Efetividade da doxiciclina na profilaxia contra letptospirose

Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonosis of considerable medical and economical importance that affects humans in both urban and rural contexts, as well as domestic animals and wild fauna. Leptospira interrogans is the causative agent and is transmitted to humans by indirect contact with contaminated soil or water. The clinical syndromes include sub clinical infection, self-limited anicteric febrile illness, and severe and potentially fatal illness, known as Weil´s syndrome. In developed countries, leptospirosis is related to occupational or recreational activities while in developing countries, outbreaks occur during floods. In those regions, traditional strategies to prevent the transmission are difficulties to be implemented because of costs and lack of community acceptance. In addition, no efficient vaccine is available for human use. Several studies have suggested that chemoprophylaxis with doxycycline pre and post-exposure may be effective to prevent leptospirosis. Leptospirosis has been reported in rural areas of the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil since 1985 in rice farmers who present the anicteric illness. The disease cause great social and economics impact. The study was conducted in São Miguel where an epidemic of leptospirosis in rice farmers was reported. The main objective was to determine the efficacy of doxycycline in preventing Leptospira exposure. A taxa de soroprevalência de leptospirose na população estudada antes e após a colheita foi de 14,2% (n=22) e de 16.6% (n=27) respectivamente. Anti-Leptospira serology was determined for 61 subjects in two instances, pre and post-exposure to potential contaminated water. There was an increased risk of 29.0 per cent in acquiring infection for individuals that did not use doxycycline. In addition, an increased risk of 30.0 % observed in farmers who did not use protection when exposed to Leptospira. The adhesion to preventive chemoprophylaxis was 55.7%. Therefore doxycycline, under specific circunstances appears to be an effective alternative to protect against leptosprirosis infection. A large sample composed of individuals to adhere to preventive therapy is needed to define time, dosage and length of use of doxycycline in this area

Estudo do genoma do vírus causador da mionecrose infecciosa em camarões e desenvolvimento de métodos para detecção de diferentes variantes

Shrimp farming is one of the activities that contribute most to the growth of global aquaculture. However, this business has undergone significant economic losses due to the onset of viral diseases such as Infectious Myonecrosis (IMN). The IMN is already widespread throughout Northeastern Brazil and affects other countries such as Indonesia, Thailand and China. The main symptom of disease is myonecrosis, which consists of necrosis of striated muscles of the abdomen and cephalothorax of shrimp. The IMN is caused by infectious myonecrosis virus (IMNV), a non-enveloped virus which has protrusions along its capsid. The viral genome consists of a single molecule of double-stranded RNA and has two Open Reading Frames (ORFs). The ORF1 encodes the major capsid protein (MCP) and a potential RNA binding protein (RBP). ORF2 encodes a probable RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and classifies IMNV in Totiviridae family. Thus, the objective of this research was study the IMNV complete genome and encoded proteins in order to develop a system differentiate virus isolates based on polymorphisms presence. The phylogenetic relationship among some totivirus was investigated and showed a new group to IMNV within Totiviridae family. Two new genomes were sequenced, analyzed and compared to two other genomes already deposited in GenBank. The new genomes were more similar to each other than those already described. Conserved and variable regions of the genome were identified through similarity graphs and alignments using the four IMNV sequences. This analyze allowed mapping of polymorphic sites and revealed that the most variable region of the genome is in the first half of ORF1, which coincides with the regions that possibly encode the viral protrusion, while the most stable regions of the genome were found in conserved domains of proteins that interact with RNA. Moreover, secondary structures were predicted for all proteins using various softwares and protein structural models were calculated using threading and ab initio modeling approaches. From these analyses was possible to observe that the IMNV proteins have motifs and shapes similar to proteins of other totiviruses and new possible protein functions have been proposed. The genome and proteins study was essential for development of a PCR-based detection system able to discriminate the four IMNV isolates based on the presence of polymorphic sites

