Estudo epidemiológico das dermatofitoses em cães e gatos atendidos no serviço de dermatologia da Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da UNESP - Botucatu

The objective of this study was to assess the medical records of the patients whose mycological culture of the hair in Sabouraud Dextrose Agar supplemented with chloramphenicol and cycloheximide was positive for dermathophytes, and review the cases of dermatophytosis. One hundred and thirty six medical records of patients (114 dogs and 22 cats) with dermatophytosis attended in a period of 54 months in the Veterinary Hospital of the UNESP - Botucatu were evaluated. Results obtained in this analysis have shown that the majority of the cultures were positive for Mycrosporum canis. There was no statistical difference between genders, but the number of defined breed dogs presenting dermatophytosis was higher than mongrel dogs. Among feline cases, however, there were a higher number of mongrel cats. The majority of the people and animals in contact with the patients did not report skin lesions. 32,5% of the dogs presented middle intensity itchiness, while in cats itchiness was absent in 77,3% of cases. 69,3% of the animals did not present clinical signs other than dermatological. Mean ages were 4 years in dogs and 3 years in cats. There was no statistical effect of season in the occurrence of dermatophytosis. Among animals submitted to Wood lamp evaluation, 40,9% of the dogs and 33,3% of the cats were positive for dermatophytes. Most dogs had generalized lesions, while the majority of cats presented focal lesions. The most common lesions observed were: alopecia, crusts and erythema.

Efficacy, safety and tolerability of terbinafine for Tinea capitis in children: Brazilian multicentric study with daily oral tablets for 1, 2 and 4 weeks

Background: Tinea capitis is a common skin disease seen predominantly in children. The standard therapies for this disease are griseofulvin and ketoconazole. Nevertheless, these drugs have drawbacks in that they are only fungistatic and require treatment for at least 6 weeks. Previous studies with oral terbinafine for the treatment of Tinea capitis have shown that this agent is effective when given for 4 weeks, comparable to an 8-week regimen with griseofulvin. To date there is no data on the use of oral terbinafine in Brazilian children. Objectives: To assess the efficacy, safety and tolerability of oral terbinafine in short-term treatments (1-, 2- and 4-week treatment) of Tinea capitis in children. Patients and methods: One hundred and thirty-two children aged 1-14 years were enrolled in this study, but only 107 were considered for the final efficacy analysis. Diagnosis included clinical assessment and examination by Wood's light. Confirmation was obtained by direct microscopy and culture for fungus. Terbinafine dosage (125 or 250 mg/day) was adjusted according to patient weight. Efficacy was evaluated both by clinical and mycological assessment. Safety and tolerability variables included data on adverse reaction and clinical laboratory evaluations. Results: Mycological evaluation in the follow-up visit at week 12 showed negative direct microscopy and culture results in 48.6, 60.5 and 69.7% patients in groups 1-, 2- and 4-week, respectively (n.s.). At week 12, 84.8% patients in group 4-week achieved clinical cure with a significant difference compared to groups 1- and 2-week, 54.3 and 60.5%, respectively (P < 0.01). Adverse reactions were present in 4.8, 6.8 and 10.9% of patients in groups 1-, 2- and 4-week, respectively. Terbinafine was not associated with clinically relevant increases in liver function tests. Conclusions: Terbinafine is an effective, well tolerated and safe antifungal agent for the treatment of Tinea capitis m children. The shorter duration of treatment resulted in lower cure rates. However, it is important to note that depending on the severity of the disease, a 1-week-only treatment can also be effective in this indication.

Epidemiologia das dermatofitoses em instituições públicas da região de Araraquara - SP

Dermatophytosis on skin, hair and nails are the most common infectious process in the world. A total of 94 individuals from Public Institutions from the city of Araraquara - Sao Paulo/Brazil, with suspected of dermatophytic lesions were examined in order to determine the incidence and etiology of dermatophytosis. 105 specimens were collected from August to December of 2001 in the Mycology Laboratory of the Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas. It was observed that 47 samples were positive for dermatophytes. Trichophyton rubrum was the prevalent specie (59.6%), followed by Microsporum canis (17%), T. tonsurans (10.6%), T. mentagrophytes (8.5%) and Epidermophyton floccosum (4.3%). T. rubrum was the most frequent in interdigital lesions (81.5%) and M. canis was the main dermatophyte involved in scalp lesions (58.3%). Therefore, it was observed a predominance of antropophilic and zoophilic species, respectively. These results are in agreement with statistical data from South and Southeast regions of Brazil, as well as from other parts of the world in which these fungi were the most frequently isolates from tinea pedis and tinea capitis. In this study, it was also observed a high percentage of T. tonsurans (41.7%) in tinea capitis and this result was different from the statistical data collected until now in our region.

