A study of pulmonary lesions identified in sheep and goat carcasses in Trinidad and Tobago in 2018

The small ruminant industry has been identified by Caribbean governments as key to agricultural development and food security. • The economic impact of these prolific species is significant to farmers both locally and regionally, given its contribution to foreign exchange, employment generation and poverty alleviation • Recognizing disease is critical for a small ruminant based economy to possess both sustainability and viability. Understanding ways to accurately identify, prevent, cure and control disease is necessary to improve the economic status of this industry. • Post mortem evaluation is a useful diagnostic tool as it can reliably confirm, refute or augment ante-mortem diagnoses. • Respiratory disease is of particular importance as it is commonly encountered in small ruminant flocks, affecting groups or individuals of any breed, age and sex. More often than not, it involves a combination of infectious and non-infectious aetiologies. An interstitial, bronchinterstital or bronchopneumonia may develop which is largely dependent upon the causative agent.

Health and illness in a rural community: a study of traditional health care practices in the prish of St. Thomas, Jamaica

Health care for the peoples of the Caribbean, including Jamaica, is overtly dependent on Western Biomedical Sciences and their practitioners but in Jamaica, studies confirm that Traditional Health care, grounded in the cultural practices, continues to be utilized in spite of the availability of the formal health care services (Wedenoja 1978; Barret 1976; Beckwith 1969; Cohen 1953). It could be argued that the contiued use of the Traditional Health Care system is dependent on the layman's understanding of health concepts. This study focuses on the identification of concepts of health and illness, how they are culturally constructed and expressed through health care practises, in a rural community. The Research Setting: The community of Kings Court is situated about twenty miles from Morant Bay, the main town in St. Thomas, a rural parish of Jamaica... Finally, there is the commerical district, predominantly consisting of shops selling consumables. Data Gathering Methods: Participant observation and in-depth interviews were the main data gathering methods used over the duration of the study, between 1993-1999. The data was recorded using tape recordings, written notes and video-tapes where appropriate and were later transcribed using Microsoft Word. Results: In King Court health is perceived in a utilitarian manner, related to the ability to carry out daily activities. Bodily functions provide useful clues for the evaluation of health status. Other concepts of health include 'good living' and 'living good', the former having to do with material comforts while the latter refer to healthy social relations in the community. The quality of food consumed contributes significantly to one's health status. Illnesses are placed into two categories, natural and unnatural, the former to be treated with pharmaceuticals, by the doctor of individuality with 'bush'. The latter, unnatural illness, is believed to be caused by 'duppy' or spiritual entities and is treated by traditional practitioners using rituals, herbs and consecrated oils. Conclusion: People value their health and are positively oriented to taking action to maintain their health status through rituals like the healing ceremonies and baptism (AU)

A study of consumers' knowledge, attitudes, practices and perception concerning selected food safety issues in the home

Household food safety poses a major challenge not only to the preparers of food but to public health and other food regulatory authorities. Studies have shown that family home rank high in the list of places where foodbourne disease are acquired and transmitted. To describe the knowledge, attitude, practices and perception of householders in North Central Saint Andrew one hundred and ten householders, eighteen years and over, were interviewed during January and March, 1999. The study, cross-sectional in design, included respondents who were randomly selected from three distinct socio-economic classes. Four key informants representing public sector and non-government organizations involved with food safety programmes were interviewed to explore additional ways of strengthening household food safety. The survey found that householders were very concerned about the food they purchased for preparation at home; displayed strong concerns about sanitation of food handling establishments; food handlers practices and the appearance of the foods purchased. There was significant gender difference in the concern for the appearance of food (X squared = 4.45; p<0.05). There were no other significant gender differences for the major concerns when purchasing food (p>0.05). Respondents adopted varying actions to improve food safety at home. Ninety-eight percent of respondents never contacted the Local Health Department or the Ministry of Health as part of their information seeking opportunity regarding food safety. The lifetime prevalence of food-borne illness was found to be approximately 46 percent. Diarrhoea, stomach pain, vomiting and nausea were the major symptoms reported. Milk/yogurt/ice cream, beef, chicken, pork and fish/shellfish were the main food items implicated as being associated with the foodborne illness. Respondents gave a low rating to Government departments/agencies for their contribution to the food safety efforts. While respondents reported a fairly high knowledge of safe food handling practices ... Most respondents had average or fair attitude concerning food safety. ... A properly designed and executed household food safety public education campaign; inclusion of safe handling instructions on raw meats, poultry and fish/shellfish and the operation of a food safety hotline are suggested as additional methods of enhancing household food safety (AU)

