Chagas disease in northern Chile: Detection of Trypanosoma cruzi in children, dogs and triatomine bugs.

Chagas disease is an anthropozoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, transmitted by triatomine vectors. In Chile, there are four species of triatomine bugs that are potential vectors of T. cruzi, being Triatoma infestans the main vector in endemic areas of the country.

Changes in Age and Geographic Distribution of the Risk of Chagas Disease in Chile from 1989 to 2017.

The interruption of vector-borne transmission of Chagas disease was certified in Chile in 1999. Our goal was to determine the effects of the interruption of vector transmission on the age and spatial distributions of the risk of Chagas disease. We analyzed cases of Chagas disease by age and sex between 1989 and 2017, from notified disease reports of the Ministry of Health.

Contribution of Anthropogenic Factors and Climate Variables to Human Cystic Echinococcosis Mortality in Chile (2001-2011).

Here we assess the effect of weather and anthropogenic environmental variables, particularly urbanization, on cystic echinococcosis mortality in Chile from 2001 to 2011 using a nonparametric regression model, multivariate adaptive regression splines, and Poisson nonlinear regression models. This study integrated data from various sources on weather and anthropogenic variables. The canine population had the greatest influence on human cystic echinococcosis mortality during the period analyzed.

Development of a small panel of SNPs to infer ancestry in Chileans that distinguishes Aymara and Mapuche components.

Background: Current South American populations trace their origins mainly to three continental ancestries, i.e. European, Amerindian and African.

[Effects of climate change on reproductive number of Chagas disease].

Background: Reproductive number (R0)-maps estimate risk zones of vector-borne diseases and geographical distribution changes under climate change.

Aim: To map R0 aiming to estimate the epidemiological risk of Chagas disease in Chile, its distribution and possible changes due to the global climate change.

Material And Methods: We used a relationship between R0 and entomological parameters of vectors as function of environmental variables, to map the risk of Chagas disease in Chile, under current and projected future environmental conditions.

Assessing the risk zones of Chagas' disease in Chile, in a world marked by global climatic change.

Background: Vector transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi appears to be interrupted in Chile; however, data show increasing incidence of Chagas' disease, raising concerns that there may be a reemerging problem.

Objective: To estimate the actual risk in a changing world it is necessary to consider the historical vector distribution and correlate this distribution with the presence of cases and climate change.

Methods: Potential distribution models of Triatoma infestans and Chagas disease were performed using Maxent, a machine-learning method.

[Epidemiological characterization of bites on people, as emergency care record: Province of Los Andes, Chile].

Background: Bites constitute a public health problem worldwide.

Aim: To characterize epidemiologically bites by animals happened in the province of Los Andes (2005-2007).

Method: Descriptive, retrospective epidemiological study.

[What do the numbers tell us about the temporal evolution of Chagas' disease?].

Chagas disease remains highly prevalent in Chile, especially between the regions of Arica and Parinacota, and Coquimbo. Since 1999 it is considered that in Chile the vector transmission was interrupted. Under this premise, the epidemiological dynamics should be changing.

Modeling Chagas disease in Chile: From vector to congenital transmission.

Chagaś disease is a human health problem in Latin America. It is highly prevalent in northern Chile between the Arica-Parinacota and Coquimbo regions, with reported incidence of 3-11/100000 inhabitants and mortality of 0.3-0.

Analyzing recurrent events when the history of previous episodes is unknown or not taken into account: proceed with caution.

Objective: Researchers in public health are often interested in examining the effect of several exposures on the incidence of a recurrent event. The aim of the present study is to assess how well the common-baseline hazard models perform to estimate the effect of multiple exposures on the hazard of presenting an episode of a recurrent event, in presence of event dependence and when the history of prior-episodes is unknown or is not taken into account.

Methods: Through a comprehensive simulation study, using specific-baseline hazard models as the reference, we evaluate the performance of common-baseline hazard models by means of several criteria: bias, mean squared error, coverage, confidence intervals mean length and compliance with the assumption of proportional hazards.

Respiratory disease and particulate air pollution in Santiago Chile: contribution of erosion particles from fine sediments.

Air pollution in Santiago is a serious problem every winter, causing thousands of cases of breathing problems within the population. With more than 6 million people and almost two million vehicles, this large city receives rainfall only during winters. Depending on the frequency of storms, statistics show that every time it rains, air quality improves for a couple of days, followed by extreme levels of air pollution.

