First molecular assessment on Cosmocerca spp. from Brazilian anurans and description of a new species of Cosmocerca (Ascaridomorpha: Cosmocercoidea) from the white-spotted humming frog Chiasmocleis albopunctata (Boettger, 1885) (Anura: Microhylidae).

Cosmocerca spp. are common nematode parasites of amphibians. We provide herein molecular data for two species of Cosmocerca and describe a new species, Cosmocerca albopunctata n. sp., using light microscopy and molecular data (cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 - COI mtDNA). Cosmocerca albopunctata n. sp. can be easily distinguished from other congeneric species by the combination of characteristics such as body size, length of spicules and gubernaculum, and the arrangements and number of caudal papillae (7 + 1:1 + 1:6). The phylogenetic results based on the partial COI mtDNA sequences clustered the new species in a monophyletic clade along with the other sequences of Cosmocerca spp. Therefore, our results contribute to the knowledge about the species diversity and genetic data for Cosmocerca spp. in the Neotropical region.

Systematic review: methodological flaws in racial/ethnic reporting for gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Health care disparities affecting the care of multiple disease groups are of growing concern internationally. Research guidelines, governmental institutions, and scientific journals have attempted to minimize disparities through policies regarding the collection and reporting of racial/ethnic data. One area where shortcomings remain is in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This systematic review, which adheres to the PRISMA statement, focuses on characterizing existing methodological weaknesses in research focusing on studies regarding the assessment, prevalence, treatment, and outcomes of GERD patients. Search terms included GERD and typical symptoms of GERD in ethnic groups or minorities. We reviewed 62 articles. The majority of studies did not report the race/ethnicity of all participants, and among those who did, very few followed accepted guidelines. While there were diverse participants, there was also diversity in the manner in which groups were labeled, making comparisons difficult. There appeared to be a disparity with respect to countries reporting race/ethnicity, with certain countries more likely to report this variable. Samples overwhelmingly consisted of the study country's majority population. The majority of studies justified the use of race/ethnicity as a study variable and investigated conceptually related factors such as socioeconomic status and environment. Yet, many studies wrote as if race/ethnicity reflected biological differences. Despite recommendations, it appears that GERD researchers around the world struggle with the appropriate and standard way to include, collect, report, and discuss race/ethnicity. Recommendations on ways to address these issues are included with the goal of preventing and identifying health care disparities.

Staff Attitudes towards Patient Safety Culture and Working Conditions in an Irish Tertiary Neonatal Unit

Introduction There is little published research evaluating attitudes towards patient safety culture and working conditions in neonatal units. This study aimed to explore this within a Level III Irish neonatal unit setting. Methods This was a quantitative, cross-sectional study performed in the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin. A 30-item safety attitudes questionnaire (SAQ) was utilized to analyze staff perceptions in areas including job satisfaction, working conditions and stress recognition. Results The 'Stress Recognition' domain received the highest score (75.3) followed by 'Job Satisfaction' domain with a mean score of 74.4. The lowest mean scale score in the neonatal unit was for 'Perceptions of Management', with a mean score of 50.7. Collaboration and Communication scores were high across all disciplines. Conclusion This SAQ has highlighted a number of important areas for quality improvement and staff satisfaction in our neonatal unit.

First report and description of a Cyrilia sp. (Apicomplexa: Haemogregarinidae) from a freshwater Cururu Stingray Potamotrygon cf. histrix (Elasmobranchii: Potamotrygonidae), from the Amazon Region, Brazil.

A haemogregarine is described in 12 cururu stingray (Potamotrygon cf. histrix), from Mariuá Archipelago, Negro River, in the Brazilian Amazon Basin. All animals, both male and female, were parasitized by the haemogregarine and parasitaemia varied between 0.8% and 10% of erythrocytes. The stages observed included trophozoites or merozoites, suspected meronts, and gamonts presumed to be of two types, macrogamonts and microgamonts. Most stages were observed inside mature erythrocytes, while others were extracellular. The stages observed were most similar to those characteristics of the genus Cyrilia, than to any other fish haemogregarine and may represent a new Cyrilia species.

Special care dentistry: how prepared are we?

