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Abstract:
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Background: During the twentieth century there was a change in
the pattern of diseases in Europe, with an increase in the incidence of allergies and
autoimmune disorders, that paralleled a decrease of infectious conditions. The Hygiene
hypothesis proposes that these phenomena are causally related. Aim: To evaluate the
epidemiological changes of allergic, autoimmune, and infectious diseases in Chile between
1950 and 2003. Material and methods: Search for the incidence and prevalence of these
diseases in the national records published by the Ministry of Health, as well as through a
systematic search of national literature using PubMed and Scielo as search engines. Results:
The annual incidence of tuberculosis, rheumatic fever, measles, and typhoid fever has
progressively diminished in Chile since 1970. Figures for the national prevalence for asthma,
rheumatoid arthritis, and type I diabetes are scarce and difficult to compare, but clearly show
an increasing epidemiological trend in the last 20 years. Conclusions: The national figures
suggest that, although the country has only recently gone through an epidemiological transition
in health problems, there are detectable changes that show the same trends described in Europe. |