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At least 325 records · Page 18Linked to original sources

PubMed1998

Blood mercury and auditory neuro-sensory responses in children and adults in the Nambija gold mining area of Ecuador.

This study investigated blood mercury (B-Hg) levels and the auditory neuro-sensory status of children and adults in the remote Andean settlement of Nambija, Ecuador where Hg is used in the extensive gold mining operations. The mean B-Hg level in 75 Nambija (Study Area) inhabitants (36 children and 39 adults) was 17.5 micrograms/L (SD = 11.0) vs 3.0 micrograms/L (SD = 1.6) in a second group of 34 subjects (15 children and 19 adults) in a non-gold mining area (Reference Area), the difference being statistically significant (p < 0.0001). Neuro-otological examinations revealed 34 subjects (45%) with complaints of headaches and/or memory loss, 3 cases of severe neurological impairment and 4 cases of middle ear pathology. Audiological tests on 40 persons in the Study Area (21 children and 19 adults) showed hearing thresholds ranging from normal to mildly abnormal at 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 kHz for children, and normal to severely abnormal for adults. Correlation coefficients showed a significant relationship between B-Hg level and hearing level in children at 3 kHz in the right ear, and at no frequency for adults. Auditory brainstem evoked responses (ABR) on subjects in the Study Area showed a significant correlation between B-Hg and the I-III interpeak latency on the right side. The results indicated that the study population of the Nambija gold mining area had abnormally elevated B-Hg levels, and may be at neurological risk from exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) from the consumption of contaminated food and possibly from elemental Hg vapors inhaled during amalgam burning in the gold extraction process.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[El Nino in Borbon, Ecuador].

The "global" climatic phenomenon of El Niño is described in its "local" expressions and dramatic health implications through the daily chronicle of what happens in an area of the Pacific Amazonia in Ecuador. The report is also an example of how health promoters living with the communities substantially contribute to the comprehensive surveillance of the life, and not only of the health, of micro-populations, which is the characteristics of community epidemiology.

Community Health Services↗

PubMed2000

Helminthiasis and culture change among the Cofán of Ecuador.

Blood and fecal samples and lifestyle interviews were obtained in August 1996 from two Cofán villages in Ecuador, Dureno and Zabalo, that are experiencing different degrees of acculturation. Dureno's territory has been divided by roads and encroached upon by oil companies and colonists, whereas Zabalo, 95 km downriver from Dureno, is located in the Cuyabeno Fauna Reserve, a protected area. This study examines how culture change affects the prevalence of parasitic infections. Fecal samples were examined for helminth eggs to determine helminthiasis in each village sample. Seventy-four samples were collected (Dureno n = 50; Zabalo n = 24), representing 20% of the population in each village. Hemoglobin (Hb) levels and eosinophil counts were determined for all adult participants (Dureno n = 39; Zabalo n = 13). Microscopic examination of prepared samples revealed ova from two parasitic nematodes: roundworm (Ascaris lumbercoides) and hookworm (Ancylostoma duodenale or Necator americanus). Roundworm and hookworm infections were higher in Dureno (44% positive) compared to Zabalo (17% positive), with infected adults from both villages showing eosinophilia. Hb levels were not significantly correlated with the prevalence of helminth infections. It appears that the transmission and prevalence of parasitic infections within each community is associated with the interaction of biological, cultural, and environmental factors. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 12:465-477, 2000. Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2002

AFLP analysis of genetic relationships among papaya and its wild relatives (Caricaceae) from Ecuador.

The AFLP technique was used to assess the genetic relationships among the cultivated papaya ( Carica papaya L.) and related species native to Ecuador. Genetic distances based on AFLP data were estimated for 95 accessions belonging to three genera including C. papaya, at least eight Vasconcella species and two Jacaratia species. Cluster analysis using different methods and principal co-ordinate analysis (PCO), based on the AFLP data from 496 polymorphic bands generated with five primer combinations, was performed. The resulted grouping of accessions of each species corresponds largely with their taxonomic classifications and were found to be consistent with other studies based on RAPD, isozyme and cpDNA data. The AFLP analysis supports the recent rehabilitation of the Vasconcella group as a genus; until recently Vasconcella was considered as a section within the genus Carica. Both cluster and PCO analysis clearly separated the species of the three genera and illustrated the large genetic distance between C. papaya accessions and the Vasconcella group. The specific clustering of the highly diverse group of Vasconcella x heilbornii accessions also suggests that these genotypes may be the result of bi-directional introgression events between Vasconcella stipulata and Vasconcella cundinamarcensis.

