevalence, to enforce mandatory relative quarantine of persons testing positive, and to implement educational interventions using media and school-based programs. METHODS: Interview with the Vice-Minister of Health and review of available data. RESULTS: Reports to date show a very low seroprevalence rate without evidence of a widespread epidemic. Sexual contact with foreign-born persons is the primary risk factor. Possible advantages of Cuba's policy include rapid reduction in the risk of HIV transmission by infected blood products, an opportunity for focused education and secondary prevention, and limitation of new infections. Possible disadvantages include the restriction of individual freedom in those who are not guilty of any illegal act, quarantine of persons with false positive HIV tests, and ongoing transmission because of the incomplete nature of the quarantine. The policy is expensive and may displace other public health priorities. The content of the media-based educational interventions has emphasized rational medical information in unimaginative formats with a limited focus on prevention. CONCLUSIONS: The issue of personal responsibility for behavioral change versus government imposed regulations is at the core of Cuba's HIV policy. The quarantine policy may paradoxically permit most Cubans to feel that they are personally invulnerable to the HIV epidemic.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1979

EBV-specific humoral antibodies in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients in Cuba.

Sera of 24 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and of 60 healthy donors were studied for presence of IgG and IgA antibodies against different antigens induced by Epstein--Barr virus (EBV). The results obtained demonstrate that NPC in Cuba, as in other countries, is accompanied by elevated antibody titers against EBV-specific IgG antibodies, whose levels strongly differ from those of healthy persons. Patients with NPC in Cuba had higher titers of antibody against VCA of EBV in comparison with patients of Caucasian origin in those countries where NPC, the same as in cuba, is rarely found. Cuban NPC patients had high levels of antibody against EA, often higher than in NPC patients in endemic zones of this disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[IgG- and IgA-antibodies to the Epstein-Barr virus in the sera of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Cuba].

Sera from 24 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and from 60 normal subjects were examined for the presence of IgG and IgA antibody to various antigens associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The results indicate that NPC in Cuba, like in other countries, was accompanied by high titers of EBV-specific IgG antibody the levels of which differed markedly from those in normal subjects. Serological activity of the patients differed depending on the stage of the illness and its duration. Geometric mean antibody titers to the capsid antigen (VCA), D and R components of early antigen (EA) of EBV complex were higher in patients with extensive tumour process (III--IV stages) and in patients with the duration of the disease since the onset less than 3 years. Sera of the most patients contained EBV-specific IgA antibody which were practically completely absent in sera of the control subjects. Alongside with characteristic manifestations of responsiveness to EBV observed by other workers, patients with NPC in Cuba had specific features: higher antibody titers to VCA than in Caucasian subjects in the countries where this disease occurred sporadically, like in Cuba; high levels of antibody to EA, frequently exceeding those in patients with NPC from endemic zones (for instance in Chinese patients); prevalence of EBV-specific antibody to the R component of EA complex.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Dominantly inherited olivopontocerebellar atrophy from eastern Cuba. Clinical, neuropathological, and biochemical findings.

A form of dominantly inherited olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA) occurs commonly in persons of Spanish ancestry in northeastern Cuba. Its prevalence in the Province of Holguin is 41 per 100,000, a figure much higher than that found in western Cuba or in other parts of the world. The high prevalence is probably the result of a founder effect, but might be due to an interaction between a mutant gene and an unidentified environmental neurotoxin. We describe the clinical features of this disorder, and the neuropathological abnormalities in 7 autopsied patients. In addition, we report biochemical findings in plasma, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and urine obtained from 10 living OPCA patients. Quantitation of amino acids in fasting plasma showed a number of differences between the Cuban patients and healthy Canadian controls, but these are likely to have been caused by dietary differences. Amino acid concentrations in the CSF of the Cuban OPCA patients were similar to those of healthy Cuban controls, except for a decreased concentration of ethanolamine. Mean concentrations of dopamine metabolites were significantly low in the CSF of the OPCA patients, corresponding to neuronal depletion observed in the substantia nigra of autopsied cases. Examination of the patients' urines provided no evidence that either cyanide or 3-acetylpyridine is involved in causing this form of OPCA.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Health and economic development: the example of China and Cuba.

The unprecedented accomplishments reported from China and Cuba in providing health care to their populations question the assumption that economic development along the model of Western nations is a sine qua non for developing effective health care systems among nonaffluent developing nations. Equal distribution of resources, emphasis on preventive public health measures, and attention to improving overall quality of life have been concepts employed to great advantage by both countries. When it is realized that improved standards of living have far overshadowed modern medical technology in upgrading the health of populations, the policies employed in China and Cuba become especially relevant to other nations, both developed and developing.

China↗
PubMed1990

[Social development and infant mortality, 1977-1986, Cuba. A regional analysis].

