Local Beer Research Articles

Beer in the Ukraine: consumer choice criteria

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the attitudes and behaviour of Ukrainian consumers in terms of the purchase of beer (both foreign and domestic brands). There is an emphasis on the relative importance of the country of origin (COO), when compared to other factors.Design/methodology/approachPrimary research is based on a convenience sample of 774 beer drinkers in the city of Simferopol, Ukraine, surveyed through face‐to‐face questionnaires.FindingsFindings suggest that the COO are important to consumers, as is image, and the role of advertising in the creation of this image and in informing as to product availability. However, the COO would appear to be of lesser importance than quality, taste, brand and availability. Respondents commented on the image of foreign beers and the excellent advertising campaigns created by international companies. The Ukrainian consumer is brand conscious and also displays intense patriotism‐reflected in the popularity of local beers. However, consumption patterns are changing, and the demand for foreign beers are growing rapidly.Practical implicationsThis would suggest that any foreign company developing a market presence in the Ukraine, should seek to buy outright (or at least acquire part ownership) of a Ukrainian beer producer. This will provide an entrance into the market, and a production/distribution channel for international brands produced under licence. Ownership will also facilitate the importation and distribution of foreign‐produced branded beers.Originality/valueThere has been relatively little published research on the newly independent Ukraine, yet it has a sizeable population, and as such, represents attractive business opportunities. This attraction will increase with the country's likely accession to the EU in the near future.

Determination of purine contents of alcoholic beverages using high performance liquid chromatography

The purine contents of alcoholic beverages were determined in order to utilize them in the dietary care of gout and hyperuricemia. In the management of these diseases, restriction of both alcohol and purine intake are important. The method employed in this study is a quantitative determination of purine contents by HPLC. Alcoholic beverages were hydrolyzed to corresponding purine bases, which were then separated by HPLC, and base peaks were identified using an enzymatic peak-shift technique. This method is sufficiently accurate and reproducible to examine the purine contents of various alcoholic beverages that patients consume. Purine contents were as follows: spirits, 0.7-26.4 micromol/L; regular beer, 225.0-580.2 micromol/L; low-malt beer, 193.4-267.9 micromol/L; low-malt and low-purine beer, 13.3 micromol/L; other liquors, 13.1-818.3 micromol/L. Some local and low-alcohol beers were found to contain about 2.5 times more purines than regular beer. As some alcoholic beverages contain considerable amounts of purines, we recommend that excess consumption of these beverages be avoided. These data should be useful in the management of hyperuricemia and gout, not only for patients but also for physicians.

2008 Austrian-Swiss-German Traveling Fellowship Tour Summary

The 2008 Austrian-Swiss-German (ASG) Traveling Fellowship, sponsored by the American Orthopaedic Association, commenced on Monday, April 6, 2008, and was completed on Sunday, May 4, 2008. Dr. Richard Iorio, a specialist in adult reconstruction surgery, and Dr. Robert Hart, a specialist in spine surgery, were joined on the tour by Mr. Stanley Jones, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon from Sheffield Children's Hospital in the United Kingdom. The fellows traveled for three weeks in Germany and one week in Austria. At the first stop, Wurzburg, Germany, we were hosted by Jochen Eulert, MD, Professor and Chairman at the Orthopaedic Institute of the Konig-Ludwig-Haus. Professor Eulert is stepping down as director of the ASG Fellowship in Germany this year. Dr. Hart and Mr. Jones joined Professor Eulert in the operating room on the afternoon of April 7. Dr. Iorio's arrival was delayed because of weather issues, but eventually all three fellows convened for a tour of Wurzburg. A dinner was held with a group of Dr. Eulert's Oberarzts, or junior attending surgeons. After we had sampled the local beer and wine, plans were made for the following day's experience in the operating room and clinics. In the operating room at Wurzburg, Dr. Eulert demonstrated several total joint replacement procedures. Of note, all of the cemented knee replacements were done with antibiotic-impregnated cement. Additionally, all of the total hip replacements were performed with the patient in a supine position and with use of a modified anterior approach to the hip joint. Mr. Jones attended the pediatric clinic, and Dr. Hart participated in a triple arthrodesis and lumbar spinal fusion. After the day in the operating room, we toured the Orthopaedic Center for Musculoskeletal Research, where we were hosted by Drs. Franz Jakob and Norbert Schuetze. Topics of interest included studies in gene expression for …