AIM: To assess and evaluate the confidence of the undergraduate dental team in Irish dental schools regarding their training in the field of special care dentistry (SCD). METHOD: A questionnaire was distributed amongst the undergraduate dental teams within Cork University Dental School and Hospital (CUDSH) and Dublin Dental University Hospital (DDUH). The data were analysed to assess for differences between the median responses of the various groups. RESULTS: A total of 139 students participated in the study; 82 from DDUH (59 dental science students, seven dental hygiene students and 16 dental nursing students) and 57 from CUDSH (43 dental science students and 14 dental hygiene students). Twenty-two per cent (n = 30) of respondents agreed that their training had been sufficient in providing treatment or assistance for patients requiring SCD. Seventy-five per cent agreed that more emphasis should be placed on clinical training in SCD (n = 76). Thirty-one per cent of students anticipated a high level of confidence in treating patients requiring SCD upon graduation (n = 43), with dental science students feeling the least prepared amongst the dental team. CONCLUSION: Confidence levels of the undergraduate dental team were low with regard to SCD. The existing hands-on clinical training in SCD was deemed insufficient by the respondents. Students believed more emphasis should be placed on SCD training in the undergraduate curriculum.

Confined crystallization of fenofibrate in nanoporous silica.

Producing stable nanocrystals confined to porous excipient media is a desirable way to increase the dissolution rate and improve the bioavailability of poorly water soluble pharmaceuticals. The poorly soluble pharmaceutical fenofibrate was crystallized in controlled pore glass (CPG) of 10 different pore sizes between 12 nm and 300 nm. High drug loadings of greater than 20 wt% were achieved across all pore sizes greater than 20 nm. Nanocrystalline fenofibrate was formed in pore sizes greater than 20 nm and showed characteristic melting point depressions following a Gibbs-Thomson relationship as well as enhanced dissolution rates. Solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) was employed to characterize the crystallinity of the confined molecules. These results help to advance the fundamental understanding of nanocrystallization in confined pores.

Is there only one species of Hepatozoon infecting Brazilian caimans? Integrative taxonomy unveiling the parasite's diversity.

Hepatozoon spp. are the most common haemoparasites reported from reptiles around the world, however, only six species have been described infecting crocodilians. In Brazil, Hepatozoon caimani Carini, 1909 is currently the only recognized species from the caiman hosts. This study provides new data on the diversity of species of Hepatozoon infecting Caiman crocodilus (Linnaeus) using molecular data and phylogenetic analysis, with additional support of morphological data of developmental stages from host blood and tissue. Forty-four individuals were collected and screened for haemogregarines, and blood and tissue samples were analysed by light microscopy with 31 (70.45%) infected. Hepatozoon spp. blood developmental stages included immature and mature gamonts with or without cytoplasmic vacuoles and free gamonts. Additionally, merogonic developmental stages were found in the liver and spleen of infected hosts. Based on the morphological and molecular data, this study identified two possible different species of Hepatozoon, being one of them the H. caimani with intragenotypic divergence.

Phylogenetic position of Gorgoderina parvicava Travassos, 1922 (Digenea: Gorgoderidae), a parasite of Leptodactylus labyrinthicus (Spix, 1824) (Anura: Leptodactylidae) in Brazil.

During a parasite survey in Brazilian amphibians from São Paulo state, Brazil, Gorgoderina parvicava Travassos, 1922 was found in the urinary bladder (11 adult worms) and (five juvenile worms) in the kidneys of the pepper-frog Leptodactylus labyrinthicus (Spix, 1824). Parasites were examined by microscopy and 28S rDNA and COI gene were sequenced and analyzed for the molecular study. The phylogenetic reconstructions resulted in identical topologies with highly supported values in the nodes in most clades using Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods and positioned G. parvicava in the subclade formed by species of subfamily Gorgoderinae parasitizing the urinary bladder of amphibians. Molecular phylogenetic data showed that this species is related to other species of Gorgoderina. In addition, new molecular data and the analyses of genetic distances provide extra comparative data, which can be applied in further investigations on the taxonomic status and the diversity among Gorgoderina spp. and host-parasite relationships.

Myxobolus spp. (Cnidaria: Myxobolidae) in the circulating blood of fishes from Goiás and Mato Grosso States, Brazil: case report.

Myxosporidiosis is an infectious disease caused by myxozoans of the Phylum Cnidaria, Class Myxosporea, and Order Bivalvulida, considered a common parasite in fresh and saltwater fishes that parasitize many organs, especially gills. In the present study, 49 specimens of fishes belonging to eight genera: Tetragonopterus, Leporinus, Myleus, Pirinampus, Rhapiodon, Pygocentrus, Ageneiosus, and Serrasalmus were collected and blood smears were made, fixed with absolute methanol, and stained with Giemsa 10% to survey hemoparasites. However, myxospores were found in the circulating blood of five (10.20%) fishes belonging to genus Tetragonopterus, Myleus, and Pygocentrus. Two morphological types of Myxobolus spp. were identified in all the five fish specimens analyzed. Usually, investigations on myxozoans in fish are carried out with the search for plasmodia or cysts in the fish organs and observation of the cavity of organs. Nevertheless, this study highlights the importance of also examining the blood of these animals, since these parasites can cause severe pathogenic diseases in fish. Thus, the blood analyses can proportionate preventive sanitary control for commercial fish avoiding economic loss.

Myxobolus spp. (Cnidaria: Myxobolidae) in the circulating blood of fishes from Goiás and Mato Grosso States, Brazil: case report / Myxobolus spp. (Cnidaria: Myxobolidae) no sangue circulante de peixes dos estados de Goiás e Mato Grosso, Brasil: relato de caso

Myxosporidiosis is an infectious disease caused by myxozoans of the Phylum Cnidaria, Class Myxosporea, and Order Bivalvulida, considered a common parasite in fresh and saltwater fishes that parasitize many organs, especially gills. In the present study, 49 specimens of fishes belonging to eight genera: Tetragonopterus, Leporinus, Myleus, Pirinampus, Rhapiodon, Pygocentrus, Ageneiosus, and Serrasalmus were collected and blood smears were made, fixed with absolute methanol, and stained with Giemsa 10% to survey hemoparasites. However, myxospores were found in the circulating blood of five (10.20%) fishes belonging to genus Tetragonopterus, Myleus, and Pygocentrus. Two morphological types of Myxobolus spp. were identified in all the five fish specimens analyzed. Usually, investigations on myxozoans in fish are carried out with the search for plasmodia or cysts in the fish organs and observation of the cavity of organs. Nevertheless, this study highlights the importance of also examining the blood of these animals, since these parasites can cause severe pathogenic diseases in fish. Thus, the blood analyses can proportionate preventive sanitary control for commercial fish avoiding economic loss.

A mixosporidiose é considerada uma doença infecciosa causada por mixozoários pertentences ao Filo Cnidaria, Classe Myxosporea e Ordem Bivalvulida, considerados parasitos comuns de peixes de água doce e salgada, parasitando vários órgãos, principalmente as brânquias. No presente estudo, 49 espécimes de peixes pertencentes a oito gêneros: Tetragonopterus, Leporinus, Myleus, Pirinampus, Rhapiodon, Pygocentrus, Ageneiosus and Serrasalmus foram coletados e extensões sanguíneas foram feitas com a finalidade de encontrar hemoparasitos. Entretanto, mixoesporos foram observados em cinco (10.20%) espécimes de peixes, pertencentes aos gêneros Tetragonopterus, Myleus e Pygocentrus. Dois morfotipos de Myxobolus spp. foram identificados parasitando esses peixes. Normalmente, as investigações sobre mixozoários em peixes é realizada com a procura de plasmódios ou cistos nos órgãos dos peixes e observação da cavidade de órgãos. Porém, esse trabalho ressalta a importância de se examinar também o sangue desses animais, já que esses parasitos podem ocasionar patogenias severas em peixes. Sendo assim, a análise sanguínea pode proporcionar controle sanatório preventivo para peixes comerciais e evitar perdas econômicas.

A 13C-NMR study of the biosynthesis of 3-methylpentacosane in the American cockroach.

