Prevalence of intestinal parasites in preschool children in the region of Uberlândia, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil

INTRODUCTION: Children are an important high-risk group for helminth and protozoa infections. Daycare centers are environments where children have proven to be more susceptible to acquiring intestinal parasites. Thus, the purpose of this study was to verify the prevalence of intestinal parasites in children who attended the two daycare centers maintained by the local government of Uberlândia, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. METHODS: Fecal samples were collected from 133 children (73 children at the Public Preschool for Early Childhood Education, PPECE A, and 60 at the PPECE B) following identification according to sex and age and agreement to participate by parents or guardians who signed the free, informed consent form. The samples were examined by the Lutz method. RESULTS: Coproparasitological tests performed on 133 children showed that 29.3% of them were parasitized for enteroparasites or commensals, 6.7% of the children presented polyparasitism. Among the protozoa, Giardia lamblia were the most prevalent and Hymenolepis nana were the most frequent among the helminths. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, analysis of the results showed that intestinal parasites still represent a public health problem, especially among children and in areas where the socioeconomic and educational conditions are less favorable.

Enterobius vermicularis infection is well controlled among preschool children in nurseries of Taipei City, Taiwan

INTRODUCTION: Whether Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm) infections among preschool children in Taipei City had truly declined was investigated. METHODS: A total of 6,661 preschool children from 28 nurseries were randomly selected from 4 major geographic districts in Taipei City to examine the status of pinworm infection by using adhesive thin cellophane tape swab method. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of pinworm infection was 0.5% (30/6,661). Boys (0.6%; 21/3,524) had higher prevalence than girls (0.3%; 9/3,137) (p=0.06). Southern district (0.6%; 10/1,789) showed insignificantly higher prevalence than Western district (0.2%; 1/606) (p=0.22). CONCLUSIONS: Pinworm screening program remains necessary for some parts of Taipei City.

Therapeutic play in preparing for surgery: behavior of preschool children during the perioperative period

Objective:to describe the behavior of children during the instructional session of therapeutic play (ITP) in the preoperative period and to verify the behavior presented by them during the perioperative period. Methods: Exploratory descriptive study with a quantitative approach, developed in a large private hospital in Sao Paulo, in which the behaviors presented by 30 children between three and five years old, undergoing minor surgery were seen at the hospital during the session of TP and in the surgical center, from admission to awaken from anesthesia. Results: Most children participated in the ITP session (21; 70%), entered the surgical room spontaneously (22; 73.3%) without resisting mother separation (24; 80%), collaborating with the anesthetic procedure (16; 53.3%) and quietly awakening from anesthesia (26; 87%). Conclusion: The use of ITP led the child to understand the surgical procedure, making it less traumatic.


Circadian cardiac autonomic function in perinatally HIV-infected preschool children

The 24-h heart rate variability and QT-interval adaptation was investigated in perinatally HIV-infected preschool children classified according to immunological status in order to assess autonomic function at early stages of infection. Thirty-five perinatally HIV-infected and clinically stable children (4.8 ± 0.3 years) were enrolled after approval of the study by the University Hospital Pedro Ernesto Ethics Committee and written informed parental consent was obtained. The children were classified according to peripheral CD4+ count (cells/µL) as follows: group 1, N = 11 (≥1000); group 2, N = 7 (≥500 and <1000); group 3, N = 17 (<500). Left ventricular ejection fraction (>55%), 24-h RR interval variability (RRV) indexes (NN, SDANN, SDNN index, r-MSSD) and 24-h QT and Bazett-corrected QT (QTc) were determined, and groups were matched for age, body surface area, and left ventricular ejection fraction, reducing biases in RRV. The peak differences (∆) between the highest and lowest RRV and QT indexes were extracted from nocturnal (1 am-6 am) and daytime (1 pm-6 pm) hourly assessed segments, respectively. Pearson’s correlation (r) and Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA were used to compare groups. CD4+ count correlated positively with ∆NN (r = 0.45; P = 0.003). There were no significant differences in daytime NN among groups. Nighttime SDNN index (P = 0.01), nighttime r-MSSD (P = 0.003), ∆NN (P = 0.01), ∆SDNN index (P = 0.03) and ∆r-MSSD (P = 0.004) were significantly lower in group 3 than in the other groups. Expected nighttime QTc-interval lengthening was not observed in all groups. In perinatally HIV-infected preschool children with preserved left ventricular systolic function, parasympathetic-mediated autonomic dysfunction parallels immune status, impairing both RRV and circadian QTc interval adaptation.

