Asthma has emerged as an important public health problem in many Latin American
countries over the past decade. In Brazil and Costa Rica, the prevalence of asthma and …

Asthma is an important health concern in Latin America (LA) where it is associated with
variable prevalence and disease burden between countries. High prevalence and morbidity …

Background Acquisition of the intestinal microbiota in early life corresponds with the
development of the mucosal immune system. Recent work on caesarean-delivered infants …

Background Studies conducted in transitional communities from Africa and Asia have
pointed to the process of urbanisation as being responsible for the increase in asthma …

Background Many epidemiologic studies report the odds ratio as a measure of association
for cross-sectional studies with common outcomes. In such cases, the prevalence ratios may …

Background Asthma has emerged as an important public health problem of urban
populations in Latin America. Epidemiological data suggest that a minority of asthma cases …

Background The low prevalence of allergic disease in the rural tropics has been attributed to
the protective effects of chronic helminth infections. There is concern that treatmentbased …

Background Control of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections relies on the periodic and
long-term administration of anthelmintic drugs to high-risk groups, particularly school-age …

Background Rural residence is protective against atopy and wheeze–rhinitis–eczema
symptoms in developed countries, an effect attributed to farming and poor hygiene …

The immune response that develops in early childhood underlies the development of
inflammatory diseases such as asthma and there are few data from tropical Latin America …