Knowledge of Toxoplasmosis among Doctors and Nurses Who Provide Prenatal Care in an Endemic Region

Congenital toxoplasmosis is a potentially severe infection and its prevention is most often based on serological screening in pregnant women. Many cases could be prevented by simple precautions during pregnancy. Aiming to assess the knowledge about toxoplasmosis among professionals working in antenatal care in a high prevalent region, a questionnaire was administered to 118 obstetric nurses and physicians attending at primary care units and hospitals. The questionnaire was self-completed and included questions on diagnosis, clinical issues, and prevention. Only 44% of total answers were corrected. Lower scores were observed among those with over 10 years of graduation, working in primary care units, and nurses. Errors were mainly observed in questions of prevention and diagnosis. As congenital toxoplasmosis is a mother-to-child (MTC) transmitted disease, early diagnosis and treatment can prevent serious and irreversible fetal damage. Thus, doctors and nurses who provide prenatal care must be appropriately trained on prophylactic, diagnostic, and clinical aspects of toxoplasmosis. The authors suggest that measures should be taken for continuing education regarding toxoplasmosis in pregnancy

Validation of Western Blot for histoplasma capsulatum antibody detection assay

Submitted by Janaína Nascimento ([email protected]) on 2019-01-21T11:39:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ve_Almeida_Marcos_etal_INI_2016.pdf: 959932 bytes, checksum: 0a3f20558bfe043fc731c467de88fb9d (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Janaína Nascimento ([email protected]) on 2019-01-22T12:07:58Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 ve_Almeida_Marcos_etal_INI_2016.pdf: 959932 bytes, checksum: 0a3f20558bfe043fc731c467de88fb9d (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2019-01-22T12:07:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ve_Almeida_Marcos_etal_INI_2016.pdf: 959932 bytes, checksum: 0a3f20558bfe043fc731c467de88fb9d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Universidade Federal Fluminense. Departamento de Patologia. Niterói, RJ, Brasil.Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Histoplasmosis is worldwide systemic mycoses caused by the dimorphic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. The isolation and identification of H. capsulatum in culture is the reference test for histoplasmosis diagnosis confirmation. However, in the absence of it, serology has been used as a presumptive diagnosis through antibody and antigen detection. The purpose of the present study was to validate an immunoassay method (western blot) for antibodies detection in the diagnosis of histoplasmosis

Feline sporotrichosis: associations between clinical-epidemiological profiles and phenotypic-genotypic characteristics of the etiological agents in the Rio de Janeiro epizootic area

Submitted by Janaína Nascimento ([email protected]) on 2019-02-14T13:37:22Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ve_Boechat_Jéssica_etal_INI_2018.pdf: 3252260 bytes, checksum: 0fbd3fd5cd5157cb77d30d6e3ce99888 (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Janaína Nascimento ([email protected]) on 2019-02-20T11:45:17Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 ve_Boechat_Jéssica_etal_INI_2018.pdf: 3252260 bytes, checksum: 0fbd3fd5cd5157cb77d30d6e3ce99888 (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2019-02-20T11:45:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ve_Boechat_Jéssica_etal_INI_2018.pdf: 3252260 bytes, checksum: 0fbd3fd5cd5157cb77d30d6e3ce99888 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas. Laboratório de Pesquisa Clínica em Dermatozoonoses em Animais Domésticos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas. Laboratório de Micologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas. Laboratório de Micologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas. Laboratório de Pesquisa Clínica em Dermatozoonoses em Animais Domésticos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas. Laboratório de Pesquisa Clínica em Dermatozoonoses em Animais Domésticos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas. Laboratório de Epidemiologia Clínica. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas. Laboratório de Pesquisa Clínica em Dermatozoonoses em Animais Domésticos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas. Laboratório de Micologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas. Laboratório de Pesquisa Clínica em Dermatozoonoses em Animais Domésticos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas. Laboratório de Micologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas. Laboratório de Pesquisa Clínica em Dermatozoonoses em Animais Domésticos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas. Laboratório de Pesquisa Clínica em Dermatozoonoses em Animais Domésticos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.BACKGROUND Sporotrichosis is caused by species of the genus Sporothrix. From 1998 to 2015, 4,703 cats were diagnosed at the Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Even after the description of the Sporothrix species, the characterisation of feline isolates is not performed routinely. OBJECTIVES To characterise the clinical isolates from cats at the species level and correlate them with the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the cats. METHODS Forty seven Sporothrix spp. isolates from cats assisted at Fiocruz from 2010 to 2011 were included. Medical records were consulted to obtain the clinical and epidemiological data. The isolates were identified through their morphological and physiological characteristics. T3B polymerase chain reaction (PCR) fingerprinting was used for molecular identification of the species. FINDINGS In phenotypic tests, 34 isolates were characterised as S. brasiliensis, one as S. schenckii and 12 as Sporothrix spp. PCR identified all isolates as S. brasiliensis. MAIN CONCLUSIONS S. brasiliensis is the only etiological agent of feline sporotrichosis in Rio de Janeiro to date. None association was found between the isolates and the clinical and epidemiological data. In addition, we strongly recommend the use of molecular techniques for the identification of isolates of Sporothrix spp

Severe Sporotrichosis Treated with Amphotericin B: A 20-Year Cohort Study in an Endemic Area of Zoonotic Transmission

Although rare, disseminated sporotrichosis is increasing in several countries. Despite its limiting toxic potential, amphotericin B is the only intravenous antifungal available to treat severe sporotrichosis. We aimed to describe the effectiveness and safety of amphotericin B treatment for severe sporotrichosis. Clinical records of patients with disseminated sporotrichosis at a reference center were reviewed. This study included 73 patients. Most (53.4%) were men and non-white. HIV coinfection was the main comorbidity (52.1%). Most reported contact with cats (76.7%). Sporothrix brasiliensis was the causative species. Affected sites were skin (98.6%), osteoarticular system (64.4%), upper airway (42.5%), central nervous system (20.5%), eyes (12.3%), and lungs (8.2%). Median doses of amphotericin B used were 750 mg and 4500 mg for deoxycholate and lipid complex formulations, respectively. Amphotericin B discontinuation occurred in 20.5% due to adverse events, mainly azotemia. The outcomes included cure (52.1%), death due to sporotrichosis (21.9%), death due to other causes (9.6%), and loss to follow-up (8.2%). Survival analysis showed an association between cure and the absence of bone, upper airway, and central nervous system involvement. Amphotericin B is the first-choice treatment for disseminated sporotrichosis; however, the severity of systemic dissemination might predict its response. Favorable clinical results depend on prompt diagnosis, investigation of fungal dissemination, and early therapy initiation