Saúde & Segurança Ocupacional: reflexões sobre os riscos potenciais e o manuseio seguro dos nanomateriais

Every day the nanotechnology, that refers to a field whose theme is the control of matter on an atomic and molecular scale working with nanometric structures (<100 nm), is more present in the development of products and industrial processes. The particle manipulation of nanometric structures has created opportunities in the development of new products and materials. However, synthesis, handling, storage, stabilization and the incorporation of these materials, with nanometric dimensions, demand a new perspective of analysis and evaluation of old manufacturing processes, procedures and industrial devices, in order to guarantee collective and individual protection to workers and society. With the increasing of scale and production of nanoestrutuctured materials, a big part of labour community starts to be in contact with different nanomaterials (forms and ways). In this work the main aspects and involved risks of manufacture, storage, synthesis, stabilization and incorporation of nanomaterials on new products are evaluated in order to reduce, decrease and eliminate chemical, physical and biological risks for the employees. A bibliographic review was conducted about risk, safety and nanotechnology based on available English literature focusing safety and environmental agencies from different countries such as USA, Canada, EU (France, UK, Germany, Denmark), Australia and Japan.A cada dia a nanotecnologia, que pode ser definida como um campo multidisciplinar da ciência e da tecnologia que trabalha com estruturas de dimensões nanométricas, tipicamente <100 nanômetros (nm), está mais presente no desenvolvimento de novos produtos e processos industriais. A manipulação de partículas nanométricas tem aberto inúmeras oportunidades de desenvolvimento de novos produtos e materiais. Porém, a síntese, manuseio, estocagem, estabilização e a incorporação de materiais com dimensões nanométricas exigem uma nova análise e avaliação dos processos, procedimentos e dispositivos industriais de forma a garantir proteção coletiva e individual ao trabalhador e à sociedade, uma vez que, com o aumento de escala e de volume de produção dos materiais nanoestruturados, uma parcela cada vez maior da cadeia laboral passa a estar exposta aos nanomateriais em suas diversas formas e meios. Neste trabalho é apresentada uma revisão acerca de tópicos relacionados com o desenvolvimento da nanotecnologia abordando questões de riscos e de segurança ocupacional, em especial, os principais aspectos envolvidos quando do manuseio, estocagem, síntese, estabilização e incorporação de nanomateriais, visando à redução, minimização e eliminação dos riscos envolvidos nessas atividades, com o objetivo de garantir de forma plena a integridade física e a saúde do trabalhador

Dengue 3 Epidemic, Havana, 2001

In June 2001, dengue transmission was detected in Havana, Cuba; 12,889 cases were reported. Dengue 3, the etiologic agent of the epidemic, caused the dengue hemorrhagic fever only in adults, with 78 cases and 3 deaths. After intensive vector control efforts, no new cases have been detected

Neutralizing antibodies after infection with Dengue 1 Virus

Severity of disease is markedly increased when infection with dengue virus type 2 (DENV-2) follows infection with DENV-1. Studies have shown that heterologous neutralizing antibody titers are inversely correlated with severity of a second infection. If this mechanism controlled disease severity in Cuba, heterotypic antibody titers should have declined over time. To determine whether phenotypic changes in dengue antibodies occur over time, we analyzed serum samples collected 4–8 and 20–22 years after DENV-1 infection. We found a significant increase in mean titer of homologous DENV-1 neutralizing antibodies and a significant decrease in heterologous antibodies to 1 of 2 genotypes of DENV-2 virus (the American genotype). Asian DENV-2 viruses were not neutralized during either interval; however, the American genotype underwent phenotypic changes in heterotypic viral neutralizing antibodies in the predicted direction. This finding may be related to the time-dependent changes in severity of disease found with secondary dengue infectio