Estudo da mcrobiota fúngica gastrintestinal de morcegos (Mammalia, Chiroptera) da região noroeste do estado de São Paulo: Potencial zoonótico

Bats are hosts of a rich diversity of microorganisms. Many studies indicate a close link between bats and fungi with pathogenic potential, especially for living in environments such as caves, caverns and hollow trees, favorable to the maintenance and spread of fungi. The objective was to study the gastrointestinal mycoflora of bats. Of the 98 samples belonging to 11 species of bats coming from 15 studied cities, 20% of the species were Carollia perspicillata, 19% Artibeus lituratus, 17% Molossus rufus, 13% Glossophaga soricina, 9% Nyctinomops macrotis, 8% Molossus molossus, 7% Desmodus rotundus, 2% Lasiurus ega and 1% Eptesicus furinalis, Myotis nigricans and Tadarida brasiliensis. The genus Aspergillus sp. was isolated from 29% of the samples, followed by 6% Microsporum sp. and Penicillium sp. 4% Trichophyton sp. and zygomycetes and 2% Fusarium sp. Of yeast species, 14% were from Rhodotorula sp., 10% Candida sp. and 2% Cryptococcus sp., 22% of isolates remained unidentified. All 82 cultures of organs were negative for Histoplasma capsulatum. There was a statistically significant association between the results of microbiological culture and bat species (p < 0.05). We conclude that the bats can act as disperser agents of fungi with pathogenic potential, although other studies should be performed to establish strategies to identify the main factors correlated with the growth and spread of microorganisms in nature and implication of bats in the epidemiological cycle.

Atividade antimicrobiana e imunológica in vitro dos extratos de Senna reticulata (Willd.) Irwin & Barneby (mata-pasto) E Vismia guianensis (Aubl.)(lacre)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Infecção por Leishmania chagasi em gatos com dermatopatias provenientes de área endemica para Leishmaniose visceral

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

Prospecção química e avaliação de atividade biológica de Pothomorphe Umbellata frente a algumas linhagens de dermatófitos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Prevalência de Tinea capitis em pacientes atendidos em ambulatório de Serviço Universitário

As dermatofitoses são infecções superficiais capazes de produzir lesões em tecidos queratinizados como pele, pêlo e unhas e estão entre as micoses mais freqüentes que acometem o homem. Quanto ao hospedeiro preferencial e habitat natural, os hermatófitos são classificados em antropofílicos, zoofílicos e geofílicos e são conhecidos três gêneros: Trichophyton, Microsporum e Epidermophyton. A tinea capitis é uma doença infecto-contagiosa causada por dermatófitos dos gêneros Trichophyton e Microsporum, de ocorrência predominante na infância e rara após a adolescência. Pode ser dividida em: tinha favosa, favus ou favo, tinha tricofítica e tinha microspórica. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a prevalência de tinea capitis em pacientes atendidos no Serviço de Dermatologia do Departamento de Patologia Tropical / Centro de Ciências da Saúde / Universidade Federal do Pará, no período de janeiro de 1999 a junho de 2004. Todos os pacientes com suspeita clínica da doença foram encaminhados ao Setor de Micologia para realização do exame micológico direto usando clarificador KOH 20% e cultura em Ágar Sabouraud. Foram observados 324 casos de tinea capitis, e analisados apenas 308. Destes, o sexo mais acometido foi o feminino, com 222 casos (72,1%), a faixa etária mais acometida foi de 0 a 12 anos (270 casos), com predomínio estatisticamente significante do sexo feminino em 69,6% dos pacientes em idade infantil. Entre os adultos, o sexo mais acometido foi também o feminino com 34 casos (89,5%). O agente etiológico mais freqüente foi o Trichophyton tonsurans (75,8%), seguido do Microsporum canis isolado em 17,7% dos casos. Os resultados demonstraram o predomínio de tinea capitis em crianças em idade escolar e que a espécie antropofilica Trichophyton tonsurans foi o agente mais comum de lesões no couro cabeludo.

