2 nd Brazilian Consensus on Chagas Disease, 2015

Abstract Chagas disease is a neglected chronic condition with a high burden of morbidity and mortality. It has considerable psychological, social, and economic impacts. The disease represents a significant public health issue in Brazil, with different regional patterns. This document presents the evidence that resulted in the Brazilian Consensus on Chagas Disease. The objective was to review and standardize strategies for diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and control of Chagas disease in the country, based on the available scientific evidence. The consensus is based on the articulation and strategic contribution of renowned Brazilian experts with knowledge and experience on various aspects of the disease. It is the result of a close collaboration between the Brazilian Society of Tropical Medicine and the Ministry of Health. It is hoped that this document will strengthen the development of integrated actions against Chagas disease in the country, focusing on epidemiology, management, comprehensive care (including families and communities), communication, information, education, and research

Mapping bee flora in honey producing areas of the Alto Médio Canindé microregion in Piauí state, Brazil

The Brazilian state of Piauí is one of the largest producers of organic honey in the country. Although the product is made from nectar collected from natural vegetation, including several species endemic to the Caatinga, knowledge of the beekeeping potential of semiarid vegetation remains scarce, particularly in Piauí. As such, the present study aimed to map the flora of honey-producing areas of the Alto Médio microregion in Piauí. A survey was conducted of apiaries in the region and bee production in four beekeeping communities, using data provided by the Simplício Mendes Microregion Beekeeping Cooperative (COMAPI). Geographic coordinates were used to generate a map to analyze vegetation in the region and excursions were carried out in previously defined areas to survey plants visited by honeybees. The beekeeping communities in areas with greater floral density had the highest honey production. Forty plant species were collected, with the most representative family being Fabaceae, followed by Euphorbiaceae and Anacardiaceae. Most of the plants surveyed were visited by bees with the sole purpose of collecting nectar and were flowering in months with the highest honey production. Thus, creating a flowering calendar could help beekeepers make better use of the local flora

Mapping bee flora in honey producing areas of the Alto Médio Canindé microregion in Piauí state, Brazil

The Brazilian state of Piauí is one of the largest producers of organic honey in the country. Although the product is made from nectar collected from natural vegetation, including several species endemic to the Caatinga, knowledge of the beekeeping potential of semiarid vegetation remains scarce, particularly in Piauí. As such, the present study aimed to map the flora of honey-producing areas of the Alto Médio microregion in Piauí. A survey was conducted of apiaries in the region and bee production in four beekeeping communities, using data provided by the Simplício Mendes Microregion Beekeeping Cooperative (COMAPI). Geographic coordinates were used to generate a map to analyze vegetation in the region and excursions were carried out in previously defined areas to survey plants visited by honeybees. The beekeeping communities in areas with greater floral density had the highest honey production. Forty plant species were collected, with the most representative family being Fabaceae, followed by Euphorbiaceae and Anacardiaceae. Most of the plants surveyed were visited by bees with the sole purpose of collecting nectar and were flowering in months with the highest honey production. Thus, creating a flowering calendar could help beekeepers make better use of the local flora

NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES: a data set on carnivore distribution in the Neotropics

Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecological health and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carnivores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide management and conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropical region: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae. Herein, we include published and unpublished data on native terrestrial Neotropical carnivores (Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae). NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES is a publicly available data set that includes 99,605 data entries from 35,511 unique georeferenced coordinates. Detection/non-detection and quantitative data were obtained from 1818 to 2018 by researchers, governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private consultants. Data were collected using several methods including camera trapping, museum collections, roadkill, line transect, and opportunistic records. Literature (peer-reviewed and grey literature) from Portuguese, Spanish and English were incorporated in this compilation. Most of the data set consists of detection data entries (n = 79,343; 79.7%) but also includes non-detection data (n = 20,262; 20.3%). Of those, 43.3% also include count data (n = 43,151). The information available in NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES will contribute to macroecological, ecological, and conservation questions in multiple spatio-temporal perspectives. As carnivores play key roles in trophic interactions, a better understanding of their distribution and habitat requirements are essential to establish conservation management plans and safeguard the future ecological health of Neotropical ecosystems. Our data paper, combined with other large-scale data sets, has great potential to clarify species distribution and related ecological processes within the Neotropics. There are no copyright restrictions and no restriction for using data from this data paper, as long as the data paper is cited as the source of the information used. We also request that users inform us of how they intend to use the data