Seroprevalence of Chikungunya Virus after Its Emergence in Brazil.

Chikungunya has had a substantial impact on public health because of the magnitude of its epidemics and its highly debilitating symptoms. We estimated the seroprevalence, proportion of symptomatic cases, and proportion of chronic form of disease after introduction of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in 2 cities in Brazil. We conducted the population-based study through household interviews and serologic surveys during October-December 2015. In Feira de Santana, we conducted a serologic survey of 385 persons; 57.1% were CHIKV-positive. Among them, 32.7% reported symptoms, and 68.1% contracted chronic chikungunya disease. A similar survey in Riachão do Jacuípe included 446 persons; 45.7% were CHIKV-positive, 41.2% reported symptoms, and 75.0% contracted the chronic form. Our data confirm intense CHIKV transmission during the continuing epidemic. Chronic pain developed in a high proportion of patients. We recommend training health professionals in management of chronic pain, which will improve the quality of life of chikungunya-affected persons

Genome of Rhodnius prolixus, an insect vector of Chagas disease, reveals unique adaptations to hematophagy and parasite infection

Rhodnius prolixus not only has served as a model organism for the study of insect physiology, but also is a major vector of Chagas disease, an illness that affects approximately seven million people worldwide. We sequenced the genome of R. prolixus, generated assembled sequences covering 95% of the genome ( approximately 702 Mb), including 15,456 putative protein-coding genes, and completed comprehensive genomic analyses of this obligate blood-feeding insect. Although immune-deficiency (IMD)-mediated immune responses were observed, R. prolixus putatively lacks key components of the IMD pathway, suggesting a reorganization of the canonical immune signaling network. Although both Toll and IMD effectors controlled intestinal microbiota, neither affected Trypanosoma cruzi, the causal agent of Chagas disease, implying the existence of evasion or tolerance mechanisms. R. prolixus has experienced an extensive loss of selenoprotein genes, with its repertoire reduced to only two proteins, one of which is a selenocysteine-based glutathione peroxidase, the first found in insects. The genome contained actively transcribed, horizontally transferred genes from Wolbachia sp., which showed evidence of codon use evolution toward the insect use pattern. Comparative protein analyses revealed many lineage-specific expansions and putative gene absences in R. prolixus, including tandem expansions of genes related to chemoreception, feeding, and digestion that possibly contributed to the evolution of a blood-feeding lifestyle. The genome assembly and these associated analyses provide critical information on the physiology and evolution of this important vector species and should be instrumental for the development of innovative disease control methods

Enterovirus D68 detected in children with severe acute respiratory illness in Brazil

Submitted by sandra infurna ([email protected]) on 2016-03-22T12:42:17Z No. of bitstreams: 1 sharon_carney_etal_IOC_2015.pdf: 184695 bytes, checksum: 3db8d197a0410288e8ee0b899d0007a5 (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by sandra infurna ([email protected]) on 2016-03-22T13:06:37Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 sharon_carney_etal_IOC_2015.pdf: 184695 bytes, checksum: 3db8d197a0410288e8ee0b899d0007a5 (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-22T13:06:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 sharon_carney_etal_IOC_2015.pdf: 184695 bytes, checksum: 3db8d197a0410288e8ee0b899d0007a5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Vírus Respiratório. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Vírus Respiratório. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Vírus Respiratório. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilUniversidade Federal da Bahia. Hospital Universitário Professor Edgard Santos. Salvador, BA, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Enterovírus. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil

Cromobacteriose em Ilhéus, Bahia: investigação epidemiológica clínica e laboratorial

Em abril/2004, um grupo de pessoas realizou passeio a um sítio em cidade no baixo sul da Bahia e em seguida três adolescentes de uma mesma família apresentaram septicemia grave com óbito de dois destes. Objetivando identificar o evento, o Serviço de Vigilância procedeu à investigação epidemiológica, clínica, laboratorial e ambiental, identificando a Chromobacterium violaceum em material biológico de um dos pacientes que evoluíram para óbito e na água e solo do local do passeio. Esta é o primeira descrição desta doença na Bahia

Arterial hypertension and skin allergy are risk factors for progression from dengue to dengue hemorrhagic fever: a case control study.

BACKGROUND: Currently, knowledge does not allow early prediction of which cases of dengue fever (DF) will progress to dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), to allow early intervention to prevent progression or to limit severity. The objective of this study is to investigate the hypothesis that some specific comorbidities increase the likelihood of a DF case progressing to DHF. METHODS: A concurrent case-control study, conducted during dengue epidemics, from 2009 to 2012. Cases were patients with dengue fever that progressed to DHF, and controls were patients of dengue fever who did not progress to DHF. Logistic regression was used to estimate the association between DHF and comorbidities. RESULTS: There were 490 cases of DHF and 1,316 controls. Among adults, progression to DHF was associated with self-reported hypertension (OR = 1.6; 95% CI 1.1-2.1) and skin allergy (OR = 1.8; 95% CI 1.1-3.2) with DHF after adjusting for ethnicity and socio-economic variables. There was no statistically significant association between any chronic disease and progression to DHF in those younger than 15 years. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians attending patients with dengue fever should keep those with hypertension or skin allergies in health units to monitor progression for early intervention. This would reduce mortality by dengue

Comportamento do Triatoma infestans sob várias condições de laboratório Behavior of the Triatoma infestans' under several laboratory conditions

Foi observado o comportamento do T. infestans submetido às temperaturas de 25ºC e 30ºC, alimentado em galinha e camundongo e infectado pelo T. cruzi ou não. A temperatura mais elevada determinou um encurtamento da duração do ciclo evolutivo desde a eclosão do ôvo até a muda para a fase adulta, menores quantidades de sangue necessário para que se processasse a evolução, assim como menor número de repastos para obtenção do sangue. A alimentação com sangue de camundongo determinou um encurtamento no tempo de evolução, menores volumes de sangue necessário à evolução e menor número de repastos. A infecção pelo T. cruzi determinou aumento da quantidade de sangue necessário para as ninfas de 5.º estádio, assim como maior número de repastos nas ninfas do mesmo estádio submetidas a 25ºC de temperatura. Ocorreram interações entre a temperatura, a fonte de sangue e a infecção pelo T. cruzi.<br>The rearing of T. infestans under several temperature, blood feeding and infection conditions, was observed. Temperature levels were 25 and 30ºC, blood sources were mice and chickens, and were reported as with or without Trypanosoma cruzi infections. A shortness of the entire cycle from the hatching of the egg to adult in the high temperature level was observed. Beside this, less blood quantities and few blood meals were required to reach the adult stage. The utilization of mouse blood gave too a shorter time expended in the evolution, with fewer meals and lesser blood in volume. The trypanosome infection was related with more quantity of blood need by the fifth nymphs, and more meals for these imature stage when submited at 25ºC of temperature. Interactions between the conditions studied, were recorded

Odds ratio crude and adjusted obtained by logistic regression for the association between Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever and socioeconomics and demographic variables of residents in six municipalities^a of Brazil, according to age group 2009–2012.

<p>^a—Salvador; Ilhéus; Itabuna; Jequié; Fortaleza; Campo Grande.</p><p>Odds ratio crude and adjusted obtained by logistic regression for the association between Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever and socioeconomics and demographic variables of residents in six municipalities<a href="http://www.plosntds.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pntd.0003812#t002fn001" target="_blank">^a</a> of Brazil, according to age group 2009–2012.</p