Desenvolvimento de nanosistemas farmacêuticos para terapia gênica

Gene therapy is one of the major challenges of the post-genomic research and it is based on the transfer of genetic material into a cell, tissue or organ in order to cure or improve the patient s clinical status. In general, gene therapy consists in the insertion of functional genes aiming substitute, complement or inhibit defective genes. The achievement of a foreigner DNA expression into a population of cells requires its transfer to the target. Therefore, a key issue is to create systems, vectors, able to transfer and protect the DNA until it reaches the target. The disadvantages related to the use of viral vectors have encouraged efforts to develop emulsions as non-viral vectors. In fact, they are easy to produce, present suitable stability and enable transfection. The aim of this work was to evaluate two different non-viral vectors, cationic liposomes and nanoemulsions, and the possibility of their use in gene therapy. For the two systems, cationic lipids and helper lipids were used. Nanoemulsions were prepared using sonication method and were composed of Captex® 355; Tween® 80; Spam® 80; cationic lipid, Stearylamine (SA) or 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammoniumpropane (DOTAP) and water (Milli-Q®). These systems were characterized by average droplet size, Polidispersion Index (PI) and Zeta Potential. The stability of the systems; as well as the DNA compaction capacity; their cytotoxicity and the cytotoxicity of the isolated components; and their transfection capacity; were also evaluated. Liposomes were made by hydration film method and were composed of DOTAP; 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DOPE), containing or not Rhodaminephosphatidylethanolamine (PE- Rhodamine) and the conjugate Hyaluronic Acid DOPE (HA-DOPE). These systems were also characterized as nanoemulsions. Stability of the systems and the influence of time, size of plasmid and presence or absence of endotoxin in the formation of lipoplexes were also analyzed. Besides, the ophthalmic biodistribution of PE-Rhodamine containing liposomes was studied after intravitreal injection. The obtained results show that these systems are promising non-viral vector for further utilization in gene therapy and that this field seems to be very important in the clinical practice in this century. However, from the possibility to the practice, there is still a long way

Potencial larvicida de extratos de plantas regionais no controle de larvas de Aedes aegypti

Dengue, amongst the virus illnesses one can get by vectorial transmission, is the one that causes more impact in the morbidity and mortality of world s population. The resistance to the insecticides has caused difficulties to control of vector insect (Aedes aegypti) and has stimulated a search for vegetables with larvicidal activity. The biodiversity of Caatinga is barely known and it is potential of use even less. Some plants of this biome are commercialized in free fairs northeast of Brazil, because of its phytotherapics properties. The vegetables in this study had been selected by means of a questionnaire applied between grass salesmen and natives of the Serido region from Rio Grande do Norte state; culicids eggs had been acquired with traps and placed in container with water for the larva birth. Thirty larvae had been used in each group (a group control and five experimental groups), with four repetitions four times. The vegetables had been submitted to the processes of decoction, infusion and maceration in the standard concentration of 100g of the vegetable of study in 1l of H2O and analyzed after ½, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24 and 48 hours for verification of the average lethal dose (LD50) from the groups with thirty larva. The LD50 was analyzed in different concentrations (50g/l, 100g/l, 150g/l, 200g/l e 300g/l) of Aspidosperma pyrifolium Mart. 48 extracts of rind, leaf and stem of the seven vegetal species: Aspidosperma pyrifolium Mart., Mimosa verrucosa Benth, Mimosa hostilis (Mart.) Benth., Myracrodruon urundeuva Allemão, Ximenia americana L, Bumelia sartorum Mart Zizyphus joazeiro Mart, had been analyzed. The extracts proceeding from the three methods were submitted to the freezedrying, to evaluate and to quantify substances extracted in each process. The results had shown that Aspidosperma pyrifolium Mart. and Myracrodruon urundeuva Allemão are the species that are more distinguished as larvicidal after 24 hours of experiment, in all used processes of extraction in the assays. The Zizyphus joazeiro Mart species has not shown larvicidal activity in none of the assays. In relation to the extraction method, the decoction was the most efficient method in the mortality tax of the A. aegypti larvae

Ocorrência da infecção por Toxoplasma gondii e avaliação da imunização em caprinos do sertão do cabugi, Rio Grande do Norte

Toxoplasmosis is one zoonosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii protozoan. Goats, amongst the production animals, are one of the species most susceptible to this parasite, being one them main involved agents in ovine and goat abortions, determining great economic losses and implications for public health, since the presence it parasite in the products of goat origin, consist in one of the main sources of infection for the man. In this study 244 blood samples in 8 farms situated in 4 cities from the Sertão do Cabugi region, Rio Grande do Norte State, northeast of Brazil and, tested by ELISA assay. The results had shown a prevalence of 47.13% for anti- T. gondii antibodies and a significant association between positivity and variable evaluated as age, locality and property. The IgG avidity assay evaluated in 115 positive samples was carried to discriminate acute and chronic infection. Twelve samples (10.4%) had presented antibodies of low avidity while 103 (89.6%) presented high avidity antibodies; indicating that most of the animals was precocious exposure to the parasite. Significant difference was verified only for the variable sex. We also evaluate the capacity of recombinant adenoviruses codifying SAG1, SAG2, SAG3 and CMV in inducing activation of specific immune response in goat. These 109 animals received 109 pfu of the AdSAG1, AdSAG2, AdSAG3, AdCMV or PBS in vaccine protocol with 3 immunizations. Serum samples of the each animal, before and after mmunization, had been submitted to the ELISA. The results demonstrate that the immunizations had induced the production of IgG antibodies specific against T. gondii proteins