Fatores prognósticos para o desenvolvimento cognitivo de prematuros de muito baixo peso

OBJETIVO: Crianças prematuras, de muito baixo peso, podem apresentar alterações em seu desenvolvimento cognitivo. No Brasil, pouco se conhece sobre a evolução dessas crianças na idade pré-escolar. O objetivo do estudo foi descrever o desenvolvimento cognitivo de uma população de recém-nascidos prematuros de muito baixo peso e verificar possíveis fatores prognósticos para desenvolvimento cognitivo anormal. MÉTODOS: Um estudo de coorte foi realizado com uma população de crianças pré-escolares, nascidas prematuras, de muito baixo peso, entre janeiro de 1991 e setembro de 1993. O desenvolvimento cognitivo foi avaliado por meio do teste WPPSI-R (Wechsler Preschool and Primary Intelligence Scales) aplicado por psicólogas, utilizando dois pontos de corte para definição de anormalidade: escores abaixo de 1 e 2, desvios padrões da média (DP). RESULTADOS: Foram avaliadas 79 crianças de quatro a cinco anos de idade. A média do escore total do teste WIPPSI-R foi de 75,6 (±11,9). A incidência de escore total anormal foi de 77,2% e de 32,9% (1DP e 2 DP, respectivamente). Após o ajuste por "tipo de parto", ser pequeno para a idade gestacional (OR=6,19; IC95% 1,60-23,86), ultra-som transfontanela anormal (OR=5,90; IC95% 1,04-9,83) e ser do sexo masculino (OR=3,20; IC 95% 1,32-26,35) foram os fatores que predisseram escore total <70 (2 DP). CONCLUSÃO: Houve maior comprometimento do desenvolvimento cognitivo nas crianças estudadas do que o descrito na literatura. Ser pequeno para idade gestacional, ultra-som transfontanela anormal e sexo masculino foram fatores prognósticos de pior evolução.

Effect of the exposure to maternal smoking during pregnancy and childhood on the body mass index until adolescence

OBJECTIVE Investigate the effect of exposure to smoking during pregnancy and early childhood on changes in the body mass index (BMI) from birth to adolescence.METHODS A population-based cohort of children (0-5 years old) from Cuiabá, Midwest Brazil, was assessed in 1999-2000 (n = 2,405). Between 2009 and 2011, the cohort was re-evaluated. Information about birth weight was obtained from medical records, and exposure to smoking during pregnancy and childhood was assessed at the first interview. Linear mixed effects models were used to estimate the association between exposure to maternal smoking during pregnancy and preschool age, and the body mass index of children at birth, childhood and adolescence.RESULTS Only 11.3% of the mothers reported smoking during pregnancy, but most of them (78.2%) also smoked during early childhood. Among mothers who smoked only during pregnancy (n = 59), 97.7% had smoked only in the first trimester. The changes in body mass index at birth and in childhood were similar for children exposed and those not exposed to maternal smoking. However, from childhood to adolescence the rate of change in the body mass index was higher among those exposed only during pregnancy than among those who were not exposed.CONCLUSIONS Exposure to smoking only during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, seems to affect changes in the body mass index until adolescence, supporting guidelines that recommend women of childbearing age to stop smoking.

Pre-harvest cane burning and health: the association between school absences and burning sugarcane fields

The objective of this study was to investigate an association between pre-harvest sugarcane burning and respiratory diseases in children under five years of age. The following data were collected in five schools in the city of Araraquara, SP, Southeastern Brazil, between March and June 2009: daily records of absences and the reasons stated for these absences, total concentration of suspended particulate matter (µg/m3), and air humidity. The relationship between the percentage of school absences due to respiratory problems and the concentration of particulate matter in March and from April to June presented a distinct behavior: absences increased alongside the increase in particulate matter concentration. The use of school absences as indicators of this relationship is an innovative approach.

