Poor Sanitary Conditions Research Articles

Disseminated Cysticercosis

Cysticercosis is a potentially eradicable disease transmitted via the orofaecal route and prevalent in areas with poor sanitation.It is rare in developed countries but may occur in association with migration and travel from endemic areas.

Risk Factors of Anthroponotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Among Residents in Endemic Communities in Southeast of Iran in 2019

Introduction: In this study, we aimed to identify the risk factors associated with the incidence of A.C.L in three endemic areas of Kerman City. Moreover, the residents’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards A.C.L were assessed. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 195 residents of three endemic areas in Kerman City involved by A.C.L disease from January to March 2019. The risk factors for A.C.L were recorded using a checklist. Structured questionnaire was administered for data collection. Data were analyzed by ANOVA, correlation analysis, and linear regression via SPSS version 22. Results: The main risk factors for A.C.L identified in the study areas included construction waste, presence of old and dilapidated houses, poor sanitary conditions, refugee and immigration, as well as the presence of domestic animals in close physical proximity to humans. The response rate of this questionnaire was 100 %. Among the respondents, 41.5 % were males and 58.5 % were females. Majority of the respondents (61%) claimed that they had heard about A.C.L and were familiar with this infectious disease. Only 25%, 66.7%, and 32% of the respondents had good knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards A.C.L, respectively. No significant association was found between the participants’ gender and their levels of knowledge (P = 0.827), attitudes (P = 0.446), and practices (P = 0.603). Conclusions: The residents of endemic areas had a weak level of knowledge towards A.C.L. So, educational programs should be implemented in order to improve the residents’ knowledge in Kerman City.

Effects of a combined water and sanitation intervention on biomarkers of child environmental enteric dysfunction and associations with height-for-age z-score: A matched cohort study in rural Odisha, India

Poor water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) conditions are hypothesized to contribute to environmental enteric dysfunction (EED), a subclinical condition that may be associated with chronic undernutrition and impaired linear growth. We evaluated the effect of a combined water and sanitation intervention on biomarkers of EED, and then assessed associations of biomarkers of EED with height-for-age z-scores (HAZ), in children under five. We conducted a sub-study within a matched cohort study of a household-level water and sanitation infrastructure intervention in rural Odisha, India, in which we had observed an effect of the intervention on HAZ. We collected stool samples (N = 471) and anthropometry data (N = 209) for children under age 5. We analyzed stool samples for three biomarkers of EED: myeloperoxidase (MPO), neopterin (NEO), and α1-anti-trypsin (AAT). We used linear mixed models to estimate associations between the intervention and each biomarker of EED and between each biomarker and HAZ. The intervention was inversely associated with AAT (-0.25 log μg/ml, p = 0.025), suggesting a protective effect on EED, but was not associated with MPO or NEO. We observed an inverse association between MPO and HAZ (-0.031 per 1000 ng/ml MPO, p = 0.0090) but no association between either NEO or AAT and HAZ. Our results contribute evidence that a transformative WaSH infrastructure intervention may reduce intestinal permeability, but not intestinal inflammation and immune activation, in young children. Our study also adds to observational evidence of associations between intestinal inflammation and nutritional status, as measured by HAZ, in young children.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02441699).

A “new normality” for small-scale artisanal Fishers? The case of unregulated fisheries during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Bahía Blanca estuary (SW Atlantic Ocean)

The current COVID-19 pandemic is causing health and economic crises worldwide, but consequences are worse for those emerging countries with poor sanitary conditions struggling against economic recessions. Small-scale artisanal fishers (SSAF) should be considered among the “essential workers” since they provide food services; however, the COVID-19 might have altered the normal livelihood and reduced people economic incomes in an already marginalized sector. This situation highlights the fishers' vulnerability, derived from changes in fish stocks caused by climate change, pollution, overharvesting, and informal work (illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing). Therefore, the so-called “new normality” raises big questions about the management of coastal areas and fisheries in developing countries. As a study case, we proposed exploring SSAF from an Argentinian estuary, the Bahía Blanca estuary (SW Atlantic Ocean). Most of them are unregulated after a reconversion program carried out by the local government in 2012. After reviewing the current COVID-19 legislation for coastal fisheries and having virtual encounters with SSAF, we observed they are struggling against the economic crisis caused by the pandemic. According to our observations, imperative measures must be taken to prevent fisheries collapse in the area. In this work, we present a reference point for the post-pandemic management of fisheries that could be considered for emerging public policies.