Foster's Lager: from local beer to global icon

PurposeThis paper seeks to analyse Foster's Lager advertising since the early 1980s. In particular, it aims to focus on the Foster's Lager “I Believe” integrated marketing communications (IMC) campaign launched in 2000 and the use of “commercial nationalism”.Design/methodology/approachA close textual analysis consisting of semiotics, shot combination analysis, and content analysis is incorporated into the discussion of the Foster's Lager advertisements examined. These methodologies are helpful for deconstructing mediated representations of this iconic beer brand.FindingsNationalism and humour have both played an important part in Foster's Lager advertising campaigns. However, campaigns in more recent times have become more sophisticated and ironic. In examining a number of significant advertising campaigns for Australia's flagship beer, the transition from national to global beer brand can be documented. Since 1888 the brand name Foster's has evolved from being just one of a number of beer brands in Australia to the international flagship product of the global beverage giant, and fourth largest brewing company in the world, Foster's Group Limited.Research limitations/implicationsIn particular, the Foster's Lager “I Believe” campaign was an excellent example of the witty use of nationalism and patriotism to communicate a message.Practical implicationsExamining how the Foster's Lager brand evolved into a global brand provides lessons for marketers and educators, particularly in the effective use of commercial nationalism.Originality/valueThe paper brings a detailed analysis of the successful use of commercial nationalism.

NATIONAL TELEVISION AND THE MARKET FOR LOCAL PRODUCTS: THE CASE OF BEER*

Information technology lowers the cost of distributing information to dispersed consumers. Because national firms reap larger benefits from new media than firms serving only local consumers, media innovations may reduce the market for local products. This paper considers the effect of television on the market for local beer. Using market‐level data on television penetration, local breweries and brewery production from 1945–1960, results show that increases in television penetration are associated with fewer local breweries and less local beer production. The results indicate that the industrial organization of media markets can affect the structure of markets for local products.

The Pub, the People, the Place, the Passions, and the Principles: The Social and Personal Context of Engagement in a Collective Action

Towards the end of 2006 the owners of a small, historic public house withdrew from sale the locally produced beer that had been sold there for many years. Pub regulars instigated a boycott in an attempt to have the beer reinstated. Following a four-month widely supported boycott and considerable media coverage, the pub company owners returned the local beer to the pub. This paper reports on a selection of the experiences of some of those taking an active role in the boycott. Following intensive semi-structured interviews, we extracted a number of themes from participants’ accounts. We identify potentially important factors in the “causal net,” explaining their involvement in the boycott. Affective experience, collective interests, and deontological considerations [the obligation to do the right thing even if doing so could be personally damaging] emerge as important dimensions of people’s discussion of their participation. The findings are discussed in relation to theoretical perspectives bearing on an understanding of action choices.

