Trauma and envenoming caused by stingrays and other fish in a fishing community in Pontal do Paranapanema, state of São Paulo, Brazil: epidemiology, clinical aspects, and therapeutic and preventive measures

INTRODUÇÃO: Os acidentes causados por peixes são comuns em comunidades de pescadores fluviais no Brasil, sendo acidentes ocupacionais na maioria das vezes. Estas populações não têm informações dos mecanismos de trauma e envenenamento. MÉTODOS: Através de um questionário aplicado aos pescadores, foram obtidos dados clínicos e epidemiológicos sobre acidentes em Rosana, Pontal do Paranapanema, Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Estes dados foram analisados e convertidos em um programa de prevenção e tratamento de acidentes através de um folheto de fácil assimilação RESULTADOS: Trinta e nove pescadores responderam o questionário. Todos os pacientes apresentaram ferimentos causados por algum peixe. Dos peixes mencionados, mandijubas (Pimelodus maculatus) foram os mais associados aos ferimentos, mas outros também causaram traumas. em relação às arraias, seis pescadores tinham sido envenenados. Dor intensa e úlceras foram os principais sintomas. Aproximadamente metade dos acidentados usou apenas medidas de tratamentos populares. CONCLUSÕES: Os pescadores apresentaram acidentes múltiplos por mandis, que são peçonhentos e causam dor intensa, assim como traumas por outros peixes, como surubins, traíras, corvinas de água doce e piranhas. Cerca de 16% dos entrevistados apresentaram envenenamento por arraias. Nossos dados e experiência prévia permitiram a criação de um folheto de fácil assimilação pelas populações locais que pode ajudar os pescadores de forma efetiva, em uma área extremamente carente de serviços de saúde e prevenção de doenças. Esta iniciativa é aplicável a toda a bacia do Rio da Prata, área extensa e de fauna similar.

Insect Venom Peptides

The insects of the order Hymenoptera ( bees, wasps, and ants) are classified in two groups, based on their life history: social and solitary. The venoms of the social Hymenoptera evolved to be used as defensive tools to protect the colonies of these insects from the attacks of predators. Generally they do not cause lethal effects but cause mainly inflammatory and/or immunological reactions in the victims of their stings. However, sometimes it is also possible to observe the occurrence of systemic effects like respiratory and/or kidney failure. Meanwhile, the venoms of solitary Hymenoptera evolved mainly to cause paralysis of the preys in order to permit egg laying on/within the prey's body; thus, some components of these venoms cause permanent/transient paralysis in the preys, while other components seem to act preventing infections of the food and future progenies. The peptide components of venoms from Hymenoptera are spread over the molar mass range of 1400 to 7000 da and together comprise up to 70% of the weight of freeze-dried venoms. Most of these toxins are linear polycationic amphipatic peptides with a high content of alpha-helices in their secondary structures. These peptides generally account for cell lysis, hemolysis, antibiosis, and sometimes promote the delivery of cellular activators/mediators through interaction with the G-protein receptor, and perhaps some of them are even immunogenic components. In addition to these peptides, the Hymenopteran venoms also may contain a few neurotoxins that target Na+ and/or Ca+2 channels or even the nicotinic ACh receptor. This review summarizes current knowledge of the biologically active Hymenoptera venoms.

General morphology and ultrastructure of the venom apparatus and convoluted gland of the fire ant, Solenopsis saevissima

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Hyperalgesic and edematogenic effects of peptides isolated from the venoms of honeybee (Apis mellifera) and neotropical social wasps (Polybia paulista and Protonectarina sylveirae)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Acidentes por lepidópteros (larvas e adultos de mariposas): estudo dos aspectos epidemiológicos, clínicos e terapêuticos

Os autores apresentam e discutem aspectos dos acidentes causados por larvas de lepidópteros (mariposas), enfatizando as manifestações dermatológicas e a dor intensa que caracterizam estes agravos. Além disso, são apresentadas larvas de mariposas que causam manifestações extracutâneas, tais como severos distúrbios de coagulação e artropatias anquilosantes, e ainda dermatites provocadas por insetos adultos. Os principais grupos de lepidópteros causadores de acidentes em humanos são demonstrados, e as medidas terapêuticas atualizadas são discutidas. O lepidopterismo e o erucismo são acidentes comuns, e é importante que o dermatologista saiba reconhecer e tratar esse tipo de envenenamento.

