Browsing by Autor "Bjorland, J"

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An outbreak of acute fascioliasis among Aymara Indians in the Bolivian Altiplano.
(1995) Bjorland, J; Bryan, R T; Strauss, W; Hillyer, G V; McAuley, J B
Fasciola hepatica is a common and important parasite of sheep, cattle, and other ruminants. In May 1991, 30 persons with possible acute fascioliasis were identified by health care providers at a district hospital in the Bolivian Altiplano, and two deaths were associated with this illness. A cross-sectional survey of a random sample of 30 (20%) of the 148 households in the community and a case-control study were performed to determine the extent of the outbreak and the vehicle of transmission. Ninety-one members from 23 of the 30 selected families participated in the cross-sectional survey. Twenty-one of the 91 members met the case definition for acute fascioliasis (illness since 16 February 1991 that was characterized by fever and abdominal pain plus serum IgG antibodies to F. hepatica), and 38 (49%) of 78 members had serum IgG antibodies to F. hepatica. If this rate is extrapolated to the entire community, an estimated 116 individuals (23% of 504) would have acute fascioliasis and 247 individuals (49% of 504) would have evidence of current or previous infection. Case-control analysis indicated that the only factor associated with illness was eating kjosco (an aquatic plant) while tending animals in the fields; 27 (52%) of the 52 case-patients vs. 9 (14%) of the 66 controls ate kjosco (OR = 6.84; 95% CI = 2.60, 18.44). The cause of the two deaths attributed to fascioliasis could not be firmly established. Fascioliasis is a significant human health problem and is highly endemic in the Aymara Indian community in the Bolivian Altiplano. Efforts to prevent fascioliasis should include educating people to avoid eating uncooked aquatic plants such as kjosco.
Trichinella spiralis infection in pigs in the Bolivian Altiplano.
(1993) Bjorland, J; Brown, D; Gamble, H R; McAuley, J B
Trichinella spiralis infection has been reported sporadically in several areas in Central and South America. However, several countries, including Bolivia, have not reported trichinellosis in animals or humans. A small survey of pigs slaughtered in an abattoir in Bolivia was undertaken during September 1991, to determine the presence of Trichinella spiralis. In a group of 100 pigs slaughtered consecutively on a single day and tested using the pooled digestion method, two of eight pools (25%) were positive. Twenty-one of 188 pigs (11.2%) from ten communities slaughtered consecutively on a second day tested positive for the presence of antibodies to Trichinella spiralis using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. It was concluded that trichinellosis is present in pigs in Bolivia and the rate of infection may be quite high.