Stann Creek District Research Articles

Women's Perceived HIV Stigma and Testing in Stann Creek District, Belize: A Population-Representing, Mixed-Methods Study.

Stigma affects adversely the HIV prevention continuum and care cascade. Our population-based, mixed-methods study aimed to assess women's perceived HIV stigma and discriminatory attitudes, and their relation with HIV testing in a high-prevalence area in Belize. This population-representing household survey in the mixed urban-rural setting of Stann Creek District, Belize, collected data from 236 women age 15 to 49 years. We analyzed HIV testing rates, HIV prevention and transmission knowledge, perceived stigma manifestations, and participant attitudes. Concurrently, a nested qualitative component of study cognitive interviews with a purposive sample of 23 women explored HIV stigma in their community. A vast majority of women (96%) perceived HIV stigma manifestations in their communities as pervasive and a deterrent to people from testing. Discriminatory attitudes (16% believe children with HIV should not attend school) and HIV misconceptions (53% fear acquiring HIV through saliva) tended to be more common in nonurban areas and among women with less formal education. Stigma persisted even with high HIV testing rates among women. Qualitative findings triangulated survey results and, taken together, suggest that prejudices held against people with HIV led to avoidance of HIV preventive measures such as testing and status disclosure, fueled by a strong distrust of the medical care system regarding confidentiality of HIV test results. Misconceptions about HIV and stigmatizing attitudes remain pervasive among women in Stann Creek, Belize. Health literacy, stigma interventions, and expansion of routine confidential testing to include men are needed to address the HIV and stigma syndemic in Belize.

Belize, Stann Creek District, Caribbean Sea Coast

Belize, Stann Creek District, Caribbean Sea Coast

Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) and Associated Pathoge Collected From Domestic Animals and Vegetation in Stann Creek District, Southeastern Belize, Central America.

Data on the prevalence and distribution of ticks and tick-borne diseases in Belize are lacking. Ticks (n = 564) collected from dogs, horses, and vegetation in two villages in Stann Creek District in southeastern Belize in 2018, were molecularly identified and screened for tick-borne nonviral human pathogens. The identity of 417 ticks was molecularly confirmed by DNA barcoding as Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille) (66.43%), Amblyomma ovale Koch (15.59%), Dermacentor nitens Neumann (11.51%), Amblyomma sp. ADB0528 (3.6%), and the remainder being small records (2.87%) of Amblyomma coelebs Neumann, Amblyomma imitator Kohls, Amblyomma tapirellum Dunn, Amblyomma auricularium Conil, and Amblyomma maculatum Koch. Individual tick extracts were screened for the presence of Rickettsia spp., Babesia spp., Babesia microti, Borrelia spp., Ehrlichia spp., and Anaplasma spp. using available conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic Rainforest was identified in five specimens of A. ovale, and one other unidentified tick, all collected from dogs. Another unidentified tick—also collected from a dog—tested positive for an undefined but previously detected Ehrlichia sp. With the exception of D. nitens, all eight other tick species identified in this study were collected on dogs, suggesting that dogs could be usefully employed as sentinel animals for tick surveillance in Belize.

Water Quality Sampling in Billy Barquedier National Park and Surrounding Areas, Belize, C.A.

Looking at the physical, microbial, and chemical makeup of water samples gives a good indication of the drinking quality, which is important as it’s a vital human need. Testing water from Billy Barquedier National Park and the Valley community in the Stann Creek District, Belize, CA. is important to tell whether contamination is taking place from the water source or in the pipe systems. Testing involved taking samples as well as testing in the field with the Pro DSS water quality meter. Lab testing used a colorimeter and autoclave to test the microbial and chemical makeup. It’s important to look to at the connection between the chemical and physical components compared to the microbial components to see connections between harmful bacteria such as Escherichia coli and fecal coliforms.

Human Landscape Modification in Placencia, Stann Creek District, Belize: Possible Implications for Crocodile Hybridization

Human Landscape Modification in Placencia, Stann Creek District, Belize: Possible Implications for Crocodile Hybridization

Human Landscape Modification in Placencia, Stann Creek District, Belize: Possible Implications for Crocodile Hybridization

Human Landscape Modification in Placencia, Stann Creek District, Belize: Possible Implications for Crocodile Hybridization

Herpetofaunal assemblages of a lowland broadleaf forest, an overgrown orchard forest and a lime orchard in Stann Creek, Belize.