Description of an injury in a human caused by a false tocandira (Dinoponera gigantea, Perty, 1833) with a revision on folkloric, pharmacological and clinical aspects of the giant ants of the genera Paraponera and Dinoponera (sub-family Ponerinae)

A partir de um acidente causado pela picada de uma formiga falsa tocandira na mão de um pescador amador, os autores descrevem os achados clínicos locais observados, tais como edema, eritema e dor excruciante e a evolução do envenenamento, que cursou com fenômenos sistêmicos imediatos, como sudorese fria, náuseas, vômitos, mal estar, taquicardia e linfadenopatia axilar à esquerda. Após três horas, a dor intensa persistia e o paciente apresentou um episódio de hematoquesia, sem história anterior de enfermidades do trato digestivo, hematológicas ou vasculares. O uso de analgésicos (Tramal® 300 mg/dia), água quente e gelo não melhorou a dor, que arrefeceu em oito horas, tendo permanecido por cerca de 24 horas. São apresentados ainda os aspectos folclóricos, farmacológicos e clínicos relacionados às picadas de tocandiras.

The Triplaria tree (Triplaris spp) and Pseudomyrmex ants: a symbiotic relationship with risks of attack for humans

The authors report a massive attack by Pseudomyrmex ants on a human who touched a Triplaria - novice tree (Triplaris spp). The ants naturally live in these trees and their stings cause intense pain and discrete to moderate local inflammation. The problem is common in sonic Brazilian regions and can be prevented by identifying the trees.

Animais aquáticos de importância médica no Brasil

The injuries caused by venomous and poisonous aquatic animals may provoke important morbidity in the victim. The cnidarians (jellyfishes, especially cubomedusas and Portuguese-Man-of-War) caused nearly 25% of 236 accidents by marine animals, while sea urchins were responsible for about 50% and catfish, stingrays and scorpionfish nearly 25%). In freshwater, stingrays and catfish cause injuries with a very similar mechanism to the poisoning and the effects of the toxins of marine species. In a series of about 200 injuries observed among freshwater fishermen, nearly 40% were caused by freshwater catfish, 5% freshwater stingrays and 55% by traumatogenic fish, such as piranhas and trairas. The author presents the aquatic animals that cause injuries to humans in Brazil, the clinical aspects of the envenoming and the first measures for the control of the severe pain observed mainly in the accidents caused by cnidarians and venomous fishes.

Piranha Attacks on Humans in Southeast Brazil: Epidemiology, Natural History, and Clinical Treatment, with Description of a Bite Outbreak

There are many tales describing ferocious schools of piranha attacking humans, but there are few scientific data supporting such behavior. The very few documented instances of humans attacked and eaten by piranha schools include 3 that occurred after death by other causes (eg, heart failure and drowning). These predaceous fishes, however, do occasionally injure bathers and swimmers in lakes and rivers. The characteristic profile of most injuries is a single bite per victim, generally related to the fish defending its brood. This paper describes an outbreak of piranha bites in a dammed river portion in southeast Brazil. The outbreak was caused by the speckled piranha, Serrasalmus spilopleura, a widespread species which benefits from the growing tendency of damming rivers all over Brazil. This article focuses on the epidemiological and clinical aspects of the injuries, as well as on piranha biology, to gain a better understanding of the natural history of bite outbreaks.

A fatal attack caused by a lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris) in Southeastern Brazil

A 55-year-old man was attacked by a Brazilian tapir (Tapirus terrestris) after surprising and stabbing the animal in his corn plantation. The victim received deep bites in the thighs, neck, and cervical areas, resulting in severe hemorrhage and death. This is the first report of a tapir incident resulting in death and is of interest because of the severity of the contusions and lacerations caused by the provoked animal.

The spiny dogfish (Squalus cubensis/megalops group): the envenoming of a fisherman, with taxonomic and toxinological comments on the Squalus genus.

