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Results for “Colombia”

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PubMed1998

Neurocysticercosis in persons with epilepsy in Medellín, Colombia. The Neuroepidemiological Research Group of Antioquia.

PURPOSE: A prospective series of 643 persons with epilepsy attending a reference neurologic center in Medellín, Colombia, was examined by computed tomography (CT scan) or serology or both with the enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot assay (EITB) to assess the prevalence of Taenia solium cysticercosis. METHODS: All presenting patients were consecutively enrolled in the study. Five hundred forty-six persons underwent cerebral CT scans; 376 of them also had serum EITB performed. RESULTS: Prevalence of neurocysticercosis by CT scan was 13.92%. Overall prevalence of T. solium antibodies with EITB was 9.82%, but for those with late-onset epilepsy (onset after age 30 years), prevalence increased to 17.5% and 19% for those who originated from outside urban Medellín. Seroprevalence in individuals with mixed lesions (cysts and calcifications) was 88.2% and 64.10% in those with live cysts. Conversely, only 2.72% of persons with CT findings not related to neurocysticercosis had positive EITB tests. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that an important proportion of individuals with epilepsy have radiologic or serologic evidence of T. solium infection, suggesting that neurocysticercosis is an important etiology for epilepsy in Colombia.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Comparison of the epilepsy surgery programs in Cartagena, Colombia, and Zürich, Switzerland.

The organization, financing, productivity, quality of work, and cost-effectiveness of the Epilepsy Center in Cartagena, Colombia, were studied and compared with the epilepsy surgery program at the University Hospital Zürich, Switzerland. During a 2-month visit, one of the authors (I.T.) evaluated the center in Cartagena as a welfare institution and evaluated its epilepsy surgery program. The postoperative results of the Cartagena program were compared with those reported at the Second International Palm Desert Conference 1992, which revealed a similar rate of postoperative seizure control in temporal lobe epilepsy, slightly inferior results with hemispherectomy, and slightly better results with anterior callosotomy. A comparison between the two epilepsy centers showed that pre and postoperative antiepileptic drug treatment is more restricted in Colombia because of high costs. Although important diagnostic tools such as electroencephalography, seizure monitoring, neuropsychology, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging are available in both centers, the Zürich program also has access to positron emission tomography, single photon emission computed tomography, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and intracarotid and selective amobarbital tests. The postoperative seizure outcome is similar in surgical temporal lobe epilepsy patients (temporal lobectomy series, Cartagena; selective amygdalohippocampectomy series, Zürich). The comparison of direct costs of epilepsy surgery in Cartagena and Zürich showed that for the average patient undergoing epilepsy surgery in Cartagena, the cost is 5.5% of that in Zürich. This study presents evidence that epilepsy surgery is an inexpensive and efficient treatment option for epilepsy patients in developing countries. Epilepsy surgery in developing countries may even be considered at an early stage in patients who cannot afford the costs of lifetime medical treatment but can afford the one-time cost of a surgical treatment.

Anticonvulsants↗

PubMed2006

Influence of climatic conditions on the isolation of members of the Cryptococcus neoformans species complex from trees in Colombia from 1992-2004.

The aim of this retrospective study was to analyze the relationship between occurrence of the serotypes of the Cryptococcus neoformans species complex in tree samples and the climatic conditions registered during samplings in four cities of Colombia, between 1992 and 2004, by means of a logistic regression model and lagged Pearson correlations. During 97 collection dates, 8220 samples from different tree species were taken, of which 2.63% were positive: 56.5% yielded serotype B, 24.7% serotype C and 18.8% serotype A isolates. The prevalence of the serotypes varied among the cities. The results suggest that environmental climatic conditions, mainly humidity, temperature, evaporation and solar radiation, can affect the occurrence of the different serotypes in trees in a differential manner. These different climatic tolerances were reflected in the geographic distribution of the serotypes in Colombia. The climatic conditions for 15 days before the sampling date were correlated with positive or negative isolation of the different serotypes.

Chrysobalanaceae↗

PubMed2004

CTX-M-12 beta-lactamase in a Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolate in Colombia.

We describe the detection of the CTX-M-12 beta-lactamase from a clinical isolate of Klebsiella pneumoniae in Colombia. Screening of nosocomial Klebsiella spp. and Escherichia coli isolates from a network of teaching hospitals revealed the presence of CTX-M enzymes in multiple cities. This is the first description of CTX-M in Colombia.

