Adoption of community-based strategies for sustainable vector control and prevention.

Community engagement strategies provide tools for sustainable vector-borne disease control. A previous cluster randomized control trial engaged nine intervention communities in seven participatory activities to promote management of the domestic and peri-domestic environment to reduce risk factors for vector-borne Chagas disease. This study aims to assess the adoption of this innovative community-based strategy, which included chickens' management, indoor cleaning practices, and domestic rodent infestation control, using concepts from the Diffusion of Innovations Theory. We used questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to understand perceptions of knowledge gained, intervention adoption level, innovation attributes, and limiting or facilitating factors for adoption. The analysis process focused on five innovation attributes proposed by the Diffusion of Innovations Theory: relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability. Rodent management was highly adopted by participants, as it had a relative advantage regarding the use of poison and was compatible with local practices. The higher complexity was reduced by offering several types of trapping systems and having practical workshops allowed trialability. Observability was limited because the traps were indoors, but information and traps were shared with neighbors. Chicken management was not as widely adopted due to the higher complexity of the method, and lower compatibility with local practices. Using the concepts proposed by the Diffusion of Innovations Theory helped us to identify the enablers and constraints in the implementation of the Chagas vector control strategy. Based on this experience, community engagement and intersectoral collaboration improve the acceptance and adoption of novel and integrated strategies to improve the prevention and control of neglected diseases.

Mapping the risk of respiratory infections using suburban district areas in a large city in Colombia.

BACKGROUND: Acute respiratory infections (ARI) in Cúcuta -Colombia, have a comparatively high burden of disease associated with high public health costs. However, little is known about the epidemiology of these diseases in the city and its distribution within suburban areas. This study addresses this gap by estimating and mapping the risk of ARI in Cúcuta and identifying the most relevant risk factors. METHODS: A spatial epidemiological analysis was designed to investigate the association of sociodemographic and environmental risk factors with the rate of ambulatory consultations of ARI in urban sections of Cúcuta, 2018. The ARI rate was calculated using a method for spatial estimation of disease rates. A Bayesian spatial model was implemented using the Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation approach and the Besag-York-Mollié specification. The risk of ARI per urban section and the hotspots of higher risk were also estimated and mapped. RESULTS: A higher risk of IRA was found in central, south, north and west areas of Cúcuta after adjusting for sociodemographic and environmental factors, and taking into consideration the spatial distribution of the city's urban sections. An increase of one unit in the percentage of population younger than 15 years; the Index of Multidimensional Poverty and the rate of ARI in the migrant population was associated with a 1.08 (1.06-1.1); 1.04 (1.01-1.08) and 1.25 (1.22-1.27) increase of the ARI rate, respectively. Twenty-four urban sections were identified as hotspots of risk in central, south, north and west areas in Cucuta. CONCLUSION: Sociodemographic factors and their spatial patterns are determinants of acute respiratory infections in Cúcuta. Bayesian spatial hierarchical models can be used to estimate and map the risk of these infections in suburban areas of large cities in Colombia. The methods of this study can be used globally to identify suburban areas and or specific communities at risk to support the implementation of prevention strategies and decision-making in the public and private health sectors.

Epigenetic Evaluation of the TBX20 Gene and Environmental Risk Factors in Mexican Paediatric Patients with Congenital Septal Defects.

The TBX20 gene has a key role during cardiogenesis, and it has been related to epigenetic mechanisms in congenital heart disease (CHD). The purpose of this study was to assess the association between DNA methylation status and congenital septal defects. The DNA methylation of seven CpG sites in the TBX20 gene promoter was analyzed through pyrosequencing as a quantitative method in 48 patients with congenital septal defects and 104 individuals with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). The average methylation was higher in patients than in PDA (p < 0.001). High methylation levels were associated with a higher risk of congenital septal defects (OR = 4.59, 95% CI = 1.57-13.44, p = 0.005). The ROC curve analysis indicated that methylation of the TBX20 gene could be considered a risk marker for congenital septal defects (AUC = 0.682; 95% CI = 0.58-0.77; p < 0.001). The analysis of environmental risk factors in patients with septal defects and PDA showed an association between the consumption of vitamins (OR = 0.10; 95% CI = 0.01-0.98; p = 0.048) and maternal infections (OR = 3.10; 95% CI = 1.26-7.60; p = 0.013). These results suggest that differences in DNA methylation of the TBX20 gene can be associated with septal defects.

