Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections versus knowledge, attitudes and practices of male residents in Brazilian urban slums: a cross-sectional study.

Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) are neglected diseases caused by helminths and protozoa, with the relationships between parasite, host and environment having the potential to produce high morbidity and incapacity to work and mortality in vulnerable areas. This study assessed the prevalence of IPIs concerning socio-environmental conditions and analyzed the knowledge, attitudes and practices related to these diseases among men living in the slums of Rio de Janeiro city, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. A cross-sectional study was conducted in an agglomeration of urban slums between 2018 and 2019, with men aged between 20 and 59 years. A socioeconomic status questionnaire and an IPIs knowledge, attitudes and practices questionnaire (KAPQ) were applied. Coproparasitological diagnoses (n=454) were performed using four methods and samples of water for household consumption (n=392) were subjected to microbiological and physicochemical analysis. A total of 624 participants were enrolled. About 40% of the households had "water unsuitable for consumption". Only one Major Area, MA 3 was not statistically significant for IPIs (AOR=0.75; 95% CI: 0.30-1.88; p=0.55). The overall prevalence of IPIs was 23.8%. Endolimax nana (n=65, 14.3%) and hookworm (n=8, 1.7%) were the most frequently identified parasites. The analysis of the frequency of responses to the KAPQ has shown that men reported to seeking medical care if they were suspicious of IPIs, and around 35% would self-medicate. The results have shown the need to adopt integrated health education practices targeting male residents in urban slums to qualify the care with water for human consumption and promote self-care about IPIs. The household can be considered strategic for Primary Health Care activities for men.

Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections versus knowledge, attitudes and practices of male residents in Brazilian urban slums: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) are neglected diseases caused by helminths and protozoa, with the relationships between parasite, host and environment having the potential to produce high morbidity and incapacity to work and mortality in vulnerable areas. This study assessed the prevalence of IPIs concerning socio-environmental conditions and analyzed the knowledge, attitudes and practices related to these diseases among men living in the slums of Rio de Janeiro city, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. A cross-sectional study was conducted in an agglomeration of urban slums between 2018 and 2019, with men aged between 20 and 59 years. A socioeconomic status questionnaire and an IPIs knowledge, attitudes and practices questionnaire (KAPQ) were applied. Coproparasitological diagnoses (n=454) were performed using four methods and samples of water for household consumption (n=392) were subjected to microbiological and physicochemical analysis. A total of 624 participants were enrolled. About 40% of the households had "water unsuitable for consumption". Only one Major Area, MA 3 was not statistically significant for IPIs (AOR=0.75; 95% CI: 0.30-1.88; p=0.55). The overall prevalence of IPIs was 23.8%. Endolimax nana (n=65, 14.3%) and hookworm (n=8, 1.7%) were the most frequently identified parasites. The analysis of the frequency of responses to the KAPQ has shown that men reported to seeking medical care if they were suspicious of IPIs, and around 35% would self-medicate. The results have shown the need to adopt integrated health education practices targeting male residents in urban slums to qualify the care with water for human consumption and promote self-care about IPIs. The household can be considered strategic for Primary Health Care activities for men.

Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) and Viral Detection in Polluted Surface Water: A Valuable Tool for COVID-19 Surveillance-A Brief Review.

SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Disease clinical manifestations range from asymptomatic to severe multiple organ damage. SARS-CoV-2 uses ACE2 as a cellular receptor, which is abundantly expressed in the small intestine, allowing viral replication in the gastrointestinal tract. Viral RNA has been detected in the stool of COVID-19 patients and viable viruses had been isolated in some of these samples. Thus, a putative role of SARS-CoV-2 fecal-oral transmission has been argued. SARS-CoV-2 is shed in human excreta and further disposed in the sewerage or in the environment, in poor basic sanitation settings. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a valuable population level approach for monitoring viral pathogens and has been successfully used in different contexts. This review summarizes the current global experience on SARS-CoV-2 WBE in distinct continents and viral detection in polluted surface water. The advantages and concerns of this strategy for SARS-CoV-2 surveillance are discussed. Outcomes suggest that WBE is a valuable early warning alert and a helpful complementary surveillance tool to subside public health response, to tailor containment and mitigation measures and to determine target populations for testing. In poor sanitation settings, contaminated rivers could be alternatively used as a source for environmental surveillance.

Água de reúso: uma alternativa sustentável para o Brasil / Water reuse: a sustainable alternative for Brazil

RESUMO As motivações para a busca de soluções e alternativas que podem diminuir o estresse hídrico são evidentemente importantes. Mesmo que renováveis, os recursos hídricos de qualidade e potabilidade são escassos. Como alternativa, o reúso pode ajudar a diminuir o uso de águas potáveis para atividades que não necessitam de potabilidade. Este trabalho teve como objetivo realizar uma revisão da literatura sobre água de reúso a partir da definição de alternativa sustentável e racional para o uso da água. Realizou-se um levantamento bibliográfico do período de julho a dezembro de 2017 nas bases de dados Medical Literature Analysis and Retrievel System Online (MedLine), Literatura Latino-americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (LILACS), Embase e Institute for Scientific Information (ISI). Com a revisão bibliográfica foi possível identificar que o tema "reúso" vem sendo debatido para a gestão, a padronização e os riscos associados à utilização. No Brasil, não há uma legislação a nível nacional que regule o uso e determine os padrões de qualidade da água de reúso. No entanto, nas quatro regiões brasileiras foi observado que há sete estados com legislações e normas sobre o tema. Legislações internacionais apresentam uma relação abrangente de parâmetros que podem ser utilizados no debate para a legislação brasileira. Trabalhos produzidos pela comunidade acadêmica fundamentam os riscos sobre esse tipo de água. Publicações científicas sobre água de reúso devem ser estimuladas, assim como legislações mais detalhadas descrevendo os tipos de água de reúso, assim como os padrões de riscos relacionados.

ABSTRACT The motivations for seeking solutions and alternatives that can reduce water stress is clearly important. Even though renewable, water resources of quality and potability are scarce. As an alternative, reuse can help reduce the use of drinking water for activities that do not require drinking. The objective was to carry out a review of the literature on reuse water based on the definition of a sustainable and rational alternative for water use. A bibliographical survey was carried out from July to December 2017 in the MedLine, Lilacs, Embase, and ISI databases. The bibliographic review showed that the reused topic has been discussed with notes to the management, standardization, and risks associated with its use. There is no national Brazilian legislation that regulates the use and quality standards of reuse water. However, in the four Brazilian regions, the literature points to only seven Brazilian states with legislation and norms on the subject. International legislations present a comprehensive list of parameters that can be used in the discussion of Brazilian national legislation. Works have been produced by the academic community, basing the risks of this type of water. Scientific publications on reuse water should be encouraged, as well as more detailed legislation describing the types of reuse water and related risk patterns.

Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) and Viral Detection in Polluted Surface Water: A Valuable Tool for COVID-19 Surveillance: A Brief Review

SARS-COV-2 is the causative agent of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Disease clinical manifestations range from asymptomatic to severe multiple organ damage. SARS-CoV-2 uses ACE2 as a cellular receptor, which is abundantly expressed in the small intestine, allowing viral replication in the gastrointestinal tract. Viral RNA has been detected in the stool of COVID-19 patients and viable viruses had been isolated in some of these samples. Thus, a putative role of SARS-CoV-2 fecal-oral transmission has been argued. SARS-CoV-2 is shed in human excreta and further disposed in the sewerage or in the environment, in poor basic sanitation settings. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a valuable population level approach for monitoring viral pathogens and has been successfully used in di_erent contexts. This review summarizes the current global experience on SARS-CoV-2 WBE in distinct continents and viral detection in polluted surface water. The advantages and concerns of this strategy for SARS-CoV-2 surveillance are discussed. Outcomes suggest that WBE is a valuable early warning alert and a helpful complementary surveillance tool to subside public health response, to tailor containment and mitigation measures and to determine target populations for testing. In poor sanitation settings, contaminated rivers could be alternatively used as a source for environmental surveillance.