Never Trust a Man Who—

Never Trust a Man Who— Cynthia Morrison Phoel (bio) Click for larger view View full resolution Figure 1. Photograph by Krzysztof Koziarek [End Page 112] In the sopping-wet spring of 1995, Sylvia rode the bus to and from Old Mountain more times than she cared to count. Her twin brother, Drago, was in Kyustendil, doing his military service, and she felt obliged to visit her mother twice as often as usual. When she had been a student, she'd caught any bus she could, usually from Poduene Station, which [End Page 113] was a filthy place, thick with fumes and overrun by dogs, full of stalls hawking cheap underwear and overripe vegetables. Time and again, she'd suffered Poduene because it offered the most buses to Old Mountain; if she missed one, she didn't have to wait too long for another. But lately she'd been catching the 1:00 bus from Nevski Cathedral, where there was no backup bus if she was late but also none of the scrabble and mayhem of Poduene. It was cleaner, more convenient—things that, in the eight months that she'd been out of school, had started to matter in a way that worried her. For even as she waited for that more civilized bus, she had a sense that she was already getting older, starting to set in her ways, like a tart, bacterial yogurt fermenting in a pot. "Not older," Lazar had tried to reassure her the night before when they were smoking in his room. As he lay on his side in the middle of the bed, propped on one elbow, the fluorescent light pooled in the dent in his forehead. "More mature," he said, ashing carefully into a chipped clay dish. "More cultured." But Sylvia had just found out that Lazar was leaving, and how dare he belittle her cares! "Like a yogurt," Sylvia snapped from her perch on the chair. "Exactly like a yogurt." That Lazar did not know what to make of this—she was pleased she could be so opaque. That year, Sylvia was working at a hotel in Bankya, a town outside Sofia known for its mineral baths and sanitoriums, where people could go for a rest. She had taken her degree in tourism, which she had hoped would land her a job on the Black Sea coast or, at the very least, at one of the nicer hotels in Sofia. But there were not many jobs to be found. The tourists were not so eager to come to Bulgaria. After a short search, she had accepted a position at a provincial hotel where one of her university instructors had a connection. She was one of three girls who sat behind the front desk, each working a twenty-four-hour shift, with two days in between to do as she pleased. In the summer, the streets full of people had the bustling aura of holiday, and it was easy for Sylvia to feel satisfied with how she'd done. She passed her free time trolling the market, planning the ways she would spend her next paycheck. Though her monthly pay was little more than the stipend she'd received as a student, there was something about it—the fact of having earned it, probably—that made the money feel like a great amount. She would comb the market with utmost care for high-heeled shoes, faux leather handbags and perfumed soap cakes, never making a purchase. Her biggest splurge was the occasional Zagorka at the local beer garden where the summer staff gathered in the evenings. But even that was rare because with Sylvia's pale skin and high forehead and pretty [End Page 114] spray of freckles across the bridge of her nose, there was almost always someone who wanted to buy her a beer. Back in June, when Sylvia had gone looking for a room, she'd taken the cheapest she could find. It was a plain room on the second floor of a house, with a small balcony and a bathroom across the hall, which she shared with two other boarders. The landlord and his family lived below, in a...

Organic Acids of Commercial Beers in China: A Chemometric Study

The concentration of six organic acids (acetic acid, lactic acid, pyruvic acid, malic acid, citric acid, and succinic acid) and pH were determined in 45 beer samples (23 from China and 22 from other countries) with the intention of associating the “moderate to very sour” character of Chinese local beers with particular acids. The content of acetic, lactic, and total organic acids in Chinese lagers was significantly higher, while citric acid was much lower, than that of foreign brands (P < 0.05). Using discriminant analysis, both stepwise and with all variables included, moderately strong classifications were obtained using the magnitude of the original gravity (low, medium, and high), the origin of the beer (Chinese or foreign), and the sourness intensity (slightly, moderately, and very sour) as the classification categories. These analyses supplied more information about organic acids in beer and its associated effect on the properties of lager beer.

Social Identity and Product Evaluation

Consumers choose products not only on the basis of the products' attributes but also to create and maintain a desired social identity. The preference for consuming products which allow for enhancing a social identity can be so strong that it alters consumers' perceptions of the products' attributes. We ask consumers in a blind test to rate the taste of two beer sorts, a local beer sort and a non-local sort. Consumers judge the beer that they think is their local beer sort to be better tasting than the other beer sort, independent of whether they actually sampled their local beer sort or the non-local beer sort. The local beer sort is preferred because its consumption allows for identifying with the region of origin. Consistent with this hypothesis, we find that mortality salience enhances the taste of the local beer sort and worsens the taste of the other beer sort. We conclude that local brands, like local beer sorts, can enjoy an advantage over other brands when their consumption allows for providing a region-based identity. Our findings also bear important implications for product evaluation tests.

Adoption and diffusion of natural gas in the small-scale rural industry of Bolivia

The paper portrays the complexity of energy transitions drawing on the experience of the Bolivian National Biomass Programme. The transitions from wood to natural gas systems in the rural stucco and chicha (local beer) industries of Cochabamba serve as case-studies. A broad literature review of determinants of adoption and diffusion of new technologies in development is used to design a multidisciplinary conceptual framework, which is used to identify the factors that determine the extent of success in the energy transition in the two industries. Two periods in the diffusion of natural gas technology are distinguished: the 1990s, which were characterized by relative stability, and 2000-2003, when a national and international crisis posed problems for the adoption and diffusion of natural gas systems. Using data from field-work and secondary sources, the authors analyse the diffusion trends during both periods and show the interrelation between technological aspects and societal factors specific to the local, national and international levels in determining the speed and success of the diffusion process. They conclude that policy-makers should take into account a wide variety of interrelated factors when embarking on the transition from one energy source to another. A multidisciplinary approach is recommended for the management of energy transitions.

