First report of rabies in vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) in an urban area, Ubatuba, São Paulo state, Brazil

The purpose of this report is to record the first case of a hematophagous bat (Desmodus rotundus) infected with rabies virus in an urban area in Brazil. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first such case in Latin America. After discovering a bat in his garden at 10 o'clock in the morning, a resident of Ubatuba municipality asked the Zoonosis Control Center team to visit his home. The animal was caught alive on the same day and sent to the Pasteur Institute laboratory, where it was identified as a Desmodus rotundus specimen. Standard tests for rabies diagnosis were carried out (direct immunofluorescence and viral isolation), and the results were positive. The presence of different species of (primarily insectivorous) bats in urban areas represents a serious public health problem. This case, however, is indicative of a much greater risk because the species in question has hematophagous habits, what means this animals has a low energy reserves and, therefore, its need to feed daily.

Environmental contamination by Toxocara spp. Eggs in a rural settlement in Brazil

In order to study the environmental contamination by Toxocara spp. eggs in a rural community from the Pontal do Paranapanema region, São Paulo State, Brazil, soil samples from 31 out of 121 plots were collected in eight different places on each house. The samples were submitted to flotation technique in sodium nitrate (d = 1.20g/cm³). Eggs of Toxocara spp. were recovered in nine (29.03%) out of the 31 plots. At least one dog was registered in 27 of the 31 plots examined (87.1%) and at least one cat in 17 (54.84%). The number of pets per plot ranged from one to six (mean of 2.3) for dogs and one to 14 (mean of 1.29) for cats. In 16 plots (51.61%), the presence of both dogs and cats was observed. There was no relation between the presence of pets in the plots and soil contamination (p > 0.05). However, the environmental contamination by Toxocara spp. eggs associated to the poor conditions of the inhabitants may be an important risk factor for the human population to ocular or visceral larva migrans.

Frequency of human toxocariasis in a rural population from Cajamarca, Peru determined by DOT-ELISA test

The aim of this study was to estimate the frequency of human toxocariasis in Cauday district, Cajamarca, Peru, using a dot-ELISA test. From June to October 2005, a total of 256 adult subjects were studied. Blood samples were collected for serology by a dot-ELISA test and for hematological examination. Parasitological examination was also carried out in stool samples to check cross-reactions in the dot-ELISA. The frequency observed was 44.92%, with a significant higher proportion of positivity in male subjects. From subjects with positive serology, 45.6% had respiratory symptoms, 40.44% abdominal pain, 32.35% hepatic symptoms, 14.7% cutaneous signs, 13.23% ocular manifestations, 43.38% eosinophilia, and all of these were statistically associated to serology. Among the population evaluated, 90.23% (231/256) were parasitized. From subjects with positive serology, 92.17% had at least one intestinal parasite and the most frequent were: Blastocystis hominis (68.38%), Giardia lamblia (28.68%), Hymenolepis nana (20.0%), Ascaris lumbricoides (15.65%), Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar (13.24%), Cyclospora cayetanensis (4.41%), Cryptosporidium sp. (1.47%), Enterobius vermicularis (0.87%), Strongyloides stercoralis (0.87%), Taenia sp. (0.87%), and Trichuris trichiura (0.87%). The rate of false positives in the dot-ELISA test was improved by serum absorption each with A. suum antigens, with a decrease of cross-reactions. In conclusion, human toxocariasis is highly frequent in this population and some risk factors like dog/cat ownership, presence of pets within house, and previous history of geophagia were observed in the present study.

Cutting path as a rural postman problem

The Rural Postman Problem (RPP) is a particular Arc Routing Problem (ARP) which consists of determining a minimum cost circuit on a graph so that a given subset of required edges is traversed. The RPP is an NP-hard problem with significant real-life applications. This paper introduces an original approach based on Memetic Algorithms - the MARP algorithm - to solve the RPP and, also deals with an interesting Industrial Application, which focuses on the path optimization for component cutting operations. Memetic Algorithms are a class of Metaheuristics which may be seen as a population strategy that involves cooperation and competition processes between population elements and integrates “social knowledge”, using a local search procedure. The MARP algorithm is tested with different groups of instances and the results are compared with those gathered from other publications. MARP is also used in the context of various real-life applications.

Molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium spp. from HIV infected patients from an urban area of Brazil

Cryptosporidium spp. are important cause of enteric disease in humans, but may also infect animals. This study describes the relative frequency of several Cryptosporidium species found in human specimens from HIV infected patients in the São Paulo municipality obtained from January to July 2007. Sequence analysis of the products of nested-PCR based on small subunit rRNA and Cryptosporidium oocyst wall protein coding genes revealed 17 (63.0%) isolates of C. hominis, four (14.8%) C. parvum, five (18.5%) C. felis and one (3.7%) C. canis. These findings suggest that, in urban environments of Brazil, the cat adapted C. felis may play a potential role in the zoonotic transmission of cryptosporidiosis whereas the anthroponotic transmission of cryptosporidiosis caused by C. hominis seems to predominate.

Promoção da saúde oral: uma experiência de prevenção de cárie num concelho rural

Resumo: A cárie dentária, um problema que tem atingido populações em grande parte do mundo, é a doença de maior prevalência da cavidade oral, gerando graves consequências económicas e sociais. Esta doença tem sido estudada ao longo do tempo em diferentes países com o emprego de diversos índices, geralmente para o estudo da sua prevalência, a avaliação de medidas preventivas e o adequado planeamento das acções e serviços de saúde oral. O objectivo deste Projecto foi determinar se a escovagem quando realizada na escola com pasta fluoretada, e supervisionada pelos professores, duas vezes por dia, seria ou não eficaz na diminuição das populações microbianas de Streptococcus mutans e Lactobacillus e na consequente diminuição da incidência de cárie dentária. Material e métodos: Foram seleccionadas todas as crianças (universo = 178), com idades compreendidas entre os 5, 6 e 7 anos, residentes no Concelho de Aljustrel e a frequentar o pré-escolar e o primeiro ciclo do ensino básico oficial. Foi realizada a escovagem bi-diária com pasta fluoretada a 500 ppm F-, na escola, segundo o método de Bass modificado, supervisionado pelos professores titulares de turma, que tiveram formação da técnica de escovagem utilizada. Durante os 3 anos de estudo foram realizadas 6 observações dentárias e recolhas salivares para contagem de Streptococcus mutans e Lactobacillus e avaliação da capacidade tampão da saliva. Resultados: O grupo de estudo no início da intervenção apresentava valores dos índices de cárie dentária mais elevados do que os do grupo de controlo (mais 0,109 no CPO-S, 0,0749 no CPO-D, 1,505 no cpo-s e 0,831 no cpo-d), porém sem diferenças de significância estatística. A análise estatística dos resultados não veio confirmar este pressuposto uma vez que o grupo de estudo apresentou um aumento percentual ligeiramente maior do índice CPO-D (12,5%) do que o grupo de controlo (11,6%). Para além deste aspecto, ao contrário do que seria de esperar, não foi possível detectar nenhuma diferença estatisticamente significativa em nenhum dos índices de cárie dentária (cpo-s, cpo-d, CPO-S e CPO-D) entre o grupo de estudo e grupo de controlo entre a 1ª e última observação.Ainda que os resultados do estudo aqui apresentado tenham ficado aquém do esperado, deveria ser efectuada a escovagem diária na escola, uma vez por dia, com pasta fluoretada a 1000 ppm F-, atendendo a que esta medida contribui para a promoção da saúde e prevenção da doença e é facilitadora da construção de estilos de vida saudáveis.-------ABSTRACT: Dental caries, a problem that has affected populations worldwide, is one of the most prevalent diseases of the oral cavity, causing severe economic and social consequences. This disease has been studied over time in different countries with the use of various indices, usually for the knowledge of its prevalence, evaluation of preventive measures and appropriate planning of actions and oral services. The aim of this study was to determine whether toothbrushing when performed in schools, with fluoride toothpaste, and supervised by teachers twice a day, was effective in reducing microbial populations of Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus with consequent reduction in the incidence of dental caries. Material and Methods: All children aged 5, 6, and 7 years, from Aljustrel County, attending official pre-school and first cycle of basic educatio were selected. Toothbrushing was performed twice a day with toothpaste with 500 ppm F-,in the school, according to the modified Bass method, supervised by professors in the class, who were trained in the brushing technique used. During the study period were performed 6 observations of the dental status, and were also collected saliva for the count of Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus, and assessment of buffering capacity of saliva. Results: The study group at the beginning of the intervention had higher values of dental caries than the control group (more than 0,109 in DMF-S, 0, 0749 in DMF, dmf-s 1,505 and 0,831 in dmf-t) although without statistical significance. The expected results were not confirmed, since the study group had a slightly higher percentage increase of the DMF-T (12,5%) than the control group (11,6%). Apart from that, contrary to what one would expect, we could not detect any statistical significant difference in any of the indices of dental caries (dmf-s, dmf-t and DMF-S, DMF-T) between the study and the control group in all study periods. Although the study results were not has expected, toothbrushing should be performed daily at school, once a day with fluoride toothpaste with 1000 ppm F-, since this measure contributes to health promotion and disease prevention and encourages healthy lifestyles.

Serological, clinical and epidemiological evaluation of toxocariasis in urban areas of south Brazil

Toxocariasis is a worldwide public-health problem that poses major risks to children who may accidentally ingest embryonated eggs of Toxocara. The objectives of this study were to investigate the occurrence of anti-Toxocara spp. antibodies in children and adolescents and the variables that may be involved, as well as environmental contamination by Toxocara spp. eggs, in urban recreation areas of north central mesoregion, Paraná State, Brazil. From June 2005 to March 2007. a total of 376 blood samples were collected by the Public Health Service from children and adolescents one to 12 years old, of both genders. Samples were analyzed by the indirect ELISA method for detection of anti-Toxocara antibodies. Serum samples were previously absorbed with Ascaris suum antigens, and considered positive with a reagent reactivity index >1. Soil samples from all of the public squares and schools located in the four evaluated municipalities that had sand surfaces (n = 19) or lawns (n = 15) were analyzed. Of the 376 serum samples, 194 (51.6%) were positive. The seroprevalence rate was substantially higher among children aging one to five years (p = 0.001) and six to eight years (p = 0.022). The clinical signs and symptoms investigated did not show a statistical difference between seropositive and seronegative individuals (p > 0.05). In 76.5% of the investigated recreation places, eggs of Toxocara were detected in at least one of the five collected samples. Recreation areas from public schools were 2.8 times more contaminated than from public squares. It is important to institute educational programs to inform families and educators, as well as to improve sanitary control of animals and cleaning of the areas intended for recreation in order to prevent toxocariasis.

Lutzomyia longipalpis behavior and control at an urban visceral leishmaniasis focus in Argentina

During the earlier stages of visceral leishmaniasis transmission in Posadas City, Misiones, both the night activity and attraction to humans of Lutzomyia longipalpis were assessed, in order to provide preliminary recommendations. The impact of peridomestic deltamethrin spraying performed by local officials was also evaluated. Although Lu. longipalpis were found in traps located over a dog the entire night, 90% of the females were captured from 20.30h to 1.30h, and only landed on a human when he was at a distance of 1.5 m from the dog. Peridomestic spraying of deltamethrin (25 mg/m²) reduced the sand fly capture up to seven days post-intervention without dispersion in the border of the sprayed areas. These results support the recommendations about time-space focus of the protection measures: first half of the night, in the backyard, with pets and domestic animals kept at least 5 m from humans. The deltamethrin as it was used did not seem very effective in this scenario; neither did the eventual use of bed nets, at least in adults, due to the place/hour of sand fly higher activity. This study strengthens the need for a multidisciplinary approach to develop prevention strategies based both on biological and anthropological studies.

Forty years of visceral leishmaniasis in the State of Piaui: a review

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has been known to occur in the state of Piauí since 1934. The typically rural disease began to appear in urban areas over time, being concentrated mainly in Teresina, the capital of Piauí. Teresina was also affected by the first urban epidemic of VL in Brazil. Over 1,000 cases of the disease were reported during urbanization (1981-1986). Human population growth and migration led to land occupation on the outskirts of Teresina. These factors have contributed to vector proliferation, increasing the incidence of VL. At present, the incidence of human and canine disease is quite high and uncontrolled in Piauí. It seems that some measures, such as the elimination of seropositive dogs, failed to significantly reduce the number of new VL cases in Teresina. Despite previously conducted studies, little is known about VL epidemiology in urban areas. The aim of this review is to reveal the situation of VL in Teresina during the last 40 years, focusing on the major factors that may contribute to the high incidence and persistence of VL infection.

Prevalence of pediculosis capitis in children from a rural school in Yucatan, Mexico

We conducted an analytical cross-sectional survey to estimate the prevalence of and factors associated with active head lice infestation. In total 140 children, aged 6 to 16-years, from a public school in rural Yucatan, Mexico, were examined by wet-combing. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on individuals and the conditions in the surrounding environment. Head lice infestation was found in 19 out of the 140 children tested (13.6%) and this was associated with both lower income (OR 9.9, 95% CI 2.15-45.79, p = 0.003) and a higher frequency of hair washing (OR 8, 95% CI 1.58-50, p = 0.012). Intersectoral control programs that take into account the socioeconomic differences of children should be implemented.

