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In order to support the case for a certification of elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF) in some Caribbean countries, we compared the prevalence of circulating Wuchereria bancrofti antigen in communities in Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad. For the study, we assayed school children in six communities in Guyana, five communities in Suriname, and three communities in Trinidad for the prevalence of circulating W. bancrofti antigen, using a new immunochromatographic test for LF. We also assayed adults in these three countries, with a special focus on Blanchisseuse, Trinidad, where mass treatment for LF elimination had been carried out in 1981. The prevalences of W. bancrofti circulating antigen found in the school children populations ranged from 1.7 to 33.2 in Guyana and were 0.22 overall in Suriname and 0.0 in Trinidad. Among adults in two Guyana communities the prevalences were 16.7 and 32.1. The results were all negative from 211 adults in communities in the north, center, and south of Trinidad, as well as from 29 adults in Suriname. The data suggest that contrary to reports of LF endemicity from the World Health Organization, LF may no longer be present in Trinidad and may be of very low prevalence in Suriname. Trinidad and Tobago and other Caribbean nations proven negative could seek to be awarded a certificate of LF elimination. In Suriname the small localized pocket of infected persons who may serve as a reservoir of LF infection could be tested and appropriately treated to achieve LF elimination. Such LF-positive countries as Guyana should access new international resources being made available for LF elimination efforts. An adequate certification program would help identify which countries should seek the new LF elimination resources

Con el fin de documentar la posibilidad de certificar la eliminación de la filariasis linfática (FL) en algunos países del Caribe, hemos comparado la prevalencia del antígeno circulante de Wuchereria bancrofti en comunidades de Guyana, de Suriname y de la isla de Trinidad. Para ello, utilizamos una nueva prueba inmunocromatográfica de FL en escolares de seis comunidades de Guyana, cinco de Suriname y tres de la isla de Trinidad. También estudiamos adultos de los tres países, centrándonos especialmente en Blanchisseuse, Trinidad, donde en 1981 se llevó a cabo un tratamiento masivo para la eliminación de la FL. La prevalencia del antígeno circulante de Wuchereria bancrofti en los escolares osciló entre 1,7 y 33,2% en Guyana; en Suriname la prevalencia global fue de 0,22% y en Trinidad de 0,0%. En los adultos de dos comunidades de Guyana las cifras de prevalencia fueron de 16,7 y 32,1%. Los resultados de la prueba fueron negativos en los 211 adultos de comunidades del norte, centro y sur de Trinidad, así como en los 29 adultos de Suriname. Los resultados obtenidos indican que, al contrario de lo que afirman los informes de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) sobre la endemicidad de la FL, la enfermedad parece haber desaparecido en Trinidad y tener una prevalencia muy baja en Suriname. Trinidad y Tabago y otros países del Caribe en los que se demuestre la ausencia de la enfermedad podrían obtener un certificado de eliminación de la FL. En Suriname, la pequeña y localizada bolsa de personas infectadas que actuarían como reservorio podrían ser investigadas y tratadas con el fin de conseguir la eliminación de la enfermedad. Los países donde todavía hay FL, como Guyana, podrían acceder a los nuevos recursos internacionales como parte de los esfuerzos para la eliminación de la FL. Un programa de certificación adecuado ayudaría a identificar cuáles son los países que deberían buscar estos nuevos recursos para la eliminación de la LF.

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In order to support the case for a certification of elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF) in some Caribbean countries, we compared the prevalence of circulating Wucheria bancrofti antigen in communities in Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad. For the study, we assayed school children in six communities in Guyana, five communities in Suriname, and three communities in Trinidad for the prevalence of circulating W. bancrofti antigen, using a new immunochromatographic test for LF. We also assayed adults in these three countries, with a special focus on Blanchisseusse, Trinidad, where mass treatment for LF elimination had been carried out in 1981. The prevalence of W. bancrofti circulating antigen found in the school children populations ranged from 1.7 percent to 33.2 percent in Guyana and were .22 percent overall in Suriname and 0.0 percent in Trinidad. Among adults in two Guyana communities the prevalences were 16.7 percent and 32.1 percent. The results were all negative from 211 adults in communities in the north, center, and south of Trinidad, as well as from 29 adults in Suriname. The data suggest that contrary to reports of LF endemicity from the World Health Organization, LF may no longer be present in Trinidad and may be of very low prevalence in Suriname. Trinidad and Tobago and other Caribbean nations proven negative could seek to be awarded a certificate of LF elimination. In Suriname the small localized pocket of infected persons who may serve as a reservoir of LF infection could be tested and appropriately treated to achieve LF elimination. Such LF-positive countries as Guyana should access new international resources being made available for LF elimination efforts. An adequate certification program would help identify which countries should seek the new LF elimination resources (AU)

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A cross-sectional study of a bauxite mining community was conducted between August and November, 1992, to determine the prevalence of specified cardiovascular risk factors. It was carried out by interns and staff of the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Guyana. Three Hundred and eighty-five subjects out of an over-18-year-old population (4,400) were randomly selected from the electoral register. A risk profile was recorded for each subject with general data on age, gender, ethnicity, marital status and occupation. Other data collected and evaluated included family history of heart disease, daily cigarette smoking, height, hypertension (blood pressure level > 140/90 mm Hg), hypercholesteraemia (serum cholesterol > 230 mg percentage) and diabetes mellitus (fasting blood sugar > 120 mg percentage). Analysis of resultls of 242 (63 percent) cases, so far, of the 385 subjects, revealed 50.8 percent males and 49.2 percent females; 78 percent Afro-Guyanese, 12.8 percent Mixed and 7.9 percent Indo-Guyanese; 11.9 percent 65 years and over. Prevalence rates of 32.3 percent for hypertension, 14.5 percent for hypercholesteraemia, 2.9 percent for diabetes mellitus and 21.5 percent for obesity were observed, while 27.7 percent of the subjects smoked, 50.4 percent drank alcohol and 38 percent had at least one family member with heart disease. When risk factors for cardiovascular disease in hypertensive subjects were compared to those in nonhypertensive subjects were compared to those in nonhypertensives, it was found that hypercholesteraemia was 4.7 times greater and that obesity and diabetes mellitus was twice as great. This study indicates that risk factors for cardiovascular disease in a predominantly Afro-Guyanese mining community in Guyana are common and that educational and other strategies should be undertaken to reduce this risk (AU)

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