13C-NMR spectrometry was used to examine the in vivo incorporation of 13C-labeled precursors into 3-methylpentacosane in the cockroach Periplaneta americana. Natural abundance 13C-NMR of 3-methylpentacosane showed that carbons 1 through 6, 23 through 25 and the branching methyl carbon (C26) each gave distinct signals, with carbons 7 through 22 indistinguishable from each other. The label from dipotassium 2-[methyl-13C]methylmalonate was incorporated primarily into the methyl branch of 3-methylpentacosane, demonstrating the 2-methylmalonate is the precursor to the methyl branch unit. The carboxyl carbon from sodium [1-13C]propionate was incorporated exclusively into the 4-position. This indicates that propionate, as a 2-methylmalonyl derivative, is incorporated as the second unit during chain synthesis rather than toward the end of the elongation process. The labeled carbon from sodium [1-13C]acetate was incorporated into carbons 2, 6 and 24 and the labeled carbon from [2-13C]acetate was incorporated into carbons 1, 5, 23 and 25 of 3-methylpentacosane, respectively. These data are consistent with an elongation-decarboxylation pathway for 3-methylpentacosane biosynthesis.

Holistic assessment of women with hyperemesis gravidarum: A randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Hyperemesis gravidarum or severe nausea and vomiting of pregnancy affects women's physical, social and psychological wellbeing and often requires frequent hospital admissions. Current standard care may be too medically focussed to meet all of women's complex needs. AIM: The aim of this study is to test where using a validated questionnaire, the Hyperemesis Impact of Symptoms tool, delivered by a nurse to assess the overall effect of hyperemesis on an individual woman's life and to provide advice tailored to her specific needs, will help her cope better with her symptoms and reduce admissions to hospital. DESIGN: This study was a two arm randomised controlled trial in which women with hyperemesis from four hospitals were randomly allocated to one of two groups: (1) usual care and (2) usual care plus assessment with the Hyperemesis Impact of Symptoms questionnaire and a care plan tailored to their responses. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Recruitment was from women who were admitted with hyperemesis gravidarum; diabetic women or those over 14 weeks gestation were excluded. Those who consented completed questionnaires to assess their quality of life and the severity of symptoms at baseline and at three time points over the following 6 weeks. RESULTS: Women's average social functioning, Hyperemesis Impact of Symptom scores and average number of admissions were not significantly different between either group. The average number of days in hospital for the questionnaire and tailored plan group was significantly lower, 4.97, compared with 6.14 in the usual care group. Using the questionnaire to plan individualised care was not associated with significant reduction in health care costs. CONCLUSION: Using the Hyperemesis Impact of Symptoms questionnaire to tailor a care plan to address women's individual needs was not associated with any significant improvements in the quality of life. The cost effectiveness analysis did not indicate that the questionnaire is cost saving. The Hyperemesis Impact of Symptoms questionnaire is a practical tool for nurses and midwives to assess the overall impact of hyperemesis gravidarum on the individual and could be useful for assessing symptoms and evaluating physical, social and psychological changes following treatment in either clinical or research settings.

(+)-bufuralol 1'-hydroxylation activity in human and rhesus monkey intestine and liver.

(+)-Bufuralol 1'-hydroxylation, a commonly used marker of hepatic CYP2D6 activity, was investigated in human and rhesus monkey intestinal microsomes and compared with that in hepatic microsomes. The cumene hydroperoxide (CuOOH)-mediated metabolism of (+)-bufuralol suggested that at least two enzymes were responsible for bufuralol 1'-hydroxylation in both human and monkey intestinal microsomes. In contrast, the kinetics of the CuOOH-mediated metabolism in human and monkey livers were monophasic. The Km values for the higher affinity component of the intestinal enzyme(s) of both species were similar to, while the corresponding Vmax values were much lower than, those obtained with the livers. Bufuralol metabolism mediated by NADPH exhibited biphasic kinetics and was less efficient than that observed in the presence of CuOOH in both human and monkey intestines, in agreement with the observations in the livers. Inhibition of bufuralol hydroxylase activity in the intestine and liver preparations from the same species by known CYP2D6 inhibitors/substrates was qualitatively similar. Quinidine was the most potent inhibitor of (+)-bufuralol 1'-hydroxylation in all tissues studied. Western immunoblots using anti-CYP2D6 peptide antibody revealed a protein band in human and monkey intestinal microsomes of the same molecular weight as that observed in the liver preparations. The intestinal CYP2D protein content appeared to be much less than that of liver, and correlated with the (+)-bufuralol hydroxylase activity. Immunoinhibition studies indicated significant (up to 50%) inhibition of the CuOOH-mediated (+)-bufuralol metabolism in human and monkey intestines only by anti-CYP2D6, and not by anti-CYP2A6, or anti-CYP2E1. Inhibition of the bufuralol 1'-hydroxylase activity by anti-rat CYP3A1 was only slight (20%) in human, but marked (60-65%) in monkey intestinal microsomes. The hepatic metabolism of (+)-bufuralol in humans and monkeys was only inhibited (75%) by anti-CYP2D6, but not by anti-CYP3A1. Overall, the results suggest that (1) tissue and species differences exist in the catalysis of (+)-bufuralol 1'-hydroxylation, and (2) CYP2D6-related enzymes are partially or primarily responsible for the bufuralol hydroxylase activity in human and monkey intestines or monkey liver.