Scavenging Pullets in Burkina Faso: Effect of Season, Location and Breed on Feed and Nutrient Intake

A study on scavenging local (n = 64) and crossbred (n = 64) pullets was undertaken in the dry and rainy seasons in two villages in Burkina Faso: Korea in the arid northern Sahelian region and Bounouna in the sub-humid south. After 4 weeks of scavenging, the birds were killed and the crop contents were subjected to physical and chemical analysis. Cereal grains, brans, green and dry forages, insects/worms and household leftovers were the main physical components. The proportion of cereal grains was higher in the rainy season, whereas the proportion of bran, peanut and sand/grit was higher in the dry season (p < 0.05). The proportion of kitchen waste and millet/milo grains was higher in local than in crossbred birds, whereas the opposite was the case for millet/milo bran (p < 0.05). Rice and local beer residues were not found in the crops of birds from Korea. Dry matter, ash, crude fibre and potassium contents were higher in the dry season (p < 0.05), while calculated metabolizable energy content was higher in the rainy season (p < 0.05). There were no location or breed effects on chemical composition parameters (p > 0.05), except that potassium content was higher in Korea. Mean live weight at slaughter was 806 +/- 22.0 g (local breed) and 881 +/- 22.0 g (crossbreds) (p < 0.05). Digestive organ weights, including contents, were higher for crossbred birds (p < 0.05). Gastrointestinal tract percentage was higher in the rainy season and in Bounouna (p < 0.05). The nutrient composition of the crop contents indicates the need for supplementation, particularly of protein, for higher levels of production.

Study of the hibiscus esculentus mucilage coagulation–flocculation activity

The flocculent activity of Hibiscus esculentus (gombo) mucilage traditionally used for a local beer (Tchapalo) clarification in Cote d\'Ivoire was studied using the method of the experimental designs. Of the three factors selected that are the volume of mucilage (X 1 ), the temperature (X 2 ) and the pH (X 3 ), sole X 1 and X 3 appeared influential. The lowering of turbidity observed is 23% approximately. The general approach suggested in this work makes it possible to approach the operating conditions. The mucilage of gombo presents a better activity in alkaline water. A relatively low volume of gombo gives better results. Moreover, the heat treatment seems to be less determining during the process of coagulation-flocculation. Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management Vol. 9(1) 2005: 173-176

Evaluation of the Effect of Germination on Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activities in Sorghum Varieties

The screening of 50 sorghum varieties showed that, on average, germination did not affect the content in total phenolic compounds but decreased the content of proanthocyanidins, 3-deoxyanthocyanidins, and flavan-4-ols. Independent of germination, there are intervarietal differences in antioxidant activities among sorghum varieties. Phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities were more positively correlated in ungerminated varieties than in germinated ones. Sorghum grains with pigmented testa layer, chestnut color glumes, and red plants had higher contents, larger diversity of phenolic compounds, and higher antioxidant activities than other sorghums. Some red sorghum varieties had higher antioxidant activities (30-80 mumol of Trolox equiv/g) than several sources of natural antioxidants from plant foods. Among varieties used for "to", "dolo", couscous, and porridge preparation, the "dolo"(local beer) varieties had the highest average content and diversity in phenolic compounds as well as the highest antioxidant activities. The biochemical markers determined are useful indicators for the selection of sorghum varieties for food and agronomic properties.