Produção e avaliação de nanoemulsão catiônica como possível vetor não-viral para pIRES2-EGFP

Gene therapy is based on the transfer of exogenous genetic material into cells or tissues in order to correct, supplement or silencing a particular gene. To achieve this goal, efficient vehicles, viral or non-viral, should be developed. The aim of this work was to produce and evaluate a nanoemulsion system as a possible carrier for no-viral gene therapy able to load a plasmid model (pIRES2-EGFP). The nanoemulsion was produced by the sonication method, after been choose in a pseudo-ternary phase diagram build with 5 % of Captex 355®, 1.2 % of Tween 80®, 0.8 % of Span 80®, 0.16% of stearylamine and water (to 100 %). Measurements of droplet size, polydispersity index (PI), zeta potential, pH and conductivity, were performed to characterize the system. Results showed droplets smaller than 200 nm (PI < 0.2) and zeta potential > 30 mV. The formulation pH was near to 7.0 and conductivity was that expected to oil in water systems (70 to 90 μS/s) A scale up study, the stability of the system and the best sterilization method were also evaluated. We found that the system may be scaled up considering the time of sonication according to the volume produced, filtration was the best sterilization process and nanoemulsions were stable by 180 days at 4 ºC. Once developed, the complexation efficiency of the plasmid (pDNA) by the system was tested by agarose gel electrophoresis retardation assay.. The complexation efficiency increases when stearylamine was incorporated into aqueous phase (from 46 to 115 ng/μL); regarding a contact period (nanoemulsion / pDNA) of at least 2 hours in an ice bath, for complete lipoplex formation. The nanoemulsion showed low toxicity in MRC-5 cells at the usual transfection concentration, 81.49 % of survival was found. So, it can be concluded that a nanoemulsion in which a plasmid model was loaded was achieved. However, further studies concerning transfectation efficiency should be performed to confirm the system as non-viral gene carrier

Avaliação preliminar da viabilidade de produção in vitro de um isolado brasileiro de baculovírus Spodoptera frugiperda MNPV

In vivo production of viral biopesticides is the major source of viral insecticides currently in the marketplace. However, this system presents limitations during production scale-up. For the Spodoptera frugiperda nucleopolyhedrovirus (SfMNPV), the insect used for replication has cannibalistic characteristics, thus production is even more difficult. Insect cells are commonly used for in vitro baculovirus production. Most of these cell lines are derived from Lepidoptera species. The Sf21 cell line is derived from Spodoptera frugiperda caterpillar ovarian tissue, and its clonal isolate Sf9 has been used for biopesticide production due to its ease of growth in suspension cultures. In this work, the in vitro production capabilities of a Brazilian SfMNPV isolate obtained from cornfields was evaluated. Comparison of polyhedra production was carried out using both Sf21 and Sf9 cells, based on volumetric and specific yields. Both cell lines were cultivated in Hyclone medium supplemented with different fetal bovine serum concentrations (2,5 and 5%). The best results were obtained using Sf9 cells supplemented with 5% serum. These results were further confirmed quantitively through kinetic parameter estimation for both cells lines and different serum concentrations. After seven successive passages, this system still presented high specific polyhedra production

Efeito da adição de colesterol e ecdisona na produção in vitro do baculovírus spodoptera frugiperda MNPV

