Os hotéis nas proximidades das estações ferroviárias da cidade de São Paulo (1900-1917)

Fazendo uso de processos-crime e jornais, este artigo procura examinar os estabelecimentos de hospedagem da cidade de São Paulo nas imediações das estações ferroviárias dos bairros da Luz e do Brás, nas duas primeiras décadas do século XX. O texto aborda principalmente quem eram os hóspedes desses hotéis e por quais razões aí se hospedavam.

Prevalência de Cryptosporidium sp. em cães de instituições da cidade de São Paulo

OBJETIVO: Os cães são importante fonte de infecção da criptosporidiose para o homem. O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar a ocorrência de Cryptosporidium sp. em cães e, adicionalmente, comparar duas técnicas de análise fecal. MÉTODOS: Foram analisadas 450 amostras fecais de cães na cidade de São Paulo entre 2003 e 2004. Os espécimes fecais foram randomicamente selecionados: 200 amostras de cães provenientes de um hospital veterinário universitário público (grupo 1) e 250 amostras de canis particulares (grupo 2). A pesquisa de Cryptosporidium sp. foi realizada empregando-se a coloração de Ziehl-Neelsen modificada e a técnica de PCR. Foi empregado o teste de duas proporções com intervalo de confiança de 0,05 (z crítico=±1,645). RESULTADOS: Foram encontrados somente oocistos de Cryptosporidium parvum. A prevalência observada pela microscopia de luz foi de 8,8% e com a técnica de PCR foi de 9,5%. Os animais jovens apresentaram menor freqüência (5,5%) em relação aos adultos (10,1%) e não se observou diferença estatisticamente significante na prevalência entre machos e fêmeas. CONCLUSÕES: A prevalência de C. parvum na população canina estudada foi semelhante às observadas em outros estudos e acometendo em igual proporção machos e fêmeas. A técnica de PCR permitiu a detecção de um número maior de casos positivos que a microscopia de luz.

Infecção natural de Equus caballus por Leishmania sp - São Paulo, Brasil (Breve comunicação científica)

E assinalado, pela primeira vez, o encontro de um cavalo (Equus caballus) infeclado por Leishmania sp, no Estado de São Paulo.

Human parasitism by Phagicola sp (Trematoda, Heterophyidae) in Cananéia, São Paulo State, Brazil

We report one case of parasitism by Phagicola sp. (Trematoda, Heterophyidae) in a 31 years-old woman who, in 1987, travelled and stayed several months in the municipality of Cananéia (SP), where she ingested, in various occasions, raw mullet (Mugil sp.). The patient refered mild intestinal pain and laboratory examinations showed eggs of Phagicola sp. in the stools and a slight increase in eosinophil blood levels (8%). After treatment with praziquantel (75 mg/kg per day for three days) all the symptoms and signs disappeared. This is, certainly, the first record of human infection by Phagicola sp. in Brazil and, perhaps, in countries other than the U.S.A. where unclear references to a few human cases were reported in the South-eastern region.

Environmental contamination by Toxocara sp. eggs in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo State, Brazil

Toxocariasis is a zoonosis mainly caused by Toxocara canis, an intestinal nematode of dogs. Man acquires the infection through accidental ingestion of viable eggs, and the toxocariasis clinical manifestations may vary from an asymptomatic infection up to the Visceral Larva Migrans syndrome. Seventy eight public squares of Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil, including Bonfim Paulista district were visited aiming to evaluate the soil contamination by Toxocara eggs. The squares were divided in five different areas corresponding to the Sanitary Districts of the city. From May to December 2003, soil samples weighting about 250 g each were collected from five distinct sites of each public square. The laboratorial analysis was done by centrifugal-flotation techniques in magnesium sulphate solutions with 5% of potassium iodide (d = 1.33) and zinc sulphate (d = 1.20), and by the sedimentation- flotation in conic chalices with zinc sulphate (d = 1.20). Toxocara sp. eggs were found on 16 (20.5%) squares, with the lowest prevalence (12%) at the central area. From these results, it is expected that the legal authority will adopt protection measures for the city public areas, reducing thus the contamination risk by Toxocara sp. eggs.

