Emergence and expansion of dengue in Paltas: possible implications of the COVID-19 pandemic and climatic variations.

Introduction: Dengue is one of the most widespread arboviruses in Latin America and is now affecting areas previously free of transmission. The COVID-19 pandemic and climatic variations appear to have affected the incidence of the disease, abundance of vectors and health programs related to dengue in some countries.

Objective: To analyze the epidemiology of dengue in Paltas, Ecuador (2016-2022), compare the periods before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, examine entomological reports and discuss the possible implications of the COVID-19 pandemic and climatic variations.

Epidemiology of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus colonization in healthy Venezuelan children.

Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. We investigated both the colonization and co-colonization characteristics for these pathogens among 250 healthy children from 2 to 5 years of age in Merida, Venezuela, in 2007. The prevalence of S.