Mercury Levels in Hair of Pregnant Women in Tumbes, Peru: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Mercury, a potent toxin that poses serious risks to human health, particularly for pregnant women and young children, is widely present due to artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM), which impacts water quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate methylmercury exposure among pregnant women in communities downstream from ASGM sites. We characterized hair total mercury (THg) concentrations among 148 pregnant women across 24 communities in the Tumbes region of Peru, downstream from ASGM sites in Ecuador.

To Know the Disease: Creating a Participatory Community Education Workshop about Focused on Physical, Economic, and Epidemiologic Evidence.

Cysticercosis, caused by , is a neglected disease that causes preventable epilepsy. We conducted an experiential learning workshop in northern Peru to educate community members on transmission and motivate participation in community-led prevention and control. The workshop included presentation of local economic and epidemiologic data, followed by hands-on participation in pig dissection, group discussion of the life cycle, and viewing of eggs and nascent tapeworms with light microscopes.

Evaluating Urban Taeniasis as a Threat to Cysticercosis Elimination in Northern Peru.

Reintroduction of into a region in Peru where it had been eliminated prompted evaluation of the possibility of reintroduction from an urban reservoir of taeniasis. In a cross-sectional study of an adjacent urban area, we found low prevalence of taeniasis (4/1,621; 0.25%), suggesting minimal risk of parasite reintroduction into rural areas through this route.

Barriers to Participation in a Community-Based Program to Control Transmission of in Peru.

Infection of the brain with larvae (neurocysticercosis) is a leading cause of preventable epilepsy worldwide. Effective and sustainable strategies to control parasite transmission in rural endemic communities are needed to prevent the disease. Surveillance and targeted intervention around infected pigs (ring control strategy) have been shown to be effective when carried out by research teams.