Enfermedad zoonótica: distribución geográfica de la infección por neurocisticercosis en Ecuador durante el periodo 2014-2020

Neurocysticercosis (NCS) in an infection of the central nervous system caused by infectious eggs of Taenia Solium, depending on its location, can cause epilepsy, hydrocephalus, and death. The objective of the study is to determine the geographic distribution of the NCS in Ecuador during the period 2014-2020. Methodology: observational, ecological longitudinal study; the hospital discharge database of the National Institute of Statistics and Census for the period 2014-2020 is used; spatial analysis was performed using the geographic software QGIS. Results: A total of 791 cases were recorded, the highest incidence of cases occurred in cantons of the province of Loja: Calvas, Paltas and Espindola with 1.05, 0.77 and 0.63 cases per 10,000 inhabitants. Conclusions: The area with a higher incidence of NCS is in the Ecuadorian Austro. Public health measures should improve the conditions that serve as risk factors for NCS infectionLa neurocisticercosis (NCS) en una infección del sistema nervioso central producido por huevos infectivos de Taenia Solium, dependiendo de su localización puede producir epilepsia, hidrocefalia y muerte. El objetivo del estudio es determinar la distribución geográfica de la NCS en el Ecuador durante el periodo 2014-2020. Metodología: estudio observacional, ecológico de corte longitudinal; se emplea la base de datos de egresos hospitalarios del Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Censos del periodo 2014-2020; el análisis espacial se lo realizó mediante el software geográfico QGIS. Resultados: Se contabilizó un total de 791 casos, la mayor incidencia de casos se registró en cantones de la provincia de Loja: Calvas, Paltas y Espíndola con 1.05, 0.77 y 0.63 casos por cada 10.000 habitantes. Conclusiones: El área con una mayor incidencia de NCS se ubica en el austro ecuatoriano. Medidas de salud pública deben encaminarse a mejorar las condiciones que sirven de factores de riesgo para la infección de NCS

Factores asociados al tiempo de adopción de perros procedentes de refugios en Ecuador. Un estudio observacional longitudinal

Introduction. Dog abandonment has implications for animal welfare and is a public health concern. In response to the problem of abandonment, stray dogs are fostered in dog shelters while waiting for adoption. Unfortunately, the lack of public policies to minimize dog abandonment and overpopulation have both led to increasingly long-term sheltering for stary dogs. Objective. The objective of the present study was to identify factors that moderate the adoption processes of stray dogs in shelters from the Amazon and Sierra Regions of Ecuador. Methodology. To do that, the data was collected from four DS and the relationship between adoption time as outcome variable and sex, age, coat color and breed as explanatory variables was studied using Kaplan-Meier models. Results. Sample (n= 207) was composed mostly by adults (n= 62; 52.10%), females (n= 115; 56.00%), mixed breed (n= 185, 89.00%) and yellow coat dogs (n = 59, 29.00%). Average adoption time was 188 days (SD= 18.60). The main factor associated with time of adoption was age. Puppies and juveniles were adopted in shorter periods of time in comparison to adults. Factors such as sex, breed or coat color were not statistically significantly associated with adoption time. Conclusion. Findings from the present study suggest that adoption processes might potentially benefit from fostering adoption campaigns targeting specific dog populations to promote among family’s adoption of disadvantaged dogs.Introducción. El abandono de perros tiene implicaciones para el bienestar animal y es un problema de salud pública. Los refugios caninos han surgido en respuesta a dicho problema y tienen el objetivo de acoger a perros callejeros para luego darlos en adopción. Desafortunadamente, la falta de políticas públicas para minimizar el abandono y reducir la sobrepoblación canina ha ocasionado, que los refugios se conviertan en sitios de estancia permanente. Objetivo. El objetivo del presente estudio fue identificar factores que moderan el tiempo de adopción de perros callejeros en la región Sierra y Oriente de Ecuador. Metodología. Para ello, se recolectó información de cuatro refugios caninos de Ecuador, de manera retrospectiva. Se estudio la relación entre las variables explicativas (sexo, edad, color de pelaje y raza) y la variable respuesta (tiempo de adopción) aplicando modelos de supervivencia de Kaplan-Meier.  Resultados. La población evaluada (n=207 perros) estuvo compuesta en su mayoría por adultos (n= 62, 52.1%), hembras (n=115, 56%), mestizos (n=185, 89%) y, por perros de pelaje amarillo (n=59, 29%). El tiempo promedio de adopción fue de 188 días (DE=18,0). El principal factor que se asoció al tiempo de adopción fue la edad, siendo los cachorros y juveniles los que fueron adoptados en menor tiempo. Adicionalmente, factores como el sexo, raza o color de pelaje no se asociaron de manera estadísticamente significativa con el tiempo de adopción. Conclusión