Phytochemical characterization, antimicrobial activity, and antioxidant potential of Equisetum hyemale L. (Equisetaceae) extracts

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Microbiological quality assessment of sand and water from three selected beaches of South Coast, Sao Paulo State, Brazil

This study aimed to assess the sanitary quality of water, and wet and dry sand from three beaches located in the South Coast region of Sao Paulo State, Brazil, selected taking into account the frequency of tourists and the water quality (good, fair and poor). Thirty-six water samples each of wet and dry sand and seawater were collected monthly over a period of one year and analyzed for fecal indicator bacteria (FIB: thermotolerant coliforms, Escherichia coli, and enterococci), presumptive Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans and dermatophytes. The results revealed FIB concentrations more elevated in dry sand followed by wet sand and water. P. aeruginosa and presumptive S. aureus were detected with a similar frequency in water and sand samples, but maximum concentrations and geometric means were higher in dry sand. C. albicans was detected only in water samples whereas the dermatophyte Microsporum sp. was isolated exclusively from dry and wet sand samples. This evaluation showed also that the environment had a significant influence on P. aeruginosa but not on presumptive S. aureus concentrations. According to threshold values proposed in the literature for E. coli and enterococci dry sand densities, none of the beaches would be considered of sufficient quality for recreational activities.

Isolation of Sporothrix schenckii from the claws of domestic cats (indoor and outdoor) and in captivity in São Paulo (Brazil)

Sporotrichosis is a subcutaneous mycosis and is also a zoonosis (sapro- and anthropozoonosis). The objective of the present study was to determine the occurrence of sporotrichosis in domestic cats and in wild or exotic felines in captivity through the isolation of Sporothrix spp. from claw impressions in a culture medium. The samples included 132 felines, of which 120 (91.0 %) were domestic cats, 11 (8.3 %) were wild felines, and one (0.7 %) was an exotic felid. Twenty-one (17.5 %) were outdoor cats. Of the total, 89 (67.4 %) had contact with other animals of the same species. It was possible to isolate Sporothrix schenckii from the claws of one (0.7 %) of the felids probed; this animal exhibited generalised sporotrichosis and had infected a female veterinarian. The potential pathogenic agents Microsporum canis and Malassezia pachydermatis were isolated in 12.1 and 5.3 % of the animals, respectively. The following anemophilous fungi, which were considered to be contaminants, were also isolated: Penicillium sp. (28 or 21.2 %), Aspergillus sp. (13 or 9.8 %), Rhodotorula sp. (5 or 3.8 %), Candida sp. (5 or 3.8 %), Trichoderma sp. (1 or 0.7 %), and Acremonium sp. (1 or 0.7 %). Due to the low magnitude of occurrence (0.7 %) of Sporothrix in feline claws, the potential of the cats evaluated in this study to be sources of infection in the city of São Paulo is considerably low.

Utilización del extracto Arrabidaea chica (Mashashte) para el diagnóstico de laboratorio clínico de estructuras morfológicas de microorganismos en Microbiología Médica.

Objetivos del estudio: Encontrar propiedades de la Planta Natural Arrabidae chica para el diagnóstico de laboratorio de estructuras morfológicas de microorganismos en Microbiología Médica. Se procedió en varias fases, la primera fase: preparación de microorganismos, como: Parásitos, Hongos y Bacterias, entre ellos: 1. Protozoos Intestinales: Quistes y Trofozoitos de Amebas, Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba coli, Trichuris trichiura; Strongyloides stercoralis, 2. Micosis: M. canis, M. gypseum, 3. Bacterias: Eschericihia coli, S. aureus, S. Epidermidis.

Tinha do couro cabeludo – importância do tratamento atempado para prevenção da alopécia cicatricial

Introdução: A tinha do couro cabeludo é a infeção fúngica superficial mais frequente nas crianças. O Microsporum spp e o Trichophyton spp são os principais agentes etiológicos envolvidos. Caso clínico: Descrevemos o caso clínico de um menino de cinco anos com diagnóstico de tinha do couro cabeludo complicada por querion com posterior desenvolvimento de alopécia cicatricial de grandes dimensões apesar do tratamento com griseofulvina oral. Conclusão: O tratamento da tinha do couro cabeludo é simples e eficaz. É essencial a sua identificação precoce e um tratamento atempado para prevenir uma alopécia cicatricial frequentemente perturbadora para o doente.