Geographical and occupational aspects of leptospirosis in the coffee-triangle region of Colombia, 2007-2011.

BACKGROUND: There are few studies occupationally profiling as well as using Geographic information system (GIS) to map human leptospirosis. There are no detailed, municipality-level, epidemiological maps in Colombia neither in South America. We developed such maps for the Coffee-triangle region, Colombia and assess some occupational issues. METHODS: surveillance cases data (2007-2011) were used to estimate the annual incidence rates (cases/100,000 population) of leptospirosis to develop the first maps of disease in the 53 municipalities of the Coffee-triangle region of Colombia. GIS used was Kosmo(®) 3.1. Five thematic maps were developed according to municipalities and years. Using labor official information, analyses between agriculture (harvested areas) with disease occurrence was done (linear regression). RESULTS: Between 2007 and 2011, 786 cases were reported (77.8% from one department, Risaralda), for a cumulated rate of 32.18 cases/100,000 population. The highest rate was reported in the less developed municipality of one department (Pueblo Rico, Risaralda) with 1535.05 cases/100,000 population (187 cases, 2009). Armenia (Quindio department capital city), reported 23.41 cases/100,000pop (2011). In those patients with identified occupations, 33.3% were agriculture workers, finding a significant relationship between the number of cases in 2008 and the harvested area by municipality (r(2)=0.48; p=0.0083). CONCLUSION: one of the 53 municipalities contributed with almost a quarter of the cases. Agriculture was significantly associated with the incidence. Use of GIS-based epidemiological maps allow to focus actions in prevention and control for risk zones for leptospirosis which still represents a significant issue in the region and Colombia, particularly in agriculture workers.

High-cylinder acrylic toric intraocular lenses: a case series of eyes with cataracts and large amounts of corneal astigmatism.

PURPOSE: To examine the stability and efficacy of high-cylinder power AcrySof toric intraocular lenses (IOLs), models SN60T6, SN60T7, SN60T8, and SN60T9 (Alcon Laboratories Inc). METHODS: Eligible eyes had cataract and symmetric corneal astigmatism > 2.25 diopters (D). Outcomes included monocular uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), manifest refraction, and assessment of IOL axis. RESULTS: Nineteen eyes from 14 patients had preoperative corneal astigmatism of 4.00 ± 1.10 D. Postoperatively, residual refractive cylinder was 0.55 ± 0.60 D at 3 months. Uncorrected distance visual acuity was 1.3 ± 0.5 logMAR preoperatively and improved to 0.11 ± 0.09 logMAR 3 months postoperatively (P<.0001). All IOLs were stable within 5°. CONCLUSIONS: The IOLs were stable and effective in correcting high amounts of preexisting astigmatism at the time of cataract surgery.