Journal Article↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Topical treatment of American cutaneous leishmaniasis with paramomycin and methylbenzethonium chloride: a clinical study under field conditions in Ecuador.

Fifty-two patients with American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) from the Pacific coast of Ecuador were treated topically with an ointment containing 15% paramomycin (PR) and 12% methylbenzethonium chloride (MBCL) in vaselinum album (white soft paraffin; white petrolatum). After 20 applications (over 10 or 20 d) all lesions showed complete epithelialization within the first 100 d. Five patients developed new lesions during the one year observation period; 2 of these were probably reinfections. Considering all 5 cases as treatment failures, the healing rates were: 72% after 50 d, 90% after 100 d, and 85% after 360 d. In a separate study in the same area, a group of 23 patients was left without treatment for 3 months. Only 9% of the untreated patients healed spontaneously after 50 d. Growth of the lesion, inflammation and pain were observed at the beginning of treatment. After treatment, most lesions healed rapidly without scars. The drug was well accepted by the patients and was easy to administer under tropical field conditions.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

PubMed1990

Soil and street dust heavy metal concentrations in and around Cuenca, Ecuador.

Lead, cadmium and zinc concentrations have been obtained in a total of 83 soil and dust samples in and around the city of Cuenca, Ecuador. Elevated heavy metal concentrations were observed in the city, with comparable Pb concentrations to those commonly found in European and North American cities. Lead concentrations were also elevated above the estimated regional background (less than 9 microg g(-1)) along a rural track used by about 100 vehicles per day. The extent of the contamination by Cd and Zn was restricted to the urban area.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2003

Suspensory locomotion of Lagothrix lagothricha and Ateles belzebuth in Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.

A comparative field study of the locomotion of woolly monkeys (Lagothrix lagothricha) and spider monkeys (Ateles belzebuth) in undisturbed rainforest of northeastern Ecuador reveals substantial differences in their use of suspensory modes. Ateles performed both more brachiation (by forelimbs and tail, with trunk rotation), and forelimb swing (similar to brachiation, but without trunk rotation) than Lagothrix. In contrast, in Lagothrix 20% of suspensory movement was by pronograde forelimb swing, which resembles forelimb swing except that the body is held in a pronograde orientation due to the tail and/or feet intermittently grasping behind the trailing forelimb. Ateles never exhibited this mode. Both brachiation and forelimb swing by Ateles were more dynamic than in Lagothrix, consisting of higher proportions of full-stride bouts (versus single-step). Both species used smaller supports for suspensory than for quadrupedal locomotion, and Ateles used both smaller and larger supports for suspension than did Lagothrix. Analysis of support inclination shows that both species tended to perform more above-support movement on horizontal supports and more below-support (suspensory) movement from oblique supports. Our attempt to elucidate the aspects of canopy structure that favor suspension suggests the need for additional kinds of observational data, focusing on the "immediate structural context" of positional events.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed2005

Women's perspectives on medical abortion in Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru: a qualitative study.

In Latin America, where abortion is almost universally legally restricted, medical abortion, especially with misoprostol alone, is increasingly being used, often with the tablets obtained from a pharmacy. We carried out in-depth interviews with 49 women who had had a medical abortion under clinical supervision in rural and urban settings in Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, who were recruited through clinicians providing abortions. The women often chose medical abortion to avoid a surgical abortion; they thought medical abortion was less painful, easier or simpler, safer or less risky. They commonly described it as a natural process of regulating their period. The fact that it was less expensive also influenced their decision. Some, who experienced a lot of pain, heavy bleeding or a failed procedure requiring surgical back-up, tended to be more negative about it. Regardless of legal restrictions, medical abortion was being provided safely in these settings and women found the method acceptable. Where feasible, it should be made available but cost should not have to be women's primary reason for choosing it. Psychosocial support during abortion is critical, especially for those who are more vulnerable because they see abortion as a sin, who are young or poor, who have limited knowledge about their bodies, whose partners are not supportive or who became pregnant through sexual violence.

Abortifacient Agents↗

PubMed2002

Acute exposure to white phosphorus: a topical problem in Ecuador (South America).