Strain-related differences in the pneumotoxic effects of chronically administered butylated hydroxytoluene on protein kinase C and calpain.

BALB/cBy (BALB) and CXB H mice responded similarly to a single intraperitoneal injection of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). This transient pneumotoxicity was characterized by an elevated lung weight and alveolar damage. These changes were accompanied by alterations in the calcium second messenger pathway, namely, two- to five-fold decreases in the activities and pulmonary content of protein kinase C alpha (PKC alpha) and calcium-dependent protease isozyme II (calpain II). BALB and CXB H mice varied in their responsiveness to a chronic (4-6 weekly injections) BHT regimen. CXB H mice became tolerant to BHT and all of the above parameters had returned to control values when examined after the last injection. Chronic BHT administration also failed to enhance lung tumor multiplicity in CXB H mice when the first BHT injection was preceded by the carcinogen, urethane. In contrast, the additional BHT doses potentiated the pathological and biochemical alterations in BALB mice above that found with acute treatment. This included a chronic inflammatory response characterized by the presence of activated macrophages, and a lung tumor multiplicity that was 3-fold greater than in BALB mice receiving urethane alone. One BHT injection increased calpain II mRNA in both strains (1.5- to 3-fold); mRNA declined following multiple BHT injections in BALB mice, but remained elevated in CXB H mice. Studies with the cytochrome P450 inhibitor, piperonyl butoxide, indicated that metabolism of BHT was required for both its acute and chronic effects. We conclude the following: (i) Differences between inbred mice in their susceptibility to chronic pneumotoxicant exposure may exist even when they respond similarly to an acute exposure of the same agent; (ii) A chronic inflammatory state involving a high concentration of activated macrophages may play an important role in tumor enhancement by a non-carcinogen; (iii) The protein contents of PKC alpha and calpain II decrease during BHT-induced lung damage.

Potential meets reality: GIS and public health research in Australia.

Geographical Information Systems-computerised systems for the capture, storage, retrieval, analysis and display of spatial data-have recently been promoted as important tools for the study of public health. Attention must also be given to the issues involved in this relatively new application, especially in Australian conditions. These include the coarse spatial resolution of most health and social data, the propagation of error through the need to use estimates and concordance tables to handle data in mismatched official spatial boundaries, the inflexible analytical capacity of most GIS for the needs of epidemiology, and difficulties in access to data, which are compounded by the absence of a good metadata register. The conflict between the need for spatial precision in GIS and preserving the confidentiality of health data is a salient issue. Medical geographers and public health researchers using GIS must recognise these issues in order to work together and toward extending the use of GIS technology beyond broad ecological and accessibility studies.

Hepatozoon canis infection associated with dog ticks of rural areas of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil.

Hepatozoon canis is a tick-borne protozoan that infects dogs and has been reported throughout the world. Manifestation of H. canis infection varies from being sub-clinical in apparently healthy dogs to severe illness. The main vector of the infection is the dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus although other species may also transmit this agent. H. canis has been reported previously in Brazil, but mostly as an occasional finding during laboratory exams and always associated with other diseases. The prevalence of H. canis in dogs of rural areas of Brazil has been little studied. For this study, 250 dogs from seven counties of Rio de Janeiro state were examined. All the dogs were from rural areas, near forest. Of the dogs examined, 26 dogs were from Seropédica, 82 from Itaguaí, 41 from Paracambi, 26 from Mangaratiba, 32 from Barra do Piraí, 32 from Piraí and 11 from Miguel Pereira. Blood smears from the peripheral blood of the ear were taken and ticks found on the dogs were collected for identification in the laboratory. Using blood smear evaluation, H. canis was identified in 39.2% of the animals examined. Other hemoparasites identified were Babesia canis (5.2%) and Ehrlichia canis (4.8%). Four tick species were found parasitizing the dogs: Amblyomma cajennense (23.6%), R. sanguineus (12.4%), Amblyomma aureolatum (2.8%) and Amblyomma ovale (2.0%). There was a positive correlation between the presence of A. cajennense and H. canis infection.