Isolation of Ciprofloxacin and Ceftazidime-Resistant Enterobacterales From Vegetables and River Water Is Strongly Associated With the Season and the Sample Type.

The dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) from water used for crop irrigation to vegetables is poorly studied. During a year, five farmer markets in a city in Central Chile were visited, and 478 vegetable samples (parsleys, corianders, celeries, lettuces, chards, and beets) were collected. Simultaneously, 32 water samples were collected from two rivers which are used to irrigate the vegetables produced in the area. Resistant Enterobacterales were isolated and identified. Colistin resistance gene mcr-1 and extended spectrum ß-lactamases (ESBL) were molecularly detected. The association of environmental factors was evaluated, with the outcomes being the presence of Enterobacterales resistant to four antibiotic families and the presence of multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotypes. Parsley, coriander, and celery showed the highest prevalence of resistant Enterobacterales (41.9% for ciprofloxacin and 18.5% for ceftazidime). A total of 155 isolates were obtained, including Escherichia coli (n=109), Citrobacter sp. (n=20), Enterobacter cloacae complex (n=8), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n=8), and Klebsiella aerogenes (n=1). Resistance to ampicillin (63.2%) and ciprofloxacin (74.2%) was most frequently found; 34.5% of the isolates showed resistance to third-generation cephalosporins, and the MDR phenotype represented 51.6% of the isolates. In two E. coli isolates (1.29%), the gene mcr-1 was found and ESBL genes were found in 23/62 isolates (37%), with bla CTX-M being the most frequently found in 20 isolates (32%). Resistant Enterobacterales isolated during the rainy season were less likely to be MDR as compared to the dry season. Understanding environmental associations represent the first step toward an improved understanding of the public health impact of ARB in vegetables and water.

Neuroinflammation and Brain Development: Possible Risk Factors in COVID-19-Infected Children.

COVID-19, a disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) betacoronavirus, affects children in a different way than it does in adults, with milder symptoms. However, several cases of neurological symptoms with neuroinflammatory syndromes, such as the multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), following mild cases, have been reported. As with other viral infections, such as rubella, influenza, and cytomegalovirus, SARS-CoV-2 induces a surge of proinflammatory cytokines that affect microglial function, which can be harmful to brain development. Along with the viral induction of neuroinflammation, other noninfectious conditions may interact to produce additional inflammation, such as the nutritional imbalance of fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids and alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Additionally, transient thyrotoxicosis induced by SARS-CoV-2 with secondary autoimmune hypothyroidism has been reported, which could go undetected during pregnancy. Together, those factors may pose additional risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection impacting mechanisms of neural development such as synaptic pruning and neural circuitry formation. The present review discusses those conditions in the perspective of the understanding of risk factors that should be considered and the possible emergence of neurodevelopmental disorders in COVID-19-infected children.

Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity in the Distribution of Chikungunya and Zika Virus Case Incidences during their 2014 to 2016 Epidemics in Barranquilla, Colombia.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) have recently emerged as globally important infections. This study aimed to explore the spatiotemporal heterogeneity in the occurrence of CHIKV and ZIKV outbreaks throughout the major international seaport city of Barranquilla, Colombia in 2014 and 2016 and the potential for clustering. Incidence data were fitted using multiple Bayesian Poisson models based on multiple explanatory variables as potential risk factors identified from other studies and options for random effects. A best fit model was used to analyse their case incidence risks and identify any risk factors during their epidemics. Neighbourhoods in the northern region were hotspots for both CHIKV and ZIKV outbreaks. Additional hotspots occurred in the southwestern and some eastern/southeastern areas during their outbreaks containing part of, or immediately adjacent to, the major circular city road with its import/export cargo warehouses and harbour area. Multivariate conditional autoregressive models strongly identified higher socioeconomic strata and living in a neighbourhood near a major road as risk factors for ZIKV case incidences. These findings will help to appropriately focus vector control efforts but also challenge the belief that these infections are driven by social vulnerability and merit further study both in Barranquilla and throughout the world's tropical and subtropical regions.