Colombia↗

PubMed2001

Frequency of tuberculous and non-tuberculous mycobacteria in HIV infected patients from Bogota, Colombia.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of infections by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and non-tuberculous Mycobacterium species in the HIV-infected patient population in Colombia was uncertain despite some pilot studies. We determined the frequency of isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and of non-tuberculous Mycobacterium species in diverse body fluids of HIV-infected patients in Bogota, Colombia. METHODS: Patients who attended the three major HIV/AIDS health care centres in Bogota were prospectively studied over a six month period. A total of 286 patients were enrolled, 20% of them were hospitalized at some point during the study. Sixty four percent (64%) were classified as stage C, 25% as stage B, and 11% as stage A (CDC staging system, 1993). A total of 1,622 clinical samples (mostly paired samples of blood, sputum, stool, and urine) were processed for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) stain and culture. RESULTS: Overall 43 of 1,622 cultures (2.6%) were positive for mycobacteria. Twenty-two sputum samples were positive. Four patients were diagnosed with M. tuberculosis (1.4%). All isolates of M. tuberculosis were sensitive to common anti-tuberculous drugs. M. avium was isolated in thirteen patients (4.5%), but only in three of them the cultures originated from blood. The other isolates were obtained from stool, urine or sputum samples. In three cases, direct AFB smears of blood were positive. Two patients presented simultaneously with M. tuberculosis and M. avium. CONCLUSIONS: Non-tuberculous Mycobacterium infections are frequent in HIV infected patients in Bogota. The diagnostic sensitivity for infection with tuberculous and non-tuberculous mycobacteria can be increased when diverse body fluids are processed from each patient.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Giardiasis in children living in post-earthquake camps from Armenia (Colombia).

BACKGROUND: An earthquake in the coffee growing region of Colombia on January 25, 1999 destroyed 70% of the houses in Armenia city. Transitory housing camps still remained until two years after the disaster. Parasitological studies found that, in this population, giardiasis was the most frequent parasitic infection. This study was carried out in order to determine the epidemiological risk factors associated with this high prevalence. METHODS: Fecal samples were obtained from 217 children aged between 3 and 13 years. Stool samples were studied by direct wet examination and stained with ferric hematoxilin for microscopical examination. Epidemiological data were collected by questionnaire and analyzed by using the Epi-info software (CDC, Atlanta 2001). RESULTS: Giardia cysts were observed in 60.4% of the samples presented and trophozoites in 4.6%. The following epidemiological and laboratory factors were significantly associated with Giardia infection: 1. Use of communal toilet (vs. individual toilet) OR: 3.9, CI95%: 1.2-16; 2. water provision by municipal ducts (vs. water provision by individual tanks) OR: 3.5, CI95% 1.1-14, and 3. presence of mucus in stool OR: 2.3, IC95%: 0.9-6.7. CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of giardiasis was found in children living in temporary houses after the 1999 earthquake in Armenia (Colombia). Giardiasis is an emerging disease in post-disaster situations and adequate prevention measures should be implemented during these circumstances.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Contending medical ideologies and state formation: the nineteenth-century origins of medical pluralism in contemporary Colombia.

This article addresses the encounter between contending medical ideologies in nineteenth-century Colombia. The first era of medical pluralism, in colonial Latin America, developed from the imposition of Hispanic medicine on existing indigenous medical systems through an imperial structure. This produced a "colonial medical spectrum" incorporating various medical ideologies that came under attack by practitioners of scientific medicine in the 1800s. As scientific physicians gained privileged access to state resources, they undertook partially successful campaigns to deny Hispanic, homeopathic, and other medical systems the right to be practiced. As the state authorized scientific medicine, other practices became "popularized," thereby laying the foundation for the medical pluralism of contemporary Colombia that juxtaposes "academic" and "traditional" medicines.

Biomedical Research↗

PubMed2003

Trends in reproductive behavior among young single women in Colombia and Peru: 1985-1999.

Using "calendar" data for single women aged 15-24 from successive Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) conducted in Colombia and Peru during the 1990s, we document trends, year by year, in sexual activity, the use of contraceptives, and subsequent reproductive outcomes. We provide evidence of the important and hitherto largely untapped potential of DHS calendar data to draw complete sexual and reproductive profiles when data from various surveys are integrated. Over the period 1985-1999, young single women in both Colombia and Peru became sexually active at younger ages. The use of contraceptives, especially the use of condoms, increased but did not fully offset the rise in sexual activity, and thus the incidence of premarital conceptions rose among young single women. In both countries, sharp declines occurred in the proportion of premaritally conceived births that were reported as being wanted.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

The relationship between intimate partner violence and unintended pregnancy: analysis of a national sample from Colombia.