Effect of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone on the fertility of sows kept outdoors.

A total of 1,231 mixed parity sows from five outdoor units in East Anglia were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups. Sows in the control group were given no treatment, those in group 1 were injected intramuscularly with 8 microg of the analogue of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH), buserelin, within 24 hours after first service and those in group 2 received the same treatment on day 11 or 12 after first service. There was no significant effect of treatment on farrowing rate to first service (85.0 v 85.4 v 84.7 per cent, respectively) or on overall mean (se) total litter size (11.6 [0.2] v 11.9 [0.2] v 11.9 [0.21]), although litter size was significantly increased by both treatments on one unit (11.6 [0.3] v 12.4 [0.3] v 12.8 [0.3]; P<0.05). However, there was a significant increase overall in the numbers of pigs born alive in both treatment groups (10.9 [0.2] v 11.3 [0.1] v 11.4 [0.3]; P<0.05) to sows of parities 0 to 2 only (P<0.05). This increase in numbers born alive is difficult to reconcile with the lack of overall effect on total litter size.

The relationship between smoking and self-esteem.

Tobacco use is recognized as the most significant cause of preventable morbidity and mortality. In recent years health professionals have shifted emphasis from treating adult smokers to preventing smoking among children. This has prompted a number of studies of the determinants of smoking behavior among adolescents. Although some recent research has associated low self-esteem with smoking, other work challenges the relationship between self-esteem and health behavior. This study examines the relationship between adolescent self-esteem and smoking among a large cohort (N = 3,567) of adolescents who were surveyed between the 6th and 10th grades. Findings suggest that self-esteem may be a factor in the smoking behavior of female adolescents in grades 6-8, but not for males in any grade. This suggests that females may have different motivations to initiate and maintain the smoking habit.

The shortages of nurses in NSW: a motivation hygiene approach to identifying problems and solutions.

For a number of years public hospitals in NSW have experienced high turnover figures for nursing staff and have been unable to recruit sufficient numbers of registered nurses back into hospital employment. This paper outlines factors on both the demand and the supply side which contribute to the present shortage. It then goes on to argue that a greater appreciation of the causes of the shortage, and strategies for its resolution, can be gained by presenting the issues from the perspective of Herzberg's Motivation--Hygiene Theory. 'Motivation' factors, providing satisfaction to nurses, include achievement and recognition, the work itself, responsibility, advancement and potential for personal growth. 'Hygiene' factors, producing dissatisfaction, include physical working conditions, employer policies and administrative practices, interpersonal relations, salary. Discussion of the issues from this perspective indicates that strategies to resolve the crisis must proceed on two fronts. Continuing efforts must be made to promote job satisfaction among nurses while at the same time reducing the incidence of factors promoting job dissatisfaction.

Prevalence and molecular characterization of Hepatozoon canis in dogs from urban and rural areas in Southeast Brazil.

The objective of this survey was to investigate the prevalence of Hepatozoon infection in dogs in the rural and urban areas of Uberlândia, Brazil by PCR and molecular characterization. DNA was obtained from blood samples collected from 346 local dogs from both genders and various ages. Seventeen PCR products from positive blood samples of urban dogs and 13 from the rural dogs were sequenced. Partial sequences of the 18S rRNA gene indicated that all 30 dogs were infected with Hepatozoon canis similar in sequence to H. canis from southern Europe. Four local dog sequences were submitted to GenBank (accessions JN835188; KF692038; KF692039; KF692040). This study indicates that H. canis is the cause of canine hepatozoonosis in Uberlândia and that infection is similarly widespread in rural and urban dogs.