Normal hearing and verbal discrimination in real sounds environments.

Introduction: Human beings are constantly exposed to complex acoustic environments every day, which even pose challenges for individuals with normal hearing. Speech perception relies not only on fixed elements within the acoustic wave but is also influenced by various factors. These factors include speech intensity, environmental noise, the presence of other speakers, individual specific characteristics, spatial separatios of sound sources, ambient reverberation, and audiovisual cues.

Diphtheria Outbreak in Amerindian Communities, Wonken, Venezuela, 2016-2017.

In February 2017, a diphtheria outbreak occurred among Amerindians of the Pemón ethnic group in Wonken, Venezuela. A field investigation revealed ≈10 cases; clinical presentation did not include cutaneous or neurologic signs or symptoms. To prevent future outbreaks in Venezuela, Amerindian communities need better access to vaccination and healthcare.