Heterogeneities in leishmania infantum infection : using skin parasite burdens to identify highly infectious dogs

Background: The relationships between heterogeneities in host infection and infectiousness (transmission to arthropod vectors) can provide important insights for disease management. Here, we quantify heterogeneities in Leishmania infantum parasite numbers in reservoir and non-reservoir host populations, and relate this to their infectiousness during natural infection. Tissue parasite number was evaluated as a potential surrogate marker of host transmission potential. Methods: Parasite numbers were measured by qPCR in bone marrow and ear skin biopsies of 82 dogs and 34 crab-eating foxes collected during a longitudinal study in Amazon Brazil, for which previous data was available on infectiousness (by xenodiagnosis) and severity of infection. Results: Parasite numbers were highly aggregated both between samples and between individuals. In dogs, total parasite abundance and relative numbers in ear skin compared to bone marrow increased with the duration and severity of infection. Infectiousness to the sandfly vector was associated with high parasite numbers; parasite number in skin was the best predictor of being infectious. Crab-eating foxes, which typically present asymptomatic infection and are non-infectious, had parasite numbers comparable to those of non-infectious dogs. Conclusions: Skin parasite number provides an indirect marker of infectiousness, and could allow targeted control particularly of highly infectious dogs

Prácticas del enfermero en el contexto de la atención básica: scoping review

Objective: to identify and categorize the practices performed by nurses working in Primary Health Care and Family Health Strategy Units in light of responsibilities established by the profession’s legal and programmatic frameworks and by the Brazilian Unified Health System. Method: a scoping review was conducted in the following databases: LILACS, IBECS, BDENF, CINAHL and MEDLINE, and the Cochrane and SciELO libraries. Original research papers written by nurses addressing nursing practices in the primary health care context were included. Results: the review comprised 30 studies published between 2005 and 2014. Three categories emerged from the analysis: practices in the service; practices in the community; and management and education practices. Conclusion: the challenges faced by nurses are complex, as care should be centered on the population’s health needs, which requires actions at other levels of clinical and health responsibility. Brazilian nursing has achieved important advancements since the implementation of policies intended to reorganize work. There is, however, a need to shift work processes from being focused on individual procedures to being focused on patients so that an enlarged clinic is the ethical-political imperative guiding the organization of services and professional intervention.Objetivo: identificar e categorizar as práticas exercidas pelos enfermeiros junto às Unidades Básicas e às Equipes de Saúde da Família, à luz das atribuições previstas pelos marcos legais e programáticos da profissão e do Sistema Único de Saúde. Método: realizou-se uma revisão da literatura com o método scoping review, nas bases LILACS, IBECS, BDENF, CINAHL e MEDLINE, e nas bibliotecas Cochrane e SciELO. Incluíram-se artigos de pesquisa original, produzidos com enfermeiros, sobre as práticas de enfermagem no contexto dos cuidados de saúde primários. Resultados: a revisão abrangeu trinta estudos publicados entre 2005 e 2014. Da análise, resultaram três categorias: práticas no serviço, práticas na comunidade e práticas de gestão e formação. Conclusão: os desafios dos enfermeiros são complexos, posto que o cuidado deve estar centrado nas necessidades de saúde da população, o que remete à ação para outros níveis de responsabilidade clínica e sanitária. A enfermagem brasileira mostra importantes avanços desde a implantação das políticas de reorganização do trabalho. Necessita, entretanto, avançar no que se refere ao deslocamento dos processos de trabalho, focados em procedimentos individuais, para um processo mais voltado aos usuários, onde a clínica ampliada seja o imperativo ético-político da organização dos serviços e da intervenção profissional.Objetivo: identificar y categorizar las prácticas ejercidas por los enfermeros en las Unidades Básicas y los Equipos de Salud de la Familia, desde el punto de vista de las atribuciones previstas por los marcos legales y programáticos de la profesión y del Sistema Único de la Salud. Método: se realizó una revisión de la literatura con el método scoping review, en las bases LILACS, IBECS, BDENF, CINAHL y MEDLINE, y en las bibliotecas Cochrane y SciELO. Se incluyeron artículos de investigación original, producidos con enfermeros, sobre las prácticas de enfermería en el contexto de los cuidados de salud primarios. Resultados: la revisión abarcó treinta estudios publicados entre 2005 y 2014. Del análisis, resultaron tres categorías: prácticas en el servicio; prácticas en la comunidad; y, prácticas de administración y formación. Conclusión: los desafíos de los enfermeros son complejos, ya que el cuidado debe estar centrado en las necesidades de salud de la población, lo que conduce a la acción para otros niveles de responsabilidad clínica y sanitaria. La enfermería brasileña muestra importantes avances a partir de la implantación de las políticas de reorganización del trabajo. Necesita, entre tanto, avanzar en lo que se refiere al desplazamiento de los procesos de trabajo, enfocados en procedimientos individuales, para un proceso más dirigido a los usuarios, en donde la clínica ampliada sea el imperativo ético político de la organización de los servicios y de la intervención profesional.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Bioaccumulation and Toxicity of Organic Chemicals in Terrestrial Invertebrates

Terrestrial invertebrates are key components in ecosystems, with crucial roles in soil structure, functioning, and ecosystem services. The present chapter covers how terrestrial invertebrates are impacted by organic chemicals, focusing on up-to-date information regarding bioavailability, exposure routes and general concepts on bioaccumulation, toxicity, and existing models. Terrestrial invertebrates are exposed to organic chemicals through different routes, which are dependent on both the organismal traits and nature of exposure, including chemical properties and media characteristics. Bioaccumulation and toxicity data for several groups of organic chemicals are presented and discussed, attempting to cover plant protection products (herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and molluscicides), veterinary and human pharmaceuticals, polycyclic aromatic compounds, polychlorinated biphenyls, flame retardants, and personal care products. Chemical mixtures are also discussed bearing in mind that chemicals appear simultaneously in the environment. The biomagnification of organic chemicals is considered in light of the consumption of terrestrial invertebrates as novel feed and food sources. This chapter highlights how science has contributed with data from the last 5 years, providing evidence on bioavailability, bioaccumulation, and toxicity derived from exposure to organic chemicals, including insights into the main challenges and shortcomings to extrapolate results to real exposure scenarios