The ecology of Triatoma sordida in natural environments in two different regions of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil

A study was undertaken about T. sordida in the natural environment in two different regions of the state of Minas Gerais: Itapagipe (Triângulo), an area of cerrado modified by the formation of fields of pasture and agriculture, and Mato Verde (north) an area of transition between caatinga and cerrado with profound deforestation in the last years due to the expansion of cotton cultivation. In both regions the principal ecotopes identified were hollow trees and the bark of live or dead trees, where the occurrence of a food source is not frequent. In this environment, the triatomines utilize various food sources; opposums appear to represent an important source of infection. In the north of Minas, a greater concentration of reservoirs and vectors was observed than in the Triángulo which could explain the higher level of infection of the triatomines in the north. Close attention to the process of domiciliation of T. sordida in the north of Minas is recommended where an extensive intervention by man in the natural environment has occurred and where a rise in the population of triatomines in the peridomestic environment has been observed in recent years.

Production of Shistosoma mansoni cercariae by Biomphalaria glabrata from a focus in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais

The snail density, levels of infection and the monthly production of Schistosoma mansoni cercariae by Biomphalaria glabrata were determined in a focus of Barreiro de Baixo (Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil). During a period of 38 months (1984 to 1987) 5,366 snails were collected of which 324 (6.03%) were infected with S. mansoni. The total number of cercariae shed was 5,667,312. Each snail shed an average of 17,422 cercariae during the time that it was under study in the laboratory. The greatest longevity of infected snails was 218 days. Natural cure was observed in 42 (12.9%) of the infected specimens about 130 days after collection. The average snail density in the focus during the period of study was 16.3 snails per scoop. The shedding of cercariae by snails collected from the field was compared with laboratory bred specimens infected in mass with the LE strain of S. mansoni from Belo Horizonte. The laboratory infected snails shed an average of 6,061 cercariae each, a value 2.8 times less than the field specimens due to a shorter life span. The prevalence of schistosomiasis in the focus was 14.3%.

Clinical-epidemiologic study of schistosomiasis mansoni in Ponte do Pasmado, a village in the municipality of Itinga, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, 1992

A clinical-epidemiologic study of schistosomiasis mansoni was conducted in the population of Ponte do Pasmado, a village in the municipality of Itinga, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Faecal Parasitology by the Kato-Katz method and clinical examination were performed in 93.8% and 82.8% of the local population, respectively. A socioeconomic survey was also made and the signs and symptoms presented by the patients were recorded, as well as their contacts with natural waters. The rate of Schistosoma mansoni infection was 50.3%; the peak of infection occurred during the second decade of life; there was a predominance of low egg counts in faeces (85.89% of positive patients eliminated less than 500 eggs per gram of faeces); the splenomegaly rate was 1.23%. When the risk factors for S. mansoni infection were studied, significant risks were detected in activities such as fetching water, washing dishes, bathing, and crossing streams.

Intestinal parasites in school food handlers in the city of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil

In order to verify the presence of intestinal parasites in food handlers, stool samples were collected from 104 cooks and their helpers that were working in food preparation in 20 public elementary schools, in various areas of the city of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The samples were collected during the months of November and December, 1988, in plastic flasks containing a 10% formaldehyde solution and processed by the Hoffmann, Pons & Janer method. The sediment was examined using triplicate slides. All individuals were females aged between 24 to 69 years. Intestinal parasites were found in 85.0% of the studied schools and 47.1% of the studied food handlers (cooks and helpers) were found to be positive. Among the 49 infected food handlers, 32 (65.3%) carried a single parasite and 17 (34.7%) carried two parasites. The following intestinal parasites were found: Giardia lamblia (21.1%), Entamoeba coli (21.1%), hookworms (9.6%), Ascaris lumbricoides (5.8%), Entamoeba histolytica (2.9%), Hymenolepis nana (1.9%), Strongyloides stercoralis (1.0%). These data emphasize the need for a rigid semi-annual control in all school food handlers, including diagnosis, specific treatment and orientation about the mechanisms of transmission of the intestinal parasites.