The role of the indoor environment: Residential determinants of allergy, asthma and pulmonary function in children from a US-Mexico border community.

The El Paso Children's Health Study examined environmental risk factors for allergy and asthma among fourth and fifth grade schoolchildren living in a major United States-Mexico border city. Complete questionnaire information was available for 5210 children, while adequate pulmonary function data were available for a subset of 1874. Herein we studied indoor environmental health risk factors for allergy and asthma. Several indoor environmental risk factors were associated with allergy and asthma. In particular, we found that ant and spider pest problems, pet dogs, fireplace heat, central air conditioning, humidifier use, and cooking with gas stoves were positively associated with both allergy and asthma prevalence. With regards to asthma severity, our analysis indicated that exposure to pet dogs increased monotonically with increasing asthma severity while the lack of any heat source and gas stove use for cooking decreased monotonically with increasing asthma severity. Lung function also decreased among children who lived in homes with reported cockroach pest problem in the past year without concurrent use of pesticides. These effects on pulmonary function were present even after excluding children with a current physician's diagnosis of asthma. Clinicians and public health professionals may need to look closely at the contribution of these indoor risk factors on pulmonary health and quality of life among susceptible populations.

Valparaiso's 2014 Fire: Evaluation of Environmental and Epidemiological Risk Factors During the Emergency Through a Crowdsourcing Tool.

OBJECTIVE: To describe and relate the main environmental risk factors in the emergency process after a large urban fire in Valparaiso, Chile, in April 2014. METHODS: An observational, cross-sectional descriptive study was performed. All 243 reports from an ad hoc web/mobile website created on the Ushahidi/Crowdmap platform were reviewed. Reports were recorded in a new database with dichotomist variables based on either the presence or absence of the relevant category in each report. RESULTS: Almost one-third of the reports presented data about garbage (30%) and chemical toilets (29%). Reports related to water, infrastructural damage, and garbage had significant associations with 4 categories by chi-square test. In the logistic regression model for chemical toilets, only the variable of water was significant (P value=0.00; model P value: 0.00; R2: 11.7%). The "garbage" category confirmed infrastructural damage (P value: 0.00), water (P value: 0.028), and vectors (P value: 0.00) as predictors (model P value: 0.00; R2: 23.09%). CONCLUSIONS: Statistically significant evidence was found for the statistical dependence of 7 out of 10 studied variables. The most frequent environmental risk factors in the reports were garbage, chemical toilets, and donation centers. The highest correlation found was for damaged infrastructure, vectors, and garbage. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:239-243).

Spatial modeling of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Andean region of Colombia

The objective of this research was to identify environmental risk factors for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Colombia and map high-risk municipalities. The study area was the Colombian Andean region, comprising 715 rural and urban municipalities. We used 10 years of CL surveillance: 2000-2009. We used spatial-temporal analysis - conditional autoregressive Poisson random effects modelling - in a Bayesian framework to model the dependence of municipality-level incidence on land use, climate, elevation and population density. Bivariable spatial analysis identified rainforests, forests and secondary vegetation, temperature, and annual precipitation as positively associated with CL incidence. By contrast, livestock agroecosystems and temperature seasonality were negatively associated. Multivariable analysis identified land use - rainforests and agro-livestock - and climate - temperature, rainfall and temperature seasonality - as best predictors of CL. We conclude that climate and land use can be used to identify areas at high risk of CL and that this approach is potentially applicable elsewhere in Latin America.