Assessment of Bacteria and Parasite Contamination of Dried Sliced Beef (Kilishi) Sold within Birnin Kebbi Metropolis, Kebbi State, Northern Nigeria

Kilishi is a version of jerky that originated in Hausa land Nigeria. It is made from deboned cow, sheep or goat meat. The dried sliced beef (kilishi) is often left open in a basin thereby exposing it to flies, dust and other effects of the environment by so doing the product can be contaminated. This study was carried out to investigate the bacteria and parasite contaminants of dried slice beef (kilishi) sold in different locations within Birnin Kebbi metropolis. The samples were analyzed using pour plate method. The bacterial species were characterized and identified on the basis of their colonial morphology; gram’s staining reaction and biochemical characteristics. The protozoans and helminthes cyst/eggs morphology were identified using microscopy techniques. The total bacteria plate count for each sample ranges from the highest (8x109) to the lowest (3.5x103) CFU/g from Birnin Kebbi Kalgo, Jega and Aliero samples respectively. The organisms isolated include; Staphylococcus aureus (35.2%), Escherichia coli showed 30(21.1%) percentage of occurrence, Bacillus species occurred 17(12%) Klebsiella spp 16(11.3%), Pseudomonas spp 13(9.2%), Shigella spp 10(7.04%) and the least was P. vulgaris 6(4.2%). The kilishi meat product was also contaminated with some Protozoans and helminthes contaminants which include; Acaris lumbricoides (14.2%), Entamoeba histolytica (35%), Girdia lambila (42.8%), and Taenia spp. (7.1%). It was concluded that the high bacteria count and frequency of isolates from the kilishi samples tested is an indication of high contamination of the meat by potential pathogens due to poor handling and sanitary conditions which may pose a potential source of food borne diseases.

Covid-19 Fatality Rate in Third World Countries: A Review of Environmental Challenges and Impacts on Public Health and Human Security

The novel coronavirus is far from being over; with the case-fatality rate (CFR) hitting more than 16,500 globally as of July, there is a worry that despite the fact that the global CFR curve is showing signs of flattening, the environmental peculiarities of the third world countries may be abetting global efforts towards containing the virus. Therefore, this review x-rayed these peculiarities in the light of their current concern in public health as per their contribution to the persistent surge in CFR in most developing nations. Given that the virus is transmitted via droplets, the review focused on how the state of public and environmental challenges such as air as well as water pollution and personal hygiene could be abetting the surge in coronavirus infections and morbidity. The review revealed, among other things, that challenges associated with poor sanitary conditions, lack of potable water, unventilated environments, air pollution, and poor inter-personal hygiene are devastating challenges in the fight against the pandemic. The implication is that since these conditions are systematic in nature, it may take more than average effort and public sacrifice to checkmate the case-fatality rate of the virus in the third world. Therefore, call for studies is necessary to establish empiricism for CFR patterns and ratio across areas in deplorable environmental and sanitary conditions.

Serologic evidence of the circulation of the hepatitis E virus and the prevalence of antibodies against hepatitis A in an indigenous population in northern Argentina

In 2005 a universal vaccination program against hepatitis A was introduced in Argentina. Nevertheless, there are still some unvaccinated marginal population groups. There are no data about the seroprevalence of hepatitis E in the northern region of Argentina mainly because of lack of awareness of this emergent pathogen. We aimed to determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis A, and hepatitis E in an indigenous population in northern Argentina. One hundred and twenty six (126) donor serum samples collected near San Salvador de Jujuy were analyzed for anti-HAV IgG and HEV IgG and IgM, alkaline phosphatase and transaminase values. Volunteers were interviewed about their living conditions, animal farming, consumption of tap water or river water, and level of education. Seroprevalence of specific anti-HAV antibodies was high (80.2%, 95% confidence interval, 72.1–86.7%) in children under 5 years of age, indicating early infection in life. Seroprevalence of anti-HEV antibodies was 5.6% (95% CI: 2.3–11.2%), being slightly higher than the values found in healthy patients from other regions of the country. Although we could not characterize the genotype of the circulating HEV strain, the clear epidemiological difference between seroprevalence of HAV and HEV in a community with poor sanitary conditions suggest that the circulating HEV strains spread through a different transmission route than HAV. Furthermore a significant correlation between anti-HEV IgG and swine farming was found (p<0.05), which supports a zoonotic transmission path. We reassessed the epidemiological pattern of HAV infection and reported evidence of HEV infection for the first-time in a community belonging to the Guarani ethnic group, highlighting the need to include hepatitis E testing in routine diagnostics in the region.

