Epidemia de dengue 4 en Yucatán, México, 1984

An outbreak of dengue 4 occurred in the Yucatán, México in 1984. During the course of the outbreak, 538 of 5486 reported cases of dengue-like illness were studied; 200 were confirmed as dengue serologically and/or virologically. Dengue 4 virus was isolated from 34 patients and dengue 1 from one. Severe haemorrhagic symptoms were observed in 9 laboratory confirmed patients, including four deaths. Thus, the outbreak in Yucatán is the second dengue epidemic in the Americas after the Cuban epidemic in 1981 in which a number of patients suffered from haemorrhagic complications. It was notable that 5 of 9 hospitalized, severe cases were young adults and that only one met the WHO criteria of DHF, in contrast to primary pediatric nature of DHF in Southeast Asia. In this paper we describe clinical, serologic, and virologic studies conducted during the outbreak.Un brote de dengue 4 ocurrió en Yucatán, México en 1984. Durante el curso del brote, 538 de 5486 casos reportados como dengue clínico fueron estudiados; 200 fueron confirmados como dengue, por estudios serológicos y/o virológicos. El dengue tipo 4 fue aislado de 34 pacientes y dengue 1 de un paciente. Síntomas hemorrágicos severos fueron observados en 9 pacientes confirmados por pruebas de laboratorio, de los cuales 4 fallecieron. Así, el brote en Yucatán es la segunda epidemia de dengue en las Américas después de la epidemia en Cuba en 1981 por el número de pacientes que sufrieron de complicaciones hemorrágicas. Fué notable que 5 de 9 casos hospitalizados, fueron adultos jóvenes y que únicamete un paciente reunió los criterios de la Organización Mundial de la Salud para la Fiebre Hemorrágica por Dengue (FHD), en contraste con los casos pediátricos de FHD del Sureste de Asia. En este artículo describimos los estudios clínicos, serológicos y virológicos realizados durante el brote

Use of Google Earth to strengthen public health capacity and facilitate management of vector-borne diseases in resource-poor environments. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 86:718-725. Un ive rsi ty of Ca pe To wn References Visualising water qual

Objective Novel, inexpensive solutions are needed for improved management of vector-borne and other diseases in resource-poor environments. Emerging free software providing access to satellite imagery and simple editing tools (e.g. Google Earth™) complement existing geographic information system (GIS) software and provide new opportunities for: (i) strengthening overall public health capacity through development of information for city infrastructures; and (ii) display of public health data directly on an image of the physical environment. Methods We used freely accessible satellite imagery and a set of feature-making tools included in the software (allowing for production of polygons, lines and points) to generate information for city infrastructure and to display disease data in a dengue decision support system (DDSS) framework. Findings Two cities in Mexico (Chetumal and Merida) were used to demonstrate that a basic representation of city infrastructure useful as a spatial backbone in a DDSS can be rapidly developed at minimal cost. Data layers generated included labelled polygons representing city blocks, lines representing streets, and points showing the locations of schools and health clinics. City blocks were colour-coded to show presence of dengue cases. The data layers were successfully imported in a format known as shapefile into a GIS software. Conclusion The combination of Google Earth™ and free GIS software (e.g. HealthMapper, developed by WHO, and SIGEpi, developed by PAHO) has tremendous potential to strengthen overall public health capacity and facilitate decision support system approaches to prevention and control of vector-borne diseases in resource-poor environments

Mosquito Infestation and Dengue Virus Infection in Aedes aegypti Females in Schools in Mérida, México

We determined abundance of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and presence of dengue virus (DENV) in females collected from schools in Mérida, México, during 2008 and 2009. Backpack aspiration from 24 schools produced 468 females of Ae. aegypti and 1,676 females of another human biter, Culex quinquefasciatus. Ae. aegypti females were collected most commonly from classrooms followed by offices and bathrooms. Of these females, 24.7% were freshly fed. Examination of 118 pools of Ae. aegypti females (total of 415 females) for presence of DENV RNA produced 19 positive pools (16.1%). DENV-infected pools were detected from 11 (45.8%) of 24 schools and came from different room types, including classrooms, offices, and bathrooms. The overall rate of DENV infection per 100 Ae. aegypti females was 4.8. We conclude that schools in Mérida present a risk environment for students, teachers, and other personnel to be exposed to mosquitoes and bites of DENV-infected Ae. aegypti females