Encuesta sobre exposición de embarazadas y recién nacidos a contaminantes ambientales de riesgo en el gran Buenos Aires / Survey on exposure of pregnant women and newborns to hazardous environmental pollutants in the greater Buenos Aires

INTRODUCCIÓN: el feto y el niño son particularmentevulnerables a las exposiciones a contaminantes ambientalessus primeros años de vida. La Organización Mundial de la Saludconsidera a la Salud Ambiental Materno Infantil como uno de losprincipales retos del siglo 21 y promueve estrategias que permitanabordar, divulgar y resolver los problemas. OBJETIVOS: Conocerla frecuencia de exposición a contaminantes ambientales deriesgo para la salud del feto y del recién nacido, considerandoembarazos de mujeres asistidas en el Servicio de Obstetricia delHospital Nacional Profesor A. Posadas. MÉTODOS: Se efectuó unestudio observacional, descriptivo y transversal, con una encuestaadministrada por profesionales capacitados en la temática.RESULTADOS: Se realizaron 748 encuestas a 165 embarazadasy 583 puérperas. Se obtuvieron datos sobre porcentaje de casasprecarias, zonas inundables, acceso a red pública de agua, aredes cloacales y a gas natural, manejo de residuos, actividadlaboral, exposición al humo del tabaco y al humo de segundamano, exposición a plomo y a plaguicidas, uso de artefactos a gas,cercanía a fábricas, calles muy transitadas o autopistas, basuralesy cementerios, material particulado peridomiciliario y oloresdesagradables relacionados con la quema de basura y la cercaníade industrias. CONCLUSIONES: La detección de exposición ariesgos ambientales podría favorecer intervenciones oportunaspara la prevención, identificación y/o derivación.

INTRODUCTION: the human fetus and the child in thefirst years of life are particularly vulnerable to exposure to environmentalcontaminants. The World Health Organization considers thatchildren and mothers’ environmental health is one of the major healthcare challenges of the twenty-first century and promotes strategiesto prevent, disseminate and solve the problems. OBJECTIVES: Todetermine the frequency of exposure to environmental agents thatpose a risk to the health of the fetus and the newborn, consideringpregnancies of women assisted in the Department of Obstetricsof the Hospital Prof. A. Posadas. METHODS: An observationaldescriptive cross-sectional study was performed, including a surveyadministered by specially trained professionals. RESULTS: A total of748 surveys were conducted to 165 pregnant and 583 postpartumwomen. They collected information about percentage of precarioushousing, flood-prone areas, access to public water system, tosewerage system and to natural gas network, waste management,occupational activity, exposure to tobacco smoke and second-handsmoke, exposure to lead and pesticides, use of gas appliances, vicinityto factories, high-traffic streets or highways, garbage dumps andcemeteries, particulate matter in the surroundings and unpleasantodors related to the burning of garbage and the vicinity to industries.CONCLUSIONS: The detection of exposure to environmentalrisks may be useful to promote timely interventions for prevention,identification and/or referral.

Modelos reducionista e multinível na esquizofrenia: alcances e limites / Reductionist and multilevel models in schizophrenia: scope and limits / Modèles réductionnistes et à multi-niveaux dans la schizophrénie: portée et restrictions / Los modelos reduccionista y multinivel en la esquizofrenia: alcance y límites / Reduktionistische und Mehrebenenmodelle in der Schizophrenie: Anwendungsbereiche und Begrenzungen / 精神分裂症的还原和多层次模型：范围和界限

O objetivo do presente artigo consiste em apresentar um modelo reducionista e o modelo multinível com relação à explicação etiológica dos transtornos mentais, a partir do exemplar da esquizofrenia, considerando-se os alcances e limites destes modelos. Ao final do artigo, são extraídas algumas implicações ético-políticas para a psiquiatria.

The aim of this paper is to present a reductionist model and the multilevel model for the etiological explanation of mental disorders, based on the example of schizophrenia and by taking into account the scope and limits of those models. To conclude, some ethical and political implications for psychiatry are singled out.

