SEROLOGIC SURVEY ON HANTAVIRUS IN BLOOD DONORS FROM THE STATE OF SANTA CATARINA, BRAZIL

Emergent diseases such as Hantavirus Cardio-pulmonary Syndrome (HCPS) are able to create a significant impact on human populations due to their seriousness and high fatality rate. Santa Catarina, located in the South of Brazil, is the leading state for HCPS with 267 reported cases from 1999 to 2011. We present here a serological survey on hantavirus in blood donors from different cities of the state of Santa Catarina, with an IgG-ELISA using a recombinant nucleocapsid protein from Araraquara hantavirus as an antigen. In total, 314 donors from blood banks participated in the study, geographically covering the whole state. Among these, 14 individuals (4.4%) had antibodies to hantavirus: four of 50 (8% positivity) from Blumenau, four of 52 (7.6%) from Joinville, three of 50 (6%) from Florianópolis, two of 50 (4%) from Chapecó and one of 35 (2.8%) from Joaçaba. It is possible that hantaviruses are circulating across almost the whole state, with important epidemiological implications. Considering that the seropositive blood donors are healthy individuals, it is possible that hantaviruses may be causing unrecognized infections, which are either asymptomatic or clinically nonspecific, in addition to HCPS. It is also possible that more than one hantavirus type could be circulating in this region, causing mostly benign infections.

Reconstituição da ruptura da barragem das minas da Fonte Santa. Análise da propagação da onda de cheia no vale a jusante

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Civil

PATHOGENICITY OF Blastocystis sp. TO THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT OF MICE: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INOCULUM SIZE AND PERIOD OF INFECTION

The pathogenic potential of Blastocystis sp. in experimental models requires further investigation. In this work, the pathogenicity of this parasite in the gastrointestinal tract of male Swiss mice was evaluated according to the inoculum size and period of infection. Animals were infected intragastrically, with 100, 500, 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 Blastocystis sp. vacuolar forms obtained from a mixture of eight human isolates cultured axenically in Jones' medium. After seven, 14, 21, 28 and 60 days of infection, the animals were sacrificed and fragments of the small intestine (duodenum), large intestine, and cecum were subjected to histopathological analysis. Blastocystis sp. triggered an inflammatory response in the different tissues analyzed, with a predominance of mononuclear cells. The parasite was found in the muscular layer of the cecum, showing its invasive character. Larger inocula triggered inflammatory processes earlier (seven days) than smaller ones (from 21 days). We conclude that, in the proposed model, the pathogenicity of Blastocystis sp. isolates that were studied is related to inoculum size and period of infection.

MOLECULAR IDENTIFICATION OF Pseudoterranova azarasi LARVAE IN COD (Gadus sp.) SOLD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION IN BRAZIL

Anisakiasis and Pseudoterranovosis are human diseases caused by the ingestion of live Anisakidae larvae in raw, undercooked or lightly marinated fish. Larvae were collected from one salted cod sold for human consumption in a Sao Paulo market in 2013. One section of one brownish larva was used for molecular analyses. The partial COX2 gene sequence from the larva had a nucleotide identity of 99.8 % with Pseudoterranova azarasi, which belongs to the Pseudoterranova decipiens species complex. The risk of allergy when consuming dead larvae in salted fish is not well known and should be considered.

OCCURRENCE OF Calodium hepaticum (BANCROFT, 1893) MORAVEC, 1982 EGGS IN FECES OF DOGS AND CATS IN LAGES, SANTA CATARINA, BRAZIL

This study aims to report the incidence of Calodium hepaticum among dogs and cats, pets or stray animals, captured by the Zoonosis Control Center (CCZ) in Lages, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Fecal samples from 108 pet dogs and eight pet cats, and from 357 stray dogs and 97 stray cats, captured by CCZ, were analyzed within the period from July 2010 to November 2012. Coproparasitological exams were performed by techniques of sedimentation, centrifuge-flotation, and simple flotation. Among 465 fecal samples from dogs and 105 from cats, the overall spurious infections for C. hepaticum eggs were 1.05%. For dogs, this positivity was 0.43% and for cats it was 3.81%. The two positive dogs were stray and out of the four cats, three were stray and one was a pet. Although the occurrence of C. hepaticum eggs was low, these data reveal the existence of infected rodents, especially in public places, since, out of the six infected animals, five (83.33%) were stray. These results are discussed and analyzed with an emphasis on the risk to public health.