Study of enteroparasites infection frequency and chemotherapeutic agents used in pediatric patients in a community living in Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

Parasitic infections caused by intestinal protozoan and helminths affect more than two billion people worldwide and chemotherapy is the most commonly used therapeutic procedure. Considering the problems created by parasitic infections and the incorrect use of drugs, the aim of this work was to detect the frequency of enteroparasites infection and to estimate the use of chemotherapeutic agents in children living in the periphery of the city of Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Ninety-six preschool age children, who had parasitological exams and who used antiparasitic drugs, were analyzed. The efficacy of treatment was evaluated by stool examination repeated six months after treatment. The same diagnostic test was used to evaluate parasitological cure, which was defined as absence of eggs and cysts in the stool. From these children, 79 (82.3%) were contaminated by some species of parasite, the most prevalent were Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and Giardia lamblia. The most commonly used drugs were mebendazole (86% of prescriptions) and metronidazole (30.3%). The cure rate in the 79 children, examined 6 months after treatment, was 65.3% for A. lumbricoides and 66.1% for T. trichiura. This study suggests that a continuous education program regarding the prevention and treatment of parasitic infections is an essential tool for their eradication.

Characterization of rabies virus isolated from a colony of Eptesicus furinalis bats in Brazil

Some bat species have adapted to the expanding human population by acquiring the ability to roost in urban buildings, increasing the exposure risk for people and domestic animals, and consequently, the likelihood of transmitting rabies. Three dead bats were found in the yard of a house in an urban area of Jundiaí city in the state of São Paulo in southeast Brazil. Two of the three bats tested positive for rabies, using Fluorescent Antibody and Mouse Inoculation techniques. A large colony of Eptesicus furinalis was found in the house's attic, and of the 119 bats captured, four more tested positive for rabies. The objectives of this study were to report the rabies diagnosis, characterize the isolated virus antigenically and genetically, and study the epidemiology of the colony.

Culex saltanensis Dyar, 1928: natural vector of Plasmodium juxtanucleare in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Searching for the natural vector of Plasmodium juxtanucleare in an enzootic locality: Granjas Calábria (33% of the chickens infected), Jacarepaguá, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 13 comparative captures of mosquitoes were carried out, simultaneously on man (out-doors) and on chiken (in a poultry-yard), between 6 and 9 p.m., from September to March 1989. Culex saltanensis was the most frequent species in captures on chicken, accounting for 41.7% of the mosquitoes collected on this bait, showing to be highly ornithophilic (90% captured on chicken versus 10% on man). Seven specimens of Cx. saltanensis were found naturally infected in granjas Calábria: five with mature pedunculate oocysts and two with sporozoites (on in the haemocoele and one in the salivary glands). These sporozoites porudced an infection by P. juxtanucleare in a chick, which had parasitemia on day 41 after inoculation. One Cx. coronator was found with mature pedunculate oocysts. Culex saltanensis was regarded as primary vector of P. juxtanucleare in Rio de Janeiro for being highly ornithophilic and in enough density to maintain the transmission, having been found with infective sporozoites in its salivary glands, and being susceptible to the parasite and able to transmit experimentally it by the bite.

Evidence of colonization of man-made ecotopes by Triatoma dimidiata (Latreille, 1811) in Costa Rica

Triatoma dimidiata adults have been frequently found, during the last five years, in a dog kennel and a chicken coop, in the back yard of a well-built house, 15 km from San José, the capital of Costa Rica. In the chicken coop nymphs were also found. Two of the 11 dogs from the kennel were serologically positive for Trypanosoma cruzi infection. The inhabitants of the house, three adults and two children, were negative. This type of colonization by the insect, which is attracted to lights, is becoming common in old and new settlements, with different degrees of success, a fact with epidemiological implications and great relevance in the control strategies that can be applied.

