Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress 2023 EHA Congress 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
International Journal for Equity in Health
Published in: International Journal for Equity in Health 1/2016

Open Access 01-12-2016 | Research

Local disease concepts relevant to the design of a community-based surveillance program for influenza in rural Guatemala

Authors: Alejandro Cerón, Maria Renee Ortiz, Danilo Álvarez, Guy H. Palmer, Celia Cordón-Rosales

Published in: International Journal for Equity in Health | Issue 1/2016

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Early detection of emergent influenza strains is a global health priority. However, maintaining active surveillance is economically and logistically challenging. While community-based surveillance is an attractive alternative, design and operation of an effective epidemiological surveillance program requires community engagement that can be linked to public health reporting and response. We report the results of a study in rural Guatemalan communities aimed at identifying opportunities for and barriers to community engagement in disease surveillance.

Methods

Using an ethnographic approach followed by a descriptive cross-sectional survey, we documented local terms and ideas about animal illnesses, including the possibility of animal-human transmission.

Results

The community perceived disease causation principally in terms of changes in the physical environment and weather and categorized illnesses using local terminology based on observable clinical signs. Knowledge about prevention and treatment was derived predominantly from local networks of family and friends without evidence of professionally-based knowledge being regularly introduced into the community.

Conclusions

Bridging the divide between professional and community-based descriptive disease terminology, incorporating animal and human health responsiveness to common illnesses, and providing professional knowledge into the community-based networks were identified as addressable challenges to effective implementation of community-based surveillance.
Literature
1.
2.
Leboeuf A. The global fight against avian influenza: Lessons for the global management of health and environmental risks and crises, vol. 2. Paris: Institut Français des Relations Internationales; 2009. p. 119.
3.
Mumford E, Bishop J, Hendrickx S, Embarek PB, Perdue M. Avian influenza H5N1: risks at the human-animal interface. Food Nutr Bull. 2007;28(2 Suppl):S357–63.CrossRefPubMed
4.
Van Kerkhove MD, Mumford E, Mounts AW, Bresee J, Ly S, Bridges CB, et al. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1): Pathways of exposure at the animal‐human interface, a systematic review. PLoS One. 2011;6(1):e14582.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
5.
World Health Organization. Influenza research at the human and animal interface. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2006. p. 18. Report No.: WHO/CDS/EPR/GIP/2006.3.
6.
Scalera NM, Mossad SB. The First Pandemic of the 21st Century: Review of the 2009 Pandemic Variant Influenza A (H1N1) Virus. Postgrad Med. 2009;121(5):43–7.CrossRefPubMed
7.
Dawood FS, Iuliano AD, Reed C, Meltzer MI, Shay DK, Cheng P-Y, et al. Estimated global mortality associated with the first 12 months of 2009 pandemic influenza A H1N1 virus circulation: a modelling study. Lancet Infect Dis. 2012;12(9):687–95.CrossRefPubMed
8.
Chen H, Li Y, Li Z, Shi J, Shinya K, Deng G, et al. Properties and dissemination of H5N1 viruses isolated during an influenza outbreak in migratory waterfowl in western China. J Virol. 2006;80(12):5976–83.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
9.
Liu J, Xiao H, Lei F, Zhu Q, Qin K, Zhang XW, et al. Highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza virus infection in migratory birds. Science. 2005;309(5738):1206.CrossRefPubMed
10.
Kilpatrick AM, Chmura AA, Gibbons DW, Fleischer RC, Marra PP, Daszak P. Predicting the global spread of H5N1 avian influenza. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 2006;103(51):19368–73.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
11.
Li KS, Guan Y, Wang J, Smith GJD, Xu KM, Duan L, et al. Genesis of a highly pathogenic and potentially pandemic H5N1 influenza virus in eastern Asia. Nature. 2004;430(6996):209–13.CrossRefPubMed
12.
Ferguson NM, Cummings DA, Cauchemez S, Fraser C, Riley S, Meeyai A, et al. Strategies for containing an emerging influenza pandemic in Southeast Asia. Nature. 2005;437(7056):209–14.CrossRefPubMed
13.
Swayne DE, Akey BL. Avian influenza control strategies in the United States of America. Frontis. 2005;8:113–30.
14.
15.
Food and Agriculture Organization. FAO guidelines for surveillance of pandemic H1N1/2009 and other influenza viruses in swine populations. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; 2010.
16.