Socioenvironmental conditions and intestinal parasitic infections in Brazilian urban slums: a cross-sectional study.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study covering an agglomeration of urban slums was conducted between 2015 and 2016 using participants observation, a socioeconomic survey, and the spontaneous sedimentation method with three slides per sample to analyze fresh stool specimens ( n =595) searching for intestinal parasites. RESULTS: Endolimax nana ( n =95, 16.0%) and Entamoeba coli ( n =65, 10.9%) were the most frequently identified agents, followed by Giardia intestinalis ( n =24, 4.0%) and Ascaris lumbricoides ( n =11, 1.8%). Coinfections caused by E. nana and E. histolytica/dispar and by Entamoeba coli/A. lumbricoides were significant. The use of piped water as drinking water, the presence of A. lumbricoides , and contamination with coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli were more common in major area (MA) 1. Children (0-19 years) had a greater chance of living in poverty (OR 3.36; 95% CI: 2.50- 4.52; p <0.001) which was pervasive. The predominance of protozoa parasites suggests that a one-size-fits-all approach focusing on preventive chemotherapy for soil-transmitted helminths is not appropriate for all communities in developing countries. It is important that both residents and health professionals consider the socioenvironmental conditions of urban slums when assessing intestinal parasitic infections for disease control and health promotion initiatives.

A conservative region of the mercuric reductase gene (merA) as a molecular marker of bacterial mercury resistance / Região conservada do gene da mercúrio redutase (merA) como marcador molecular da resistência bacteriana ao mercúrio

The most common bacterial mercury resistance mechanism is based on the reduction of Hg(II) to Hg0, which is dependent of the mercuric reductase enzyme (MerA) activity. The use of a 431 bp fragment of a conservative region of the mercuric reductase (merA) gene was applied as a molecular marker of this mechanism, allowing the identification of mercury resistant bacterial strains.

O mecanismo de resistência bacteriana ao mercúrio mais comum é baseada na redução do Hg(II) a Hg0, através da atividade da enzima mercúrio redutase (MerA). O uso do fragmento de 431 pb amplificado de uma região conservada do gene merA, que codifica a enzima MerA,foi utilizado como marcador molecular deste mecanismo, permitindo a identificação de bactérias resistentes ao mercúrio.

A conservative region of the mercuric reductase gene (mera) as a molecular marker of bacterial mercury resistance.

The most common bacterial mercury resistance mechanism is based on the reduction of Hg(II) to Hg(0), which is dependent of the mercuric reductase enzyme (MerA) activity. The use of a 431 bp fragment of a conservative region of the mercuric reductase (merA) gene was applied as a molecular marker of this mechanism, allowing the identification of mercury resistant bacterial strains.

Asparaginase II-GFP fusion as a tool for studying the secretion of the enzyme under nitrogen starvation

A producão de asparaginase II de Saccharomyces cerevisiae é regulada por nitrogênio e pode ser utilizada como um sistema modelo para estudar outras proteínas secretadas, em leveduras. A proteína "green fluorescent protein" (GFP) de Aequorea victoria foi fusionada à porcão carboxi-terminal de Asp3p por integracão genômica da sequência de GFP ao locus ASP3. Determinaram-se os níveis de atividade de asparaginase II, mRNAASP3, mRNAASP3-GFP e de fluorescência para GFP. A deplecão para nitrogênio, em células portadoras do gene quimérico ASP3-GFP, fez aumentar a fluorescência, assim como a expressão de ASP3. Demonstramos que Asp3-GFPp pode ser utilizada para estudar a secrecão de asparaginase II em células submetidas à privacão de nitrogênio in vivo.