Le but de cet article est de présenter un modèle réductionniste et le modèle à multi-niveaux pour l’explication étiologique des troubles mentaux, illustrés par l’exemple de la schizophrénie et en tenant compte de la portée et des restrictions que ces modèles présentent. Quelques implications éthiques et politiques pour la psychiatrie en sont extraites en guise de conclusion.

El propósito de este artículo consiste en presentar el modelo reduccionista y el modelo multinivel con respecto a la explicación etiológica de los trastornos mentales desde el ejemplo de la esquizofrenia, teniendo en cuenta los alcances y los límites de estos modelos. Al final del artículo, se extraen algunas implicaciones éticas y políticas para la psiquiatría.

Dieser Artikel beschreibt ein reduktionistisches Modell und das Mehrebenenmodell für die ätiologische Erklärung psychischer Störungen und benutzt als Beispiel die Schizophrenie, unter Berücksichtigung der Anwendungsbereiche und Begrenzungen dieser Modelle. Abschließend werden ethische und politische Schlussfolgerungen für die Psychiatrie erläutert.

本文章的目的是提供一个还原模式和多层次的模型解释精神障碍的病因，尤其精神分裂症，并考虑其范围和界限。在文章结束时提取精神病学一些伦理和政治影响。.

Modelos reducionista e multinível na esquizofrenia: alcances e limites / Reductionist and multilevel models in schizophrenia: scope and limits / Modèles réductionnistes et à multi-niveaux dans la schizophrénie: portée et restrictions / Los modelos reduccionista y multinivel en la esquizofrenia: alcance y límites

O objetivo do presente artigo consiste em apresentar um modelo reducionista e o modelo multinível com relação à explicação etiológica dos transtornos mentais, a partir do exemplar da esquizofrenia, considerando-se os alcances e limites destes modelos. Ao final do artigo, são extraídas algumas implicações ético-políticas para a psiquiatria.(AU)

The aim of this paper is to present a reductionist model and the multilevel model for the etiological explanation of mental disorders, based on the example of schizophrenia and by taking into account the scope and limits of those models. To conclude, some ethical and political implications for psychiatry are singled out.(AU)

Le but de cet article est de présenter un modèle réductionniste et le modèle à multi-niveaux pour l’explication étiologique des troubles mentaux, illustrés par l’exemple de la schizophrénie et en tenant compte de la portée et des restrictions que ces modèles présentent. Quelques implications éthiques et politiques pour la psychiatrie en sont extraites en guise de conclusion.(AU)

El propósito de este artículo consiste en presentar el modelo reduccionista y el modelo multinivel con respecto a la explicación etiológica de los trastornos mentales desde el ejemplo de la esquizofrenia, teniendo en cuenta los alcances y los límites de estos modelos. Al final del artículo, se extraen algunas implicaciones éticas y políticas para la psiquiatría.(AU)

The Impact of Neuroimmune Alterations in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involves a complex interplay of both genetic and environmental risk factors, with immune alterations and synaptic connection deficiency in early life. In the past decade, studies of ASD have substantially increased, in both humans and animal models. Immunological imbalance (including autoimmunity) has been proposed as a major etiological component in ASD, taking into account increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines observed in postmortem brain from patients, as well as autoantibody production. Also, epidemiological studies have established a correlation of ASD with family history of autoimmune diseases; associations with major histocompatibility complex haplotypes and abnormal levels of immunological markers in the blood. Moreover, the use of animal models to study ASD is providing increasing information on the relationship between the immune system and the pathophysiology of ASD. Herein, we will discuss the accumulating literature for ASD, giving special attention to the relevant aspects of factors that may be related to the neuroimmune interface in the development of ASD, including changes in neuroplasticity.

Asthma risk factors.

