Disease prevalence in a rural Andean population of central Peru: a focus on autoimmune and allergic diseases.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

The hygiene hypothesis, formulated to explain the increased incidence of allergic and autoimmune diseases observed in industrialized countries, remains controversial. We reflected upon this hypothesis during a medical mission to rural and impoverished villages of central Peru.

Materials and methods

The mission was carried out in July 2015 to aid three Andean villages located near Cusco, and comprised 10 American physicians, 4 nurses, and 24 students. After recording the vital signs, patients were triaged by nurses based on the major complaint, visited by physicians, and prescribed medications. Physicians wrote their notes on a one-page form and established diagnoses purely on clinical grounds, without laboratory or imaging testing. Physician notes were then anal

SUBMITTER: Caturegli G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4749512 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature