Antibody response to sand fly saliva is a marker of transmission intensity but not disease progression in dogs naturally infected with Leishmania infantum

BACKGROUND: Antibody responses to sand fly saliva have been suggested to be a useful marker of exposure to sand fly bites and Leishmania infection and a potential tool to monitor the effectiveness of entomological interventions. Exposure to sand fly bites before infection has also been suggested to modulate the severity of the infection. Here, we test these hypotheses by quantifying the anti-saliva IgG response in a cohort study of dogs exposed to natural infection with Leishmania infantum in Brazil. METHODS: IgG responses to crude salivary antigens of the sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis were measured by ELISA in longitudinal serum samples from 47 previously unexposed sentinel dogs and 11 initially uninfected resident dogs for up to 2 years. Antibody responses were compared to the intensity of transmission, assessed by variation in the incidence of infection between seasons and between dogs. Antibody responses before patent infection were then compared with the severity of infection, assessed using tissue parasite loads and clinical symptoms. RESULTS: Previously unexposed dogs acquired anti-saliva antibody responses within 2 months, and the rate of acquisition increased with the intensity of seasonal transmission. Over the following 2 years, antibody responses varied with seasonal transmission and sand fly numbers, declining rapidly in periods of low transmission. Antibody responses varied greatly between dogs and correlated with the intensity of transmission experienced by individual dogs, measured by the number of days in the field before patent infection. After infection, anti-saliva antibody responses were positively correlated with anti-parasite antibody responses. However, there was no evidence that the degree of exposure to sand fly bites before infection affected the severity of the infection. CONCLUSIONS: Anti-saliva antibody responses are a marker of current transmission intensity in dogs exposed to natural infection with Leishmania infantum, but are not associated with the outcome of infection

Males unveiling the different forms of conjugal violence Hombres develando las formas de la violencia conyugal Homens desvelando as formas da violência conjugal

OBJECTIVES: To identify the forms of unveiling violence from the discourse of a male group that perform violent acts against their partners. METHODS: Qualitative approach study. Seven males were interviewed and they beat their partners, residing in the outskirts of Salvador, BA. The subjects speeches were analyzed by means of content analysis. RESULTS: The study showed that the males interviewed experienced conjugal violence, which is revealed psychologically, sexually, morally and physically. CONCLUSION: The conjugal relationship is marked by an asymmetrical relation between males and females. When males feel they are being threatened, they use some means to control their partners, resorting to physical violence, inclusive. It is imperative to implement public policies that guarantee interventions with males and females, leading them to understand the social construction of gender identity.<br>OBJETIVOS: Identificar las formas de develamiento de la violencia a partir del discurso de un grupo de hombres que practican actos violentos contra sus compañeras. MÉTODOS: Se trata de un estudio de abordaje cualitativo. Fueron entrevistados siete hombres que cometían actos violentos contra sus compañeras, residentes en la periferie de Salvador-BA. Las narrativas de los sujetos fueron analizadas por medio del análisis de contenido. RESULTADOS: El estudio mostró que los hombres entrevistados vivencian la violencia conyugal, la cual se devela bajo las formas psicológica, sexual, moral y física. CONCLUSIÓN: El relacionamiento conyugal está marcado por una relación asimétrica entre hombres y mujeres, de modo que, al sentir que su poder está siendo amenazado, el hombre utiliza algunos medios para controlar a sus compañeras, haciendo uso, inclusive, de la violencia física. Se hace necesaria la implementación de políticas públicas que garanticen intervenciones junto a hombres y mujeres que conduzcan a unos y otros a la comprensión de la construcción social de la identidad de género.<br>OBJETIVOS: Identificar as formas de desvelamento da violência a partir do discurso de um grupo de homens que praticam atos violentos contra suas companheiras. MÉTODOS: Estudo de abordagem qualitativa. Foram entrevistados sete homens que violentavam suas companheiras, residentes na periferia de Salvador-BA. As falas dos sujeitos foram analisadas por meio da análise de conteúdo. RESULTADOS: O estudo mostrou que os homens entrevistados vivenciam a violência conjugal, a qual se desvela sob as formas psicológica, sexual, moral e física. CONCLUSÃO: O relacionamento conjugal é marcado por uma relação assimétrica entre homens e mulheres, de modo que, ao sentir que seu poder está sendo ameaçado, o homem utiliza alguns meios para controlar suas companheiras, lançando mão, inclusive, da violência física. Faz-se necessária a implementação de políticas públicas que garantam intervenções junto a homens e mulheres que conduzam uns e outros à compreensão da construção social da identidade de gênero