BANQUETES Y RITUALES COLECTIVOS EN EL SUROESTE PENINSULAR

El trabajo propone una interpretación diacrónica de las costumbres religiosas en el suroeste prerromano relacionadas con la iglesia masiva de bebidas y comidas dentro de contextos rituales sagrados. Así se destaca la importancia de estos banquetes colectivos, sin presencia explicíta de las imágenes divinas durante la Edad de Hierro, y con la asistencia de numerosas figuritas sagradas durante los primeros siglos de la civilización romana en el Suroeste peninsular. Junto a esta diferencia, los banquetes demuestran el abandono de una paridad entre la ingesta de comida y bebida, con el sacrificio explícito de grandes animales como acto central del rito, como ocurría en época preromana, para favorecer la bebida masiva de un ñíquido costoso, posiblemente vino, acompañado de la toma colectiva de frutos y manjares secos, acompañados de salsas, durante la denominación romana.Palabras Clave: Banquetes, santuarios, Célticos, rituales, sacrificios, favissae.SummaryIn this paper we put forward a new diachronic interpretation of religious rituals among the Celtic peoples in the Southwestern areas of the Iberian Peninsula during the Iron Age and the early centuries of Roman rule. We emphasize the outstanding importance of collective feasts close to and in shrines during the Second Iron Age. These banquets werw jheld around animal sacrifices and the subsequent ingestion of meat and a kind of local beer. Apparently, there was not a explicit presence of sacred images in these feasts in pre-Roman times. However, during the Roman perod, different favissae found in archaeological sites belonging to the Beaturia Celticorum have yielded numerous terracotta figurines of Roman goddesses besides a large number of small wine cups and big plates, probably for dried fruits and food accompanied by sauces. We consider these changes as true indicators of deep transformations in social and ideological structures among the Celtici in Roman times.Keywords: feasts, food and drinks, shrines, Celts, rutual, sacrifices, favissae

Introduction to the Special Issue on Managing Knowledge in Organizations: Creating, Retaining, and Transferring Knowledge

Interest in the issues of organizational learning and knowledge management on the part of academics and practitioners increased dramatically in recent years. On the practical side, changes in technology and modes of organizing work, globalization, and increased competition brought the issues of organizational learning and knowledge management to center stage for organizations. New developments in computing and information technology enabled the retention and transfer of information in organizations on a larger scale than was once possible. Shifts to more distributed modes of organizing work made knowledge transfer a priority for firms. The greater prevalence of the multiunit organizational form, such as a franchise or chain (Baum and Greve 2001), and the greater frequency of interorganizational relationships (Powell et al. 1996) also increased the importance of knowledge transfer for firms. Parallel to the surge in interest among practitioners, academic interest in organizational learning and knowledge management also grew considerably, as evidenced by the proliferation of books and articles recently published on the subject.1 In addition, a

Effet de la complémentation avec des aliments locaux sur les performances zootechniques et le statut nutritionnel des poulets villageois durant la fin de la saison pluvieuse au Burkina Faso

L’effet de la complémentation d’aliments locaux sur les performances des poulets villageois mâles a été étudié en fin de saison pluvieuse, de septembre à octobre. Un dispositif avec quatre traitements (T1 à T4) et quatre blocs a été utilisé. Dans le traitement T1, les coquelets ont recherché eux-mêmes leur ration quotidienne par la divagation. Dans les traitements T2, T3, et T4, les coquelets ont reçu, après la divagation, respectivement une complémentation de grains de sorgho rouge, de drêche de bière locale ou de ces deux aliments. Quatre habitations dans un village de la région centrale du Burkina Faso ont été utilisées comme blocs. Les résultats suggèrent que, durant la fin de la saison pluvieuse, la divagation a permis aux coquelets d’obtenir un gain de poids moyen quotidien de 5,9 g. L’effet de la supplémentation sur les performances n’a pas été significatif. Dans les cas de la disponibilité des aliments par divagation, la drèche de dolo ou l’association sorgho rouge/drèche de dolo ont permis des gains de poids plus importants. A la fin de l’expérience, trois à quatre coquelets par traitement et par bloc ont été sacrifiés après divagation et les contenus de leurs jabots ont été séchés au soleil et examinés physiquement. Les aliments obtenus de la divagation durant la période de fin de saison pluvieuse ont été essentiellement constitués de céréales (55 p. 100) et d’insectes ou de vers de terre (22 p. 100). L’étude donne des indications pour une stratégie d’alimentation des poulets villageois pendant la fin de la saison pluvieuse.

RETICULATED VITREOUS CARBON-BASED COMPOSITE BIENZYME ELECTRODES FOR THE DETERMINATION OF ALCOHOLS IN BEER SAMPLES

ABSTRACT The performance of a bienzyme amperometric composite biosensor for the determination of short-chain alcohols is reported. Alcohol oxidase and horseradish peroxidase together with the mediator ferrocene were incorporated into reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC)-epoxy resin electrode matrices. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the composite bienzyme electrode exhibited rapid amperometric responses at 0.00 V to the changes in the substrate concentration. The lifetime of each single biosensor was estimated to be ca. 20 days, and reproducible responses were obtained with different electrodes constructed in the same manner. Calibration plots were obtained for methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol, and 1-pentanol. The detection limits were, in general, considerably better than those found in the literature with other AOD amperometric biosensors. The bienzyme composite electrode showed a good performance also in flow-injection systems with amperometric detection. The suitability of the bioelectrode for a simple, rapid, and selective determination of ethanol in a local beer, with a minimal sample preparation, is demonstrated.