INFECTION BY Rickettsia felis IN OPOSSUMS (Didelphis sp.) FROM YUCATAN, MEXICO

Rickettsia felis is an emergent pathogen and the causative agent of a typhus-like rickettsiosis in the Americas. Its transmission cycle involves fleas as biological vectors (mainly Ctenocephalides felis) and multiple domestic and synanthropic mammal hosts. Nonetheless, the role of mammals in the cycle of R. felis is not well understood and many efforts are ongoing in different countries of America to clarify it. The present study describes for the first time in Mexico the infection of two species of opossum (Didelphis virginiana and D. marsupialis) by R. felis. A diagnosis was carried out from blood samples by molecular methods through the gltAand 17 kDa genes and sequence determination. Eighty-seven opossum samples were analyzed and 28 were found to be infected (32.1%) from five out of the six studied localities of Yucatan. These findings enable recognition of the potential epidemiological implications for public health of the presence of infected synanthropic Didelphis in households.

Reconstituição da rotura da barragem das minas da Fonte Santa: análise do transporte sólido no vale a jusante

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia Civil

Symptomless Plasmodium vivax parasitemias and malaria eradication in Santa Catarina State, Brazil

Thirty-nine symptomless carriers of P. vivax parasites in the blood gave blood films at monthly intervals for four to six months during the non- transmission season. It was found that parasitaemias can continue for many months. Thirteen of those studied relapsed with symptoms and were treated with chloroquine at a dosage of 600 mg for adults with proportionate doses for children. Of these nine relapsed silently while under observation: a symptomless relapse rate of approximately 70 per cent. One case had symptoms attributable to malaria close to the time of the original survey (the day before). Of the remaining 38 asymptomatic parasite carriers four showed microgametocytes in a density that suggested a potentially high infectivity and six showed microgametocytes in a density suggesting a potentially low to moderate infectivity for mosquito vectors. There was thus a proportion of one smptomatic case of malaria to 10 potentially infective symptomless parasite carriers. Because they feel no need to seek treatment, such persons may form an important reservoir of infection when vectors cannot be fully controlled by spraying. Some possible methods of dealing with such situations are discussed.

Incindência de Himenolepíase nana e Taenia sp. no Instituto de Medicina Tropical da U. F. Pernambuco no período de 1968 a 1970

Os Autores realizando um levantamento coproparasitológico no Instituto de Medicina Tropical da U.F.Pe., com relação a incidência de Hymenolepis nana e Taenia sp no período de 1968 a 1970, encontram índice de infestação muito baixo, em tôrno de 0,05% a 2,7% para Taenia sp e 0,36% para Hymenolepis nana.

Observações sobre anofelinos em Santa Catarina, Brasil

Um ciclo anual de capturas de mosquitos realizado em três localidades da Região do Litoral e Encosta de Santa Catarina, com um homemisca colocado na mata, outro na casa mais próxima e um terceiro situado entre esses dois pontos, forneceu as seguintes informações: 1) O Anopheles bellator que é um mosquito raro nas matas densas das encostas, torna-se abundante quando essas florestas são danificadas pela retirada de árvores; 2) Tanto essa espécie quanto o A. cruzii e o A. homunculus, compareceram em maior número nas capturas feitas no terreno descampado; 3) A não ser no fato do A. homunculus procurar alimento nas horas um pouco mais avançadas da noite, não se notou diferença significativa entre o comportamento dessas três espécies de anofelinos; 4) A comparação dos dados obtidos, com os de outros autores, mostrou que uma pessoa colocada fora da casa intercepta um número significativo de mosquitos; 5) Ficou bem claro que os anofelinos da região raramente pousam em paredes dedetizadas; 6) Além disso, o DDT diminui muito a proporção de exemplares que vai se alimentar dentro das casas; para o A. cruzii essa diminuição foi da ordem de 90%.

Os impactes territoriais da via rápida da ilha da Madeira (VR1): Estudo de caso do concelho de Santa Cruz

Dissertação apresentada para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Gestão do Território

O Santuário de Santa Bárbara de Padrões – uma Perspectiva Religiosa e Artística na Lusitânia dos Séculos I a III d. C.

Dissertação apresentada para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em História da Arte – Área de especialização em História da Arte da Antiguidade

Proposta de um Plano de Emergência para o Arquivo Histórico da Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa.

Relatório de Estágio apresentado para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Ciências da Informação e da Documentação – Arquivística