A systematic review of resource habitat taboos and human health outcomes in the context of global environmental change

The dependence of humans on the ecosystem services that natural resources provide is absolute. The need for social taboos as frameworks for governing natural resource abstraction is gaining widespread recognition especially within the context of climate change. However, the complex relationship between resource and habitat taboos (RHTs) and human health is not entirely understood. We conducted a systematic review of existing studies of the association between RHTs and human health outcomes, focusing on the best evidence available. We searched JSTOR, SocINDEX, Greenfile and Academic Search Complete databases from 1970 to July 2015; and also searched the reference lists of reviews and relevant articles. About 779 studies and data from 26 studies were eligible for the analysis. Only 9 out of 26 studies clearly linked RHTs to human health. Overall, nine taboos, spatial, temporal, gear, method, effort, catch, species-specific, life history and segment, were covered by the empirical studies. This systematic review provides new evidence of relationships between RHTs and human health outcomes. Several methodological limitations were identified in the empirical material. The findings suggest the need for context-specific conservation policies to reduce erosion of RHTs in order to sustain human health in the face of climate change.     

Spatial and temporal patterns in pupal and adult production of the dengue vector Aedes aegypti in Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand

We investigated how temporal and spatial effects confound the functional relationship between pupal and adult populations of Aedes aegypti and thus the value of pupal numbers as predictors of dengue transmission risk in Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand. We found considerable seasonal shifts in productivity of key containers. Tires contained much less pupae in the dry season than in the wet season. Earthenware jars and cement tanks for washing purposes were consistent producers over the entire study period. Houses in the two villages, with approximately twice as many houses per unit area, were significantly more likely to have adults and pupae. No significant annual, seasonal, or spatial effects on the strength of correlations between pupal and adult populations were found. Except for 2 (of 16) occasions, pupal, and adult populations were correlated strongly in time and space. Our results are consistent with application of the pupal survey technique for assessing dengue transmission risk.     

High prevalence of equine-like G3P[8] rotavirus in children and adults with acute gastroenteritis in Thailand

Group A rotavirus (RVA) is a major cause of acute gastroenteritis in infants and young children worldwide. This study aims to clarify the distribution of G/P types and genetic characteristics of RVAs circulating in Thailand. Between January 2014 and September 2016, 1867 stool specimens were collected from children and adults with acute gastroenteritis in six provinces in Thailand. RVAs were detected in 514/1867 (27.5%) stool specimens. G1P[8] (44.7%) was the most predominant genotype, followed by G3P[8] (33.7%), G2P[4] (11.5%), G8P[8] (7.0%), and G9P[8] (1.3%). Unusual G3P[9] (0.8%), G3P[10] (0.4%), G4P[6] (0.4%), and G10P[14] (0.2%) were also detected at low frequencies. The predominant genotype, G1P[8] (64.4%), in 2014 decreased to 6.1% in 2016. In contrast, the frequency of G3P[8] markedly increased from 5.5% in 2014 to 65.3% in 2015 and 89.8% in 2016. On polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, most (135/140; 96.4%) of the G3P[8] strains exhibited a short RNA profile. Successful determination of the nucleotide sequences of the VP7 genes of 98 G3P[8] strains with a short RNA profile showed that they are all equine-like G3P[8] strains. On phylogenetic analysis of genome segments of two representative Thai equine-like G3P[8] strains, it was noteworthy that they possessed distinct NSP4 genes, one bovine-like and the other human-like. Thus, we found that characteristic equine-like G3P[8] strains with a short RNA electropherotype are becoming highly prevalent in children and adults in Thailand.     

Community capacity for sustainable community-based dengue prevention and control: study of a sub–district in Southern Thailand

ObjectiveTo assess the level of community capacity for dengue prevention and control and to study household environments and larval indices in southern Thailand.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was designed for the study, enrolling two communities with higher dengue incidence rate than the standard over the past five years. Data gathering was conducted by the dengue leader group (DLG), including 15 leaders and 15 non-leaders trained by the research team. The dengue community capacity assessment tool (DCCAT) for leaders (115 items, 14 domains) and non-leaders (83 items, 11 domains). Participants were selected by the DLG based on their communities' dengue risk. In the low-dengue incidence (LDI) community, 32 leaders and 177 non-leaders were selected; while in the high-dengue incidence (HDI) community, 31 leaders and 199 non-leaders were chosen.ResultsThe leaders from the LDI and the HDI communities demonstrated high levels of dengue community-capacity (360.47±58.82, 416.22±57.72). Non-leaders in the LDI community demonstrated a moderate level of dengue community capacity competence (205.90±60.76), while the non-leaders in the HDI community had a high level (254.78±50.34).ConclusionsThese initial levels of dengue community capacity serves as a baseline for diagnosing each community. For a community that needed to improve its capacity, the DCCAT is essential tool to conduct a pre-post intervention assessment or a serial assessment. A participatory approach is taken to enable local communities to carry out anti-dengue efforts on their own, rather than have intervention by an outsider.     

Reproducibility of fetal lung volume measurements with 3-dimensional ultrasonography.

OBJECTIVE: To build a nomogram of normal fetal lung volumes and to assess the reproducibility of measurements using 3-dimensional ultrasonography. METHODS: Inclusion criteria were healthy women, singleton normal pregnancies, reliable dating, and 20 to 30 weeks' gestation. Exclusion criteria were discordance between clinical and ultrasonographic dating, patients lost to follow-up, and birth weight disorders. Patients were scanned at intervals longer than 2 weeks. Three volumes were acquired for each patient; only data from the volume with the best image quality was used for analysis. Volumes were rated and measured by the manual tracing method. We recorded whether the clavicle was visualized. Only good-quality volumes were included in analysis. The best volume was chosen, and each lung was measured. RESULTS: A total of 75 patients were studied over a 9-month period, from which 182 volumes were analyzed. Of the 182 volumes, 15 (8.2%) were excluded for poor quality. The remaining 167 volumes were included in the final analysis. In 83 volumes (50%), the clavicle was not visualized. The best fit for total lung volume was a second-degree polynomial regression curve. Lung volume was 10.28 mL at 20 weeks and 51.49 mL at 30 weeks. Assessment of agreement was studied by selection of 40 volumes. Intraobserver variability was 5.48 mL (10.6%) and 3.07 mL (5.96%). Interobserver variability was 7 mL. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that 3-dimensional ultrasonographically derived measurements are reliable and reproducible up to 30 weeks if a standard measurement technique is used.     

Factors affecting the experiences of drug use by adolescents in a Bangkok slum

The purpose of this research was to study the demography, financial status, social status, knowledge of amphetamines, perceived harmfulness of amphetamines, and life skills in the prevention of drug abuse in adolescents. The factors leading to drug use among young people were also studied. The study group was composed of 354 subjects aged 12 to 22 years, living in 2 slums in Bangkok. The research showed that about 7% of the sample group had used drugs before. Four percent had never used drugs, but someone had tried to talk them into using them. Almost 20% had friends who had used drugs, and 11% had friends who were still using drugs. About 13% of the adolescents in the study group had family members who used drugs and another 9% had family members who were still using drugs. In our study, we found that the most common drug group was amphetamines. On average, the participants had a low level of understanding about drug abuse, especially of the symptoms, side effects, and legal penalties. Most of the adolescents realized how harmful amphetamines and other drugs were and had a high degree life skills. Factors influencing adolescent drug use were (1) personal factors, such as monthly income/allowance and life skills; (2) family environment, such as drug abuse history in the family; and (3) social environment, such as a drug abuse history among friends. When studying the life skill factors of the adolescents, which is an independent factor capable of influencing the experience with drugs, the researchers found that the time spent with other members of the family and the family members' drug experiences were the only factors leading to life skills in the prevention of drug abuse in adolescents. In addition to letting children learn on their own, training them to acquire life skills is beneficial when faced with problematic situations. Creating relationships between adolescents and other members of the family, friends, and society can increase their life skills, diminishing the risk of drug abuse.     

Social support among elderly in Khon Kean Province, Thailand

The purpose of this research was to assess perceived social support and its factors among the elderly. The study group included 734 elders who were aged 60 years old or more, and living in eight villages in Khon Kaen Province, Thailand. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the information, and perceived social support was measured by PRQ85. This study found a high level of social support was perceived among the elderly. According to the PRQ85, the highest dimension of social support was the availability of information, emotional, and material support; while the lowest dimension was being an integral part of a group. Results from multiple regressions indicate that education level, number of close friend, knowing community health staff, working status, elderly club member, and religious activities were statistically significantly related to perceived social support. In conclusion, the elderly had a high level of social support. Close friends and community health staff are important sources of support among the elderly.     

Trichinosis： Epidemiology in Thailand

INTRODUCTIONTrichinosis is one of the most widespread helminthic zoonoses.Unlike other parasitic infections,it has been a major public health problem and reported in many Asian countries,including China,Japan,Korea and Thailand[1-7].Since1835,controversy …