[Mutual Help Groups: diabetes and hypertension control strategy]. / Grupos de Ayuda Mutua: estrategia para el control de diabetes e hipertensión arterial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accomplishment of the treatment basic goals of every person with diabetes type 2 that attend the Mutual Help Groups (GAM) of the Mexican Ministry of Health (SS). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This transversal comparative study was carried out in 15 Mexican states, through the accomplishment reports of the treatment basic goals of the GAM integrants by June of 2001, compared to the reported figures by the Health Information System for Open Population (SISPA), Ministry of Health on the same date. The studied variables are: age, sex, blood glucose, blood pressure, body mass index, physical activity and pharmacological treatment. RESULTS: The treatment basic goals accomplishment for 6, 958 people with diabetes was evaluated, all of them attended the Ministry of Health GAMs, in 15 of the 32 Mexican states including the Federal District. When comparing frequencies of patients with diabetes controlled by the GAM and the SISPA, a differential was appreciated, being observed a tendency that showed that people in the GAM were much more controlled; when analyzing with the test Student "t" the differences were even more significant (p < 0.005). The obese diabetics group had a higher risk of being uncontrolled, in relation to the group of non-obese diabetics (OR 1.8, CI: 1.06,1.32; p < 0.002). When comparing the sedentary to the non-sedentary group it was found that the sedentary diabetics presented 1.56 times higher risk of being uncontrolled, that those in the diabetes group that carried out physical activity (CI: 1.37,1.78; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The Mutual Help Groups are a fundamental strategy in the educational line for improving the disease control, since people with diabetes or hypertension and their relatives play an active role in treatment development accomplishment, as well as in the disease prevention and control. Unlike to that reported in the SISPA, the highest benefits of control, are achieved in people with diabetes or hypertension who attend the GAM.

A large outbreak of histoplasmosis among American travelers associated with a hotel in Acapulco, Mexico, spring 2001.

During spring 2001, college students from Pennsylvania reported an acute febrile respiratory illness after returning from spring break vacation in Acapulco, Mexico. Acute pulmonary histoplasmosis was presumptively diagnosed and the cluster of illness was reported to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. A large investigation then ensued, which included finding student-travelers for interviews and requesting sera for histoplasmosis testing. We defined a clinical case by fever and at least one of the following: cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, or headache, in an Acapulco traveler during March-May 2001. A laboratory-confirmed case had positive serology. An initial study determined that the likely site of histoplasmosis exposure was Hotel H; we therefore performed a large cohort study among travelers who stayed at Hotel H. Of 757 contacted, 262 (36%) met the clinical case definition. Of 273 serum specimens tested, 148 (54%) were positive. Frequent use of Hotel H's stairwells, where construction was ongoing, was associated with increased risk of illness (relative risk = 10.5, 95% confidence interval = 3.7-30.5; P < 0.001). This is the first histoplasmosis outbreak associated with a hotel undergoing construction. Hotels in endemic areas should consider construction precaution measures to prevent histoplasmosis among their guests.