Evaluación de índices entomológicos mediante herramientas electrónicas en Villavicencio, Meta, Colombia / Evaluation of entomological indices with electronic tools in Villavicencio, Meta, Colombia

Objetivo: Determinar la eficacia de dos herramientas electrónicas en el levantamiento de índices aédicos en la ciudad Villavicencio. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio de tipo observacional, analítico en dos barrios de la ciudad Villavicencio: Quintas de San Fernando y Cedritos. El formato de levantamiento de índices aédicos de la secretaría de salud fue diseñado en dos medios electrónicos. La eficacia fue determinada mediante datos efectivos recogidos y tiempo de entrega. Se calcularon índices aédicos, Breteau, vivienda y pupas. Se realizó encuesta para determinar actitudes frente a arbovirosis. Se realizó estadística descriptiva, pruebas de chi cuadrado y t-Student (p< 0,05). Resultados: Se evaluaron 67 predios en dos barrios. El índice de datos efectivos fue mejor en donde el acceso a internet era permanente (100 por ciento vs. 23,9 por ciento); el tiempo de entrega también se afectó por esta conexión. Se encontraron diferencias significativas en el número de viviendas positivas para Aedes aegypti entre los dos barrios (p= 0,0052); y para el número de tanques bajos positivos (p= 0,0123). De los encuestados, el 16,4 por ciento (IC95 por ciento 8,9 por ciento-27,5 por ciento) sabía que la transmisión fue por picadura de Ae. aegypti. Para el 79,1 por ciento, cada familia fue responsable de eliminar criaderos. Conclusiones: El uso de herramientas electrónicas permite acelerar el flujo de la información y crear un sistema eficaz, de fácil acceso y seguridad que podría implementarse permanentemente en la vigilancia entomológica y de salud pública(AU)

Objective: Determine the effectiveness of two electronic tools for the evaluation of aedic indices in the city of Villavicencio. Methods: An observational analytic study was conducted in two districts in the city of Villavicencio: Quintas de San Fernando and Cedritos. The form designed by the Ministry of Health to evaluate aedic indices was digitalized into two electronic media. Efficacy was determined on the basis of effective data collected and delivery time. An estimation was made of aedic indices, Breteau, household and pupae. A survey was conducted to determine attitudes to arbovirus infections. Use was made of descriptive statistics, chi-squared tests and Student's t-test (p< 0.05). Results: Sixty-seven households were evaluated in two districts. The effective data index was better in areas where access to the Internet was permanent (100 percent vs. 23.9 percent). Delivery time was also affected by Internet connection. Significant differences were found between the two districts in the number of positive households for Aedes aegypti (p= 0.0052), as well as in the number of positive ground water tanks (p= 0.0123). Of the respondents, 16.4 percent (95 percent CI, 8.9 percent-27.5 percent) were aware that transmission had been by the bite of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes. For 79.1 percent each family was responsible for eliminating the breeding sites. Conclusions: Use of electronic tools speeds up the flow of information and creates an effective, easily-accessible and safe system which could be permanently implemented for entomological and public health surveillance(AU)

The entomological exhibition of a Science museum and its contributions to non-formal Education

The Insecta Class is the most diverse group of animals on the planet. A big part of this composition is available in the collections of Natural History Museums, being essential for researches and diffusion actions involving a specialized and lay public. This paper aimed to verify the importance of an entomological exhibition of a Science museum for the acquisition of new knowledge and conception change regarding insects. To this end, 128 fourth-graders from elementary school were asked to draw an insect and write a brief description of it in relation to their knowledge about insects. Then, they visited an entomological exhibition, and a week later, using the "stimulated recollection method", they made a new drawing and description. The extracted data were organized in categories and statistically analyzed. Significant changes were observe regarding the children’s knowledge and concepts on insects in most of the analyzed aspects, such as the decrease of drawings and descriptions of animals belonging to other taxonomic groups and an increase on correct descriptions of concepts.

Mapping of courses on vector biology and vector-borne diseases systems: time for a worldwide effort

Major emergency efforts are being mounted for each vector-borne disease epidemiological crisis anew, while knowledge about the biology of arthropods vectors is dwindling slowly but continuously, as is the number of field entomologists. The discrepancy between the rates of production of knowledge and its use and need for solving crises is widening, in particular due to the highly differing time spans of the two concurrent processes. A worldwide web based search using multiple key words and search engines of onsite and online courses in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian and German concerned with the biology of vectors identified over 140 courses. They are geographically and thematically scattered, the vast majority of them are on-site, with very few courses using the latest massive open online course (MOOC) powerfulness. Over two third of them is given in English and Western Africa is particularity poorly represented. The taxonomic groups covered are highly unbalanced towards mosquitoes. A worldwide unique portal to guide students of all grades and levels of expertise, in particular those in remote locations, is badly needed. This is the objective a new activity supported by the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR).