ANALISIS SOSIAL, EKONOMI DAN BUDAYA DALAM PENGELOLAAN SANITASI MASYARAKAT PERMUKIMAN PESISIR KOTA KENDARI

Most of the coastal areas in Kendari City have developed into settlements that having poor sanitation conditions, practicing of open defecation free, using construction of latrines without the appropriateness of health standards, and some sanitation facilities built by Government is not functioning properly. This study wants to analyze the social, economic, and cultural aspects that affect the management of sanitation for coastal communities in Kendari City, consist of a description of community behavior, the level of knowledge, awareness, and participation of residents in sanitation, and the willingness and capacity to pay management fees for sanitation facilities in coastal settlements in Kendari City. The methodology of this research was a type of quantitative research with a survey method. The technique of collecting data was Simple Random Sampling. Based on the Slovin formula with a confidence level of 90% with a sample size of 218 households. The research location is in 9 sub-districts which are directly adjacent to the coast of Kendari City. This research shows that social, economic, and cultural aspects such as education level, occupation, income, community knowledge affect sanitation management in coastal.

A survey for potentially zoonotic parasites in backyard pigs in the Bucaramanga metropolitan area, Northeast Colombia.

Background and Aim:Backyard pigs farming is a rearing system associated with poor hygienic and sanitary conditions of the pig, often causing public health and food safety problems. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the occurrence of potentially zoonotic parasites in population pig reared under backyard farming in the Bucaramanga metropolitan area, Northeast Colombia.Materials and Methods:From September to December 2019, a total of 558 fecal samples from 64 backyard pig farms were examined for the presence of enteric protozoan infection. The coprological diagnosis was done by direct examination using Lugol’s iodine solution, buffered saline solution, and Kinyoun technique. In addition, blood samples were collected from 200 pigs. Serum was collected and used for the detection of Trichinella spiralis and Taenia solium cysticercosis infections, using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results:The overall prevalence of zoonotic protozoa in the Bucaramanga metropolitan area was 65.2%, reporting 52.7% prevalence for Balantidium coli, 33.7% for Entamoeba coli, and 5.7% for Cryptosporidium spp. Regarding the prevalence by municipalities, there was no statistical association (p>0.05), indicating that the prevalence was similar in the region under study. Pigs >7 months of age showed to be a risk factor for B. coli infection, indicating that the prevalence increases with the age, while pigs raised at >1000 masl and access to latrines, increased infection risk for E. coli and Cryptosporidium spp. infections. In the present study, T. spiralis infection was not detected in the analyzed sera, while T. solium cysticercosis infection was found to be 40.5%.Conclusion:The high prevalence of protozoan infections and porcine cysticercosis reported in this study could be due to poor facilities, and lack of hygiene in the facilities, and suggests the possible transmission of these parasite populations between pigs and humans, thus increasing the transmission of parasites zoonotic potential. Therefore, appropriate sanitary management practices and deworming programs should be adopted to reduce the prevalence of these infectious agents.

SCHOOL STUDENTS HEALTH PROBLEMS IN LIFE SPAN : A PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDY

There are many diseases or health issues that commonly occur among Indians like Infectious, contagious and waterborne diseases such as typhoid, infectious hepatitis, diarrhea, worm infestations, measles, whooping cough, respiratory infections, malaria, tuberculosis, pneumonia etc. India is a country which is quite infamous for its sanitation and cleanliness. The chaotic waste management system and urban planning is responsible for the overowing gutters and scattered waste. School students has to suffer a lot because of this mismanagement. To add to the poor sanitary conditions, the population load is increasing each day. This has resulted in slums and poverty. The poor and unhealthy living is the primary cause for many health disorders (Mehta, 2014). The goals of the School Students Health problems continue to focus on disease prevention and health promotion, but have areas of expanded focus. First, the goals emphasize quality of life, wellbeing, and functional capacity—all important wellness considerations. Consistent with national health goals for the new millennium, this book is designed to aid all school students adopting healthy lifestyles that will allow them to achieve lifetime health, tness and wellness. This emphasis is based on the World Health Organization statement that “It is counterproductive to evaluate development of programs without considering their impact on the quality of life of the community. School Students can no longer maintain strict, articial divisions between physical and mental well-being (World Health Organization, 1995).” Second, the new national health goals take the “bold step” of trying to “eliminate” health disparities as opposed to reducing them as outlined in Healthy School Students.

