One Health-ness Evaluation of Cysticercosis Surveillance Design in Portugal

The increasing occurrence of human cysticercosis, a zoonotic neglected disease, is challenging the traditional prevention and control paradigm and calling for One Health (OH) solutions in industrialized countries. OH solutions for health interventions are increasingly being used to capture expected and unexpected outcomes across people, animals, and the environment. The Network for Evaluation of One Health (NEOH) proposes an evidence-based framework, relying on systems and mixed methods approaches to evaluate the One Health-ness. In this case study, this tool is used to evaluate the design of the Observatory of Taeniasis and Cysticercosis, as an example of intersectorial collaboration for surveillance in Portugal. The OH Initiative (drivers and expected outcomes) and its system (boundaries, aim, dimensions, actors, and stakeholders) were described. The different aspects of this Initiative were scored with values from 0 (=no OH approach) to 1 (=perfect OH approach). The OH index was 0.31. Its OH ratio is 1.98. Overall scores were as follows: OH thinking 0.75; OH planning 0.60; OH working 0.60; OH sharing 0.35; OH learning 0.50; and systemic organization 0.50. Operational levels of the Initiative are the main strengths, indicating a comprehensive multidimensional innovative approach and transdisciplinarity. Critical issues in the supporting infrastructure were observed, related to communication, learning and organizational gaps in the project, with the evaluation being conducted as the project is being designed and implemented. The strengths and weaknesses detected may be used to refine the Initiative. This case study therefore exemplifies and supports OH assessment also for ongoing projects, at design and early implementation stages for guiding and guaranteeing an OH-oriented perspective.publishersversionpublishe

Para um diagnostico serologico precoce da lepra e da tuberculose

In 182 patients with different forms of leprae, in 50 people that have been in contact with leprae patients at least for the last two years, in 50 patients with tuberculosis bacteriologically confirmed by culture and in 137 healthy individuals a study was carried out to on the existence of antibodies against fenolglicolipidical antigens characteristic of Mycobacterium leprae, PGL-I, M. tuberculosis, PGL-Tb-I, M. bovis, M. marinum and M. kansaii. The sensibility, specificity and predicative values for homologous antigens were determined and its possible use in serum diagnosis for the screening of leprae and tuberculosis was verified. From the results obtained, we enhanced the aptitude of, with ELISA test, PGL-I in presenting a 98% sensibility for the active multibacilar and paucibacilar forms of leprae and the PGL-Tb-I allowing for the serological diagnosis of almost all the cases of active tuberculosis, showing a sensibility of 98%, a 90,5% specificity and a negative result predicative value of 99,2%, which indicates its validity as tuberculosis screening testAvailable from Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia, Servico de Informacao e Documentacao, Av. D. Carlos I, 126, 1200 Lisboa / FCT - Fundação para o Ciência e a TecnologiaSIGLEPTPortuga

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved