Rickettsiose do grupo da febre maculosa na Vila de Capoeirão, Itabira, Minas Gerais, Brasil

The present study investigated the infection by spotted fever rickettsia in an endemic area for Brazilian spotted fever (BSF; caused by Rickettsia rickettsii) in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Human, canine and equine sera samples, and Amblyomma cajennense adult ticks collected in a rural area of Itabira City, Minas Gerais State were tested for rickettsial infection. Through Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA) we demonstrated the presence of antibodies anti-R. rickettsii in 8.2%, 81.3% and 100% of the human, canine and equine sera, respectively. None of the 356 tick specimens analyzed were positive for Rickettsia by the hemolymph test or Polymerase Chain Reaction technique (PCR) for the htrA and the gltA genes. Our serological results on horses and dogs (sentinels for BSF) appoint for the circulation of a SFG Rickettsia in the study area, however in a very low infection rate among the A. cajennense tick population.O presente estudo investigou a infecção por rickéttsias do grupo da febre maculosa (GFM) em área endêmica para febre maculosa brasileira (FMB; causada por Rickettsia rickettsii) no Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Amostras de soros de humanos, cães e eqüídeos, e carrapatos Amblyomma cajennense adultos colhidos em um povoado rural em Itabira, Minas Gerais foram testados para infecção por Rickettsia. Pela Reação de Imunofluorescência Indireta (RIFI) foram detectados anticorpos anti-R. rickettsii em 8,2% dos soros humanos, 81,3% dos cães e em 100% dos eqüídeos. Nenhum dos 356 carrapatos se mostrou positivo para Rickettsia no teste de hemolinfa e na reação em cadeia pela polimerase (PCR) objetivando amplificar fragmentos de DNA dos genes htrA and the gltA. Os resultados sorológicos em eqüinos e cães (sentinelas para FMB) apontam para a circulação de uma rickéttsia do GFM na área do estudo, porém, numa freqüência de infecção muito baixa na população do carrapato A. cajennense

Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil: setting the baseline knowledge on the animal diversity in Brazil

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian megadiverse fauna is no exception, and the Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB) (http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/), made public in 2015, represents a database on biodiversity anchored on a list of valid and expertly recognized scientific names of animals in Brazil. The CTFB is updated in near real time by a team of more than 800 specialists. By January 1, 2024, the CTFB compiled 133,691 nominal species, with 125,138 that were considered valid. Most of the valid species were arthropods (82.3%, with more than 102,000 species) and chordates (7.69%, with over 11,000 species). These taxa were followed by a cluster composed of Mollusca (3,567 species), Platyhelminthes (2,292 species), Annelida (1,833 species), and Nematoda (1,447 species). All remaining groups had less than 1,000 species reported in Brazil, with Cnidaria (831 species), Porifera (628 species), Rotifera (606 species), and Bryozoa (520 species) representing those with more than 500 species. Analysis of the CTFB database can facilitate and direct efforts towards the discovery of new species in Brazil, but it is also fundamental in providing the best available list of valid nominal species to users, including those in science, health, conservation efforts, and any initiative involving animals. The importance of the CTFB is evidenced by the elevated number of citations in the scientific literature in diverse areas of biology, law, anthropology, education, forensic science, and veterinary science, among others

Rickettsial diseases : a public health problem in Latin America?

Para que una enfermedad sea considerada un problema de salud pública, los parámetros epidemiológicos son magnitud, vulnerabilidad y trascendencia. Si se considera sólo magnitud y vulnerabilidad basadas en la incidencia de las enfermedades rickettsiales en América Latina y en la ausencia de una vacuna efectiva contra esta clase de enfermedades, se puede decir que las enfermedades rickettsiales no son una prioridad ni un problema de salud pública. Sin embargo, si se investigan otros parámetros epidemiológicos se puede tener otra visión acerca de estas enfermedades. El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar mediante un estudio histórico retrospectivo, los factores de riego epidemiológicos en las enfermedades rickettsiales, para confirmar nuestra hipótesis sobre su relevancia en salud pública.The epidemiologic parameters for a disease to be considered a public health problem are magnitude, vulnerability and transcendence. If you consider only magnitude and vulnerability based on incidence of rickettsial diseases in Latin America and in the absence of an effective vaccine against these kind of diseases, you can say that rickettsial diseases are not priority and are not a public health problem. If you investigate other epidemiologic parameters we can have another vision about the rickettsial diseases. The objective of this paper is to analyze the epidemiologic risk factors in rickettsial diseases by an historic retrospective in Latin America, to confirm our hypothesis of the public health relevance of rickettsial diseases

Rickettsia felis in the Americas.

The authors describe their work in the Americas in Rickettsia felis cases in humans and the presence of Rickettsia felis in vectors

Iron deficiency and anemia in students from the rural area in Novo Cruzeiro (Minas Gerais) Brazil.