Understanding and monitoring ecological impacts of the expanding agricultural industry in Belize is an important step in conservation action. To compare possible alterations in herpetofaunal communities due to these anthropogenic changes, trapping arrays were set in a manicured orchard, a reclaimed orchard and a lowland broadleaf forest in Stann Creek district at Toucan Ridge Ecology and Education Society (TREES). Trapping efforts were carried out during the rainy season, from June to September, 2016, during which time the study site was hit by a category one hurricane between sampling sessions. Trapping yielded 197 individual herpetofauna and 40 different species overall; 108 reptile captures (30 species) and 88 amphibian captures (ten species). Reptiles and amphibians were more abundant in the lowland broadleaf forest and the manicured orchard area. Amphibian species diversity was relatively similar in each habitat type. Reptile captures were most diverse in the Overgrown Orchard Forest (OGF) and Overgrown Orchard Riparian Forest (OGR) and least diverse in the Lowland Broadleaf Forest (LBF). The findings of this study suggest that reptile and amphibian sensitivity to anthropogenically altered areas is minimal when enveloped by natural habitat buffers, and additionally, that extreme weather events have little impact on herpetofauna communities in the area.

A Floristic Description of a Neotropical Coastal Savanna in Belize1

Abstract. The diverse graminoid-dominated savannas of Central America remain poorly described. The flora and environment of a hyperseasonal coastal savanna near Sapodilla Lagoon, Stann Creek District, Belize were examined. Percent cover and frequency using plots and line transects were used to assess the community structure. We used non-metric multidimensional scaling and correlation to describe communitylevel variation and its environmental correlates. The flora consisted of 193 angiosperms, 2 gymnosperms, and 6 pteridophytes, and was dominated by graminoids. Species with the highest importance values were Mesosetum filifolium, Paspalum pulchellum, Rhynchospora plumosa, and Rhynchospora barbata. Woody species were scattered in dense clusters throughout the savanna, and were divided into a tall tree layer, dominated by Pinus caribaea, and a tree-palm-shrub layer, dominated by Acoelorraphe wrightii and Byrsonima crassifolia. Several large Acoelorraphe wrightii-dominated vernal pools were scattered about th...

First report of frosty pod rot (moniliasis disease) caused by Moniliophthora roreri on cacao in Belize

Moniliophthora roreri causes frosty pod rot (FPR), a highly destructive cacao disease, currently found in 11 countries in South and Central America (Aime & Phillips-Mora, 2005). In Belize, the disease was first detected during a field visit to a small farm in the village of Maya Mopan, Stann Creek District in September 2004.

Spatial correlations of mapped malaria rates with environmental factors in Belize, Central America

BackgroundThe purposes of this study were to map overall malaria incidence rates from 1989 through 1999 for villages in Belize; to assess the seasonal distribution of malaria incidence by region; and to correlate malaria incidence rates with vegetation cover and rivers in villages, using geographic information system technology.Malaria information on 156 villages was obtained from an electronic database maintained by the Belize National Malaria Control Program. Average annual malaria incidence rates per 1000 population over 10 years were calculated for villages using the 1991 population census as a denominator. Malaria incidence rates were integrated with vegetation cover from a 1995 vegetation map, and with river data from a digital data set.ResultsMapping malaria incidence over the 10-year period in the study villages indicated the existence of a spatial pattern: the southern and western areas of Belize had consistently higher rates of malaria than northern areas. Examination of the seasonal distribution of malaria incidence by month over 10 years indicated that a statistically significant difference existed among districts and among months (p < 0.05). Spatial analysis of malaria incidence rates and of vegetation in Belize showed villages with high malaria rates having more broadleaf hill forests, agricultural land, and wetland vegetation types (i.e. SWF-seasonally waterlogged fire-induced shrubland of the plains). Statistical and spatial analyses of malaria incidence and of river distributions in Belize determined the high 10 percentile malaria incidence villages in western and southern Belize to have more rivers within two kilometers of the center of a village and a statistically significant correlation between proximity to rivers and villages (Spearman's γ = -0.23; p < 0.05), especially in Stann Creek District (Spearman's γ = -0.82; p < 0.05).ConclusionsExamination of the distribution of malaria during 10 years indicated transmission varied among geographic areas and among seasons. Additional studies are needed to examine, in more detail, the association between environmental and meteorological factors and malaria transmission. Furthermore, the role of An. darlingi in malaria transmission in Stann Creek needs further study since, of the three main vectors in Belize, An. darlingi has been found strongly associated with rivers.

Epidemiology of acute hepatitis in the Stann Creek District of Belize, Central America.

