Age-associated differences in clinical manifestations and laboratory parameters during a dengue virus type 4 outbreak in Argentina

Infection by any of the four dengue virus (DENV) serotypes produces a wide spectrum of clinical illness in humans. Differences in clinical manifestation and severity have been associated with secondary heterologous infection, patient age, and virus serotype. In this context, this retrospective study sought to analyze the presentation of dengue in patients during the 2014 DENV-4 outbreak affecting the City of Orán, Salta Province, Argentina. Demographic data, clinical manifestations, and laboratory abnormalities of laboratory-confirmed dengue patients were compared between age groups and between patients with and without warning signs. Of 301 patients with laboratory-confirmed dengue, 37.9% presented dengue with warning signs. Although nearly half of all patients had secondary DENV infections, no severe dengue cases, or deaths were reported. Furthermore, no association was found between incidence of warning signs and pre-existing immunity to DENV. Pediatric patients were least likely to present warning signs and showed significantly decreased risk of fever, retro-orbital pain, arthalgia, diarrhea and thrombocytopenia, and higher risk of rash compared to older patients. Female patients of all ages were also at higher risk of developing several symptoms. The characterization of DENV-4 infection in humans, a DENV serotype recently reported in Argentina, revealed differences in clinical manifestations, laboratory parameters and the presence/absence of warning signs based on age group. Further investigation of these age-related differences should contribute to better assessment of dengue disease in at risk populations.Fil: Byrne, Alana Brooke. Fundación para la Investigación en Infectología Infantil; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Gutierrez, Francisco Guillermo. Hospital San Vicente de Paul; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Medicina; ArgentinaFil: Bruno, Agostina Alejandra. Hospital San Vicente de Paul; ArgentinaFil: Cordoba, María Teresa. Hospital San Vicente de Paul; ArgentinaFil: Bono, María M.. Hospital San Vicente de Paul; ArgentinaFil: Polack, Fernando Pedro. Fundación para la Investigación en Infectología Infantil; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Talarico, Laura Beatriz. Fundación para la Investigación en Infectología Infantil; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Quipildor, Marcelo Omar. Hospital San Vicente de Paul; Argentin

Restricted Outbreak of American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis with high microfocal transmission

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is endemic in Salta, the northwestern province of Argentina. We describe an outbreak involving five recreational hunters whose exposure was limited to several hours in a residual patch of primary forest. All patients presented with typical cutaneous lesions after a mean incubation period of 59 days (range 15–78), and one developed simultaneous mucosal involvement. Polymerase chain reaction analysis of lesions confirmed Leishmania (V.) braziliensis as the etiologic agent in three cases. All patients were cured with anti-Leishmania treatment. Entomologic surveys in the transmission area revealed a predominance of Lutzomyia neivai. This outbreak report confirms a microfocal transmission pattern of tegumentary leishmaniasis in the Americas and based on a well-determined exposure, allows the determination of incubation times for leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania braziliensis.Fil: Krolewiecki, Alejandro Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Salta. Instituto de Patología Experimental; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Sede Regional Oran. Instituto de Investigación de Enfermedades Tropicales; ArgentinaFil: Gil, José Fernando. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Sede Regional Oran. Instituto de Investigación de Enfermedades Tropicales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Quipildor, Marcelo. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Sede Regional Oran. Instituto de Investigacion de Enfermedades Tropicales; Argentina. Hospital San Vicente de Paul; ArgentinaFil: Cajal, Silvana P.. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Sede Regional Oran. Instituto de Investigacion de Enfermedades Tropicales; ArgentinaFil: Pravia, Carlos Alberto. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Parasitología; ArgentinaFil: Juarez, Marisa. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Sede Regional Oran. Instituto de Investigacion de Enfermedades Tropicales; ArgentinaFil: Villalpando, Carlos. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Sede Regional Oran. Instituto de Investigacion de Enfermedades Tropicales; ArgentinaFil: Locatelli, Fabricio M.. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Sede Regional Oran. Instituto de Investigacion de Enfermedades Tropicales; ArgentinaFil: Chanampa, Mariana del Milagro. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Sede Regional Oran. Instituto de Investigacion de Enfermedades Tropicales; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Castillo, Gabriela. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Oreste, Maria Fernanda. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Hoyos, Carlos Lorenzo. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Sede Regional Oran. Instituto de Investigacion de Enfermedades Tropicales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Negri, Vanesa. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Parasitología; ArgentinaFil: Nasser, Julio Rubén. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Sede Regional Oran. Instituto de Investigacion de Enfermedades Tropicales; Argentin

Gene diversity in grevillea populations introduced in Brazil and its implication on management of genetic resources.

A variabilidade isoenzimática para seis populações de Grevillea robusta, oriundas de um teste de procedências/progenies, implantado no delineamento em blocos casualizados com 5 plantas por parcela, no Sul do Brasil, é descrita. A estrutura genética da população foi analisada utilizando-se marcadores bioquímicos, aos 5 anos de idade, especificamente para os locos MDH-3, PGM-2, DIA-2, PO-1, PO-2, SOD-1, e SKDH-1. As procedências do norte de ocorrência natural (Rathdowney e Woodenbong) apresentaram divergência genética superior, em relação à média das progênies, considerando o número de alelos por locus, (Ap), a riqueza alélica (Rs), a diversidade genética de Nei (H), e o coeficiente de endogamia (f). A endogamia foi detectada em diversos graus. A testemunha comercial apresentou o maior coeficiente de endogamia, (f = 0,4448), comparativamente à média das procedências (f = 0,2306), possivelmente devido à insuficiente amostragem populacional na região de origem (Austrália). Apesar de sua ocorrência natural restrita, observou-se correlação positiva entre divergência genética e distância geográfica entre as populações originais. A distância genética e análise de cluster, baseada no modelo bayesiano, mostrou três grupos de procedências distintos: 1) Rathdowney- QLD e Woodenbong-QLD; 2) Paddy?s Flat-NSW; e 3) Mann River-NSW, Boyd River-NSW e a testemunha comercial (material utilizado no Brasil). O agrupamento da testemunha com as procedências Mann River-NSW e Boyd River-NSW sugere um maior potencial das procedências do norte para o melhoramento genético visando à produção de madeira no Brasil, devido a sua elevada diversidade genética e baixo coeficiente de endogamia

Hemipenes eversion behavior: a new form of communication in two Liolaemus lizards (Iguania: Liolaemidae)

Males of several animals have intromittent organs and may use these in a communicative context during sexual or intrasexual interactions. In some lizards there have been observations of hemipenes eversion behavior, and the aim of this study is to find out whether this behavior is functionally significant, under a communicative approach. Here, we investigated hemipenes' eversion in two species of Liolaemus (L. coeruleus Cei and Ortiz-Zapata, 1983 and L. quilmes Etheridge, 1993) by filming the response of male focal lizards in different experimental settings: (1) - an agonistic context i.e., with a conspecific male; (2)- a sexual context, i.e., with a conspecific female and (3)- a control treatment, i.e., without a treatment lizard. In both species, focal lizards showed this behavior only in agonistic contexts, with interspecific differences. L. coeruleus has longer times until eversion and dragging of hemipenes; however, it has shorter time of eversion and exposition of hemipenes. While L. quilmes, has an opposite pattern with respect to L. coeruleus. These indicate that hemipenes' eversion can act as a visual display and as a signal of aggressive behavior towards conspecific rival males. The present study offers a new, behavioral perspective on the use of masculine genitalia in lizards.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author