A relação entre qualidade da água e a ocorrência de agravos já é bastante conhecida. Nesse sentido, a distribuição de água segura para consumo humano, isto é, que atenda ao padrão de potabilidade estabelecido pela legislação e que não ofereça risco à saúde, é fundamental para a manutenção da saúde da população. Na atuação da vigilância em saúde ambiental relacionada à qualidade da água para Consumo Humano, preconiza-se, com respaldo legal na Portaria MS no 518/2004, o desenvolvimento de estudos de avaliação de risco que integrem as informações levantadas pela própria Vigilância em Saúde Ambiental relacionada à qualidade da água para consumo humano, pela vigilância epidemiológica e as fornecidas pelos responsáveis pelo controle da qualidade da água. O presente estudo objetivou demonstrar o potencial de desenvolvimento, no âmbito do município, das atribuições da Vigilância Ambiental em Saúde relacionada à Qualidade da Água para Consumo Humano, procurando, a partir da perspectiva de avaliação de risco, identificar perigos relacionados ao abastecimento de água e demonstrar a existência de associação entre os perigos identificados e a ocorrência de doenças diarréicas na população. Foram utilizados dados secundários relativos ao período de março de 2002 a março de 2004, disponibilizados pelo Departamento Municipal de Água e Esgoto (DEMAE), referentes ao monitoramento da qualidade da água tratada e distribuída por cinco diferentes sistemas de abastecimento e dados disponibilizados pelo Departamento Municipal de Saúde Pública (DEMASP), referentes às condições de saneamento e ocorrência de diarréia em crianças menores de dois anos cadastradas no Programa Saúde da Família (PSF). Os dados epidemiológicos trabalhados se referiram a seis regiões sanitárias de atuação do PSF no distrito sede de Barabacena (Carmo, Funcionários, Grogotó, Santa Cecília, Santa Efigênia e Vilela) e a três distritos pertencentes ao município (Correia de Almeida, Padre Brito e Senhora das Dores). Os sistemas de abastecimento estudados foram denominados ETA I e ETA II, responsáveis pelo abastecimento do distrito sede, ETA III, ETA IV e ETA V que abastecem respectivamente os distritos Correia de Almeida, Padre Brito e Senhora das Dores. Os pontos de coleta das amostras utilizadas neste estudo foram os reservatórios de distribuição localizados junto às ETAs e pontos das redes de distribuição. Os dados foram trabalhados a partir de técnicas de epidemiologia descritiva e de testes estatísticos de correlação. Dados referentes ao monitoramento da água foram utilizados para identificação e categorização de perigos associados ao abastecimento de água para cada sistema estudado, tendo como referência o Manual de Procedimentos de Vigilância em Saúde Ambiental relacionada à Qualidade da Água para Consumo Humano, com modificações. Com relação às condições de saneamento básico, o município de Barbacena apresentou, de maneira geral, boa cobertura, sendo as regiões sanitárias Carmo e Vilela e o distrito Senhora das Dores os que apresentaram os menores percentuais de acesso a esses serviços. Todos os sistemas de abastecimento analisados apresentaram problemas no atendimento ao plano mínimo de amostragem e no atendimento ao padrão de potabilidade preconizado pela legislação. Considerando os perigos identificados, foi proposta uma categorização dos sistemas de abastecimento estudados: apenas a ETA II foi considerada como em situação de perigos menores ou inexistentes, enquanto todos os outros sistemas foram categorizados em situação de alerta máximo, perigos acentuados (ETA I, ETA III, ETA IV, ETA V). Os resultados indicam a necessidade de um monitoramento mais adequado da qualidade da água e de ajustes no controle operacional do tratamento da água. A prevalência de diarréia em crianças menores de dois anos durante o período de estudo alcançou os maiores valores na região Funcionários (7,79%) e no distrito Senhora das Dores (4,12%). Não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa entre a ocorrência de diarréia nas regiões sanitárias e nos distritos (c2 = 3,19; p = 0,074). Não detectamos comportamento sazonal na ocorrência de diarréia em nenhuma das regiões estudadas, o que provavelmente se deve ao curto período de estudo, que pode ter comprometido a análise temporal dos dados. As análises de correlação entre a ocorrência de diarréia entre crianças menores de dois anos e variáveis relacionadas à qualidade da água demonstraram resultados inconstantes, o que não exime a água distribuída da responsabilidade pela transmissão de agravos, haja vista os nítidos problemas de controle da qualidade da água detectados nos sistemas de abastecimento estudados. O esforço empreendido na sistematização dos dados de monitoramento da água distribuída permitiu a construção de um bom histórico sobre o controle da qualidade da água para consumo humano. A proposição e aplicação de uma metodologia de avaliação de sistemas de abastecimento de água considerando a identificação e categorização de perigos associados e incorporando importantes elementos da Avaliação de Risco trouxe subsídios importantes para a atuação da Vigilância junto aos responsáveis pelo abastecimento de água. | The relation between drinking water quality and diseases occurrence is already well known. In this sense, supplying safe water, that is, which matches the standards established by the legislation and does not represent any human health risk, is crucial to ensure the population s health. Amongst the activities of the Environmental Surveillance related to drinking water quality, the brazilian legislation points to the development of risk evaluation studies, getting together information obtained by the surveillance health services (Environmental and Epidemiological) and those obtained form the water suppliers (water quality control). The present study aimed to demonstrate the potential for fully developing, in local basis, the Drinking Water Quality Surveillance duties, trying from a risk evaluation perspective, to identify drinking water related hazards and demonstrate the association between the identified hazards and the occurrence of diarrhea diseases. The data used in this study included (March 2002 to March 2004): (i) treated water quality of five water supply systems monitored by the Barbacena Municipal Water and Sewage Department (DEMAE) (ii) sanitary conditions and diarrhea occurrence amongst children under two years old recorded in the Family Health Program (PSF), and available from the Municipal Public Health Department (DEMASP). The epidemiological data referred to six sanitary regions covered by the PSF (Carmo, Funcionários, Grogotó, Santa Cecília, Santa Efigênia e Vilela) and, from three districts (Correia de Almeida, Padre Brito and Senhora das Dores). The water supply systems studied were named (i) ETA I and ETA II in the main district; (ii) ETA III, ETA IV and ETA V, supplying the districts of Correia de Almeida, Padre Brito and Senhora das Dores, respectively. The water sampling sites were the distribution reservoirs located next to the water treatment plants (ETAs) and points along the distribution network. The data treated using descriptive Epidemiology techniques and correlation statistical tests. Also, the data were used to identify and classify associated hazards to each water supply sistems studied based on the Manual de Procedimentos de Vigilância em Saúde Ambiental relacionada à Qualidade da Água para Consumo Humano, with modifications. In general, Barbacena showed a good sanitary infrastructure (water supply and sanitation), being the sanitary regions of Carmo de Vilela and Senhora das Dores those with less services coverage. None of the water supply systems fully matched the minimal sampling requirements or attended the water drinking standards establish by the brazilian legislation. Based on the obtained results, a ranking of the water supply health related hazards is proposed. Only ETA II system was classified as of low hazard, whereas all the others would be in a category of high hazard (ETA I, ETA III, ETA IV, ETA V). The results pointed out the need for a better water quality monitoring and treatment control. The diarrhea prevalence amongst children under two years old during the studied period reached higher values in the Funcionários region (7,79%) and in the Senhora das Dores District (4,12%). There was no statistically significant difference between the diarrhea occurrence in the sanitary regions and in the districts (c2 = 3,19; p = 0,074). No seasonal pattern was detected in the diarrhea occurrence in any of the regions studied, probably due to the short study period. The results of the correlation analyzes between diarrhea occurrence amongst children under two years old and water quality variables were not much consistent. However it does not exempt the water supply from the possibility of diseases transmission, given the detected problems of water quality control problems. Finally this work demonstrates the powerful possibilities of treating together the water quality and epidemiological datas obtainable from the Health Surveillance and Water Supply Services, including a proposal for the classification of water supply system health related hazards. It is hoped that such a proposal can be further tested and eventually validated as a useful tool for the day to day Water Quality Surveillance activities. | Escola de Saúde Pública do Estado de Minas Gerais

