Abstract. To examine the existence of a possible threshold for the domestic infestation rate of Triatoma dimidiata, below which transmission becomes unlikely, a census was conducted in 59 Chagas disease endemic communities of El Salvador and Honduras. Entomological and serological tests were conducted targeting 4,083 households and 6,324 children between 6 months and 15 years of age. The overall domestic infestation rate of Triatoma dimidiata and seroprevalence among children were 12.9% and 0.49%, respectively. Communities with a domestic infestation rate at 8% or less consistently showed a seroprevalence of 0%. In communities with a domestic infestation rate above 8%, there was a wide range in seroprevalence. A domestic infestation rate of 8% could serve as the possible threshold below which transmission would become unlikely. The implementation of an 8% threshold for determining needs for universal insecticide spraying would lead to a 21% reduction in spraying-related costs.

This cross-sectional study investigated the prevalence of smoking and secondhand smoking (SHS) among pregnant women in Darkhan-Uul Province, Mongolia, using urinary cotinine (UC) levels, and clarified the factors related to SHS exposure. It targeted pregnant women who underwent antenatal health check-ups from November 2015 to January 2016. Self-administered questionnaires and urine samples were used to collect data. Using UC levels as the criterion, it was found that the prevalence of smokers (>100 ng/ml) among 493 pregnant women was 11.8%, while SHS exposure (≥5 ng/ml) among nonsmokers was 44.8%. Older and highly educated women had lower odds of SHS exposure (p = 0.006 and 0.002, respectively). Furthermore, nonsmoking pregnant women from homes where smoking was permitted had higher odds of SHS exposure compared to women from homes where smoking was not permitted. These results suggest that community guidance programs, such as home smoking cessation that include families, are necessary.

The issue of anemia is important in terms of a woman’s preconception health. This study aimed to conduct an exploratory investigation of the prevalence of and factors related to anemia in non-pregnant Japanese women. Secondary data analysis was conducted using a database of women aged 20–49 years old who had attended an annual health check-up at a hospital in Tokyo (n = 10,598). A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors related to anemia in two age groups: women aged 34 and under and those aged 35 and over. Anemia was defined as hemoglobin concentration levels <12.0 g/dL. The overall proportion of women with Hb <12.0 g/dL was 17.1%. Women aged 35 and over with a current medical history of uterine myoma were found to be at a higher risk of anemia. Women aged 35 and over who were overweight had a lower risk of anemia than women with normal weights. Current and past smoking habits affected hemoglobin levels among women aged 35 and over. In both age groups, those who drank alcohol habitually were at a lower risk than those who did not. Related factors of anemia should take into consideration a woman’s age and lifestyle.

Epidemiological studies performed in El Salvador between 1955Salvador between -1972

Several parasitological studies carried out in El Salvador between 2000-2012 showed a higher frequency of acute cases of Chagas disease than that in other Central American countries. There is an urgent need for improved Chagas disease surveillance and vector control programs in the provinces where acute Chagas disease occurs and throughout El Salvador as a whole.