CONTEXT: Intimate partner violence is associated with a number of reproductive and mental health problems. However, the relationship between intimate partner violence and women's ability to control their fertility has not been adequately explored, especially in developing countries. METHODS: Data from the 2000 Demographic and Health Survey for Colombia were used in multivariate logistic regressions to explore the relationship between intimate partner violence and unintended pregnancy, which was included as a measure of fertility control. Regional differences in the relationship were also explored, and population-attributable risk estimates were calculated. The sample consisted of 3,431 ever-married women aged 15-49 who had given birth in the last five years or were currently pregnant. RESULTS: Fifty-five percent of respondents had had at least one unintended pregnancy, and 38% had been physically or sexually abused by their current or most recent partner. Women's adjusted odds of having had an unintended pregnancy were significantly elevated if they had been physically or sexually abused (odds ratio, 1.4); the association was observed in the Atlantica and Central regions (1.7 each), but was not significant elsewhere in the country. Eliminating intimate partner violence in Colombia would result in an estimated 32,523-44,986 fewer unintended pregnancies each year. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate the need to include intimate partner violence screening and treatment in reproductive health programs, to promote men's involvement in fertility control programs, and to improve the social and political response to intimate partner violence.

Battered Women↗

PubMed2002

Evaluation of HIV prevention and counseling practices of obstetrician/gynecologists in Bogota, Colombia: impact on women's knowledge and risk practices.

The present community-based study in Bogotá, Colombia, investigated risk assessment and preventive counseling practices of obstetrician/gynecologists (ob/gyn n = 34) and their impact on women's (n = 230) knowledge and risk behaviors. The data indicate that physician education has a significant and positive impact on women's knowledge and behavior. After controlling for sociodemographic variables, women instructed by their ob/gyn were 11 times more likely to correctly identify preventive measures (p = 0.0001) and high-risk sexual practices for the HIV /sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) transmission (4x; p = 0.05) and were less likely to engage in high-risk sexual practices (OR = 2; p = 0.05). Few ob/gyns (17%), however, assess risk behaviors and provide risk reduction counseling, and only 6% frequently encouraged HIV testing. These findings highlight the potential public health impact of ob/gyn physicians and underscore the need to increase their involvement in halting the HIV/STD epidemic in Colombia.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Sandfly Lutzomyia longipalpis in a Cutaneous leishmaniasis focus in central Colombia.

Lutzomyia longipalpis, 15 other species of the genus Lutzomyia, and one species of Brumptomyia were collected in an endemic focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in a river canyon 450 m above sea-level, in Rio Claro, Antioquia, Colombia. The presence of Lu. longipalpis is associated with the destruction of the primary forest and the development of new farmland and rural settlement in this region. The composition of species identified a different habitat for Lu. longipalpis in Colombia. Lu. yuilli and Lu. longipalpis were predominant (68.26%) followed by Lu. trapidoi, Lu. hartmani, Lu. triramula, Lu. panamensis, Lu. gomezi.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Genetic variation among natural and laboratory colony populations of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva, 1912)(Diptera: Psychodidae) from Colombia.

Genetic diversity among three field populations of Lutzomyia longipalpis in Colombia was studied using isozyme analysis. Study sites were as much as 598 km apart and included populations separated by the eastern Cordillera of the Andes. Genetic variability among populations, estimated by heterozygosity, was within values typical for insects in general (8.1%). Heterozygosity for field populations were compared with a laboratory colony from Colombia (Melgar colony) and were only slightly lower. These results suggest that establishment and long term maintenance of the Melgar colony has had little effect on the level of isozyme variability it carries. Genetic divergences between populations was evaluated using estimates of genetic distance. Genetic divergence among the three field populations was low (D = 0.021), suggesting they represent local populations within a single species. Genetic distance between field populations and the Melgar colony was also low (D = 0.016), suggesting that this colony population does not depart significantly from natural populations. Finally, comparisons were made between Colombian populations and colonies from Brazil and Costa Rica. Genetic distance values were high between Colombian and both Brazil and Costa Rica colony populations (D = 0.199 and 0.098 respectively) providing additional support for our earlier report that populations from the three countries represent distinct species.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Association of Lutzomyia columbiana (Diptera: Psychodidae) with a leishmaniasis focus in Colombia due to species of the Leishmania mexicana complex.

In Colombia, Leishmania mexicana has a scattered geographical distribution and no sand fly vectors have been associated with its transmission. During the present study, the anthropophilic sand fly Lutzomyia columbiana was found to be the only species collected using diverse methods, in a small focus of Le. mexicana in the municipality of Samaniego, SW Colombia. Ecological data indicate that this sand fly species is present in both peri and intradomestic habitats, where it readily bites man. Further evidence comes from experimental infections of wild-caught Lu. columbiana with Le. mexicana after feeding on infected hamsters. Based on these results, it is suggested that this sand fly is the most likely vector in the study area, suggesting the existence of a previously unknown sand fly-parasite association.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Genetic variability among populations of Lutzomyia (Psathyromyia) shannoni (Dyar 1929) (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) in Colombia.