O reconhecimento da relação existente entre a deficiência de ferro e a presença ou ausência de anemia, comprometendo diversas funções do organismo humano, tem sido tema de debates na área de nutrição em âmbito internacional, especialmente por ser uma das deficiências mais prevalentes no mundo. Objetivo: este estudo descreve a ocorrência de deficiência de ferro e busca elucidar a frequência de anemia ferropriva em escolares de área rural. Casuística e Métodos: foram avaliados níveis de hemoglobina, ferro sérico (Fe), capacidade total de ligação de ferro (CTLF) e saturação de transferrina (IST) de 439 escolares da zona rural de Novo Cruzeiro (Minas Gerais) – município situado no Vale do Jequitinhonha. A população estudada foi de escolares na faixa etária de sete a 15 anos, sendo 50,1% do gênero masculino. Resultados: a frequência de anemia nos escolares foi de 12,1% e os parâmetros indicativos de deficiência em ferro mostraram ferro sérico em 17,1%, CTLF em 31,7% e diminuição do IST em 36,2% dos indivíduos. Relacionando as dosagens de ferro sérico, IST, CTLF elevada, indicativos de deficiência e hemoglobina baixa, verificou-se que 41,5% dos escolares anêmicos apresentavam anemia ferropriva. Os demais casos de anemia (58,5%) podem ser explicados por outras causas, como hemoglobinopatias e outras deficiências nutricionais. Dos indivíduos com deficiência de ferro pela CTLF, 26,7% não apresentaram anemia. Conclusão: existe significativa frequência de anemia ferropriva e de deficiência de ferro nessa população rural.The recognition of the existing relationship between iron deficiency and the presence or not of anemia has been subject of debate worldwide in the area of nutrition, especially because this deficiency is one of the most prevalent in the world. Objective: The present study aims at describing the occurrence of iron deficiency among students in a rural area and the frequency of anemia due to this deficiency. Methods and Casuistry: Hemoglobin, serum iron (Fe), transferring saturation (TS)and total iron binding capacity (TIBC) were evaluated in 479 school children from the rural area of Novo Cruzeiro (Minas Gerais), in the valley of the Jequitinhonha river. The population under study comprised 7 to 15 year-old students, 50,1% being males. Results: The frequency of anemia was 12.1%, and the indicative parameters of iron deficiency showed Fe deficiency in 17.1%, TIBC in 31.7% and decreased TS in 36.2% of them. When relating serum iron and TS with increased TIBC (indicative of deficiency) and low hemoglobin level it was verified that 41.5% of the anemic students had anemia due to iron deficiency. The other cases of anemia (58,5%) can be explained by other causes such as nutritional deficiencies and hemoglobinopatias. Anemia hasn’t occurred among the subjects with increased TIBC 26.7%. Conclusion: There is a significant frequency of iron deficiency and anemia due to iron deficiency among this population

Revisiting Brazilian spotted fever focus of Caratinga, Minas Gerais state, Brazil.

We revisited a Brazilian spotted fever focal area in Minas Gerais state, Brazil, in 2002, and performed a serologic survey in dogs and cats. The results of this survey are compared with the survey made 10 years before. The possible efficacy of vector control measures adopted in this area and the role of dogs and horses as sentinels of infection by Rickettsia are discussed

Talc pneumoconiosis among soapstone handicraft workers in a rural area of Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

A talcose é uma pneumoconiose ainda pouco estudada em nosso meio. Sua ocorrência foi investigada no Distrito de Mata dos Palmitos, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brasil, entre artesãos em pedra-sabão, que trabalham em produção de base familiar, de caráter informal. Na localidade, vivem cerca de 180 habitantes, dos quais 108 se ocupam com o artesanato em pedra-sabão e 15 alternam a produção de peças artesanais com as atividades nas minas. Foram realizados exames clínicos, enfatizando a história ocupacional; questionário padronizado de sintomas respiratórios; radiografia de tórax (padrão OIT) e espirometria. Observou-se baixa prevalência de queixas respiratórias, e a dispnéia foi o sintoma mais freqüente. A ocorrência de bronquite crônica foi identificada em 12 trabalhadores adultos. O exame radiológico de tórax evidenciou pequenas opacidades pulmonares em cinco trabalhadores, e 11 foram considerados suspeitos. Um trabalhador apresentou espessamento pleural em placa. Alterações na espirometria foram observadas em sete trabalhadores. O estudo da composição da poeira revelou a presença de fibras respiráveis de asbesto do grupo dos anfibólios (tremolita-actinolita). Esses resultados sugerem a ocorrência de talcoasbestose entre os artesãos em pedra-sabão.Talc pneumoconiosis in Brazil has received little research attention to date. The disease was investigated in Mata dos Palmitos, a district of Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais State, among soapstone handicraft workers. The district has some 180 inhabitants, of whom 108 are engaged in handicrafts production, while 15 alternate handicrafts production with work in the soapstone quarries. A clinical and occupational investigation was conducted, along with a respiratory symptoms standardized questionnaire, chest x-ray (ILO standard), and spirometry. Clinical data showed a low prevalence of respiratory complaints. Dyspnea was the most frequent symptom. Chronic bronchitis was identified in 12 adult workers. Chest x-rays showed evidence of small lung opacities in 5 workers, and in 11 there was suspicion of the same opacities. One worker showed a plaque-shaped pleural thickening. Seven workers showed abnormal spirometry. The soapstone dust composition showed breathable asbestos fibers from the amphibole group (tremolite-actinolite). The results suggest talc asbestosis occurrence among soapstone handicraft workers

Old and new human rickettsiosis in Minas Gerais state, Brazil.

The authors describe cases of Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) diagnosed in Minas Gerais state, Brazil, by the Minas Gerais Public Health Laboratory, Ezequiel Dias Foundation from 1995 to 2004. In addition they present three cases of human Rickettsia felis rickettsiosis from Minas Gerais diagnosed in France in 1999, and the first two suspected cases of human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME) diagnosed in Ezequiel Dias Foundation in 2001. In both cases a differential diagnose was made with BSF