Comparison of content in phenolic compounds, polyphenol oxidase, and peroxidase in grains of fifty sorghum varieties from burkina faso.

Analysis of fifty sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] varieties used in Burkina Faso showed that they have different contents of phenolic compounds, peroxidase (POX), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO). Most of the varieties (82%) had a tannin content less than 0.25% (w/w). POX specific activity was higher than the monophenolase and o-diphenolase specific activities of PPO. For POX, there was a diversity of isoforms among varieties. No clear correlation could be made between the quantitative composition of the grain in phenolics, PPO, and POX, and resistance of plant to pathogens. In general, varieties good for a thick porridge preparation ("tô") had low phenolic compounds content and a medium POX activity. From the red varieties, those used for local beer ("dolo") had a high content in phenolic compounds and PPO, and a low POX activity. The variety considered good for couscous had a low POX content. The characteristics might be useful as selection markers for breeding for specific applications.

Spectrum of commercial sex activity in Burkina Faso: classification model and risk of exposure to HIV.

Before designing a sexually transmitted infection (STI)/HIV intervention study targeting female commercial sex workers in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, we conducted a socioanthropologic survey to analyze the prostitution network in the city in 1998. According to social characteristics, women were classified in six different categories, including four groups of nonprofessional sex workers. The aim of the current study is to assess HIV exposure across this classification model. A total of 447 women belonging to the six categories were enrolled in the study. After collection of social and behavioral data by means of a questionnaire, each woman received a physical examination and a blood sample was taken for HIV serologic testing. The category of "seaters" was the most often infected, with an HIV prevalence of 57% (58 of 101 women). Nonprofessional "sellers" and "bar waitresses" were more often infected than professional "roamers," with an HIV prevalence of 37% (24 of 65 women), 40% (27 of 67 women), and 29% (27 of 92 women), respectively, despite a much lower number of clients per week (average of 2.6 clients, 3.3 clients, and 18.6 clients, respectively). Finally, "students" and "cabarets" (women making and selling local beer in huts) were infected with an HIV prevalence of 15% (9 of 62 women and 9 of 60 women, respectively), which remains higher than the prevalence measured recently in the general female population in the city (6.4%). Our results highlight the high level of vulnerability of nonprofessional sex workers, who need to be considered in the design of any program targeting this population for STI/HIV control purposes.

Spectrum of Commercial Sex Activity in Burkina Faso: Classification Model and Risk of Exposure to HIV

Objective: Before designing a sexually transmitted infection (STI)/HIV intervention study targeting female commercial sex workers in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, we conducted a socioanthropologic survey to analyze the prostitution network in the city in 1998. According to social characteristics, women were classified in six different categories, including four groups of nonprofessional sex workers. The aim of the current study is to assess HIV exposure across this classification model. Methods: A total of 447 women belonging to the six categories were enrolled in the study. After collection of social and behavioral data by means of a questionnaire, each woman received a physical examination and a blood sample was taken for HIV serologic testing. Results: The category of “seaters” was the most often infected, with an HIV prevalence of 57% (58 of 101 women). Nonprofessional “sellers” and “bar waitresses” were more often infected than professional “roamers,” with an HIV prevalence of 37% (24 of 65 women), 40% (27 of 67 women), and 29% (27 of 92 women), respectively, despite a much lower number of clients per week (average of 2.6 clients, 3.3 clients, and 18.6 clients, respectively). Finally, “students” and “cabarets” (women making and selling local beer in huts) were infected with an HIV prevalence of 15% (9 of 62 women and 9 of 60 women, respectively), which remains higher than the prevalence measured recently in the general female population in the city (6.4%). Conclusion: Our results highlight the high level of vulnerability of nonprofessional sex workers, who need to be considered in the design of any program targeting this population for STI/HIV control purposes.