Among the pests that attack corn crop in Brazil, there is Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith, 1797) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), known as fall armyworm, which is the major corn pest. Due to genetic instability during serial passage of baculoviruses in insect cell culture, the viral bioinseticides in vitro production development is the greatest challenge for mass production of this bioproduct. Successive passages of virus using extracellular viruses (BVs), necessary during viral bioinseticides production scaling up, leads to the appearance of aberrant forms of virus, a process so called as "passage effect ". The main consequence of passage effect is the production of occlusion bodies (OB) decrease, preventing its production using in vitro process. In this study, it was carried out a serial passage of baculovirus Spodoptera frugiperda multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus, isolate 18, using Sf21 cells. A decrease in the production of occlusion bodies from 170 to 92 in the third to fourth passage was observed. A factorial experimental design (22) was employed to verify the influence of two input variables, concentration of the hormone 20 - hydroxyecdysone (CH) and cholesterol (CC) on the values of response variables (volumetric and the specific OB production) of the process, seeking to define the optimum operating ranges trying to reverse or minimize the passage effect. The result indicated a negative influence of the cholesterol addition and positive effect in the hormone supplementation which the optimum range found for the concentrations studied were 8 to 10μg/mL and 5 to 6.5 mg / mL, for cholesterol and hormone concentrations respectively. New experiments were performed with addition of hormone and cholesterol in order to check the influence of these additives on the OB production independently. While the best result obtained from the factorial experiment was 9.4 x 107 OB/mL and 128.4 specific OB/cell, with the addition of only 6μg/mL 20-hydroxyecdysone these concentrations increased to 1.9 x 108 OB/mL and 182.9 OB/cell for volumetric and specific OB production, respectively. This result confirms that the addition of the hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone enhances the SfMNPV in vitro production process performance using Sf21 cells

Desenvolvimento de sistemas farmacêuticos emulsionados para veiculação gênica

Broadly speaking, the concept of gene therapy involves the transfer of a genetic material into a cell, tissue, or organ in order to cure a disease or at least improve the clinical status of a patient. Making it simple, gene therapy consists in the insertion of functional genes into cells containing defective genes by substituting, complementing or inhibiting them. The achievement of a foreigner DNA expression into a population of cells requires its transfer to the target. Therefore, it is a key issue to create systems able to transfer and protect the DNA until it reaches the target, the vectors. The disadvantages related to the use of viral vectors have encouraged efforts to develop emulsions as non-viral vectors. In fact, they are easily produced, present controllable stability and enable transfection. The aim of this work was to develop an emulsion for gene therapy and evaluate its ability to compact nucleic acids by the development of a complex with the plasmid pIRES2-EGFP. The first step was to determine the Hydrophilic Lipophilic Balance (HLB) of the Captex® 355 (oily internal phase of the emulsion) through long and short term stability assays. Based on the results, emulsions composed of Captex® 355, Tween 20® and Span 60® with 10.7 HLB were produced by three different methods: phase inversion, spontaneous emulsification and sonication. The results showed that the lowest diameter and best stability of the emulsions were achieved by the sonication method. The cationic emulsions were made by adding DOTAP to the basic emulsion. Its association with pIRES2-EGFP was evaluated by electrophoresis. Several rates of emulsion and DNA were evaluated and the results showed that 100% of the complex was formed when the rate DOTAP/DNA(nmol/µg) was 130. In conclusion, the overall results show the ability of the proposed emulsion to compact pIRES2-EGFP, which is a requirement to a successful transfection. Therefore, such formulation may be considered a promising candidate for gene therapy

Estudo da detecção do DNA do papiloma vírus humano (HPV) e da expressão imuno-histoquímica de proteína do ciclo celular no carcinoma epidermóide oral

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common malignancy in oral cavity and human papillomavirus (HPV) may have an important role in its development. The aim of this experiment was to investigate the HPV DNA and viral types in 90 cases of OSCC. Moreover, a comparative analysis between the cases of OSSC with and without HPV DNA was performed by using cell cycle markers p21 and pRb in order to detect a possible correlation of these proteins and HPV infection. DNA was extracted from paraffin embedded tissue and amplified by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) with primers PCO3+ e PCO4+ for a fragment of human β-globin gene. After this procedure, PCR for HPV DNA detection was realized using a pair of generic primers GP5+ e GP6+. Immunohistochemical study was performed by streptoavidin-biotin technique and antibodies against p21 and pRb proteins were employed. Eighty-eight cases were positive for human β-globin gene and HPV DNA was found in 26 (29.5%) of then. It could not be detected significant correlation between HPV and age, sex and anatomical sites of the lesion. The most prevalent viral type was HPV 18 (80.8%). Regarding the immunohistochemical analysis, it was detected significant association between HPV presence and pRb immunoexpression (p=0,044), nevertheless, the same was not observed in relation to p21 protein (p =0,416). It can be concluded that the low detection of HPV DNA in OSCC by the present experiment suggests a possible role of the virus in the development and progression in just a subset of this disease