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to elucidate genetic variation at 13 isozyme loci among forest populations of Lutzomyia shannoni from three widely separated locations in Colombia: Palambí (Nariño Department), Cimitarra (Santander Department) and Chinácota (Norte de Santander Department). These samples were compared with a laboratory colony originating from the Magdalena Valley in Central Colombia. The mean heterozygosity ranged from 16 to 22%, with 2.1 to 2.6 alleles detected per locus. Nei's genetic distances among populations were low, ranging from 0.011 to 0.049. The estimated number of migrants (Nm=3.8) based on Wright's F-Statistic, F ST, indicated low levels of gene flow among Lu. shannoni forest populations. This low level of migration indicates that the spread of stomatitis virus occurs via infected host, not by infected insect. In the colony sample of 79 individuals, the Gpi locus was homozygotic (0.62/0.62) in all females and heterozygotic (0.62/0.72) in all males. Although this phenomenon is probably a consequence of colonization, it indicates that Gpi is linked to a sex determining locus.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Morphological and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment lenght polymorphism characterization of Biomphalaria kuhniana and Biomphalaria amazonica from Colombia.

In Colombia, five Biomphalaria planorbid species are known: B. kuhniana, B. straminea, B. peregrina, B. canonica and B. oligoza(var. B. philippiana). Among them, B. straminea is intermediate host of Schistosoma mansoni and B. peregrina has been found to be experimentally susceptible to this parasite. B. straminea is commonly confused with B. kuhniana and they have been clustered together with B. intermedia in the complex named B. straminea. The difficulties involved in the specific identification, based on morphological data, have motivated the use of new techniques as auxiliary tools in cases of inconclusive morphological identification of such planorbid. In the present study, five Biomphalaria populations from the Colombian Amazon region and from Interandian Valleys were morphologically identified and characterized by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment lenght polymorphism directed at the internal transcribed spacer region of the rRNA gene, followed by digestion of the generated fragment with restriction enzymes (DdeI, AluI, RsaI, MvaI and HaeIII). Known profiles of the Brazilian species B. straminea, B. peregrina, B. kuhniana, B. intermedia and B. amazonica, besides B. kuhniana from Colombia, were used for comparison. The five populations under study were morphologically and molecularly identified as B. kuhniana and B. amazonica.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

IS6110 fingerprinting of sensitive and resistant strains (1991-1992) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Colombia.

The standardized method to study the polymorphism of IS 6110 was used to characterize 53 isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis obtained during 1991-1992 from 14 regions in Colombia. In Valle region cluster rate was 25% (4/16). The mean number of IS6110 band was 10 +/- 3. Similarity between strains was of 60% in 81% of strains and this tended to be correlated with geographic origin. For the first time M. tuberculosis without IS6110 bands in restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis was found in Colombia. Additional studies are necessaries in order to best characterize the situation in relation to human immunodeficiency virus epidemic and recent changes in tuberculosis control program.

Cluster Analysis↗

PubMed2004

Feeding sources and natural infection of Belminus herreri (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae) from dwellings in Cesar, Colombia.

Belminus herreri, originally described from specimens collected in Panama, was considered entirely silvatic until to 2000 when it was found for the first time in a domestic habitat in Colombia. In 2001, during a new search of houses in the Department of Cesar, Colombia, 121 specimens were collected. Study of their feeding sources using an ELISA test revealed that 96% of these specimens had fed on cockroaches (Blattidae). However, a small proportion of these B. herreri specimens also showed the presence of Trypanosoma cruzi in their gut contents, suggesting a possible role for these insects in the epidemiology of Chagas disease.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Gender and cutaneous leishmaniasis in Colombia].

Leishmaniasis in Colombia has traditionally been seen as a health risk for adult males, as they become infected when they enter the vector's biotopes to tap natural resources. National health statistics seem to confirm this theory. However, during field studies, the Program for the Study and Control of Tropical Diseases (PECET) observed both equal proportions of men and women with active leishmaniasis and delayed hypersensitivity skin tests and equal proportions of males and females having had contact with the parasite from early childhood. Several factors that have not been analyzed in depth in Colombia thus far appear to distort the disease's epidemiological pattern in the country, and gender-linked differences in access to health care appear to exist. As a consequence, no relief is provided for this source of human suffering, and socioeconomic repercussions for households are significant. Preventive measures by the Colombian Ministry of Health (MOH) systematically underestimate the magnitude of intra- and peridomiciliary transmission, and female patients are excluded from active case detection. Further research should be devoted to this phenomenon. The MOH should be encouraged to improve leishmaniasis control programs, especially with regard to active case detection, training, and teaching, so that quicker diagnosis can be performed. Meanwhile, the MOH should retrain its health personnel.

Adolescent↗