RE-EVALUATION OF SCHISTOSOMIASIS MANSONI IN MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL. III. "NOROESTE DE MINAS" MESOREGION

This study was conducted to assess the presence of schistosomiasis mansoni in the "Noroeste de Minas" mesoregion, an area considered non-endemic. A malacologic survey and parasitologic stool examinations were undertaken in 13 municipalities of the mesoregion. A sample of 3,283 primary school students was submitted to fecal examination by the Kato-Katz method. A total of 3,627 planorbids was collected and examined. The molluscs were identified as Biomphalaria straminea in seven municipalities (Unaí, Bonfinópolis de Minas, Paracatu, João Pinheiro, Vazante, Lagamar and Lagoa Grande) and as Biomphalaria peregrina in one (Presidente Olegário). All planorbids were negative for Schistosoma mansoni. Four students were diagnosed with schistosomiasis in the municipalities of Buritis, Formoso, Paracatu and Unaí, but none of these cases was considered autochthonous. The data obtained indicate that the "Noroeste de Minas" mesoregion continues to be non-endemic for schistosomiasis mansoni, although the presence of intermediate hosts associated with parasitized individuals emphasizes the need for epidemiological surveillance of schistosomiasis in this mesoregion.

HIV-1/2 indeterminate Western blot results: follow-up of asymptomatic blood donors in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

The clinical and public health importance of indeterminate results in HIV-1/2 testing is still difficult to evaluate in volunteer blood donors. At Fundação Hemominas, HIV-1/2 ELISA is used as the screening test and, if reactive, is followed by Western blot (WB). We have evaluated 84 blood donors who had repeatedly reactive ELISA tests for HIV-1/2, but indeterminate WB results. Sixteen of the 84 donors (19.0%) had history of sexually transmitted diseases; 18/84 (21.4%) informed receiving or paying for sex; 3/84 (3.6%) had homosexual contact; 2/26 women (7.6%) had past history of multiple illegal abortions and 3/84 (3.6%) had been previously transfused. Four out of 62 donors (6.5%) had positive anti-nuclear factor (Hep2), with titles up to 1:640. Parasitological examination of the stool revealed eggs of S. mansoni in 4/62 (6.4%) donors and other parasites in 8/62 (12.9%). Five (5.9%) of the subjects presented overt seroconversion for HIV-1/2, 43/84 (51.2%) had negative results on the last visit, while 36/84 (42.9%) remained WB indeterminate. Although some conditions could be found associated with the HIV-1/2 indeterminate WB results and many donors had past of risky behavior, the significance of the majority of the results remains to be determined.

Parasitological and immunological diagnoses of strongyloidiasis in immunocompromised and non-immunocompromised children at Uberlândia, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Parasitological and immunological diagnoses were part of a study conducted among 151 children, 83 immunocompromised (IC) and 68 non-immunocompromised (non-IC) aged from zero to 12, seen at the University Hospital, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, from February, 1996, to June, 1998. Three fecal samples from each child were analyzed for the parasitological diagnosis by Baermann-Moraes and Lutz methods. The immunological diagnosis to detect IgG and IgM antibodies was carried out by the indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) with cryo-microtome sections of Strongyloides stercoralis and Strongyloides ratti larvae as antigens and by the ELISA test with an alkaline extract of S. ratti as the antigens. Of the 151 children 5 (3.31%) were infected with larvae of S. stercoralis (2 cases IC, 2.41%, and 3 cases non-IC, 4.41%). The IFAT-IgG detected 7 (8.43%) serum samples positive among IC, and 2 (2.94%) cases among non-IC. The ELISA-IgG test detected 10 (12.05%) serum samples positive among IC, and 1 (1.47%) case among non-IC. The IFAT-IgM detected 6 (7.22%) positive cases among IC, and 3 (4.41%) cases among non-IC. ELISA-IgM test detected 10 (12.05%) positive cases among IC, and 3 (4.41%) cases among non-IC. It was concluded that the immunological tests can help in the diagnosis of strongyloidiasis in immunocompromised children.