BACKGROUND: Bronchial asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood, with a current prevalence of 6% to 9%, but a prevalence that is increasing at an alarming rate. Asthma is a complex genetic disorder with strong environmental influence. It imposes a growing burden on our society in terms of morbidity, quality of life, and healthcare costs. Despite large-scale efforts, only a few asthma genes have been confirmed, suggesting that the genetic underpinning of asthma is highly complex. METHODS: A review of the literature was performed regarding atopic and nonatopic asthma risk factors, including environmental risk factors and genetic studies in adults and children. RESULTS: Several environmental risk factors have been identified to increase the risk of developing asthma such as exposure to air pollution and tobaccos smoke as well as occupational risk factors. In addition atopy, stress, and obesity all can increases the risk for asthma in genetically susceptible persons. CONCLUSION: Asthma represents a dysfunctional interaction with our genes and the environment to which they are exposed, especially in fetal and early infant life. The increasing prevalence of asthma in all age groups indicate that our living environment and immunity are in imbalance with each other reacting with airway inflammation to the environmental exposures and often non-harmful proteins, such as allergens causing the current "asthma and allergy epidemic." Because of the close relationship between asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis, it is important that otolaryngologists have a good understanding of asthma, the etiologic factors associated with disease, and its evaluation and management.

Associação de variáveis ambientais à ocorrência de leptospirose canina e humana na cidade de São Paulo / Association of environmental variables with the leptospirosis occurrence in dogs and humans at São Paulo city

Foi realizada uma análise espacial da ocorrência de leptospirose humana e canina na Supervisão de Vigilância em Saúde do Butantã, situada no município de São Paulo, no ano de 2007, associada a variáveis ambientais de risco, tais como: focos de enchente e áreas de desratização. Foram encontrados aglomerados espaciais de pontos de alagamentos em 12 setores censitários e de casos de leptospirose humana em quatro setores censitários, sem correlação entre ambos. Não foram encontrados agrupamentos de casos em cães, possivelmente devido à subnotificação. As proporções casos humanos de leptospirose : população humana dentro e fora da área de desratização foram 7:199.600 e 9:257.980, respectivamente. Conclui-se que medidas de controle de roedores como a desratização foram responsáveis pela minimização dos efeitos dos fatores de risco para a transmissão de leptospirose para humanos.

A spatial analysis of the human and canine leptospirosis occurrence was performed in São Paulo city in 2007, associated with environmental risk variables such as flooding and rodent control sites. Clusters of flooding sites were found in 12 census sectors, and human leptospirosis in 4 census sectors, without correlation between them. Clusters of canine cases were not found, possibly due to lack of notification. The proportions of human cases in and out of rodent control areas were, respectively, 7:199,600 and 9:257,980. Rodent control measures minimized the effects of the risk factors in the leptospirosis transmission to humans.

Associação de variáveis ambientais à ocorrência de leptospirose canina e humana na cidade de São Paulo / Association of environmental variables with the leptospirosis occurrence in dogs and humans at São Paulo city

Foi realizada uma análise espacial da ocorrência de leptospirose humana e canina na Supervisão de Vigilância em Saúde do Butantã, situada no município de São Paulo, no ano de 2007, associada a variáveis ambientais de risco, tais como: focos de enchente e áreas de desratização. Foram encontrados aglomerados espaciais de pontos de alagamentos em 12 setores censitários e de casos de leptospirose humana em quatro setores censitários, sem correlação entre ambos. Não foram encontrados agrupamentos de casos em cães, possivelmente devido à subnotificação. As proporções casos humanos de leptospirose : população humana dentro e fora da área de desratização foram 7:199.600 e 9:257.980, respectivamente. Conclui-se que medidas de controle de roedores como a desratização foram responsáveis pela minimização dos efeitos dos fatores de risco para a transmissão de leptospirose para humanos.(AU)

A spatial analysis of the human and canine leptospirosis occurrence was performed in São Paulo city in 2007, associated with environmental risk variables such as flooding and rodent control sites. Clusters of flooding sites were found in 12 census sectors, and human leptospirosis in 4 census sectors, without correlation between them. Clusters of canine cases were not found, possibly due to lack of notification. The proportions of human cases in and out of rodent control areas were, respectively, 7:199,600 and 9:257,980. Rodent control measures minimized the effects of the risk factors in the leptospirosis transmission to humans.(AU)