Factors Associated with the Incidence of Diarrhea in the Regional Technical Implementation Unit (UPTD) of the Community Health Center

In general, the problem of diarrhea disease is one of the environmental-based diseases which is still the biggest health problem in Indonesia due to poor basic sanitation conditions, the physical environment and the low behavior of the community to live clean and healthy, and there are still many factors that cause the emergence of diarrhea disease. This research method is descriptive analytic with cross sectional design with a research sample of 112 people. Data analysis used univariate analysis and bivariate analysis with Chi square statistical tests. The results of this study indicate the relationship between predisposing factors such as education with a value of p = 0.000 (p &lt;0.05), work with a value of p = 0.013 (p &lt;0.05), income with a value of p = 0.024 (p &lt;0.05) and knowledge with a value p = 0.13 (p&gt; 0.05) and attitude p = 0.47 (p&gt; 0.05). The conclusion in this research is that there is a relationship such as education, work and income, there is no relationship between knowledge and attitude with the incidence of diarrhea. It is recommended that mothers under five should always adopt clean and healthy living habits and provide nutritious food to avoid infectious diseases, especially diarrhea

The problem of desertation in the army of the Habsburg Empire: from the reign of Maria Theresa of the first decades of the nineteenth century

The article analyses the problem of desertion in the army of the Habsburg Empire and in the regiments recruited from Transylvania in the eighteenth century, a century considered by the historiography of the last decades as the classic ‘era of deserters.’ The causes of desertion are varied and they concern mainly the mode of recruitment specific to those times, when most men did not freely choose to become soldiers. Discipline based on harsh physical punishment, the strenuous efforts to which soldiers were subjected, especially during campaigns, the very poor hygiene and sanitary conditions, alcoholism and mental illnesses (melancholia, Heimweh) and, last but not least, the desire for adventure influenced this phenomenon. There were young men who defected without any qualms of conscience, going from one regiment to another or even from another army to another. In theory, defection was punishable by death, but in practice there was a wide variety of mitigating circumstances in the application of punishments, and the number of those executed was very small in relation to the number of defectors

THE PREVALENCE OF GASTROINTESTINAL PARASITES AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN KAGARKO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to of investigate the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites among school children in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State.&#x0D; Methodology: Random sampling was adopted in selecting a sample of five schools with a population of 235 pupils was used for the study. The instrument for the study was the questionnaire used to elicit in information on the risk factors. Also 50 pupils were randomly selected, 10 each from the five selected schools for the stool investigations. The saline/iodine wet mouth procedure was used in the analysis of the stool samples.&#x0D; Findings: Results showed that poor sanitary conditions, inadequate potable water supply, lack of personal hygiene education and lack of de-worming of children enhanced the spread of intestinal parasitic infection. An overall prevalence of 66% was recorded. A total of 6 species of intestinal parasites were recorded in this study. This includes Hookworm, Entamoeba histolytica, Ascaris lumbricoides, Strongyloides stercoralis, Schistosoma mansoni, and Entamoeba coli respective prevalence rates of 33.3%, 24.2%, 18.2%, 12.1%, 9.1% and 3.0%. The highest prevalence of 27.3% was recorded in Kutaho, followed by Kushe and Jere with 21.2% each while the least prevalence of 12.1% as recorded in Kagarko. The 11-13 years age group had the highest prevalence of (45.5%), followed by the 8-10 years age group (36.4%), and then the 14 years and above with the least (6.1%). Sex-specific prevalence was higher in males (57.6%) than females (42.4%).&#x0D; Recommendations: The results suggests that Children should be taught on regular personal hygiene. There is also need for Public Health Education on personal hygiene practices in the communities, large scale de-worming campaigns in all primary schools in the area and the host communities.

Temporal and spatial trend analysis of surface water quality in the Doce River basin, Minas Gerais, Brazil

