La enfermedad diarreica aguda en los países en vías de desarrollo : Sus cracterísticas epidemiológicas en la población rural de Guatemala

Abstract

A field study of acute undifferentiated diarrheal disease in three villages of rural Guatemala demonstrated maximum incidence to be among infants and younger preschool children, especially those aged 6 to 24 months. Death rates in the second year of life were 36 per 1000 children per year, in the first year, 17, and in the fifth year, 9. The initial or index case in 72 percent of 390 family outbreaks was a preschool child; more than a third were less than a year old. Multiple index cases, indicative of common source infection, were rare. Secondary attack rates among family contacts were 1.4 percent; when the infection spread in families it was mainly to other preschool children

The characteristic behavior in open village populations was a series of about 3 epidemics per decade, each of long durantion, a year or two and sometimes three, with short intervals between. These and other circumstances revealed direct and personal contact as the dominant mode of spread. Contaminated food, especially for younger children, was also an important means of spread. Less significant were water, milk because the supply was limited, and irregularly flies

The existing state of nutrition was an important influence among infants and preschool children. Incidence increased progressively with increasing degrees of malnutrition as did severity in somewhat less definite fashion. The outstanding demonstration of ...(AU)

Difuciones por gastritis y enteritis por 100.000 habitantes