Geographic spread of measles on the island of Dominica, West Indies

Because of the short incubation period of most acute infectious diseases, short-term and daily mobility are more important than permanent and seasonal migration for the spread of these diseases. Yet most studies of population mobility focus on permanent or semipermanent change of residence. Here, we describe the results from a field study conducted on the island of Dominica, West Indies, during the summers of 1989 and 1990 and the winter of 1991. The study was designed to collect data on short-term mobility rather than migration. These mobility data are linked with data on pattern of measles transmission during a 1984 epidemic. Three-hundred five individuals from all parts of the island were interviewed about their daily travel patterns, their travel off the island, and the travel of members of their immediate family. In addition to these respondents, interviews were conducted with representatives of most of the major occupations that involve travel in the course of a workday. Data were also collected on the number and type of motor vehicles traveling along various routes on the island and on travel of native residents to the capital city, Roseau, to buy or sell at the major weekly market. Analysis of the interviews shows that travel within the island is clearly nonrandom. For example, almost everyone interviewed traveled to Roseau at least once a month, but 40 percent of the respondents had never been to any of the major villages in the Grand Bay Health District, which is only about a half-hour from Roseau. Patterns of disease transmission have been directly affected by these mobility patterns. The measles epidemic in 1984 apparently did not reach the Grand Bay Health District, even though all other areas of the island experienced significant rates of infection. Analysis of reasons for the relative isolation of the Grand Bay Health District indicates the importance of transportation patterns, as well as social, cultural, and geographic factors, to the disease transmission patterns throughout the island. (AU)

The discovery of colonial malnutrition between the wars

The author selects examples from several of the British Colonies and specifically refers to conditions in Antigua and Trinidad and Tobago

Changes in health conditions in Guyana since the nineteenth century

Guyana is almost unique in being a tropical country for which reasonably reliable vital statistics for the nineteenth century are available. Overall death rates were higher than birth rates so that, without the substantial immigration of East Indians then taking place, the population would have decrease. For example, mortality rates for young adults (20-34 years) in 1893 (about 30 per 1,000) were four times greater than in the U.K. at the same time, ten times greater than in Guyana in 1960 and thirty times greater than in the U.K. in 1965. Chief causes of death were fevers (including malaria), pneumonia, dysentry, tuberculosis and chronic nephritis. Infant mortality ranged 200 and 300 deaths per 1,000 live births per annum. The medical profession took much interest in health problems as is shown by numerous valuable articles in the 21 volumes of the British Guiana Medical Annual published between 1887 and 1915. Important original contributions to medical knowledge included the first recognition in the Caribbean of the importance of hookworm as a cause of fatal anaemia. The relationship of malarial infection to chronic nephritis, the first adequate description of Granuloma inguinale and Mansonella ozzardi and the demonstration of the differences in the reaction of ethnic groups to certain diseases, including malaria and filariasis. Partly owing to the interests and efforts of the medical profession a revolution in the public health of Guyana started between 1910 and 1920 and was accelerated by the eradication of malaria from the coastlands in 1949. In contrast to the nineteenth century, the important causes of death in adults are now from chronic degenerative or noplastic conditions rather than from infectious disease and a rapid natural increase in population is occurring (AU)

Disease incidences influenced by diet

A statistically significant number of rats were placed on different lifelong dietary regimens as follows : stock diet, diet A (high protein, high carbohydrate), diet B (high protein low carbohydrate), diet C (low protein, high carbohydrate), diet D (low protein, low carbohydrate). All rats were males, of the same stock and born on the same day. There was a significant difference in life span and in the incidence of various diseases. Thus increasing increments of carbohydrate in the diet led to a shorter life span. Kidney disease was associated with an increased carbohydrate allowance. Increases in body weight correlated well with an increased incidence of tumors (AU)

The microbiology of infections in Jamaican children

The principal causes of illness and death of microbial origin in Jamaican children were presented. The main aetiological agents responsible for the disease were analysed. It was noted that gastro-intestinal infections were mainly caused by shigella, salmonella, Bact. Coli organisms and that H. Influenza type b, accounted for the majority of cases of bacterial meningitis. Syphilis was found and infections due to kremastos and icterohaemorrhagiae had been found and since 1960 the Gravis type of diphtheria had superseded the intermedius. A detailed discussion of viral and parasitic infections was presented (AU)

A pattern of illness

This listed the relative frequency of illnesses seen at the University Health Centre during 1963 and the relationship of certain illnesses to climatic conditions was discussed (AU)