Neurodevelopmental effects in children associated with exposure to organophosphate pesticides: a systematic review.

Many studies have investigated the neurodevelopmental effects of prenatal and early childhood exposures to organophosphate (OP) pesticides among children, but they have not been collectively evaluated. The aim of the present article is to synthesize reported evidence over the last decade on OP exposure and neurodevelopmental effects in children. The Data Sources were PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO, SciVerse Scopus, SpringerLink, SciELO and DOAJ.

[Relation of genetic variants of CYP2A6 with tobacco dependence and smoking habit in Chilean subjects. A pilot study].

Background: Genetic and metabolic factors associated with nicotine metabolism may be related to smoking behavior.

Aim: To assess the prevalence of allelic and genotype variants of CYP2A6 in a sample of Chilean subjects and to evaluate their relationship with smoking and tobacco dependence.

Material And Methods: The genotype frequencies for *2, *3 and *4 of CYP2A6*1 (wild type) gene were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 54 volunteers.

[Analysis of sick leaves due to mental and behavioral problems].

Background: In Chile, the number of sick leaves due to mental health problems has systematically increased in recent years.

Aim: To perform an analysis of sick leaves due to mental problems managed by the Fondo Nacional de Salud (FONASA) during 2008.

Material And Methods: Analysis of all sick leaves awarded during 2008 for mental or behavioral problems, that were managed at FONASA.

Predictors of exposure to organophosphate pesticides in schoolchildren in the Province of Talca, Chile.

Background: Few data exist in Latin America concerning the association between organophosphate (OP) urinary metabolites and the consumption of fruits and vegetables and other exposure risk variables in schoolchildren.

Methods: We collected samples of urine from 190 Chilean children aged 6-12 years, fruits and vegetables, water and soil from schools and homes, and sociodemographic data through a questionnaire. We measured urinary dialkylphosphate (DAP) OP metabolites and OP pesticide residues in food consumed by these 190 children during two seasons: December 2010 (summer) and May 2011 (fall).

Hazard functions to describe patterns of new and recurrent sick leave episodes for different diagnoses.

Objectives: This study aims to identify the hazard functions that describe the occurrence patterns of new and recurrent sick leave (SL) episodes for mental, respiratory, and musculoskeletal diagnoses.

Methods: The data come from a cohort of workers in the Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil, including all employees working ≥ 20 hours per week, whose first employment relation with the hospital started between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2007 (N=1579). We created 15 samples corresponding to combinations of diagnoses causing SL and the number of previous episodes already suffered.

[Epidemiological characterization and evolution of breast cancer patients in the Arica and Parinacota region in Chile, 1997-2007].

Objective: Epidemiologically characterizing breast cancer in the Arica and Parinacota region in Chile and its evolution during 1997-2007.

Method: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was performed. All clinical histories for 306 cases of breast cancer were reviewed.

[Modeling critical episodes of air pollution by PM10 in Santiago, Chile. Comparison of the predictive efficiency of parametric and non-parametric statistical models].

Objective: To evaluate the predictive efficiency of two statistical models (one parametric and the other non-parametric) to predict critical episodes of air pollution exceeding daily air quality standards in Santiago, Chile by using the next day PM10 maximum 24h value. Accurate prediction of such episodes would allow restrictive measures to be applied by health authorities to reduce their seriousness and protect the community's health.

Methods: We used the PM10 concentrations registered by a station of the Air Quality Monitoring Network (152 daily observations of 14 variables) and meteorological information gathered from 2001 to 2004.

Polymorphism of glutathione S-transferase (GST) variants and its effect on distribution of urinary arsenic species in people exposed to low inorganic arsenic in tap water: an exploratory study.

Glutathione S-tranferases (GST) are multigenic enzymes that have been associated with arsenic metabolism. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between polymorphic variants of GST and urinary concentration of arsenic species in people exposed to low levels of arsenic. A cross-sectional study among 66 nonoccupationally exposed subjects, living in the city of Antofagasta, Chile.

[Cardiac failure in Chilean hospitals: results of the National Registry of Heart Failure, ICARO].

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a major public health problem. In Chile hospitalized patients due to HF have not been characterized.

Aim: To evaluate clinical profile and outcome of patients hospitalized for heart failure in Chilean hospitals.