In Cuba, the infant mortality rate (IMR) dropped by 65% between 1970 and 1986. The 1986 IMR - 13.6% - has put the country in the lead in Latin American mother and child health care. However, the behavior of the IMR is not homogeneous throughout the country. This paper seeks to identify by multiple regression techniques, those sociodemographic or health care factors which have determined the decline in the IMR and those variables which best explain the inter-regional differences in this indicator. Sociodemographic factors fundamentally explain the evolution of the IMR in Cuba; on the other hand, although in the first instance the proportion of live births of low weight and the crude birth rate explain the inter-regional differences in IMR levels every year, it can be seen that other socioeconomic variables really lie behind these differences.

Cuba↗
PubMed1977

Swine kidney worm disease in Cuba (Stephanurus dentatus Diesing, 1839).

The results of a two-year study on swine stephanuriasis in Cuba indicate the high economic importance of this parasitosis in view of its pattern of local distribution and pathological changes occurring during the endogeneous phase of its life cycle. Under the present conditions of pig breeding in Cuba, it appears to be most economic to base control measures on a strict observance of general zoohygienic rules and on several specific measures suggested in the paper. The administration of expensive drugs is uneconomic because none of them is universally effective in any phase of the life cycle of S. dentatus. It is suggested to direct research work to suitable preventive measures and the choice of drugs to be administered during the most critical period in the spread of infection covering the time from birth to weaning.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[A first report on Cubanichthys cubensis (Eigenmann, 1903) (Teleostei: Cyprinodontidae), a bioregulator of culicids for the central region of the island of Cuba].

For the first time, for the central region of Cuba, a report is made of the larvivorous fish Cubanichthys cubensis, an endemic species important as bioregulators of mosquito larvae due to its remarkable ecological adaptation, which allows its development in different aquatoria (fresh, brackish and sea vater). Up to now the species had only been reported in the West of the country. On this occasion, this species was found in a pound of brackish water and abundant vegetation, known as La Redonda, located in the Morón municipality, Ciego de Avila. This species lives together with other larvivorous fish such as Gambusia puncticulata, G. punctata, Girardinus metallicus and Limia vittata. All of them are excellent bioregulators of larva populations for mosquitos which have a medical and epidemiological importance for Cuba.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Cuba's health care policy: prevention and active community participation.

In Cuba, health care is considered a human right for all citizens; health care is therefore a national priority. Cuba's health policy emphasizes prevention, primary care, services in the community, and the active participation of citizens. These emphases have produced an impressively high ranking on major health indicators, despite economic handicaps. The Cuban experience demonstrates the influence of ideological commitment and policy-making on the provision of health care and challenges the assumption that high-quality care for all citizens requires massive financial investment. The evolution of the Cuban health care system since the revolution thus has implications for the U.S. health care system; specifically, it suggests that the equitable distribution of health care services in the United States requires a national health insurance and service delivery system.

Cuba↗
PubMed1990

[Nitrite and nitrate content of meat and sausage products in the Republic of Cuba].

283 samples of meat and sausages made from pork from the Meat-Works Colombia in the Country of Las Tunas--Republic of Cuba--have been analysed on their contents of nitrite and nitrate. On an average the investigated quantities lie much below the present tolerance limit in Cuba (125 mg/kg nitrite and 500 mg/kg nitrate). The authors recommend to lower the tolerance limit for nitrate in meat and sausages to 300 mg/kg.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Obstetrics in Cuba, 1974.

In the past 17 years, Cuba has established a system of governmental medical care, and undergraduate and graduate medical education have also been revised and expanded. Special attention has been directed to maternal and pediatric care, but no description of this has been published outside Cuba. Standards of care have been formulated by national committees, with emphasis placed on the training of specialists in obstetrics and neonatology. Prenatal care and identification of high-risk patients has produced an institutional delivery rate of over 97% with much antenatal hospitalization and referral of high-risk gravidas to tertiary care facilities. New laws providing benefits for working women encourage prenatal care, rest, and breastfeeding. In 1974 the maternal mortality rate was 55.6 per 100,000 live births, and perinatal mortality was 28.5 per 1000 live births.

Abortion, Legal↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Preschool age mortality (1-4-year olds) in Cuba, 1961-1975].

An abstract is made of the preschool age mortality in Cuba through the period of 1961 to 1975. The authors outlight how it has dropped from 2.0 to 1.1 per 1000 population to reach 45% reduction. They establish comparison with a group of American countries, setting of contrast with the low mortality in Cuba. The mortality in children of 1 to 4 years old is considered as indirect index of malnutrition. The percentage of diminution for the different departments in the period stated is as follows: Pinar del Río, 57.6%; Havana, 43.7%; Matanzas, 58.5%; Las Villas, 63.1%; Camagüey, 50.0%; Oriente, 39.0%. The 10 most important causes of death are analyzed and the percentages in drop of mortality are reported as follows: (A 43), 80.0%; (A65) and (A105-106), 66.7%; (A5), 61.5%; (A93), 50.0%; (A89, 90, 91 and 92), 46.5%; (A21), 42.8%; (AE 138-146), 34.6%; (A126-130), 31.2%; (A25), 25.0%. Finally, stress is placed on the elements responsible for the drop in preschool age children's mortality.

Child, Preschool↗