The Central-West region of Argentina was seriously affected by a series of convective summer storms on January–February of 2013 generating many debris flows and rockfall in the Central Andes mountain regions. In particular, the unreported 8th February event caused the sad death of a 10-year-old child being completely ignored by society and local authorities. Despite this, meteorological conditions associated with this event and further episodes were rarely measured and determined mainly due to scarce meteorological stations in Andean mountain areas. In this paper, meteorological data from CMORPH algorithm and measurements of surrounding gauges were analyzed for estimating the triggering precipitation value of this event. As well, the particular debris flow channeled into the main branch of the Amarilla gully in the Agua Negra valley was geomorphologically described. The amount of precipitation associated with this debris flow was 5.5 and 13.2 mm accumulated previous to the event. This violent debris flow was generated in a talus zone in a periglacial environment located just below a covered rock glacier. However, the influence of the permafrost thawing in this process is not feasible. The altitude of the 0 °C isotherm was lower during the previous days of the event, and no monitoring on permafrost is available for this area. The volume of removed mass was estimated in 5 × 10⁴ m³, and the mean velocity was 35 km/h. Boulders of 4 m diameter were found in the source area, while the deposit is up to 75% sandy with clasts that hardly exceed 10 cm in the alluvial fan distal part. Herein the main objective is to advice about the probable catastrophic impact of similar events in the future. These findings could be useful for hazard remediation, mitigation, and prevention plans for the Agua Negra international pass under construction.

