Driver and passenger exposure to aerosol particles in buses and trams in Helsinki, Finland.

This study investigates commuter and driver exposure to aerosol particles in buses and trams in Helsinki, Finland. Particle number and PM(2.5) concentrations were determined in the cabin and the driver's compartment.

[Hansen disease in Mercosur].

In the context of the important changes of a political economic, social and health order upon which the Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay have now embarked in the framework of the commitment undertaken to create instruments for the Common Market of the South America (MERCOSUR), the importance of leprosy for public health in this new region is analysed. In this connection a description is given of the background and reasons which led to the creation of the MERCOSUR Committee for technical cooperation on leprosy, composed of the heads of the national leprosy control programmes of the countries in question, for the purpose of implementing the Protocol of Intention signed by the representatives of the Ministers of member countries, with the object of establishing policies of technical cooperation in activities to control this disease, with a view to attaining the goal proposed by WHO of eliminating leprosy as a public health problem by the year 2000. Using the data contributed by the different programmes, the epidemiological situation existing in this region in December 1995 is outlined, with analysis of certain epidemiological, demographic and operational variables, showing that MERCOSUR has a prevalence of 6.