RESUMO
A survey was conducted in Merida, Yucatan, between February and June 1994 in order to determine the prevalence of asthma and the frequency of a family history of the disease in school-age children. A random sample was taken of 505 children of both sexes between the ages of 6 and 12 who were enrolled in elementary schools in the urban area of Merida. Every child's father or mother was surveyed and asked if the child had had recurrent episodes of loud, difficult breathing with wheezing chest sounds, if he or she had had bronchitis, asthmatiform bronchitis, or asthma, and if the mother, father, or any of the siblings had ever suffered from asthma. A total of 61 children with asthma (cumulative prevalence, 12%) was found. Among these children a history of maternal or paternal asthma was more frequent (25 and 18%, respectively) than in other children (10 and 6%, respectively), the difference being statistically significant (P < 0.002) in both cases. Results show the high prevalence of asthma in Merida and suggest that heredity plays a role in the development of the disease.
Assuntos
Asma/epidemiologia , Serviços de Saúde Escolar , Serviços de Saúde para Estudantes , Criança , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , México/epidemiologia , PrevalênciaRESUMO
The state of Tabasco is localized in the endemic area of cutaneous leishmaniasis where both diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis have recently been reported. The objective of the present study was to obtain reliable information of the situation of this disease--which has a great relevance as a worldwide public health problem--through determination of the allergic index in a randomized sample from Ranchería Miguel Hidalgo, Comalcalco Municipality, Tabasco, Mexico. We found an allergic index of 56 per cent. Farmers and housewives had the highest positive responses to the Montenegro skin test. We found no statistical differences between males and females. Moreover, 3 patients with active lesions and people with scars suggestive of prior leishmaniasis were detected during the study. This village should be considered a high endemic focus.
Assuntos
Reservatórios de Doenças , Leishmaniose Cutânea/epidemiologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Fatores Etários , Animais , Anticorpos Antiprotozoários/sangue , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Reservatórios de Doenças/estatística & dados numéricos , Feminino , Humanos , Lactente , Leishmania mexicana/imunologia , Leishmaniose Cutânea/imunologia , Masculino , México/epidemiologia , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , População Rural/estatística & dados numéricos , Estudos Soroepidemiológicos , Fatores SexuaisRESUMO
Cutaneous leishmaniasis in Mexico was first described in 1912. Since then, its existence has been repeatedly confirmed in the forest regions of the peninsula of Yucatan. In order to obtain reliable knowledge about the magnitude of this problem, we questioned and skin-tested a sample of 449 persons randomly selected from men aged 15-45 years. We found a positivity rate of 24 to 90% (mean 43%) in the seven rural health posts studied. Furthermore, 72 patients were examined between January and December 1987 by parasitological investigation (smear, isolation, culture and/or biopsy) and the Montenegro skin test; 56 had acquired the disease in 1987. Based on these data, we found an annual incidence rate of 508 per 100,000 inhabitants. Further long-term studies are indicated to determine the incidence and prevalence rates for this disease in other parts of the country.