This study examined the relative importance of climate change and drinking-water treatment for gastrointestinal illness incidence in children (age <5 years) from period 2046–2065 compared to 1991–2010. The northern Wisconsin (USA) study focused on municipalities distributing untreated groundwater. A time-series analysis first quantified the observed (1991–2010) precipitation and gastrointestinal illness associations after controlling for seasonality and temporal trends. Precipitation likely transported pathogens into drinking-water sources or into leaking water-distribution networks. Building on observed relationships, the second analysis projected how climate change and drinking-water treatment installation may alter gastrointestinal illness incidence. Future precipitation values were modeled by 13 global climate models and three greenhouse-gas emissions levels. The second analysis was rerun using three pathways: (1) only climate change, (2) climate change and the same slow pace of treatment installation observed over 1991–2010, and (3) climate change and the rapid rate of installation observed over 2011–2016. The results illustrate the risks that climate change presents to small rural groundwater municipalities without drinking water treatment. Climate-change-related seasonal precipitation changes will marginally increase the gastrointestinal illness incidence rate (mean: ∼1.5%, range: −3.6–4.3%). A slow pace of treatment installation somewhat decreased precipitation-associated gastrointestinal illness incidence (mean: ∼3.0%, range: 0.2–7.8%) in spite of climate change. The rapid treatment installation rate largely decreases the gastrointestinal illness incidence (mean: ∼82.0%, range: 82.0–83.0%).

De acuerdo con el Índice Global del Hambre (GHI, por sus siglas en inglés) de 2012, el hambre a nivel mundial ha disminuido algo desde 1990 pero continúa siendo “serio”. El promedio global enmascara diferencias dramáticas entre regiones y países. A nivel regional, los mayores puntajes del GHI se encuentran en Asia meridional y en el África Subsahariana. Asia meridional redujo sus puntajes de GHI de forma significativa entre 1990 y 1996 —principalmente a través de una reducción en la proporción de niños con bajo peso— pero no pudo mantener este rápido progreso. Y aunque el África Subsahariana progresó menos que Asia meridional en la década de 1990, ha logrado reducir la brecha a partir del nuevo milenio, con un puntaje del GHI en 2012 apenas por debajo del obtenido por Asia meridional. | Non-PR | IFPRI2; GRP24 | COM; MTID; DGO; EPTD; PHND; WCAO

Book | COM; MTID; DGO; EPTD; PHND; WCAO | De acuerdo con el Índice Global del Hambre (GHI, por sus siglas en inglés) de 2012, el hambre a nivel mundial ha disminuido algo desde 1990 pero continúa siendo “serio”. El promedio global enmascara diferencias dramáticas entre regiones y países. A nivel regional, los mayores puntajes del GHI se encuentran en Asia meridional y en el África Subsahariana. Asia meridional redujo sus puntajes de GHI de forma significativa entre 1990 y 1996 —principalmente a través de una reducción en la proporción de niños con bajo peso— pero no pudo mantener este rápido progreso. Y aunque el África Subsahariana progresó menos que Asia meridional en la década de 1990, ha logrado reducir la brecha a partir del nuevo milenio, con un puntaje del GHI en 2012 apenas por debajo del obtenido por Asia meridional. | IFPRI2; GRP24 | Non-PR

Naegleria fowleri is a thermophilic free-living amoeba found worldwide in soils and warm freshwater. It is the causative agent of primary amebic meningoencephalitis, a nearly always fatal disease afflicting mainly children and young adults. Humans are exposed to the organism via swimming, bathing, or other recreational activity during which water is forcefully inhaled into the upper nasal passages. Although many studies have looked at the occurrence of N. fowleri in surface waters, limited information is available regarding its occurrence in groundwater and geothermally heated natural waters such as hot springs. This paper reviews the current literature related to the occurrence of N. fowleri in these waters and the methods employed for its detection. Case reports of potential groundwater exposures are also included. Despite increased interest in N. fowleri in recent years due to well-publicized cases linked to drinking water, many questions still remain unanswered. For instance, why the organism persists in some water sources and not in others is not well understood. The role of biofilms in groundwater wells and plumbing in individual buildings, and the potential for warming due to climate change to expand the occurrence of the organism into new regions, are still unclear. Additional research is needed to address these questions in order to better understand the ecology of N. fowleri and the conditions that result in greater risks to bathers.

During a 28-year field survey in India (1988–2016), groundwater arsenic contamination and its health effects were registered in the states of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in the Ganga River flood plain, and the states of Assam and Manipur in the flood plain of Brahamaputra and Imphal rivers. Groundwater of Rajnandgaon village in Chhattisgarh state, which is not in a flood plain, is also arsenic contaminated. More than 170,000 tubewell water samples from the affected states were analyzed and half of the samples had arsenic >10 μg/L (maximum concentration 3,700 μg/L). Chronic exposure to arsenic through drinking water causes various health problems, like dermal, neurological, reproductive and pregnancy effects, cardiovascular effects, diabetes mellitus, diseases of the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems, and cancers, typically involving the skin, lungs, liver, bladder, etc. About 4.5% of the 8,000 children from arsenic-affected villages of affected states were registered with mild to moderate arsenical skin lesions. In the preliminary survey, more than 10,000 patients were registered with different types of arsenic-related signs and symptoms, out of more than 100,000 people screened from affected states. Elevated levels of arsenic were also found in biological samples (urine, hair, nails) of the people living in affected states. The study reveals that the population who had severe arsenical skin lesions may suffer from multiple Bowens/cancers in the long term. Some unusual symptoms, such as burning sensation, skin itching and watering of eyes in the presence of sun light, were also noticed in arsenicosis patients.