Eco-epidemiological study reveals the importance of Triatoma dimidiata in the Trypanosoma cruzi transmission, in a municipality certified without transmission by Rhodnius prolixus in Colombia.

Boyaca department is an endemic area for Chagas disease in Colombia, where 24 of its municipalities have been certified by the PAHO with interruption of Trypanosoma cruzi transmission by R. prolixus. However, the presence of secondary vectors, represent a risk of parasite transmission for citizens and a challenge for the health care institutions. The aim of this work was to investigate eco-epidemiological features of Chagas disease in the municipality of Socota (Boyaca), in order to improve control and surveillance strategies. To understand the transmission dynamics of T. cruzi in this area, we designed a comprehensive, multi-faceted study including: (i) entomological survey in five villages (La Vega, Comaita, Chusvita, Guaquira and Pueblo Nuevo), (ii) blood meal source determination, (iii) T. cruzi infection rate in collected triatomines, (iv) identification of circulating T. cruzi genotypes, (v) serological determination of T. cruzi infection in domestic dogs; and (vi) evaluation of infection in synanthropic mammals. A total of 90 T. dimidiata were collected, of which 73.3% (66/90) and 24.4% (22/90) were collected inside dwellings and peridomestic areas, respectively, while the rest (2/90) in Chusvita Elementary School. T. cruzi infection was evidenced in 40% (36/90) of triatomine bugs using PCR analyses, in which only DTU I was found, and TcI Dom was the most distributed. Blood-meal analysis showed that T. dimidiata only fed of humans. Seroprevalence in domestic dogs was 4.6% (3/66), while that two Didelphis marsupialis captured showed no infection. In conclusion, the high dispersion and colonization of T. dimidiata shown in this municipality, along the high rate of T. cruzi (TcI) infection and its anthropophilic behavior constitute a risk situation for Chagas disease transmission in this municipality certified without R. prolixus. The epidemiological implications of these findings are herein discussed.

Hábito de fumar y salud bucal en adolescentes. Politécnico Israel Moliné Rendón, Limonar, 2015 / Smoking habit and oral health in teenagers. Polytechnic School Israel Moliner Rendón, 2015

Introducción: El hábito de fumar se asocia a múltiples enfermedades entre ellas las bucales. Se estima un comienzo cada vez más precoz entre los adolescentes de 12 y 14 años. Objetivo: Caracterizar el comportamiento del hábito de fumar y su repercusión sobre la salud bucal de los adolescentes del Politécnico Israel Moliné, Limonar, año 2015. Materiales y Métodos: Se realizó un estudio observacional, descriptivo, transversal. El universo estuvo conformado por 129 adolescentes del politécnico Israel Moliné, Limonar. Las variables estudiadas fueron: sexo, práctica del hábito de fumar, tiempo fumando, motivaciones para fumar, afecciones bucales presentes en los fumadores, nivel de conocimientos sobre repercusión del hábito en la salud bucal. Para obtener la información se confeccionó un documento que recogía datos generales y relacionados con el hábito, se realizó el examen bucal y se aplicó un cuestionario sobre la repercusión del mismo en la salud bucal. Resultados: El 41,1 % de los adolescentes practicaba el hábito de fumar que se observó en 45,8 % del total de féminas. Casi la mitad llevaba menos de un año realizándolo, motivados por amigos (66 %) que fuman. La halitosis (77,3 %) y manchas nicotínicas (64,1 %) fueron las afecciones bucales más observadas. El 75,2 % tuvo bajo nivel de conocimientos sobre hábito de fumar y salud bucal. Conclusiones: El hábito prevaleció en el sexo femenino. El entorno de adolescentes repercutió de manera importante. Con poco tiempo de práctica del hábito se observaron afecciones bucales asociadas al mismo. Los adolescentes desconocían la repercusión que tiene este hábito sobre la salud bucal (AU).

Introduction: the smoking habit is associated to several diseases, and among them to the oral ones. Currently it is estimated that this harmful habit has a more and more precocious beginning among Cuban teenagers. Objetive: to characterize smoking behavior and its repercussion on the oral health of teenagers from the Polytechnic School "Israel Moliner Rendón", municipality of Limonar in 2015. Materials and Methods: a descriptive, observational study was carried out in a universe formed by 120 teenagers from the Polytechnic School "Israel Moliner Rendón". The studied variables were sex, smoking habit existence, time spend smoking, smoking motivations, oral diseases presented by smokers, level of knowledge on the repercussion of smoking on oral health. For gathering the information a document was prepared collecting general data and data related with the smoking habit, the oral examination was performed and a questionnaire about the repercussion of smoking on oral health was filled out. Results: 41,1 % of the teenagers practiced the smoking habit, and 45,8 % were female. Almost half of them smoked for less than a year. Halitosis (77,3 %) and nicotine strains (64,1 %) were the predominant oral affections. 75,2 % of the sample showed low level of knowledge about the repercussion of the smoking habit on oral health. Conclusions: the habit prevailed among females. The adolescent surrounding had an important influence. With few time of practicing smoking, there were found oral associated affections. Teenagers did not know the repercussion this habit has on oral health (AU).

Long-term effects of an intensive interventional training program based on activities for individuals with spinal cord injury: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the long-term effects of a rehabilitation program using activity-based therapies in daily activities and the participation of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). METHOD: A descriptive study of case reports assessing the performance of daily activities and quality of life as a dependent variable, using the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), respectively. Seven individuals were included in the intervention composed of a multimodal intensive therapies program based on activities (activity-based therapy, ABT) conducted for 18 months. RESULTS: It was possible to descriptively observe that the individual with the shortest time of injury and previous training obtained the largest variation in the FIM score. But no statistically significant difference was found in the assessments. CONCLUSION: For trained individuals with chronic SCIs, classified "A" according to the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA), an ABT program did not significantly affect the scores of the scales used to assess quality of life (SF-36) and functional independence (FIM).