ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To characterise the risk factors of haematophagous bat bites and to provide information to contribute to the prevention of rabies in Ecuador. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study based on interviews with 3518 individuals, from which two sets of variables were generated: characteristics of haematophagous bat attacks in the previous year among humans and risk factors for being bitten. METHODS: Data were analysed using multivariate logistic regression models, taking history of bat bites in the previous year as the response variable. RESULTS: In the previous year 723 (20.6%, 95%CI 19.3-21.9) of the participants declared having received haematophagous bat bites and 50.4% in the previous month, giving an incidence rate of 10.4% (95%CI 9.6-11.6) per month. Sleeping on the floor or in a hammock (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.58, 95%CI 1.21-2.06), not using a protective bed net (aOR 1.25, 95%CI 1.03-1.50) and living in a dwelling with permanent openings in the structure (aOR 1.49, 95%CI 1.12-1.95) were associated with a higher probability of bat bites. Those most affected were the group aged ≤12 years (age 13-19 years, aOR 0.39, 95%CI 0.32-0.48; age ≥20 years, aOR 0.67, 95%CI 0.50-0.90). CONCLUSION: Primary prevention based on pre-exposure vaccination would be justifiable given the high dispersion of the population and the high incidence of bat bites. As a secondary protective measure, communities should work towards increasing the use of protective measures and putting barriers in permanent openings in their dwellings.
ABSTRACT
This paper describes the development of a headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) method for determining phthalates in wine. The HS-SPME conditions were thoroughly studied: first, the performance of six fibres at three temperature values and two sample volumes was surveyed by means of a 6 x 3 x 2 multi-factor categorical experimental design. From this study, three fibres - carbowax-divinylbenzene (CW-DVB), polyacrylate (PA) and polydimethylsiloxane-divinylbenzene (PDMS-DVB) - were selected. Then, temperature, sample volume and sodium chloride concentration were optimised using a central composite design and the overall desirability function for each fibre. The optimal values were 70 degrees C, a NaCl concentration of 2.6, 3.6 and 5.5M for PA, CW-DVB and PDMS-DVB fibres, respectively, and sample volumes of 4.0, 3.5 and 3.0 mL. Next, the performance characteristics of the three fibres were obtained and compared. PDMS-DVB fibre showed the best repeatability values followed by CW-DVB. PA fibre was not suitable for diethylhexylphthalate extraction and showed poor repeatability for the heavier phthalates, and was therefore discarded. Finally, the performance of CW-DVB and PDMS-DVB fibres was checked for red, white and rosé wines.