Food and Agriculture Organization, International Livestock Research Institute. A manual for practitioners in community-based animal health outreach (CAHO) for highly pathogenic avian influenza. Geneva: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; International Livestock Research Institute; 2012.
17.
18.
Menéndez EL, Spinelli HG. Participación social: ¿para qué? Argentina: Lugar Editorial; 2006.
19.
Morgan LM. Community participation in health: perpetual allure, persistent challenge. Health Policy Plan. 2001;16(3):221–30.CrossRefPubMed
20.
Rifkin SB, Pridmore P. Partners in planning: information, participation and empowerment. London: Macmillan Education Ltd.; 2001.
21.
Mariner JC. Manual on participatory epidemiology: methods for the collection of action-oriented epidemiological intelligence. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; 2000. p. 81.
22.
Khan FM. Participatory appraisal and scanning surveillance based contagious diseases risk profile of district Rahim Yar Khan (Pakistan). Pak Vet J. 2010;30(4):198–202.
23.
Hussain M, Malik MA, Fatima Z, Yousaf MR. Participatory surveillance of livestock diseases in Islamabad capital territory. Int J Agric Biol. 2005;7:567–70.
24.
25.
Mariner JC, House JA, Mebus CA, Sollod AE, Chibeu D, Jones BA, et al. Rinderpest eradication: Appropriate technology and social innovations. Science. 2012;337(6100):1309–12.CrossRefPubMed
26.
27.
Catley A, Leyland T. Community participation and the delivery of veterinary services in Africa. Prev Vet Med. 2001;49(1):95–113.CrossRefPubMed
28.
Catley A, Osman J, Mawien C, Jones BA, Leyland TJ. Participatory analysis of seasonal incidences of diseases of cattle, disease vectors and rainfall in southern Sudan. Prev Vet Med. 2002;53(4):275–84.CrossRefPubMed
29.
Azhar M, Lubis AS, Siregar ES, Alders RG, Brum E, McGrane J, et al. Participatory disease surveillance and response in Indonesia: strengthening veterinary services and empowering communities to prevent and control highly pathogenic avian influenza. Avian Dis. 2010;54(s1):749–53.CrossRefPubMed
30.
31.
International Livestock Research Institute. Introduction to participatory epidemiology and its application to highly pathogenic avian influenza participatory disease surveillance: A manual for participatory disease surveillance practitioners. Kenya: Food and Agriculture Organization and International Livestock Research Institute; 2009.
32.
Secretaría de Planificación y Programación de la Presidencia. Mapas de Pobreza. Secretaria General de Planificacion Economica y Social. 2006.
33.
Consejo Municipal de Taxisco, Secretaría de Planificación y Programación de la Presidencia. Plan de desarrollo Taxisco, Santa Rosa, Guatemala. Guatemala: Secretaría General de Planificación; 2010.
34.
Instituto Nacional de Estadística. Censo Nacional XI de Población y VI de Habitación: lugar poblado por Departamento y Municipio de Santa Rosa. (2002). Guatemala: INEFNUAP; 2002.
35.
36.
37.
Scrimshaw S, Hurtado E. Rapid assessment procedures for nutrition and primary health care. Tokyo: The United Nations University; 1987.
38.
Bernard HR. Research methods in anthropology: qualitative and quantitative approaches. Lanham: AltaMira Press; 2011.
39.
Weller SC, Baer RD, de Alba Garcia JG, Glazer M, Trotter R, Salcedo Rocha AL, et al. Variation and persistence in latin american beliefs about evil Eye. Cross-Cult Res. 2015;49(2):174–203.CrossRef
40.
Metadata
Title
Local disease concepts relevant to the design of a community-based surveillance program for influenza in rural Guatemala
Authors
Alejandro Cerón
Maria Renee Ortiz
Danilo Álvarez
Guy H. Palmer
Celia Cordón-Rosales
Publication date
01-12-2016
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
International Journal for Equity in Health / Issue 1/2016
Electronic ISSN: 1475-9276
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-016-0359-z

Other articles of this Issue 1/2016

International Journal for Equity in Health 1/2016 Go to the issue

Study protocol

Community engagement to enhance trust between Gypsy/Travellers, and maternity, early years’ and child dental health services: protocol for a multi-method exploratory study

Erratum

Erratum to: individual-level changes in self-rated health before and during the economic crisis in Europe

Review

“Choice Set” for health behavior in choice-constrained settings to frame research and inform policy: examples of food consumption, obesity and food security

Research

The impact of the Great Recession on mental health and its inequalities: the case of a Southern European region, 1997–2013

Research

Burden of cumulative risk factors associated with non-communicable diseases among adults in Uganda: evidence from a national baseline survey

Research

The association between maternal and partner experienced racial discrimination and prenatal perceived stress, prenatal and postnatal depression: findings from the growing up in New Zealand cohort study