Serological survey of hantavirus in rodents in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil

We conducted a serological survey to determine the presence of hantavirus infection in rodents in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais as well as to identify and characterize associated factors. Rodents were captured using Sherman live-capture traps set in rural and peri-urban environments. A total of 611 rodents were captured. There was a higher trap success in peri-urban areas (26.3%) and a higher prevalence of antibodies among rodents captured in rural areas (2.9%). Necromys lasiurus was the most common species (42.2%) and the more frequently infected (4.6%). One Calomys tener (1/141; 0.7%) and one Calomys sp. (1/14; 7.1%) were also positive for the hantavirus infection. In N. lasiurus, antibody prevalence correlated with population density (p < 0.01), age class (p = 0.003) and presence of scars (p = 0.02). The data confirm that horizontal transmission is the main mechanism that maintains the virus in nature. The higher seropositivity in N. lasiurus is consistent with genetic studies that associate this species with an Araraquara virus reservoir; the seropositivity of C. tener and Calomys sp. may indicate the occurrence of spillover infection or the presence of other circulating hantaviruses.

SEROLOGICAL SURVEY OF Ehrlichia SPECIES IN DOGS, HORSES AND HUMANS: ZOONOTIC SCENERY IN A RURAL SETTLEMENT FROM SOUTHERN BRAZIL

SUMMARY The aims of this study were to determine the seroprevalence of Ehrlichia spp. and risk factors for exposure in a restricted population of dogs, horses, and humans highly exposed to tick bites in a Brazilian rural settlement using a commercial ELISA rapid test and two indirect immunofluorescent assays (IFA) with E. canis and E. chaffeensis crude antigens. Serum samples from 132 dogs, 16 horses and 100 humans were used. Fifty-six out of 132 (42.4%) dogs were seropositive for E. canis. Dogs > one year were more likely to be seropositive for E. canis than dogs ≤ one year (p = 0.0051). Ten/16 (62.5%) and 8/16 (50%) horses were seropositive by the commercial ELISA and IFA, respectively. Five out of 100 (5%) humans were seropositive for E. canis and E. chaffeensis. Rhipicephalus sanguineus (n = 291, 97.98%) on dogs and Amblyomma cajennense (n = 25, 96.15%) on horses were the most common ticks found. In conclusion, anti-Ehrlichia spp. antibodies were found in horses; however, the lack of a molecular characterization precludes any conclusion regarding the agent involved. Additionally, the higher seroprevalence of E. canis in dogs and the evidence of anti-Ehrlichia spp. antibodies in humans suggest that human cases of ehrlichiosis in Brazil might be caused by E. canis, or other closely related species.

PHLEBOTOMINE SANDFLIES IN RURAL LOCATIONS IN THE STATE OF PARANA, SOUTHERN BRAZIL

SUMMARYThis study reports the fauna and frequency of sandflies in domestic animal shelters, residences and other ecotopes in rural areas of the municipality of Bandeirantes, Paraná State. Sandflies were collected twice in eight rural villages by using Falcon traps from 8pm to 6am in 2008. In these localities 4,790 sandflies were collected, which were represented by ten sandfly species, prevailing of Nyssomyia neivai and Nyssomyia whitmani species. It was observed that animal shelters are the domestic ecotopes where there is the greatest frequency of these insects. The localities where the collections were made had the environmental characteristics that allow the persistence of transmission of parasites from the American tegumentary leishmaniasis. Although the fauna and the behavior of sandflies species are similar in different localities, the method of controlling these insects should be adjusted to the environmental characteristics of each one of the most diverse endemic areas of American tegumentary leishmaniasis in the municipalities of Paraná State.

FIRST CASE OF AUTOCHTHONOUS HUMAN VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS IN THE URBAN CENTER OF RIO DE JANEIRO: CASE REPORT

Visceral leishmaniasis is an anthropozoonosis that is caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania, especially Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum, and is transmitted to humans by the bite of sandflies of the genus Lutzomyia, such as Lutzomyia longipalpis. There are many reservoirs, including Canis familiaris. It is a chronic infectious disease with systemic involvement that is characterized by three phases: the initial period, the state period and the final period. The main symptoms are fever, malnutrition, hepatosplenomegaly, and pancytopenia. This article reports a case of a patient diagnosed with visceral leishmaniasis in the final period following autochthonous transmission in the urban area of Rio de Janeiro. The case reported here is considered by the Municipal Civil Defense and Health Surveillance of Rio de Janeiro to be the first instance of autochthonous visceral leishmaniasis in humans in the urban area of this city. The patient was discharged and is undergoing a follow-up at the outpatient clinic, demonstrating clinical improvement.