Browsing by Autor "Linda Venczel"

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Diarrhoea prevention in Bolivia through point-of-use water treatment and safe storage: a promising new strategy
(Cambridge University Press, 1999) Robert Quick; Linda Venczel; Eric D. Mintz; Lorena Soleto; José Carlos Marchena Aparicio; M. GIRONAZ; Lori Hutwagner; K. D. Greene; Cheryl A. Bopp; Kathleen Maloney
A novel water quality intervention that consists of point-of-use water disinfection, safe storage and community education was field tested in Bolivia. A total of 127 households in two periurban communities were randomized into intervention and control groups, surveyed and the intervention was distributed. Monthly water quality testing and weekly diarrhoea surveillance were conducted. Over a 5-month period, intervention households had 44% fewer diarrhoea episodes than control households (P = 0.002). Infants < 1 year old (P = 0.05) and children 5-14 years old (P = 0.01) in intervention households had significantly less diarrhoea than control children. Campylobacter was less commonly isolated from intervention than control patients (P = 0.02). Stored water in intervention households was less contaminated with Escherichia coli than stored water in control households (P < 0.0001). Intervention households exhibited less E. coli contamination of stored water and less diarrhoea than control households. This promising new strategy may have broad applicability for waterborne disease prevention.
Interruption of Indigenous Measles Transmission in Bolivia since October 2000
(Oxford University Press, 2003) Rosario Quiroga; Oswaldo Barrezueta; Linda Venczel; Percy Halkyer; Fernando Gil; Eric Machicao; Mauricio Landaverde; Arturo Quiñonez; Héctor S. Izurieta
Measles incidence in Bolivia declined after the introduction of campaign strategies in the 1980s. From 1990 to 1993, the peak incidence of measles (59 cases/100,000 population) was in 1992. In 1994, after the goal of interruption of measles transmission was adopted, a national vaccination campaign targeting children <15 years old was conducted and achieved 96% coverage. During 1995-1997, cases declined, although routine coverage was <90% in most years. During 1998-2000, a nationwide epidemic occurred among 2567 case-patients, most of whom were unvaccinated. A national vaccination campaign, with strong supervision, was conducted during November and December 1999 and targeted areas with low coverage. Only 122 cases were confirmed in 2000, with the last confirmed case occurring in October. Crucial to the control of the outbreak were sufficient resources and political support, intensive local planning, door-to-door vaccination with strict supervision, and rapid house-to-house coverage monitoring that improved accountability at the local level and timely and thorough outbreak investigations.
Monitoring Measles Eradication in the Region of the Americas: Critical Activities and Tools
(Oxford University Press, 2003) Héctor S. Izurieta; Linda Venczel; Vance Dietz; Gina Tambini; Oswaldo Barrezueta; Peter Carrasco; Rosario Quiroga; Jean André; Carlos Castillo‐Solórzano; Monica Brana
The purpose of this paper is to discuss methods recommended and used by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to monitor the interruption of indigenous measles transmission in the Region of the Americas. The methods used include house-to-house monitoring of vaccination coverage as a supervisory tool during both campaigns and routine vaccination; thoroughly investigating all measles outbreaks; performing routine surveillance, including weekly reporting from at least 80% of reporting units; and validating routine surveillance through active-case searches at health care institutions and schools and in the community. The strategies described have helped PAHO to increase the authority and accountability of vaccine program managers at the local, provincial, and national levels. Their efforts have permitted the Region of the Americas to reduce to three the number of countries with indigenous measles transmission and to reach a record low of 503 measles cases in 2001.