Detection of Cryptosporidium sp. in non diarrheal faeces from children, in a day care center in the city of São Paulo, Brazil

The protozoan Cryptosporidium sp. has been frequently detected in faeces from children with persistent diarrhoea. This work achieved to investigate an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis, in a day care center, attending children of high socio-economic level, between 0 and six years old. The outbreak was detected through the network of public health, when stool samples, not diarrhoeic, were examined at the Parasitology Service of the Adolfo Lutz Institute. Among the 64 examined children, 13 (20.3%) showed oocysts of Cryptosporidium sp. in the faeces examined by Kinyoun technique: seven children one year old, three, two years old and three, three years old. Among the 23 examined adults, only a 22 years old woman, possibly having an immunocomprometiment, was positive. Clinical and epidemiological aspects were investigated by questionnaires, highlighting the occurrence of the outbreak in a very dry period.

Seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in a low-income community in the São Paulo municipality, SP, Brazil

Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common zoonoses worldwide. The seroprevalence for T. gondii in human population from Brazil might range from 40 to 80%. The aim of this paper was to study the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in children from age one to 15 living in a low socioeconomic community, named community of Jardim São Remo in the year of 2002. The community is located in the West area of São Paulo municipality, São Paulo State, Brazil. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 110 (32.4%, CI 95%: 27.5 - 37.7) of the 339 children tested with indirect immunofluorescent antibody test. The titration of the samples revealed 29 children with serum titer equal to 16, 14 children with 32, 18 children with 64, 21 children with 128, 20 children with 256 and eight children with serum titer > 512. The age dependence of the prevalence of T. gondii infection and the association between seroprevalence for T. gondii and seroprevalence for T. canis suggest that the infection is chiefly postnatal. Seroconversion in infant population of community Jardim São Remo occurs in children as young as two years old, earlier than in the children attended at health centers of São Paulo city. The seroprevalence of T. gondii in children from Jardim São Remo was compared to the prevalence in children from other urban centers of Brazil.

Occurrence of enteroparasites in day care centers in Botucatu (São Paulo State, Brazil) with emphasis on Cryptosporidium sp., Giardia duodenalis and Enterobius vermicularis

The occurrence of the enteroparasites was verified in 279 children (0 to 6 years) of four municipal day cares of Botucatu/SP. Three samples of each child's feces were collected and processed by the methods of Hoffman-Pons-Janner, Faust and Ritchie and subsequent coloration of the fecal smear by the methods of Auramina-O and Ziehl-Neelsen modified for diagnosis of Cryptosporidium sp. and Graham method for diagnosis of Enterobius vermicularis. Of the analyzed children we verified a prevalence of intestinal parasitism in 53.40%, and the most frequent parasite was Giardia duodenalis (26.88%). Significant association was verified among enteroparasitosis, family income, maternal education and age; the lowest enteroparasite frequency occurred in children of families with larger income and higher education. It was observed that G. duodenalis is more prevalent in children from 0 to 4 years and E. vermicularis is more frequent in children between three and four years old. The high enteroparasite prevalence in day cares suggests complex structure in its epidemiology, where factors beyond sanitation should be considered.

Frequency of soil contamination by Toxocara canis eggs in the south region of São Paulo municipality (SP, Brazil) in a 18 month period

Soil contamination by embryonic eggs of Toxocara canis is the main source of human infection by this ascarid larvae resulting, sometimes, in the occurrence of visceral larva migrans syndrome. The objective of the present research is to determine the frequency of T. canis eggs in soil samples monthly collected in nine public places, located at the South Region of São Paulo municipality in a 18-month period, from February 2004 to July 2005. The soil samples collected were treated with a 30% antiformine solution and with a sodium dichromate solution (d = 1.40) and microscopic slides were prepared and examined under light microscopy for searching T. canis eggs. Two peaks of higher frequency had been found, one in February - May 2004 and the other in April - July 2005.

Pesquisa de oocistos de Cyclospora sp em fezes de cães da Grande São Paulo, Estado de São Paulo, Brasil

Amostras de fezes de 140 cães adultos da Grande São Paulo (Estado de São Paulo, Brasil) foram examinadas com a finalidade de procurar oocistos de Cyclospora sp.. Nenhuma infecção por esse coccídeo ficou detectada.