Adequação de recursos humanos ao PSF: percepção de formandos de dois modelos de formação acadêmica em odontologia The Family Health Program (FHP) and human resources: perceptions of students from two different dentistry schools

O Programa Saúde da Família - PSF foi instituído pelo governo federal objetivando reverter o modelo assistencial. Os recursos humanos envolvidos devem estar preparados para alcançar os objetivos que o PSF propõe. O propósito desse artigo foi avaliar os desejos, percepções e preparo de acadêmicos de Odontologia, em relação aos princípios do PSF, de duas diferentes Faculdades de Odontologia, aqui denominadas Faculdades 1 e 2. Buscou-se ainda analisar se as faculdades tiveram potencial transformador sobre os acadêmicos, graduando-os com compromisso social e sensibilidade humanitária, considerados importantes para aqueles que querem trabalhar no PSF. Questionários individuais foram aplicados por um único pesquisador. As respostas foram analisadas pelo programa Epi-Info. Os resultados mostraram que prevalece entre os acadêmicos o desejo de trabalhar no PSF por razões ligadas às dificuldades do mercado de trabalho e os mesmos citam freqüentemente a técnica como a principal característica necessária a um dentista para que o mesmo atue no PSF. Por outro lado, diferenças estatisticamente significativas foram encontradas entre os acadêmicos, apontando uma provável influência do Estágio Supervisionado, ministrado sob a forma de internato rural, sobre a formação do acadêmico da Faculdade 1, possivelmente habilitando-o melhor para o PSF.<br>The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perceptions and opinions of dental students from two different Dentistry Schools in Brazil, both known here as Dentistry Schools 1 and 2 about the Family Health Program - FHP. The study analyzed if the Dentistry Schools had any influence on the students, graduating professionals with humanitarian and social sensibility, which are considered very important prerequisites for those who wish to work on this governmental health program, as well as searching for professional expectation of the students. Individual questionnaires were applied by only one researcher among the students who took part in the study. Answers were analysed by the Epi-Info program and results showed that difficulties related to the job market may be influencing students to join the FHP. Results also reveal that students consider technician an important prerequisite for dentists who wish to work on this governmental program. Significant statistical differences between the students were found: those who were graduating in Dentistry School 1 seemed more adequate to FHP and the reason for this difference may be the Supervised Training Program, a unit available on this Dentistry School that enables the students face the reality of FHP, as well the social and economical reality of the families assisted by this program

Violência doméstica: análise das lesões em mulheres Domestic violence: an analysis of injuries in female victims

Este estudo tem como objetivo avaliar a prevalência de lesões de cabeça e pescoço em mulheres, frente aos inquéritos policiais registrados como lesão corporal e maus-tratos na Delegacia de Defesa da Mulher de Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brasil, no ano de 2002. Foram totalizados 204 inquéritos policiais no ano de 2002, e destes extraídos 33 laudos periciais referentes aos crimes de lesões corporais e maus-tratos em mulheres. Analisou-se nos laudos médicos da perícia, aspectos relativos à idade das vítimas e local das lesões por elas apresentadas na ocasião do exame. Os resultados encontrados revelam que as agressões ocorrem em faixas etárias diversas, com predominância na infância e adolescência. Além disso, ocorreu a maior prevalência de lesões na região da cabeça e pescoço, área de atuação do cirurgião-dentista que necessita estar preparado para atender, entre outros, o paciente vítima de violência.<br>This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of head and neck injuries in females based on complaints registered as bodily harm or cruel and unusual punishment at the Women's Defense Precinct in Araçatuba, São Paulo State, Brazil, in 2002. A total of 204 police inquiries were conducted in 2002, resulting in 33 police reports of bodily harm and cruel and unusual punishment to females. The police reports were examined as to victim's age and site of injury. The results showed that injuries are inflicted on various age brackets, with a higher prevalence in children and adolescents. In addition, the highest prevalence of injuries was in the head and neck, encompassing the area where dentists work and where they should be prepared to treat victims of such violence