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Technical Documents

Technical Documents

Health Surveillance and Disease Prevention and Control at PAHO
This page describes the PAHO Technical Area for Health Surveillance and Disease Prevention and Control(HSD), its mission and objectives, what it does in terms of projects and activities. It contains links to the four technical groups and the Pan American Center under its umbrella. Note: Prior to June 2006, the Area was named Disease Prevention and Control.(3/Jun/2008)
In English (5.65k)
en español (6.44k)

RIMSA 15: Inter-American Meeting at Ministerial Level on Health and Agriculture (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 11–12 June 2008)
Comprehensive new site: PAHO will once again hold its biennial meeting where ministers of health and agriculture discuss common concerns related to animal diseases, diseases transmitted to human by animals, and agricultural/livestock production and food safety. This year's theme is Agriculture and Health: Alliance for Equity and Rural Development in the Americas.(19/May/2008)
In English       PANAFTOSA
en español     PANAFTOSA
em Português PANAFTOSA

RIMSA 14: Index of Documents
Index of documents presented at RIMSA 14.(18/May/2008)
In English       (7.87k)
en español     (8.39k)
en Français    (7.65k)
em Português (7.51k)

PAHO Regional Program on Food Safety: Working to Prevent and Control Food-Borne Diseases
This page describes the mission, objective, and areas of work of the PAHO Regional Program on Food Safety.(2/Jul/2007)
In English (7.34k)
en español (7.72k)

Regional Program on Antimicrobial Resistance: Combatting Resistance to Antibiotics in the Americas
This page describes the mission and areas of work of the PAHO Regional Program on Antimicrobial Resistance, which deals with the topic of resistance to antibiotics and bacterial and hospital (nosocomial) infections. It contains links to the WHO Global Strategy and main PAHO and WHO websites on the topic.(13/Jun/2007)
In English (3.17k)
en español (3.55k)

Foodborne Diseases, Emerging (WHO Fact Sheet No. 124)
This official WHO fact sheet offers basic information on emerging foodborne diseases (FBDs). Some foodborne diseases are well recognized but are considered emerging because they have recently become more common, e.g. Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae, Listeria monocytogenes, trematodes, 'mad cow disease'. New foodborne disease threats occur for a number of reasons. Causes include increase in international travel and trade, microbial adaptation and changes in the food production system, as well as human demographics and behaviour.(24/Oct/2006)
In English WHO
en Français OMS

Drug-Resistant Salmonella (WHO Fact Sheet No. 139)
This official WHO fact sheet provides basic information on Salmonellosis, one of the most common and widely distributed foodborne diseases. It constitutes a major public health burden and represents a significant cost in many countries. Millions of human cases are reported worldwide every year and the disease results in thousands of deaths. Salmonellosis is caused by the bacteria Salmonella. Today, there are over 2500 known types, or serotypes, of Salmonella. Recent studies provide increasing evidence of adverse human health consequences due to the occurrence of resistant microorganisms. These consequences can be divided into two categories: (1) infections that would otherwise not have occurred; and (2) increased frequency of treatment failures and increased severity of infections. (24/Oct/2006)
In English WHO
en Français OMS

Food Safety and Foodborne Illness (WHO Fact Sheet No. 237)
This official WHO fact sheet provides basic information on food safety and foodborne diseases (FBDs), Food safety is an increasingly important public-health issue. Governments all over the world are intensifying their efforts to improve food safety. These efforts are in response to an increasing number of food-safety problems and rising consumer concerns. Foodborne illnesses are defined as diseases, usually either infectious or toxic in nature, caused by agents that enter the body through the ingestion of food. Every person is at risk. Foodborne diseases are a widespread and growing public-health problem, both in developed and developing countries. (24/Oct/2006)
In English WHO
en Français OMS

Cholera (WHO Fact Sheet No. 107)
This official WHO fact sheet provides basic information on cholera, an acute intestinal infection caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It has a short incubation period, from less than one day to five days, and produces an enterotoxin that causes a copious, painless, watery diarrhea that can quickly lead to severe dehydration and death if treatment is not promptly given. Vomiting also occurs in most patients. However, most persons infected with V. cholerae do not become ill, although the bacterium is present in their faeces for 7-14 days. When illness does occur, more than 90% of episodes are of mild or moderate severity and are difficult to distinguish clinically from other types of acute diarrhea. Less than 10% of ill persons develop typical cholera with signs of moderate or severe dehydration.(23/Oct/2006)
In English WHO
en Français OMS

Use of antimicrobials outside human medicine and resultant antimicrobial resistance in humans (WHO Fact Sheet No. 268)
This official WHO fact sheet provides basic information on how antimicrobials have also been used increasingly for the treatment of bacterial disease in animals, fish and plants. In addition, they became an important element of intense animal husbandry because of their observed growth-enhancing effect, when added in sub-therapeutic doses to animal feed. Some of the newly-emerging resistant bacteria in animals are transmitted to humans; mainly via meat and other food of animal origin or through direct contact with farm animals.(23/Oct/2006)
In English WHO
en Français OMS

The 5 Key Ways Project: Adapting the WHO Manual on Food Safety for Use in Guatemalan Elementary Schools
Taking into account that schools are an important space to promote the development of healthy lifestyles in children, the manual Bringing Food Safety Home: Using the WHO Five Keys to Safer Food has been adapted for use in primary schools in Guatemala. This page describes the project and offers access to the three manuals, the poster, the INCAP fact sheet, and the progress report.(11/Jul/2006)
In English (6.48k)
en español (6.88k)

The 5 key ways to keep your food safe (Content Manual)
The purpose of this manual is to serve as tool or educational/reference guide for the educational community (elementary-school principals, teachers, and pupils, as well as local school boards) for teaching and learning five basic ways to keep food safe and prevent it from becoming contaminated. The contents have been adapted so that those in charge of preparing school meals can be trained in this subject, with the aim of ensuring safe and healthy food for students. This page offers an executive summary in English and access to the 34-page manual in Spanish.(10/Jul/2006)
In English (10.01k)
en español (11.08k) (1164.6k)

How to make a plan for safe food in my school? The 5 key ways to have a school with safe food and water: Manual for the Parent Advisory Council
This manual has been prepared with the objective of providing school boards with the necessary elements to enable them to prepare their plan for safe food and water in their schools, with participation of the various community actors. In addition, it can be used as a tool to provide guidelines for the implementation of projects to ensure the safety of food and water in schools. This page provides a summary in English and access to the 24-page manual in Spanish.(10/Jul/2006)
In English (5.91k)
en español (6.03k) (302.95k)

Activity Book, The 5 key ways to keep your food safe (Teacher's Guide)
The objective of this Manual is to provide materials to help teachers so that they in turn can help pupils learn the 5 key ways to keep your food safe in a more entertaining and dynamic way. It is a guide that enables participatory learning such that students can incorporate this knowledge into their daily life, bringing about changes in their behavior and that of their family in a way that will improve their health and well-being.(10/Jul/2006)
In English (8k)
en español (8.61k)

Preventing disease through healthy environments: Towards an estimate of the environmental burden of disease
How much disease could be prevented through better management of our environment? The environment influences our health in many ways — through exposures to physical, chemical and biological risk factors, and through related changes in our behaviour in response to those factors. To answer this question, the available scientific evidence was summarized and more than 100 experts were consulted for their estimates of how much environmental risk factors contribute to the disease burden of 85 diseases. This report summarizes the results globally, with the access page providing an abstract, an executive summary, and access to the e-book.(16/Jun/2006)
In English WHO

Veterinary Public Health at PAHO
This page provides general information on PAHO's activities in the area of veterinary public health and its strategies to face current issues and challenges involving zoonoses, foodborne diseases and food safety. It also provides information and links for the Veterinary Public Health Unit, newly relocated to its regional center in Brazil, and to international partners.(15/Jun/2006)
In English (13.31k)
en español (14.53k)

A Guide to Healthy Food Markets
With over half of the world’s population now living in urban areas, food markets have become important sources of affordable food for many millions of people. At the same time, however, such markets have been associated with major outbreaks of diseases, including cholera, SARS and avian influenza. This link goes to the full-text 42-page guide on the WHO website.(18/Apr/2006)
In English WHO
en español OMS

Situation Updates— Avian Influenza
This link provides access to all outbreak notices on avian influenza from the archives of the WHO Disease Outbreak News, starting with the newest item. (28/Feb/2006)
In English       WHO/EPR
en español     OMS/EPR
en Français    OMS/EPR

WHO Guidance on Public Health Measures in Countries Experiencing Their First Outbreaks of H5N1 Avian Influenza
Outbreaks of avian influenza in poultry, when caused by highly pathogenic viruses of the H5 or H7 subtypes, are of great concern for the agricultural sector and can have considerable economic consequences. Such outbreaks are also of concern for human health. This guidance offered by WHO is general and intended for adaptation to specific situations, in line with national health and veterinary polices.(3/Jan/2006)
In English       WHO
en español     (13.4k)   (40.6k)
em Português OPAS

Brasilia Declaration
The ministers and the representatives of ministers of agriculture and health, the presidents and the representatives of producer associations, industry, and other entities representing the poultry production chain, and the representatives of international organizations in attendance at the Hemispheric Conference on Avian Influenza, expressed their commitment in this multilateral agreement at the Hemispheric Conference on the Surveillance and Prevention of Avian Influenza in Brasilia, Brazil, on 2 December 2005. Full conference proceedings(2/Dec/2005)
In English       PANAFTOSA
en español     PANAFTOSA
em Português PANAFTOSA

WHO recommendations relating to travellers coming from and going to countries experiencing outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza
These recommendations are in line with phase 3 in the WHO 6-phase scale of pandemic alert: human infections with a novel influenza virus subtype are occurring, but the virus does not spread efficiently and sustainably among humans. These recommendations may change according to the change in the epidemiological situation and related risk assessments.(30/Nov/2005)
In English WHO
en español (4.68k)

Highly Pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza Outbreaks in Poultry and in Humans: Food Safety Implications
This fact sheet provides useful information on the ongoing outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in poultry in Asia and, more recently, in Europe, that have raised concerns about the source of infection and the risk to humans from various exposures.(4/Nov/2005)
In English       WHO
en español     OMS
en Français    OMS

Hemispheric Conference on the Surveillance and Prevention of Avian Influenza (Brasília, Brazil, 30 November– 2 December 2005)
The objectives of this conference, co-sponsored by PANAFTOSA and the Ministry of Agriculture of Brazil, are as follows: Review, analysis, and dissemination of the global and Hemispheric knowledge of Avian Influenza (AI) and the risk of pandemic for humans, in order to forge a regional alliance and to discuss the bases of a public multisectoral and private plan, for surveillance and prevention of Influenza Avian in the Americas. This page is Portuguese but offers a link by which to register and the complete conference program in English.(28/Oct/2005)
In English       PANAFTOSA
en español     PANAFTOSA
em Português PANAFTOSA

Influenza: Technical Module (Peru)
This technical document in Spanish, put together by the General Office of Epidemiology of the Ministry of Health of Peru and the National Institute of Health of Peru offers up-to-date information in the form of a manual on influenza for doctors and laboratory technicians working in the country.(19/Oct/2005)
In English Handbook in Spanish
en español Módulo técnico

CD45.R8: Disaster Preparedness and Response
This report from the PAHO Directing Council lays forth the Organization's mandate for emergency and disaster preparedness and response in hospitals, clinics, and primary-care facilities in the Americas.(1/Oct/2004)
In English       CD45.R8
en español     CD45.R8
en Français    CD45.R8
em Português CD45.R8

Informal Consultation on Influenza Pandemic Preparedness in Countries with Limited Resources (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 23–25 June 2004)
The objective of this informal consultation was to get feedback on key elements of a draft influenza pandemic preparedness checklist prepared by WHO. Specific objectives were to: (1) raise awareness of the need and potential benefits of pandemic preparedness; (2) understand the processes involved in planning influenza pandemic preparedness; (3) reach some consensus on the priority components of a pandemic plan; (4) develop specific recommendations relevant to the high-priority areas of pandemic planning; (5) identify the way forward for Member States as they develop their pandemic plans; and (6) identify whether WHO assistance is needed and, if so, what form it should take. This page contains a summary and access to the full text.(25/Jun/2004)
In English (9.75k)
en español (12.25k) (138.47k)

WHO Consultation on Priority Public Health Interventions before and during an Influenza Pandemic (Geneva, 27 April 2004)
The purpose of this technical consultation meeting was to approach the topic of preparedness for a flu epidemic. More than 100 experts from 33 countries participated, discussing a broad spectrum of measures to be carried out by WHO and national authorities before and during a pandemic. The three main objectives were to prevent potential pandemics as they appear, reduce transmission at national and international levels, and reduce high levels of morbidity, mortality and social impact. WHO link listed below provides access to the opening address, executive summary and to the full text, as well as other useful links related to this topic.(27/Apr/2004)
In English WHO/CSR
en español (22.44k) (514.42k)

Avian Influenza A (H5N1) in Humans and in Poultry in Asia: Food Safety Considerations
This fact sheet addresses how the recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in poultry in Viet Nam and similar reports from several countries in the region have sparked concern about the source of infection and the risk of human transmission, especially given the presence of avian influenza virus H5N1 in patients in Viet Nam and in Thailand.(24/Jan/2004)
In English WHO
en español WHO

Avian Influenza
This fact sheet contains information on the disease in birds: impact and control measures; a constantly mutating virus: two consequences; human infection with avian influenza: a timeline; why H5N1 is of particular concern; influenza pandemics: can they be averted?; and the clinical course and treatment of human cases of H5N1 avian influenza.(15/Jan/2004)
In English WHO/CSR

Brote de intoxicación alimentaria en vuelo internacional del día 23 de julio de 2003
Treinta y tres (33) miembros de un grupo de 59 personas pertenecientes a una Organización Evangélica para Adolescentes, llamada Teen Mania, todos de nacionalidad norteamericana, se enfermaron en un vuelo internacional procedentes de Lima, Perú, con destino a Dallas, Texas, Estados Unidos, el miércoles 23 de julio de 2003. Esta página brinda el resumen del episodio y acceso al artículo completo.(1/Oct/2003)
en español (3.77k) (262.75k)

Bacteriological assessment of fresh artisan cheeses sold in Lima, Peru, and the presumed bactericidal action of Lactobacillus spp.
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the bacteriological quality of fresh artisan cheeses and the supposed bactericidal action of Lactobacillus spp. (Rev Panam Salud Pública 2003 14(3):158-164))(18/Sep/2003)
In English More
en español Más

Fact Sheet: Primary Care in an Indigenous Community of Chorotes (Tartagal, Province of Salta, Argentina)
Within the framework of PAHO/WHO technical cooperation in Argentina, a Pilot Project began in late 2001 aimed at improving the quality of life of the indigenous peoples of the Chaco region. The project was a great success in that in involved full community participation and a multitude of actors. This fact sheet summarizes its activities and accomplishments.(24/Jul/2003)
In English (10.56k)
en español (10.39k)

Strategic Alliance IICA/PAHO for Human Development and Prosperity in Rural Communities
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), both aware of the need to pool their capabilities in support of efforts to promote the development of their Member States, have decided to work more closely and systematically together in contributing to human development and prosperity in the rural communities of the Americas. This page, in brochure form, summarizes the collaboration of the two organizations. (29/Apr/2003)
In English (8.28k)
en español (9.69k)

Cooperating in Veterinary Public Health. Quadrennial Report of the Director, Centennial Edition
This excerpt from the Quadrennial Report of the Director deals with the topics of veterinary public health, food safety, and foot-and-mouth disease. It has been created to facilitate user access to the specific topic.(15/Sep/2002)
In English (146.07k)
en español (146.49k)

Inseguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional en Centroamérica: factores coyunturales y exclusión social
Esta sección, temas de actualidad, abarca iniciativas, proyectos e intervenciones de salud nacionales y regionales. Este tema de actualidad incluído en el vol. 10, n.6 de la Revista trata de una Reunión del Sector de la Salud de Centroamérica y la República Dominicana se aprobó una resolución en la que se reafirma el compromiso de continuar y fortalecer la iniciativa regional para la Promoción de la Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional.(15/Jan/2002)
en español (102.94k)

La FDA autoriza una nueva declaración sobre el efecto saludable de los ésteres de esterol y estanol de origen vegetal en casos de cardiopatías coronarias (Estados Unidos) [información farmacológica].
La FDA ha autorizado la inclusión de declaraciones sobre su efecto beneficioso de reducción del riesgo de cardiopatía coronaria en la etiqueta de los productos alimentarios que contienen ésteres de esterol y estanol de origen vegetal. (Rev Panam Salud Pública 2001; 9(1))(30/Jul/2001)
en español Más

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and Its Risks: Animal and Public Health, International Trade
The identification in 2000 of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in native-born cattle in European countries previously thought to be free of the disease has led to increased concern about the extent of the BSE epidemic and raised questions about the possible risks for public health(15/Jun/2001)
In English (3.62k)
en español (3.95k)

Encefalopatía espongiforme bovina (EEB/ESB/BSE), o enfermedad de la vaca loca: Información epidemiológica y acciones tomadas por la OPS/OMS
Esta hoja informativa resume la historia de esta enfermedad, la amenaza que representa para los seres humanos con su variante de la enfermedad de Creutzfeldt-Jacob (vCJD), la diseminación mundial de la EEB (con enlaces a tablas estadísticas actualizadas), la situación regional, y las acciones y recomendaciones de la OPS.(16/Mar/2001)
en español (8.44k)

Technical Guidelines for Disaster Situations - Food Safety
Practical Public Health Information for disaster situations prepared by PAHO's technical divisions.(25/Jun/2000)
In English (2.49k)
en español (1.89k)

Hábitos alimentarios en el mundo actual
Los hábitos alimentarios en el mundo actual y las diferencias globales en el consumo de los principales grupos (cereales, hortalizas, carnes, productos lácteos, etc), tales como las registró la FAO, se presentan para cada continente o región específica como porcentajes de la energía total. La figura es una de las muchas informaciones estadísticas y gráficas incluidas en la publicación de la OPS, del World Cancer Research Fund y del American Institute for Cancer Research: "Alimentos, nutrición y la prevención del cáncer: Una perspectiva mundial".(11/Jan/2000)
en español (160.91k) Librería en línea

XIth Inter-American Meeting, at the Ministerial Level, on Animal Health (RIMSA) (Washington, D.C., 13–15 April 1999)
This page provides access to the documentation proceeding from this regional biennial RIMSA meeting. It contains documents related to animal health and food safety. Its greatest relevance is in the formulation of health policy in the Region.(15/Apr/1999)
In English (0.95k)
en español (1.07k)

Viral contamination of food products: a poorly understood public health problem
This study was conducted for the purpose of contributing to the dissemination of information on these diseases and their etiologic agents, epidemiology, and control. Rev Panam Salud Pública 1998; 3(6)(30/Jun/1998)
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en español Más

Viral contamination of food products: a poorly understood public health problem
This study was conducted for the purpose of contributing to the dissemination of information on these diseases and their etiologic agents, epidemiology, and control. (Rev Panam Salud Pública 1998; 3(6):359-366)(30/Jun/1998)
In English More
en español Más