The authors report a spiny dogfish (Squalus cubensis/megalops group) sting of a professional fisherman. He was injured on the left hand by the spine anterior to the fish's dorsal fin and manifested local edema, erythema, and excruciating pain for 6 h. Sharks of the genus Squalus megalops/cubensis and Squalus acanthias are found throughout the world; they have two spines in front of their dorsal fins and channels with a whitish mass containing large vacuolated cells which secrete venom. The Squalus genus has a complex taxonomy; the species involved in this injury belongs to the megalops/cubensis group. A detailed taxonomic and toxinological study on the Squalus genus is important and would complement other work on these fish, especially as stings in humans are very rare and not fully understood.

Puncture wounds by driftwood catfish during bucket baths: Local habits of riverside people and fish natural history in the Amazon

Objective. - To assess the prevalence of stings by small spiny driftwood catfish (carataí) of the genus Centromochlus (Auchenipteridae) accidentally caught in buckets during bucket bathing by riverside people along the Brazilian Amazon and to determine the probability of catching specimens of these fish during random throws of a bucket into the river. Methods. - We interviewed 27 adult residents living at the confluence of the Negro and Solimões rivers in Brazil regarding whether or not they had ever been stung by driftwood catfish while bucket bathing. To assess the likelihood of catching catfish in bathing buckets, we randomly threw a typical plastic bucket used for bathing in 4 series of 10 throws into the river at dusk or night around a floating house. Results. - Seventeen of the 27 subjects (63%) reported being injured by driftwood catfish during bucket bathing. Three individuals (17.6%) had been injured 2 to 3 times, totaling 23 puncture accidents. All stings occurred at dusk or early night. In the 4 series of 10 bucket throws, we caught 3 driftwood catfish (in 1 series we did not catch any fish). Thus, the chance of catching a driftwood catfish in a single bucket throw at dusk was slightly less than 10%. Conclusions. - The prevalence of stings by driftwood catfish to people bucket bathing in this section of the Brazilian Amazon is high, partly because of the relatively high chances of catching these small catfish during random throws of a bathing bucket into the river.

Bacterial contamination of the catfish (Cathorops agassizii - Valenciennes, 1839 and Genidens genidens - Agassiz, 1829) sting

This work aimed to study the bacterial contamination in stings of the catfish Genidens genidens and Cathorops agassizii found in the São Vicente estuarine system (São Paulo State, Brazil). For bacteriological analyses, we used fish samples distributed into a group of 50 specimens (25 C. agassizii and 25 G. genidens) and a group of 14 specimens (7 C. agassizii and 7 G. genidens). Results showed contamination of 13 different bacterial species of Enterobacteriaceae, being Klebsiella pneumoniae the most frequent bacteria (26.80%) followed by Enterobacter sp and Escherichia coli (16.27%), and Serratia marcescens, Serratia sp. and Proteus mirabilis (1.16%). Gram-positive bacteria as well as fungi were not detected in the samples. According to the Gram-negative species characterized and with regard to the environmental conditions, it can also be considered that accidents with these catfish stings may develop significant acute secondary infections in humans.

Caracterização microbiológica do veneno do ferrão do Bagre (Cathorops agassizii and Genidens genidens)

This work aimed to study the bacterial contamination of the catfishes stings Genidens genidens (Valenciennes, 1839); and Cathorops agassizii (Agassiz, 1829) found in the estuary-bay complex of Santos and São Vicente (São Paulo State). Fish samples for bacteriological analyses were obtained and constituted of a group of 50 specimens, being 25 of Cathorops agassizii and 25 of Genidens genidens,. The bacteriological analyses showed that there was contamination of the stings by 13 different strains of Enterobacteriaceae with Klebsiella pneumoniae (26,80%) as the most frequent bacteria and lower percentual frequencies for Enterobacter sp and Escherichia coli (16,27%) and Serratia marcescens, Serratia sp. and Proteus mirabilis (1,16%). Gram positive bacteria, as well fungi species were not detected in the samples. In basis of the Gram negative species characterized, is possible to consider the bacterial strains are representative of the environmental public health conditions, as well as, accidents with these fish stings are able to develop significative acute secondary infections in humans.