Resistance of Musca domestica L. populations to cyromazine (insect growth regulator) in Brazil

Five field populations of Musca domestica L. collected in poultry farms were bioassayed in order to detect possible resistance to the larvicide cyromazine in Brazil. The concentrations used were 0, 0.5, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 1, 2, 4 and 8 ppm. Three populations (Petrópolis, RJ, Montes Claros, MG and Promissão, SP) were resistant, while the other two populations (Ibiuna, SP and Monte Mor, SP) were more susceptible than the reference pathern used by the World Health Organization. The presence of three resistant house fly populations to cyromazine in Brazilian poultry farms strongly suggests that the operational aspects of larvicide use are important for the resistance development. Cyromazine is applied as a feed-through, both in Brazil and in the USA, where resistance has already been documented. However, in Denmark, where it was approved only as a topical manure spray, no case of resistance has yet been detected.

Congenital toxoplasmosis and DALYs in the Netherlands

The calculation of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) enables public health policy makers to compare the burden of disease of a specific disease with that of other (infectious) diseases. The incidence of a disease is important for the calculation of DALYs. To estimate the incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis (CT), a random sample of 10,008 dried blood spot filter paper cards from babies born in 2006 in the Netherlands were tested for Toxoplasma gondii-specific IgM antibodies. Eighteen samples were confirmed as positive for IgM, resulting in an observed birth incidence of CT of 1.8 cases per 1,000 live-born children in 2006 and an adjusted incidence of 2.0 cases per 1,000. This means that 388 infected children were born in 2006. The most likely burden of disease is estimated to be 2,300 DALYs (range 820-6,710 DALYs). In the previous calculations, using data from a regional study from 1987, this estimate was 620 DALYs (range 220-1,900 DALYs). The incidence of CT in the Netherlands is much higher than previously reported; it is 10 times higher than in Denmark and 20 times higher than in Ireland, based on estimates obtained using the same methods. There is no screening program in the Netherlands; most children will be born asymptomatic and therefore will not be detected or treated.

SELETIVIDADE DE CHLORFENAPYR E FENBUTATIN-OXIDE SOBRE DUAS ESPÉCIES DE ÁCAROS PREDADORES (ACARI: PHYTOSEIIDAE) EM CITROS

Com o uso de bioensaios, verificaram-se os efeitos residual de contato, ovicida e de persistência dos produtos chlorfenapyr e fenbutatin-oxide sobre duas espécies de ácaros predadores, Iphiseiodes zuluagai Denmark & Muma e Euseius alatus DeLeon (Acari: Phytoseiidae), associados ao ácaro da leprose-dos-citros Brevipalpus phoenicis (Geijskes) (Acari: Tenuipalpidae). O efeito total sobre os adultos foi estudado por meio do método residual de contato com pulverização em superfície de vidro, conforme metodologia da IOBC. O efeito ovicida foi avaliado por meio de pulverização direta sobre os ovos dos ácaros predadores, também em superfície de vidro. A persistência dos produtos foi avaliada em laboratório, em arenas confeccionadas com folhas de laranjeira pulverizadas no campo, aos 0; 5; 15 e 30 dias após a aplicação. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que chlorfenapyr foi nocivo ao I. zuluagai e E. alatus e o fenbutatin-oxide foi levemente nocivo a E. alatus e inócuo a I. zuluagai. Nenhum dos produtos apresentou efeito ovicida. Fenbutatin-oxide apresentou baixa persistência para ambas as espécies de ácaros predadores, e chlorfenapyr, na dosagem de 31,3 ml, foi de baixa persistência, enquanto, na dosagem de 62,5 ml, foi moderadamente persistente. O fenbutatin-oxide apresentou-se inócuo e levemente nocivo aos ácaros predadores I. zuluagai e E. alatus, respectivamente, e de baixa persistência para ambas as espécies

Rastreamento de lesões pré-neoplásicas do ânus: citologia anal e anuscopia de alta resolução novas armas para prevenção

Squamous anal cell carcinoma frequency has been changing during the last decades. It was a rare disease in the past with 0.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in Denmark before the 60’s and 0.5 per 100,000 in the United States of America (USA) in 1973. Currently these figures have risen to a 1.00 / 100,000 ratio in accordance with the public records in the USA. Although the incidence in the general population can still be considered low, regardless of having doubled during the past 30 years, some specific groups in the population seem to have a higher level of risk, with a ratio of 70 ocurrences per each group of 100,000 individuals. The relationship between infections caused by oncogenic types of human papillomavirus and the similarity with cervical squamous cell carcinoma lead us to believe that screening techniques similar to the ones used as from the 40’s aiming the control of the cervical carcinoma, such as Papanicolaou smear (anal cytology) and colposcopy (high resolution anoscopy), may be effective on anal cancer prevention in those specific groups, or at least, to its early diagnosis. This article presents the techniques for tracking these early anal cancer lesions justifying them as a Public Health point of view.

Sawfly larval poisoning in cattle: Report on new outbreaks and brief review of the literature

Sawfly larval poisoning (SLP) is an acute hepatotoxicosis documented in livestock in Australia, Denmark and in countries of South America. It is caused by the ingestion of the larval stage of insects of the suborder Symphyta, order Hymenoptera, commonly known as "sawfly". Three species of sawfly are reportedly involved in the toxicosis. The insect involved in Australian SLP is Lophyrotoma interrupta (Pergidae), in Denmark the cause of SLP is the ingestion of the larvae Arge pullata (Argidae), and in South American countries documented outbreaks of SLP were caused by the ingestion of yet another sawfly, Perreyia flavipes (Pergidae). In all geographical areas where it occurred, SLP causes important livestock losses. In cattle, as well as in other affected species, the disease has a short clinical course and in many outbreaks affected cattle can be found dead. When observed, clinical signs include apathy, recumbence, tremors, paddling movements and death in 24-48 hours. Neurological signs such aggressiveness attributable to hepatic encephalopathy are also observed. In cases with a more protracted course icterus and photodermatitis may develop. Gross findings included ascites, petechiae and ecchymosis over serosal surfaces of thoracic and abdominal cavities, and an enlarged liver that displays accentuation of the lobular pattern and edema of the gall bladder wall. Sawfly larval body fragments and heads are consistently found in the fore stomachs and occasionally abomasum of affected cattle. Main microscopic lesions are restricted to the liver and consist of centrolobular (periacinar) to massive hepatocellular necrosis. In most lobules necrotic areas extended up to the portal triads where only a few viable hepatocytes remain. Mild to moderate lymphocyte necrosis is seen in lymphatic tissues. Cases occur in the winter months when the larval stages of the sawfly are developing. D-amino acid-containing peptides have been found to be the toxic principle in each sawfly involved in SLP. The octapeptide lophyrotomin is the major toxin in the in the larvae of Australian and Danish sawflies and is present in small amounts in the larvae of South American sawfly. The heptadecapeptide pergidin is the main toxin in the South American sawfly while small amounts of pergidin have been found in the other two species of toxic sawfly. During the winter of 2011 (July-August) four outbreaks of SLP were diagnosed in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The findings in those outbreaks are reported here and a brief review of the literature regarding SLP around the world is provided.