Infestação domiciliar por Triatoma infestans e alguns aspectos epidemiológicos da tripanossomose americana em área do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil House infestation by Triatoma infestans and some epidemiologic aspects of American trypanosomiasis in a certain area of the State of São Paulo, Brazil

São relatados os resultados das investigações sôbre epidemiologia da tripanossomose americana, levadas a efeito no Bairro da Ilha, município de Salto de Pirapora, Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Em conjunto de 28 edifícios submetidos ao expurgo seletivo pela aplicação de BHC, procurou-se pesquisar a infestação por Triatoma infestans, através o método das caixas de Gómez-Núñez. O resultado revelou a persistência de edifícios infestados, em proporção semelhante àquela observada antes do expurgo. Contudo, houve redução da intensidade, revelada pela queda do índice geral de infestação. A pesquisa de focos naturais do parasito mostrou a possível existência da infecção em roedores Akodon arviculoides e Oryzomys nigripes. Levando-se a efeito xenodiagnósticos em cães e gatos, nascidos ou introduzidos logo depois do rociado seletivo, pôde-se evidenciar a persistência da transmissão, pelo menos por via congênita. Ao lado disso, observou-se a introdução precoce de animais infectados, procedentes de outras áreas. Conclui-se pela necessidade de revisão na profilaxia da doença de Chagas, baseada no simples combate aos triatomíneos pelo uso de inseticidas.<br>Epidemiological investigations about American trypanosomiasis (Chagas' disease) in the area of Bairro da Ilha, County of Salto de Pirapora, S. Paulo State, Brazil, are reported. Twenty eight houses submited to the selective technique of insecticide spraying (BHC), was tested by Gómez-Núñez method. The results obtained showed that several houses still retains with infestations in a proportion not significatively different to the before the one noticed insecticide treatment. Only a reduction of the general infestation index was obtained. Beside this some evidence showed the possibility of the occurrence of natural foci of the infection. The rodents Akodon arviculoides and Oryzomys nigripes were found naturally infected by the use of xenodiagnosis technique. In the house environment, infections was found to persist, through the examination of new born or new introduced dogs and cats, little after the houses selective desinsetization. Two cats were found infected, one of them suggest to have adquired the infection by congenital way. The other positive animal, was introduced from another area. So we conclude by the necessity of a thorough revision of the prophylactic methods of Chagas' disease based only on the control of triatomids by insecticide use

Effect of age on proximal esophageal response to swallowing

CONTEXT: It has been demonstrated that the ageing process affects esophageal motility. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of the age on the proximal esophageal response to wet swallows. METHOD: We measured the proximal esophageal response to swallows of a 5 mL bolus of water in 69 healthy volunteers, 20 of them aged 18-30 years (group I), 27 aged 31-50 years (group II), and 22 aged 51-74 years (group III). We used the manometric method with continuous perfusion. The proximal esophageal contractions were recorded 5 cm from a pharyngeal recording site located 1 cm above the upper esophageal sphincter. The time between the onset of the pharyngeal and of the proximal esophageal recording (pharyngeal-esophageal time) and the amplitude, duration and area under the curve of the proximal esophageal contraction were measured. RESULTS: The pharyngeal-esophageal time was shorter in group I subjects than in group II and III subjects (P<0.05). The duration of proximal esophageal contractions was longer in group I than in groups II and III (P<0.001). There was no differences between groups in the amplitude or area under the curve of contractions. There were no differences between groups II and III for any of the measurements. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the age may affects the response of the proximal esophagus to wet swallows