Salud y Seguridad del Trabajo en Portugal : apuntes diversos

RESUMO - El autor aborda algunos aspectos relativos a la Salud y Seguridad del Trabajo (SST) en Portugal llamando la atención para, esencialmente, intentar sostener la tesis de que, desde mediados de la década de los 90, se observaron importantes avances en la mejoría de las condiciones del trabajo en la perspectiva de la SST, aunque se mantuvieron algunos problemas en la práctica concreta de las normativas legales. Incluso con estas mejoras, las tasas de frecuencia de accidentes de trabajo y de enfermedades profesionales en Portugal todavía se mantienen muy elevadas necesitando, por tanto, estrategias más “agresivas” para concienciar la sociedad portuguesa en torno a las políticas públicas de SST efectivamente promotoras de prevención de riesgos profesionales y de la promoción de la salud de quien trabaja. Es por tanto indispensable que la protección de la salud y de la seguridad de los trabajadores en los puestos de trabajo sea encarada como un conjunto de actividades de indiscutible utilidad para todos los representantes del mundo del trabajo e que la agenda política pase a valorizar, aún más, la promoción de espacios de trabajo saludables y seguros, con la consecuente valorización de las variables individuales en la estrategia nacional de salud y seguridad.--------------------------ABSTRACT – In the present work, the author analyzes several aspects of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) in Portugal. He provides evidence sustaining the assumption of an important progress, since the mid-nineties, in the improvement of the working conditions from an OHS perspective. Nevertheless, several problems still remain in the practical application of legal regulations. In addition, despite of these improvements, the frequency rates of working accidents and occupational diseases remain very high. Hence, more “aggressive” strategies are required to increase the awareness of the Portuguese society relative to the OHS public policies, whose effectiveness has been demonstrated either in terms of occupational risks prevention and workers health promotion. The protection of workers’ health and safety at the workplace must then be assumed as an activity of indisputable utility by all stakeholders. The political agenda must thus promote even more the promotion of healthy and safe workplaces. As a consequence, there would be also a higher development of individual aspects, and not only environmental data, in the national strategy of occ

Anti-Taenia solium metacestodes antibodies in serum from blood donors from four cities of Triângulo Mineiro area, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 1995

Serological survey was performed to detect IgG antibodies anti-Taenia solium metacestodes in blood donors of Hemocentro Regional de Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. A total of 1133 sera from blood donors coming from four cities of Triângulo Mineiro area were analyzed by the indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT) and the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Specific IgG antibodies were found in 5.6% of the studied population, showing differences in the positive rates according to their origin: Araguari (13.5%), Tupaciguara (5.0%), Monte Alegre de Minas (4.8%) and Uberlândia (4.7%). The results indicate the probable endemicity of cysticercosis in this population.

Seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in chronic chagasic patients, and in the rural and urban population from Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil

As patients with chronic Chagas disease exhibit morphological and functional changes of the stomach (hypomotility and hypochlorhydria), malnutrition, immunological deficiency and high prevalence of peptic disease associated to Helicobater pylori infection, the purpose of this study was to evaluate if the prevalence of H. pylori infection in chronic chagasic is higher than in non-chagasic individuals in the urban and rural population from Uberlândia, MG, Brazil. Serological determination of IgG antibodies to H. pylori was performed using a second-generation ELISA. Thus, 598 people were evaluated: 128 chagasic (CG), 222 non-chagasic living in urban area (U-NCG) and 248 non-chagasic living in rural area (R-NCG). Regarding the age range from 21 to 50 years, the prevalence of H. pylori infection in the CG (85.1%) was significantly higher than in the U-NCG (56.3%, p < 0.01) and the R-NCG (67.4%, p < 0.05). In the patients over 50 years, the prevalence in the CG (86.4%) was similar to the U-NCG (78.8%) and R-NCG (86.1%). Similar results were also found between the U-NCG and R-NCG for all age ranges, with prevalence rates of 29.1% and 35.3% for the age range from 5 to 13 years, and 47.2% and 40% for that from 14 to 20 years, respectively. We conclude that chagasic patients showed a higher seroprevalence of H. pylori infection than non-chagasic individuals, in the age range from 21 to 50 years, and that the prevalence of this infection was similar in the studied urban and rural non-chagasic population.

Intestinal parasites and commensals among individuals from a landless camping in the rural area of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil

We evaluated the occurrence of intestinal parasites and commensals among children and adults from a landless camping in the rural area of Uberlândia, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, from October to November 2001. Stool samples from 78 individuals were examined by both the Baermann-Moraes and Lutz methods. Fifty-one (65.4%; CI 54.8 - 76.0) individuals were found to be infected, 23 (45.1%) children and 28 (54.9%) adults, of whom 34 (66.7%) were mono-infected, 9 (17.6%) bi-infected, and 8 (15.7%) poly-infected. In conclusion, the high prevalence of intestinal parasites and commensals suggests that parasitological exams should be periodically carried out in addition to the sanitation education and health special care in this population.