Hepatitis is common in the Stann Creek District of southern Belize. To determine the etiologies, incidence, and potential risk factors for acute jaundice, we conducted active surveillance for cases. Cases of jaundice diagnosed by a physician within the previous 6 weeks were enrolled. Evaluation included a questionnaire and laboratory tests for hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E, a blood film for malaria, and a serologic test for syphilis. Etiologies of jaundice among 62 evaluable patients included acute hepatitis A, 6 (9.7%), acute hepatitis B, 49 (79.0%), hepatitis non-A-E, 2 (3.2%), and malaria, 5 (8.1%). There were no cases of acute hepatitis E. One patient each with antibody to hepatitis C and D were detected. The annualized incidence of hepatitis A was 0.26 per 1,000. All cases of hepatitis A were in children 4-16 years of age. The annualized incidence of hepatitis B, 2.17 per 1,000, was highest in adults aged 15-44 years (4.4 per 1,000) and was higher in men (36 cases; 3.09 per 1,000) than women (13 cases; 1.19 per 1,000). Four (31%) of the women with hepatitis B were pregnant. The annualized incidence was significantly higher in Mestizo (6.18 per 1000) and Maya (6.79 per 1,000) than Garifuna (0.38 per 1,000) or Creole (0.36 per 1,000). Persons with hepatitis B were significantly more likely to be born outside of Belize (82%), had been in Belize < 5 years (73%), and lived and worked in rural areas (96%) than was the general population. Of those > or = 14 years of age with hepatitis B, only 36% were married. Few persons admitted to transfusions, tattoos, IV drug use, multiple sexual partners, visiting prostitutes, or sexually transmitted diseases. Only 1 of 49 had a reactive test for syphilis. Six patients were hospitalized (including 3 with acute hepatitis B and one with hepatitis A), and none to our knowledge died. Acute hepatitis B is the most common cause of viral hepatitis in the Stann Creek District, but the modes of transmission remain obscure. Infants, women attending prenatal clinics, and new workers are potential targets for immunization with hepatitis B vaccine.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus among school-age children in the Stann Creek District of Belize, Central America.

Adults in the Stann Creek District of Belize have a high prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, but the age of onset of these infections is unclear. We conducted a seroprevalence study of hepatitis B markers among Stann Creek school-age children to provide information for planning a hepatitis B vaccine program. The overall prevalence in 587 students was high for antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) (43.3%) and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) (7.7%). There was marked variation of anti-HBc by school and by the predominant ethnic groups attending those schools. Maya had the highest prevalence (76%), followed by Mestizo (50%), Garifuna (37%), and Creole (25%). Children less than nine years of age attending the rural primary schools (mostly Mayan and Mestizo) had significantly higher prevalence of anti-HBc than did children attending the urban primary school (mostly Garifuna and Creole) (P < 0.05). Anti-HBc was found in 42% and 36% of students at the two high schools. Of the five schools tested, only at the urban primary school did anti-HBc positivity increase with age. Based on an analysis of the cost of serologic screening before immunization compared with mass vaccination, preimmunization serologic screening resulted in vaccine program cost savings in four of the five schools. Because most children in the rural areas contract hepatitis B before entering school, immunization against HBV should be integrated into the routine infant immunization program.

The highlands of the lowlands: environment and archaeology in the Stann Creek District, Belize, Central America

The highlands of the lowlands: environment and archaeology in the Stann Creek District, Belize, Central America

Marketing Policy and the Loss of Food Self-Sufficiency in Rural Belize

Past observers attributed Belize's record of national deficits in staple crop production to the country's colonial legacy of suppressed agriculture and underdeveloped infrastructure. Yet following marketing policy revisions in the mid-1970s, Belizean agriculture was able to satisfy the country's requirements for basic staples, suggesting that cultural-historical factors need not preclude food self-sufficiency. Since 1983 food shortfalls and importation have once again developed following the abandonment of earlier incentives for staple production. Marketing policies in agriculture are constrained by patterns of capital accumulation distinctive to peripheral economies as well as Belize's position within the world economy. While the former requires the provision of low-cost food to wage-earning sectors, the latter precludes price incentives for staple crop producers. The effects of these constraints are illustrated with longitudinal data from rural Stann Creek district in southern Belize. Problems in staple...

Floristic observations on South Water and Carrie Bow Cays, Stann Creek District, Belize, in 1979-1980

Floristic observations on South Water and Carrie Bow Cays, Stann Creek District, Belize, in 1979-1980

The Snake Fauna of Middlesex, British Honduras

* * * herpetofauna of British Honduras is well known. Several recent papers (summarized by Neill, 1965), and the pioneer review by Schmidt (1941), provide a substantial species list and data on distribution and variation of many common species. As Schmidt (1941: 480) noted, The faunal importance of British Honduras as an independent geographic area is slight, but a knowledge of its fauna is essential to the larger problem offered by that of the Yucatan Peninsula as a whole and to the delimitation of the endemic fauna of the northern part. Such faunal delimitation has been hindered by the lack of extensive collections from representative localities in British Honduras, since all records of British Honduras snakes are based on specimens from scattered localities. During the years 1964 through 1967 Eduardo C. Welling M. obtained a collection of 232 snakes at Middlesex, Stann Creek District, British Honduras. Among the 24 species represented are several previously reported only once or twice from British Honduras, and one addition to the species list (Amastridium veliferum). More important, it is the first quantitative sample of a local snake fauna from British Honduras. This collection is in the University of Colorado