Estimação de parâmetros genéticos para resistência à infecção por IMNV em camarões Litopenaeus vannamei por meio de análise de sobrevivência

The main specie of marine shrimp raised at Brazil and in the world is Litopenaeus vannamei, which had arrived in Brazil in the `80s. However, the entry of infectious myonecrosis virus (IMNV), causing the infectious myonecrosis disease in marine shrimps, brought economic losses to the national shrimp farming, with up to 70% of mortality in the shrimp production. In this way, the objective was to evaluate the survival of shrimps Litopenaeus vannamei infected with IMNV using the non parametric estimator of Kaplan-Meier and a model of frailty for grouped data. It were conducted three tests of viral challenges lasting 20 days each, at different periods of the year, keeping the parameters of pH, temperature, oxygen and ammonia monitored daily. It was evaluated 60 full-sib families of L. vannamei infected by IMNV in each viral challenge. The confirmation of the infection by IMNV was performed using the technique of PCR in real time through Sybr Green dye. Using the Kaplan-Meier estimator it was possible to detect significant differences (p <0.0001) between the survival curves of families and tanks and also in the joint analysis between viral challenges. It were estimated in each challenge, genetic parameters such as genetic value of family, it`s respective rate risk (frailty), and heritability in the logarithmic scale through the frailty model for grouped data. The heritability estimates were respectively 0.59; 0.36; and 0.59 in the viral challenges 1; 2; and 3, and it was also possible to identify families that have lower and higher rates of risk for the disease. These results can be used for selecting families more resistant to the IMNV infection and to include characteristic of disease resistance in L. vannamei into the genetic improvement programs

A ocupação urbana do entorno de zonasde proteção ambiental de natal, suas condições de sustentabilidade e a relação com a ocorrência de insetos vetores

This study started from the hypothesis of the existence of a relation between the type of the urban occupation concerning to the sustainability conditions at the proximity of Environment Protected Zones and the occurrence of vectors insects in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. This research, which used data available by the City Administration Health and Urbanization Secretaries (respectively SMS and SEMURB), in the time period of 2006 to 2008, aimed to characterize the study site in terms of urban occupation, relating it to social environmental aspects of land occupation and the occurrence of vectors insects. This study is presented in two papers, the first one linking the occurrence of vectors insects and sustainable development indicators and the second relating the incidence of reported cases of Dengue and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) and the occurrence of larvae infection indexes of Aedes aegypti, in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte State. In the first paper, was made a correlation between Dengue Fever vectors and Visceral and Tegumentar Leishmaniasis vectors and sustainable development indicators, selected from IDS Brasil- 2008. Through factorial analysis a Sustainability Index (SI) was acquired for each region, the northern region of the municipality obtained lower numbers than southern region, which, in its turn, presented better sustainability conditions. Linking this index to vector infestation parameters shows a high significant correlation between the SI and the Breteau Index of Aedes aegypti (p=0,028) as well as with SI and sand flies infestation index (p=0,01). Higher rates in vectors infestation in regions with a lower Sustainable Development Index demonstrates that this index can be used to determine the increasing of probability of Aedes and sand flies occurrence in urban environment. The second paper analyzed the occurrence of the main vector of Dengue and DHF, the Aedes aegypti mosquito, and the relation between larvae infection indexes of this insect and reported cases of the diseases. This study revealed unexpected relation where areas with higher Breteau s Indexes showed lower infection rates of Dengue Fever, although showing high incidence of DHF

Co-circulação dos vírus dengue tipo 1, 2 e 4 nos Estados do Rio Grande do Norte e Paraíba, 2013

