Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Chagas a Neglected Tropical Disease in Rural Communities of the Colombian Caribbean, CHAGCOV Study.

PURPOSE: Chagas disease (CD) a Neglected Tropical Diseases is an important public health issue in countries where is still endemic, included in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Traditionally restricted to rural areas with diverse routes of transmissions from vectorial to oral with acute manifestations but being more common diagnosed in chronic stages. The aim of this investigation was to characterize the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) related to Chagas disease (CD) in two rural settlements of the Colombian Caribbean with previous records of the disease and/or the parasite. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study was made in two rural settlements in Colombia and surveillance instrument was developed to measure Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) related to Chagas disease (CD). RESULTS: In a population with > 60% women and access to social security around 66.5%; 81,6% were homeowners with access to water and electricity > 90% but only 9% of sewerage. The level of knowledge about CD was around 62% but lack of specificity about comprehension of transmission routes (74,6%), and symptoms (85,3%) were found; concluding that 86% of the surveyed sample had very poor level of knowledge about the disease despite preventive campaigns carried out in the two communities studied. CONCLUSIONS: Despite of a low frequency of CD in this Caribbean areas, the presence of vector, risk factors plus poor level of knowledge about the disease justify that public health intervention strategies should be implemented and monitored over time to maintain uninterrupted surveillance of Chagas Disease.

Evidence of Oropouche Orthobunyavirus Infection, Colombia, 2017.

We describe an Oropouche orthobunyavirus infection in a women 28 years of age in Colombia. We confirmed the diagnosis by viral isolation, quantitative reverse transcription PCR, and phylogenetic analysis of the small, medium, and large genomic segments. The virus is related to a strain isolated in Ecuador in 2016.

Bacterial Genotyping Methods: From the Basics to Modern.

Bacterial genotyping methods have been used in several areas of microbiology and have facilitated the identification of bacterial strains, as well as the study of virulence and resistance factors, epidemiological surveillance, among others. Constituting, in this way, as complementary or alternative to phenotypic methods. This chapter reviews some of the methods of bacterial genotyping used nowadays, explains briefly how they are performed, and highlights some limitations and advantages they have.

Salud sexual y reproductiva en estudiantes universitarios de una institución de educación superior en Colombia / Sexual and reproductive health in university students at an institution of higher learning in Colombia

Objetivo Investigar en una universidad estatal del Caribe colombianoel estado de la salud sexual y reproductiva especialmente conocimientos sobre Enfermedades de Transmisión Sexual (ETS), fertilidad, sexualidad, embarazo y violencia. Métodos Estudio transversal tipo encuesta. Se seleccionaron estudiantes matriculados en el segundo período de 2010 que llenaron voluntariamente la encuesta. Los datos cualitativos fueron tabulados y graficados usando medidas de tendencia central para variables cuantitativas. Resultados La población tenía alrededor de 20 años de edad, provenía de la zona urbana (57,9%; IC95%=54,7-61,1), predominantemente heterosexual (89,7%) con edad de inicio de vida sexual antes de los 18 años, con 11,8 % de promiscuidad que usaba principalmente el preservativo como Método de Planificación Familiar (MPF) (55 %). Aunque poseían información previa sobre salud sexual, MPF y ETS, no se comportaban acorde con ello, por la desinformación sobre formas de transmisión del VIH, bajo nivel de realización de pruebas serológicas para ETS, así como conductas de riesgo (sexo/alcohol/drogas). El 12,3% tuvo antecedente de embarazo, violencia física (21,6%) y sexual (4,6%) con un predominante silencio de las víctimas de abuso sexual (61,8%). Conclusiones La muestra refleja la población universitaria de esta región del país. Se planea organizar un programa con apoyo médico y psicológico que permita disminuir los índices de ETS, embarazos no planificados, preparando al adolescente en esta importante etapa de su vida, sirviendo de modelo para otras universidades latinoamericanas.

Objective To investigate the state of sexual and reproductive health in students at a public university in the Colombian Caribbean, with an emphasis on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), fertility, sexuality, pregnancy and violence. Methods Cross-sectional survey study. University students, enrolled in the second semester of 2010 and who completed a self-administered survey based on the Reproductive Health survey of the Pan American Health Organization, were selected. Qualitative data was tabulated and graphed using measures of central tendency for quantitative variables. Results The age of population studied was around 20 years old, came from the urban area (57.9 %; IC95 %=54.7-61.1), was predominantly heterosexual (89.7 %), with an age of initiation of sexual activity of less than 18 years old, 11.8 % promiscuity, mainly using the condom as a Family Planning Method (FPM) (55 %). Although they had prior information on sexual health, STDs and FPMs, they did not behave according to this due to low education about HIV transmission routes, low incidence of serological tests for STDs, and high risk behavior (sex/alcohol/drugs). It was observed that 12.3 % had a history of pregnancy, physical violence (21.6 %) and sexual violence (4.6 %) with a predominant silence from the victims of sexual abuse (61.8 %). Conclusion The sample reflects the student population in this region of Colombia. We plan to organize a health program with medical and psychological support to reduce the rates of STDs and unplanned pregnancies, preparing the adolescent for this important step in their life and serving as a model for other Latin American universities.

[Sexual and reproductive health in university students at an institution of higher learning in Colombia]. / Salud sexual y reproductiva en estudiantes universitarios de una institución de educación superior en Colombia.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the state of sexual and reproductive health in students at a public university in the Colombian Caribbean, with an emphasis on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), fertility, sexuality, pregnancy and violence. METHODS: Cross-sectional survey study. University students, enrolled in the second semester of 2010 and who completed a self-administered survey based on the Reproductive Health survey of the Pan American Health Organization, were selected. Qualitative data was tabulated and graphed using measures of central tendency for quantitative variables. RESULTS: The age of population studied was around 20 years old, came from the urban area (57.9 %; IC95 %=54.7-61.1), was predominantly heterosexual (89.7 %), with an age of initiation of sexual activity of less than 18 years old, 11.8 % promiscuity, mainly using the condom as a Family Planning Method (FPM) (55 %). Although they had prior information on sexual health, STDs and FPMs, they did not behave according to this due to low education about HIV transmission routes, low incidence of serological tests for STDs, and high risk behavior (sex/alcohol/drugs). It was observed that 12.3 % had a history of pregnancy, physical violence (21.6 %) and sexual violence (4.6 %) with a predominant silence from the victims of sexual abuse (61.8 %). CONCLUSION: The sample reflects the student population in this region of Colombia. We plan to organize a health program with medical and psychological support to reduce the rates of STDs and unplanned pregnancies, preparing the adolescent for this important step in their life and serving as a model for other Latin American universities.