Prevalence and intensity of soil-transmitted helminthiasis in the city of Portoviejo (Ecuador)

We studied the stool samples of 151 school children in a district of the city of Portoviejo (Ecuador) in order to determine the prevalence and intensity of soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) and their relationships with anthropometric indices. The samples were analyzed with the semiquantitative Kato-Katz technique and the intensity of infections was categorized as light, moderate or high according to the thresholds set by the World Health Organization. Prevalence of soil transmitted helmintiasis was 65% (92 out of 141 collected samples), Ascaris lumbricoides was the most common STH (63%) followed by Trichuris trichiura (10%) and hookworm (1.4%). Heavy intensity infections were found in 8.5% of the stool samples, with T. trichiura showing higher worm burdens than A. lumbricoides. Sixteen percent of the children were below the third percentile for weight (wasted), while 27% were below the third percentile for height (stunted). A significant relationship was found between the worm burden and the degree of stunting. This study suggests that the periodic administration of an antihelminthic drug should be targeted to preschool and school children to allow a normal growth spurt and prevent stunting.

Clinical and mycological study of scalp white piedra in the State of Paraíba, Brazil

White piedra is a superficial mycoses characterized by nodules on the hair shaft, caused by the basidiomycetous yeasts. In the present study, clinical and mycological findings of scalp white piedra caused by Trichosporon spp. are related. Twenty three cases of scalp white piedra were observed with a high incidence in women (87%) and preschool children from 2 to 6 (74%) years old. These groups presented a relationship of dependence with this infection. Despite the low socio-economic status, poor standards of hygiene, (48% of the patients) as well as the fact that 30.4% of the children shared the same nursery, these factors were not significant for the transmission of the mycosis. These were the first reports of scalp white piedra in João Pessoa city, Paraíba, Brazil.

Human toxocariasis: a seroepidemiological survey in schoolchildren of Sorocaba, Brazil

A seroepidemiological survey for toxocariasis, among 180 schoolchildren of the public schools of Sorocaba City, state of São Paulo, Brazil, was carried out from August 2000 to July 2001. ELISA test was performed using excretory and secretory antigens for the detection of IgG anti-Toxocara antibodies. Information regarding the children was obtained from the parents or legal guardians. The results showed that the mean age was 5.4 ± 1.4 years, the infection coefficient (IC) was 38.3 and the infection risk was higher among the children living in the city outskirts (IC = 47.4) where the socioeconomic conditions were worse than in the central region of the city (IC = 11.1). There was an association between higher frequency of seroreactivity in the ELISA test and the condition of living in a house with a yard and/or unpaved street. The same was observed in relation to a history of enteroparasitism. There was also an association between a seronegative ELISA test and previous treatment of pet dogs and/or cats with vermifuge. Based on these results, the authors propose that public health programs should include anthelmintic for dogs and cats during the antirabies vaccination campaigns, in order to diminish environmental contamination with Toxocara spp. eggs and consequently human infection.

Urban distribution of Phlebotominae in a cutaneous leishmaniasis focus, Argentina

Urbanization and vector domestication are currently proposed as factors that contributed to the recent increase of American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL). Is likely also urban transmission? Oran is the main city in the Argentinean hyper-endemic area of ACL, and human cases in urban residences are usually reported. In order to assess the spatial distribution of risk, phlebotomine traps were located in different environments of Oran. A total of 7,787 sand flies were captured: Lutzomyia neivai (98.1%), Lutzomyia migonei (1.2%), Lutzomyia cortelezzii (0.7%), and one Lutzomyia shannoni. During the season of transmission (April-May) a single sand fly was obtained in one out of five urban sites, while a trap in a peri-urban pigsty captured up to 2,985 Lu. neivai/night. Captures performed in the other season of vector activity (September-October) revealed that small-scale changes in the pigsty environment resulted in noticeable changes in the abundance of Lu. neivai. In addition, in a new neighbourhood, on the fringe of the city, 1,073 Lu. neivai/site were captured in the forested edge but one in the yard of the houses. Therefore, in this urban ACL focus the human-vector effective contact risk is still associated with peri-urban vegetation and ecotone modifications despite the urban residence of the cases.