In Brazil, specifically in the Doce River basin, there is still a great lack of studies on temporal and spatial trends in water quality, since the water quality in the monitoring campaigns is basically evaluated when it comes down to the concentrations of monitored variables. In this sense, the objective of this work was to perform a temporal and spatial trend analysis of water quality data in the Minas Gerais portion of the Doce River basin, Brazil. For this, the Mann–Kendall, seasonal Mann–Kendall and Spearman correlation tests were used in the temporal analysis and the cluster analysis in the spatial analysis. In the analysis of temporal trends, the analyses were performed using the values of the National Sanitation Foundation Water Quality Index (NSFWQI) and the variables that compose it. In the analysis of spatial trends, the stations were evaluated only based on the WQI. With the results of the analysis of temporal trend, it was identified that most stations did not present a statistically significant trend for the WQI. In the stations that presented trends of quality reduction, most of them are in densely populated areas, demonstrating the strong influence of the poor sanitary conditions of the municipalities to the water quality of the basin. When analyzing the variables that compose the WQI, the results found for nitrate demonstrated that water quality deterioration is also affected by the diffuse pollution originating from farming areas. The results for Escherichia coli reinforced the impact of the discharge of domestic effluents and demonstrated the absence of a significative trend is still of concern because it can represent the maintenance of a degradation state in the water bodies. In the spatial trend analysis, the CA grouped the monitoring stations into six clusters based on their similarity among the WQI values, and, together with the results of the other analyses, it was verified that the Caratinga River basin (UGRH5 Caratinga) presented the highest degree of pollution. It was also possible to identify five stations that can be reallocated or deactivated since they have similarities with other stations located in the same watercourse.

Fiber fractions and the corresponding exogenous enzyme can improve the growth performance of weaning piglets under poor sanitary conditions

Fiber fractions and the corresponding exogenous enzyme can improve the growth performance of weaning piglets under poor sanitary conditions

Growth and gut performance of young pigs in response to different dietary cellulose concentration and rearing condition.

ObjectiveThis experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of insoluble cellulose supplementation to diets on the growth performance, intestinal morphology, the incidence of diarrhea, nutrients digestibility, and inflammatory responses in altering environmental conditions of animals housing.MethodsA total of 108 male pigs (Duroc×[Yorkshire×Landrace]) were randomly allocated to one of three dietary treatments (cellulose 0%, 1%, 2%) and two environmental conditions (good sanitary condition vs. poor sanitary condition) to give 6 replicate pens per treatment with three pigs per each pen at 14 days post-weaning.ResultsPigs were in good sanitary condition had higher average daily gain (p<0.01) and improved feed efficiency (p<0.05) from day 1 to 14 after weaning compared to their counterparts. The interactions were found between environmental conditions and dietary treatments (day 7: crypt depth [p<0.01], villous height to crypt depth [p<0.001]; day 14: crypt depth [p<0.001], villous to crypt ratio [p<0.01]) in ileum morphology. Crypt depth was decreased (p<0.05), and villous to crypt ratio was increased (p<0.05) only in poor sanitary conditions. Pigs exposed to the good sanitary condition had higher (p<0.05) apparent ileal digestibility (day 7, gross energy; day 14, dry matter), apparent total tract digestibility (day 14, dry matter and crude protein) compared to pigs housed in the poor sanitary condition. Meanwhile, pigs fed a diet supplemented with 2% cellulose had decreased (p<0.05) apparent ileal digestibility (day 7, dry matter; day 14, crude protein), apparent total tract digestibility (day 7, dry matter; day 14, crude protein, gross energy) compared to pigs fed a diet supplemented with 0% or 1% cellulose.ConclusionOur results indicated that a diet supplemented with 1% cellulose increased villous to crypt ratio, however feeding a diet containing cellulose (1% or 2%) impaired nutrient digestibility for 14 day after weaning in both good sanitary and poor sanitary conditions.

The Role of Water, Sanitation, Hygiene, and Gender Norms on Women's Health: A Conceptual Framework

While the health impact of poor water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) conditions on children have been well documented, there has been less focus paid to its adverse impact on women's well-being and health. In this article, I highlight the health burden of water and sanitation insecurities for women by proposing a conceptual framework for understanding WASH-related diseases from a gender perspective, focused primarily on resource poor countries. The framework draws on feminist perspectives to examine how WASH insecure communities constrain women's functionings and capabilities. I identify eight different social–cultural pathways that fall into two synthetic constructs—gendered relations in the household and gendered presentation of the body—because they illustrate how social and cultural norms may burden women and put them at risk of exposure to a variety of WASH-related diseases. I use the critical interpretive synthesis methodology and draw on research from the fields of epidemiology, medicine, and social sciences to develop this conceptual framework that connects WASH-related diseases to gender norms that oppress women. The gender perspective proposed here has important implications for women living under poor water and sanitation conditions and for the WASH sector more broadly. It suggests providing women with direct financial assistance to purchase sanitary material, collecting sex-disaggregated data on sanitation access and on the health impact of gendered WASH-related tasks to improve women's health and quality of life.