Ciencia, tecnología y acción sanitaria a través de los 50 años del Boletín de Malariología y Salud Ambiental / Science, technology and health action trough the 50 years of the Boletín de Malariología y Salud Ambiental

El Boletín de Malariología y Salud Ambiental es una de las revistas más antiguas de Venezuela en el área de la Salud Pública. Durante 50 años de publicación ininterrumpida, sus páginas reflejan la ciencia, tecnología y acción sanitaria, que han contribuido a la prevención y control de las parasitosis y arbovirosis de mayor impacto en la población venezolana. Se reseñan autores y acontecimientos, que en las diferentes décadas han incidido en el devenir de esta revista. En los últimos años, su especificidad, pertinencia social y calidad científica la han hecho acreedora de inclusión en importantes índices internacionales, como Global Health, SciELO Venezuela y el WEB Science Citation Index ExpandedTM 2010. Por ende, gracias a la moderna tecnología de la comunicación, esta revista ha logrado una mayor participación a nivel ibero-americano y mayor visibilidad internacional. Dentro de este marco, se aprecia un renovado apoyo de la comunidad científica venezolana y del órgano patrocinador, Instituto de Altos Estudios "Dr. Arnoldo Gabaldon", en pro del Boletín de Malariología y Salud Ambiental, revista que ha contribuido a poner al alcance de todo el mundo, un importante acervo científico venezolano, de alto compromiso social en el ámbito de la Salud Pública.

The Boletín de Malariología y Salud Ambiental is one of Venezuela’s oldest journals in the area of Public Health. During 50 years of uninterrupted publication, its pages reflect the science, technology and environmental sanitation that have contributed to the prevention and control of parasitic and arborviral diseases with a greatest impact on the Venezuelan population. Authors and events are outlined, which, over the decades, have influenced the evolution of this journal. In recent years, high specificity, social relevance and scientific quality have earned its inclusion in major indexes such as Global Health, SciELO Venezuela and the WEB Science Citation Index ExpandedTM 2010. Thus, thanks to the modern communication technology, this magazine has achieved a greater participation of the Ibero-American scientists and wider visibility. Within this framework, we see a renewed support of the Venezuelan scientific community and its sponsor, the "Instituto de Altos Estudios Dr. Arnoldo Gabaldon" with the Boletin de Malariología y Salud Ambiental magazine, that has contributed to making available worldwide, a major Venezuelan scientific heritage, with high social commitment in the field of Public Health!.

Antenas ligadas para preservar a biodiversidade: concepções alternativas no ensino de ciências / On antennas to preserve biodiversity: alternative conceptions in the education of sciences

Este trabalho foi realizado durante o ano letivo de 2004; com alunos de uma escola pública no município de Nilópolis, Baixada Fluminense,RJ com intuito de verificar as percepções dos estudantes de ensino fundamental, com idades entre 9 e 17 anos, sobre a importância dos insetos e a interação com o homem e o ambiente em que vivem. Objetivamos...a cidadania. A princípio, foram aplicados 115 questionários semi-abertos para os alunos do segundo segmento do ensino fundamental com idades entre 10 a 17 anos, 57 questionarios abertos para alunos de 13 a 17 anos das sétima e oitava séries e analisados os desenhos dos alunos do primeiro segmento com idade entre 9 e 11 anos com intuito de verificar suas concepções sobre os insetos para fornecer subsídios a implementação de novas metodologias de ensino. Foi possível verificar que os alunos têm mais nojo que medo de insetos transmissores de doenças e que não dão a real importância aos mesmos quer seja no controle de vetores ou no processo de polinização. No caso da Dengue, os entrevistados têm medo da doença e não do vetor, o mosquito, e em nenhum momento mencionam o vírus como causador da doença. Observamos que as concepções errôneas construídas no âmbito escolar convivem com concepções do cotidiano influenciadas pela mídia e por pré-conceitos já incutidos no ambiente familiar, ou seja, no cotidiano. Foi possível...já que os insetos são abordados principalmente nesta fase do ensino e a constatação de erros, tanto na parte textual como na parte visual dos livros. Em relação aos insetos e em suas relações com o homem e o ambiente, verificamos que o material de campanhas locais sobre dengue também induz ao erro sobre o vetor da doença corroborando para a formação de concepções errôneas. A partir daí tentamos estabelecer 3 metodologias: montagem de insetário, aulas práticas com auxílio de lupa manual e oficina de desenho, permitindo que os alunos identifiquem insetos quanto à possibilidade de causar danos ou benefícios a com...

Necesidades para la educacion y el adiestramiento de entomologos medicos en las Americas / Entomologist educational and training needs in the Americas

La presente publicacion contiene informacion relacionada con el proyecto de la problematica de las enfermedades transmitidas por vectores en las Americas. Se hace un analisis sobre los entomologos y su funcion, los programas de educacion superior en America Latina, las tendencias existentes, y los resumenes sobre estudios de caso por paises y el plan de accion a seguir .