13. Otros

George, C., Sima, L., Jahuira, M., Mihalic, J., Cabrera, L., Danz, D., Checkley, W., Gilman, R.,

Bull World Health Organ. 2014 Aug 1; 92(8)

In several districts of Peru, drinking water shows widespread arsenic contamination, exceeding the WHO arsenic guideline. This poses a public health threat requiring further investigation and action. For groundwater samples, the EQ kit performed well relative to the WHO arsenic limit and therefore could provide a vital tool for water arsenic surveillance.

Carrillo-Larco, R., Saavedra-Garcia, L., Miranda, J., Sacksteder, K., Diez-Canseco, F., Gilman, R., Bernabe-Ortiz, A.

Nutrients. 2018 Feb 22;10(2).

Despite the negative effects of high sodium and low potassium consumption on cardiovascular health, their consumption has not been quantified in sites undergoing urbanization. We aimed to determine the sodium and potassium consumption in a semi-urban area in Peru with a cross-sectional study. Public health actions ought to be implemented in areas undergoing urbanization to improve sodium and potassium consumption at the population level.

Lee, G., Surkan, P., Zelner, J., Paredes M., Peñataro P., Ambikapathi, R., Caulfield, L., Gilman, R., and Kosek, M.,

SSM Popul Health. 2018 Apr; 4: 254–262.

Food insecurity is a major global public health issue. Social capital has been identified as central to maintaining food security across a wide range of low- and middle-income country contexts, but few studies have examined this relationship through sociocentric network analysis.

We investigated relationships between household- and community-level social connectedness, household food security, and household income; and tested the hypothesis that social connectedness modified the relationship between income and food security.

Carrillo-Larco, R., Miranda, J., Gilman, R., Medina-Lezama, J., Chirinos-Pacheco, J., Muñoz-Retamozo, P., Smeeth, L., Checkley, W., Bernabe-Ortiz, A., and CRONICAS Cohort Study Group

BMC Nephrol. 2017; 18: 343.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) represents a great burden for the patient and the health system, particularly if diagnosed at late stages. Consequently, tools to identify patients at high risk of having CKD are needed, particularly in limited-resources settings where laboratory facilities are scarce. This study aimed to develop a risk score for prevalent undiagnosed CKD using data from four settings in Peru: a complete risk score including all associated risk factors and another excluding laboratory-based variables.

Málaga-Machaca, E., Romero-Ramirez, A., Gilman, R., Astupiña-Figueroa, S., Angulo, N., Florentini, A., Lovon-Luque, C., Gonza, R., Del Carpio-Sanz, A., Cabello, I., Camargo, R., Recuenco, F., Barrueta-Soria, L., Verastegui, M., Calderon, M., Mayta, H.

PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2017 Nov 9;11(11)

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Detection of Trypanosoma cruzi antigens in clinical samples is considered an important diagnostic tool for Chagas disease. The production and use of polyclonal antibodies may contribute to an increase in the sensitivity of immunodiagnosis of Chagas disease.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:

Polyclonal antibodies were raised in alpacas, rabbits, and hens immunized with trypomastigote excreted-secreted antigen, membrane proteins, trypomastigote lysate antigen and recombinant 1F8 to produce polyclonal antibodies. Western blot analysis was performed to determine specificity of the developed antibodies. An antigen capture ELISA of circulating antigens in serum, plasma and urine samples was developed using IgY polyclonal antibodies against T. cruzi membrane antigens (capture antibody) and IgG from alpaca raised against TESA. A total of 33 serum, 23 plasma and 9 urine samples were analyzed using the developed test. Among serum samples, compared to serology, the antigen capture ELISA tested positive in 55% of samples. All plasma samples from serology positive subjects were positive in the antigen capture ELISA. All urine positive samples had corresponding plasma samples that were also positive when tested by the antigen capture ELISA.

CONCLUSIONS:

Polyclonal antibodies are useful for detection of circulating antigens in both the plasma and urine of infected individuals. Detection of antigens is direct evidence of the presence of the parasite, and could be a better surrogate of current infection status.

Hollada, J., Williams, K., Miele, C., Danz, D., Harvey, S., Checkley, W.

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2017 Feb 13;14(2)

Abstract

Many households in low- and middle-income countries cook with inefficient biomass-burning stoves, which cause high levels of household air pollution and threaten long-term health. Although clean stoves and fuels are available, uptake and consistent use has been low. Using observations and in-depth interviews, we assessed the attitudes, preferences, and beliefs about traditional versus liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stoves in rural Puno, Peru. A total of 31 in-depth interviews were conducted with primary cooks and their families, health workers, community leaders, and improved stove contractors. Six in-home observations of meal preparation were also conducted. Six major barriers to consistent use of clean stoves were identified: (1) perceived differences in food taste and nutrition by stove type; (2) cooking niches filled by different stoves; (3) social norms related to cooking practices; (4) safety concerns; (5) comparative costs of using different stoves; and (6) lack of awareness and concern about long-term health risks. These findings suggest that to successfully reduce household air pollution, clean cooking programs and policies must consider the many factors influencing adoption beyond health, such as cost, taste, fears, and cultural traditions. These factors could be incorporated into community-based and national efforts to scale-up sustained and exclusive adoption of clean cooking.

KEYWORDS:

biomass; clean cooking adoption; clean fuel; exclusive use; household air pollution; improved cookstoves; liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)