There is evidence of a growing number of cases of intoxication due to white phosphorus (WP) in Ecuador. These cases mainly occur after consuming the so-called 'little devils'. This work involved a retrospective-type observational descriptive analysis of all the cases registered in the country in a time interval of 19 years. A total of 590 cases were described in this period. The age of the intoxication cases ranged from 2 to 70 years, with an average of 18.27 years. With respect to genre, women were the most affected (68%). The aetiology observed was intentional or violent in 98.6% of the cases registered, the onset of the problem being the most commonly cited cause. The quantity consumed varied between 1 and 70 tablets (0.3-21g). WP produces hepatic and renal failure, which leads to secondary cardiac failure, which is the cause of death. The mortality observed exceeds 10% of the intoxicated people. The main reason for the ingestion of WP is for autolitical purposes, due to a high component of depressive affectation in the majority of patients. Supplementary psychiatric studies will be required in the future to determine the main causes. The posterior hepatic damage, which is considered as an after-effect could not be confirmed, as there are no follow-up protocols, although the hepatotoxity of this substance is obvious. The utility of a specific antidote for this type of intoxication has not been demonstrated. However, the importance of an early gastric wash/aspiration and the administration of large doses of activated carbon prove to be very important. A determinant factor in the quality of survival is early and appropriate health care for the intoxicated people.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1997

Operational aspects of bednet impregnation for community-based malaria control in Nicaragua, Ecuador, Peru and Colombia.

Community intervention projects with pyrethroid (permethrin and lambdacyhalothrin) impregnated bednets and an accompanying community education programme were carried out in 6 malaria endemic areas on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua, Ecuador, Peru and Colombia as well as in the Peruvian Amazon basin. In this paper the operational aspects are analysed: bednet coverage, results of promotional activities for increased bednet use, the sale of low-cost bednets, techniques and difficulties with impregnation, acceptance of the programme (including washing of impregnated nets), side-effects, residual concentrations of the chemical in the nets, costs of the impregnation programme and insecticide resistance of the malaria vectors. We found that the local manufacture of bednets and their sale through village health workers, even in communities with low cash income, is a viable way of increasing bednet coverage; the impregnation of bednets is well accepted if villagers perceive a direct benefit; pretesting of the soaking capacity of different net materials should be done at central level; the instructions for the impregnation procedures of different net materials (cotton and synthetic) should be simple and unambiguous; very cheap thin net materials should be avoided, particularly in the case of lambdacyhalothrin impregnation; educational methods and/or promotion of dark-colour nets should be further tested in order to decrease the washing frequency of bednets at household level; in areas with early-biting mosquitoes further studies on the protective efficacy of bednets are necessary; careful monitoring of side-effects, particularly those of last-generation pyrethroids, is necessary; and the community-based impregnation programme is a powerful tool for strengthening community involvement in health actions.

Bedding and Linens↗

PubMed1999

An approximately 15,000-year record of El Nino-driven alluviation in southwestern ecuador

Debris flows have deposited inorganic laminae in an alpine lake that is 75 kilometers east of the Pacific Ocean, in Ecuador. These storm-induced events were dated by radiocarbon, and the age of laminae that are less than 200 years old matches the historic record of El Nino events. From about 15,000 to about 7000 calendar years before the present, the periodicity of clastic deposition is greater than or equal to 15 years; thereafter, there is a progressive increase in frequency to periodicities of 2 to 8.5 years. This is the modern El Nino periodicity, which was established about 5000 calendar years before the present. This may reflect the onset of a steeper zonal sea surface temperature gradient, which was driven by enhanced trade winds.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1983

Craniofacial malformation among endemic cretins in Ecuador.

Nearly 6% of the inhabitants of two villages in Ecuador are deaf-mute and mentally retarded cretins. These communities are situated in the Andean highlands where environmental and dietary stores of iodine are extremely scarce. Endemic goiter and cretinism are widespread, and 10% of the cretins are additionally burdened with dwarfism and facial dysmorphia. Those with obvious involvement of the skeletal system were selected in order to study the extent of craniofacial malformation. Their appearance is characterized by midface hypoplasia, a broad nose with a depressed bridge, and a conspicuous circumoral prominence. Radiographic evaluation demonstrates a vertical displacement of the cranial base with an associated upward tilt of the midface. The flattened frontal bone, reduced frontal sinus pneumatization, and diminutive nasal bones collectively create a backward sloping face. The defect in the craniofacial skeleton of these Ecuadorian cretins is characteristic, and it readily sets them apart from the dysmorphism of those cretins with myxedema.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1986