Aspectos metodológicos para estimar la carga de factores de riesgo ambientales / Methodological features to estimate the environmental risk factors burden

Se presentan por primera vez en una publicación nacional los conceptos y aspectos metodológicos más importantes relacionados con la adecuación del método general para estimar la carga de factores de riesgo, al caso particular de los factores de riesgo ambientales. Los trabajos fundamentales sobre este tema han sido desarrollados desde hace un poco más de 10 años por especialistas de la Organización Mundial de la Salud. Se ilustra el procedimiento con la estimación de la carga atribuible al factor de riesgo ambiental "agua y saneamiento" en Cuba. El objetivo del trabajo es contribuir a un mayor conocimiento y debate sobre estas técnicas, lo que eventualmente conduciría a su gradual aplicación y al uso inteligente de sus resultados en la toma de decisiones relacionadas con la salud ambiental.

This is the first time that in a national publication to appear the more important methodological concepts and features related to general method adjustment to estimate the risk factors burden, particularly the environmental ones. From approximately 10 years ago the WHO's specialist have made fundamental papers on this subject. Procedure is illustrated with the burden valuation attributable to "water and disinfection" as an environmental risk factor in Cuba. The aim of present paper is to contribute to a greater knowledge and debate on these techniques what possibly could to lead to its gradual application and to wise use of results in the decision-making related to environmental health.

Factores de riesgo medioambientales del cáncer cervicouterino / Environmental risk factors of the cervix uteri cancer

Se realizó un estudio descriptivo observacional, cuyo universo de trabajo estuvo constituido por todas las pacientes con el diagnóstico de cáncer cérvicouterino que acudieron a consulta de patología de cuello del Hospital Provincial Ginecobstétrico Ana Betancourt de Mora de la Ciudad de Camagüey en el período comprendido del 1ro de febrero de 2005 al 31 de marzo de 2006, con el fin de determinar los factores de riesgo medio ambientales que se asociaban. De un total de 142 pacientes, se obtuvo una muestra de 100 casos con el diagnóstico de cáncer cérvico uterino y más de 18 años de edad, a quienes se les aplicó una encuesta según criterio de expertos y los resultados se analizaron por medios automáticos. Entre los resultados obtenidos se observó que casi la mitad de los casos presentaron factores de riesgo medio ambientales asociados, entre los que se destacaron las ITS, con casi la mitad de las pacientes, seguido por el tabaquismo y la cervicitis con aproximadamente la quinta parte de las enfermas para ambos. En las ITS referidas como antecedentes, predominaron la candidosis vaginal y los condilomas acuminados, con alrededor de la quinta y la séptima parte de las enfermas respectivamente. Las ITS de mayor incidencia, diagnosticadas al momento del diagnóstico del CCU, fueron también la candidosis vaginal y los condilomas acuminados, con aproximadamente la tercera y algo más de la cuarta parte de las pacientes respectivamente.

A descriptive observational study was carried out whose universe of work was constituted by all the patients with cervix uteri cancer as diagnosis that came to the Neck Pathology consultation at Ana Betancourt de Mora Gynecobstetric Provincial Hospital of Camagüey City from February 1st 2005 to March 31st 2006, with the purpose of determining the environmental risk factors that were associated. Of a total of 142 patients, a sample of 100 cases was obtained with the diagnosis of cervix uteri cancer and more than 18 years of age to whom were applied a survey according to experts' criterion and the results were analyzed by automatic means. Among the obtained results it was observed that almost the half of the cases presented associated environmental risk factors, among those STI stood out, with almost the half of the patients, followed by the tabacism and cervicitis with approximately the fifth part of the sick persons for both. In the STI referred as antecedents, the vaginal candidosis and the condylomata acuminatum prevailed, around the fifth and the seventh part of the sick persons respectively. Sexually transmitted infections of higher incidence, diagnosed to the moment of the cervix uteri cancer diagnostic, was also the vaginal candidosis and the condylomata acuminatum, with approximately the third and more than the fourth part of the patients respectively.