Dengue is a viral disease transmitted by female mosquitoes from genus Aedes, the principal urban vector is Aedes aegypti. Actually dengue has caused, in global scale, substantial morbidity and mortality. Four serotypes (antigenically distinct) are known: DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3 and DENV-4. The objective of this study was described the epidemiological profile dengue in the states of Rio Grande do Norte (RN) and Paraíba (PB), 2013. For that, suspected cases of dengue were studied, received for Laboratory of Molecular Biology of infectious disease and cancer (LADIC-UFRN) from different Health Units from RN and PB between January and December of 2013. The viral RNA was obtained from serum samples of patient from health units from RN and PB. It were studied 478 suspected cases of dengue , 252 (52,7%) from Rio Grande do Norte and 226 (47,3%) from Paraíba, showeds a global rate of infection global prevalence of 29,7% (142/478). The co-circulation of three serotypes was observed: DENV-1 (9,8% [14/142]), DENV-2 (3,5% [5/142]) and DENV-4 (86,7% [123/142]). People between 21-30 years old were the most affected by the disease during all the period of the study, representing 63,7% of the cases in both states. The genus most affected was female, representing 63,3% of cases in both states. Pau dos Ferros, Rio Grande do Norte, had the highest circulation of disease, with 8,2% (8/97) of cases. In Paraíba, the city most affected was João Pessoa, with (80% (36/45) of cases. The months with the biggest viral circulation in RN and PB were March and August, respectively. These results are very important to understanding the dengue viral activity in RN and PB, providing data that can guide control actions of this disease in support to local control programs

Spondias tuberosa Arr. (UMBU): estudo fitoquímico e avaliação do potencial anti-inflamatório

Spondias tuberosa Arruda (Anacardiaceae) is a fruitful tree popularly known as umbuzeiro, tapereba or umbu. It is a native and endemic species from Brazil, widespread in Brazilian Northeast. The species is important in folk medicine of the semi-arid Northeast, where it is mainly used to treat various inflammatory conditions, digestive problems as well as viral and bacterial infections. However, despite the common use in folk medicine, there are scarce pharmacological and phytochemicals studies that afford scientific evidence to its popular use. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the chemical markers in S. tuberosa leaves extract, obtained by maceration ethanol:water (70:30, [v/v]), and evaluate its anti-inflammatory potential in vivo. The phytochemical profile in TLC analysis suggested the occurence of the flavonoids rutin and isoquercitrin. HPLC analysis enabled us to confirm the presence of flavonoids and also, were detected the phenolic acids, chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid. In addition was developed and validated a HPLC method to evaluate the content of the identified compounds in S. tuberosa leaves extract according to RDC 899/2003 of ANVISA and ICH Guidelines 2005. In order to evaluate the anti-inflammatory potential of S. tuberosa leaves extract, the peritonitis and paw edema models induced by carrageenan were used, administration i.p. in mice. The results highlighted the anti-inflammatory property in vivo at 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg since a decrease in leukocyte influx to the site of inflammation, diameter of the edema and the level of myeloperoxidase were observed when compared to the drug control dexamethasone (2 mg/kg, i.p. route). Taken together, the results pointed out S. tuberosa as a potential species for developing phytotherapic derivatives in according to its popular use. With regard to the characterization markers, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, rutin and isoquercitrin were identified and quantified in Spondias tuberosa leaves extract so they could be used in quality control analyses of the raw material and extracts of this species.

A atuação do enfermeiro no combate à dengue e a febre chikungunya: estudo comparativo nos municípios de Parnamirim e Santa Cruz/RN

The research aimed to analyze the role of nurses in the Family Health Strategy (FHS) in the control of Dengue and Chikungunya fever in the cities of Parnamirim and Santa Cruz. It is exploratory and descriptive nature of research, with a qualitative approach, which was developed with nurses of the Family Health Strategy in the municipalities of Parnamirim and Santa Cruz. All research process followed the ethical standards laid out research in Resolution No. 466/2012 of the National Health Council about research involving human beings. Data collection was performed using a semi-structured questionnaire with open and closed questions, organized into three parts: the profile of respondents, knowledge of the disease (transmission, prevention, control) and description of practices. The actions performed by nurses are punctual performed when there is growing disease of the number of cases in order to try to reduce the number of cases. The principal methodology used for them is to talk and guidelines resulting from campaigns and home visits, using leaflets and social networks. Regarding knowledge of nurses in the city of Santa Cruz on Dengue Fever and Chikungunya, is clearly some gaps. Nursing professionals know recognize a suspected case of dengue, but get confused when trying to explain to the Chikungunya fever, exhibiting the same symptoms of dengue. Although everybody had participated in a training on Chikungunya Fever and Dengue, a very limited knowledge of nurses regarding the clinical management. It is suggested that further studies are developed on the ground a few nurses have accepted to participate in the study, so that we can identify strategies, interventions, activities and nursing actions that are consistent with the reality of working in favor of coping Aedes epidemics aegypti that have positive impact on reducing the infestation rates and may be suitable and applied in other regions.