Risk Factors Contributing to Microbiological Contamination of Boreholes and Hand Dug Wells Water in the Vina Division, Adamawa, Cameroon

This study examined the sanitary conditions of public boreholes and hand dug wells water in relation to pathogenic bacteria isolated in water samples. To assess the suitability of drinking water, sanitary inspection of surroundings of the sources was conducted, membrane filtration technic was used to trap the microorganisms in the water sample and other standard microbiological technics were applied to check the heterotrophic plate counts, total coliforms, fecal coliforms and some pathogenic bacteria in the samples. It was observed that there were no delineated protection zones around many boreholes (61.19%) and in almost all hand dug wells; thus, hand dug wells were pruned to more contamination than boreholes. Heterotrophic plate counts of boreholes were significantly different between (p E. coli 157H in some. Risk assessment of factors contributing to water contamination showed that: pumps manipulation with feet, other sources of contamination such as wastewater dumps, within 10m were significantly associated to boreholes contamination with Salmonella spp, Staphylococcus aureuse, fecal coliform (p = 0.01); in hand dug wells, presence of latrine or septic tank soak-away within 10 m of the wells, poor depth and lack of internal lining, uncapped wells, presence of trees near the wells, animal and birds feces, were significant and associated to contamination with Salmonela spp., B. cepaceae, S. aureus E. coli 1 (p < 0.05). Generally water collection points are marked with very poor sanitary conditions and this situation may not change unless the contaminating risk factors are fixed and sanitary measures are taken.

A cross-sectional study of health-related issues in relation to housing environment in a rural area of Amritsar, Punjab

Background: The place where a person lives has a deep impact on his/her health status. The World Health Organization has highlighted the need to create healthy housing and neighborhood. Aims and Objectives: This study was conducted to explore the correlation between home environment and health as very few studies have been conducted in this field. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted in the rural field practice of Government Medical College. As 10% of the houses were planned to be studied for the physical environment, so every 10th house was visited with a total of 117 houses for assessing the environmental factors and health problems in the households. Results: While open defecation was in practice in 19.6% of the houses, waste collection points nearby in 68.4% of the houses, and house flies around 82.1% of the houses, cases of diarrhea and typhoid were reported by 5.1% and 3.4% of the houses, respectively. The presence of mosquitoes in 82.1% of the houses and poor drainage system in 12.8% of the houses resulted in malaria and dengue in 5.9% and 1.7% of the houses, respectively. Occurrence of dog bite cases in 7.7% of the houses had been due to presence of stray dogs around 87.1% of the houses. Conclusion: Poor sanitary conditions near the house contribute to health issues such as diarrhea, typhoid fever, worm infestations, acute respiratory infections, and others.

Zadżumione miasto. Sztokholm wobec zarazy w latach 1710–1711

Plague city. Stockholm and the plague of 1710 The epidemic of plague in Stockholm between 1710 and 1711 was part of a great pandemic that devastated Eastern, Central, and Northern Europe in the first decade of the century and, at the same time, was the greatest demographic catastrophe in the history of the Swedish capital, as a result of which around 40% of the city’s population died. The first cases of plague appeared at the start of 1710; the peak of infections and deaths was in the autumn (October and November); in winter, the disease lessened and the last cases occurred in February 1711. It is estimated that the number of deaths reached 22,000. The suburbs and the poorest districts suffered most. Scarcity and famine, which struck Sweden at the end of the first decade of the XVIIIth century, fostered the rapid spread of the disease in the city and the high rate of mortality. The plague was also fostered by the effects of the war conducted by Charles XII and, particularly, the defeats suffered by the Swedish army and the seizure of the Baltic provinces by Peter the Great, which led to migrations from already plague-infected regions and worsened the already poor sanitary conditions in the city. Refugees from Estonia probably brought the plague to Stockholm. The Swedish authorities undertook measures against any epidemic as early as 1708 after receiving information about the spread of plague on the northern shores of the Baltic. These were limited to monitoring the movement of population. In 1709, quarantine was introduced for arrivals. After the first cases of plague in Stockholm regulations concerning people’s movements were made more strict, epidemic services were set up, and sanitary and public order directives were issued. Announcement of the plague was delayed until mid-September, when the number of deaths rose hugely, and it was obvious that the authorities were not in a position to control the spread of the epidemic. The city was closed, an ordinance against plague was issued regulating especially issues connected with health certificates, travel restrictions, maintaining cleanliness in houses and on the streets, compulsory registration and isolation of the sick, organization of interments, and the use of disinfectants and medicines. The reaction of the Stockholm authorities to the appearance of plague in the city reflected the actions of other Baltic cities struggling with plague at the same time.