Síndrome de Burnout en médicos/as y enfermeros/as ecuatorianos durante la pandemia de COVID-19

Objective: To determine the occurrence and intensity of Burnout Syndrome (SB) in Ecuadorian doctors and nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.Materials and methods: Observational cross-sectional study. 224 physicians and nurses from establishments of the Ecuadorian comprehensive health network participated. Participants were administered the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Data were analyzed through linear regression models using R.Results: More than 90% of the medical and nursing staff presented moderate-severe SB, which was statistically significantly associated with function (doctor vs. nurse), age and gender. Medical personnel were affected more frequently than nursing personnel, both globally and on the emotional exhaustion and depersonalization subscales.Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemine more than 90% of the medical and nursingpersonnel presented moderate to severe SB, with the medical staff being the most frequentlyaffected.Objetivo: Determinar la ocurrencia e intensidad de Síndrome de Burnout (SB) en médicos y enfermeros/as ecuatorianos/as durante la pandemia del COVID-19.Materiales y métodos: Estudio observacional de corte transversal. Participaron 224 médicos/as y enfermeros/as de establecimientos de la red integral de salud ecuatoriana, a quienes se administró el Inventario de Burnout de Maslach. Se analizaron los datos a través de modelos deregresión lineal usando R.Resultados: Más del 90% del personal médico y de enfermería presento SB moderado-severo, el cual se asoció de manera estadísticamente significativa a función (médico vs. enfermera/o),edad y género. El personal médico es afectado con mayor frecuencia que el personal de enfermería, tanto a nivel global como en las subescalas de agotamiento emocional y despersonalización.Conclusión: Durante la pandemia de COVID-19 más del 90% del personal médico y de enfermería presentó SB moderado a severo, siendo el personal médico el afectado con más frecuencia

Anthelmintic resistance and common worm control practices in sheep farms in Belgium

In contrast to many other European countries, no data were available on the presence of anthelmintic resistance in gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep in Belgium. A faecal egg count reduction WA was performed in 26 sheep flocks in Flanders, Northern Belgium. Results indicated widespread resistance against benzimidazoles (albendazole, fenbendazole and mebendazole), with treatment failure on all 8 farms investigated. Haemonchus contortus and Teladorsagia circumcincta were the predominant species after treatment failure. Amino acid substitutions associated with benzimidazole resistance were detected at the codon positions 167 (8%) and 200 (92%) of the isotype-1 beta tubulin gene in H. contortus, codon positions 198 (47%) and 200 (43%) in T. circumcincta and position 200 (100%) in T. colubriformis. Resistance against macrocyclic lactones (ivermectin, doramectin and moxidectin) was recorded on 7 out of 20 flocks, mainly in H. contortus and T. circumcincta. Treatment failure was also observed for closantel (in combination with mebendazole) and for monepantel, on one farm each. Trichostrongylus spp. were implicated with resistance against monepantel. A questionnaire survey on farm management and worm control measures indicated that worm control was often not sustainable. Ewes and lambs were treated frequently (on average 2.6 and 3.2 times per year), mostly without weighing. Only few sheep farmers (9%) regularly used faecal egg counts to monitor worm infections. Despite the FECRT showing otherwise, most of the farmers perceived the efficacy of anthelmintics as very good (30%) or good (54%)

Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundDisorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditions in 2015 and 2016, but these analyses did not include neurodevelopmental disorders, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, or a subset of cases of congenital, neonatal, and infectious conditions that cause neurological damage. Here, we estimate nervous system health loss caused by 37 unique conditions and their associated risk factors globally, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2021.MethodsWe estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), by age and sex in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2021. We included morbidity and deaths due to neurological conditions, for which health loss is directly due to damage to the CNS or peripheral nervous system. We also isolated neurological health loss from conditions for which nervous system morbidity is a consequence, but not the primary feature, including a subset of congenital conditions (ie, chromosomal anomalies and congenital birth defects), neonatal conditions (ie, jaundice, preterm birth, and sepsis), infectious diseases (ie, COVID-19, cystic echinococcosis, malaria, syphilis, and Zika virus disease), and diabetic neuropathy. By conducting a sequela-level analysis of the health outcomes for these conditions, only cases where nervous system damage occurred were included, and YLDs were recalculated to isolate the non-fatal burden directly attributable to nervous system health loss. A comorbidity correction was used to calculate total prevalence of all conditions that affect the nervous system combined.FindingsGlobally, the 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were collectively ranked as the leading group cause of DALYs in 2021 (443 million, 95% UI 378–521), affecting 3·40 billion (3·20–3·62) individuals (43·1%, 40·5–45·9 of the global population); global DALY counts attributed to these conditions increased by 18·2% (8·7–26·7) between 1990 and 2021. Age-standardised rates of deaths per 100 000 people attributed to these conditions decreased from 1990 to 2021 by 33·6% (27·6–38·8), and age-standardised rates of DALYs attributed to these conditions decreased by 27·0% (21·5–32·4). Age-standardised prevalence was almost stable, with a change of 1·5% (0·7–2·4). The ten conditions with the highest age-standardised DALYs in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancer.InterpretationAs the leading cause of overall disease burden in the world, with increasing global DALY counts, effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies for disorders affecting the nervous system are needed

Widespread resistance to macrocyclic lactones in cattle nematodes in Ecuador

The aim of the present study was to assess the resistance status of bovine gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) against ivermectin (IVM) and fenbendazole (FBZ) in Ecuador. The study involved five cattle farms located in different topographic zones of the country. Anthelmintic efficacy was assessed by calculating the percentage of fecal egg counts reduction (FECR) after treatment. Additionally, DNA from pooled larval cultures was screened to ascertain benzimidazole resistance alleles. For animals treated with IVM, FECR percentages ranged from 0 to 68%, indicating the presence of highly resistant worms. The opposite was found for animals treated with FBZ, where FECR percentages were above 90% on all the farms tested. Pooled coprocultures revealed that Cooperia spp. were the predominant species pre and post-treatment although minor proportions of Haemonchus spp. and Ostertagia spp. were also identified. No mutations conferring resistance to benzimidazoles were identified in the beta-tubulin isotype 1 gene of the isolated Cooperia spp. worms, which is in line with the results of the FECR performed with FBZ. Overall, the present study highlights widespread resistance of bovine GINs to IVM but no to FBZ in Ecuador

Anthelmintic resistance and common worm control practices in sheep farms in Flanders, Belgium

In contrast to many other European countries, no data were available on the presence of anthelmintic resistance in gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep in Belgium. A faecal egg count reduction WA was performed in 26 sheep flocks in Flanders, Northern Belgium. Results indicated widespread resistance against benzimidazoles (albendazole, fenbendazole and mebendazole), with treatment failure on all 8 farms investigated. Haemonchus contortus and Teladorsagia circumcincta were the predominant species after treatment failure. Amino acid substitutions associated with benzimidazole resistance were detected at the codon positions 167 (8%) and 200 (92%) of the isotype-1 beta tubulin gene in H. contortus, codon positions 198 (47%) and 200 (43%) in T. circumcincta and position 200 (100%) in T. colubriformis. Resistance against macrocyclic lactones (ivermectin, doramectin and moxidectin) was recorded on 7 out of 20 flocks, mainly in H. contortus and T. circumcincta. Treatment failure was also observed for closantel (in combination with mebendazole) and for monepantel, on one farm each. Trichostrongylus spp. were implicated with resistance against monepantel. A questionnaire survey on farm management and worm control measures indicated that worm control was often not sustainable. Ewes and lambs were treated frequently (on average 2.6 and 3.2 times per year), mostly without weighing. Only few sheep farmers (9%) regularly used faecal egg counts to monitor worm infections. Despite the FECRT showing otherwise, most of the farmers perceived the efficacy of anthelmintics as very good (30%) or good (54%)