Community-based monitoring of diarrhea in urban Brazilian children: incidence and associated pathogens.

Community-based monitoring was conducted in order to investigate the occurrence of diarrhea in 'sentinel areas' of Salvador, Brazil, and to establish a preliminary profile of the most common pathogens present in children's diarrhea by screening stool samples. This report describes the results obtained from twice weekly home visits to identify and follow diarrhea episodes and testing of carer-requested stool sample collection over a 6-month period. Participants were selected from a large longitudinal study in 21 areas representing the city's poorer socioeconomic and sanitary conditions. Fecal samples were examined for the presence of pathogenic bacteria, viruses and protozoa. The mean incidence of diarrhea was 4.97 episodes per child-year, and longitudinal prevalence was 13.6 days per child-year (3.7%). Pathogens were found in 44% of the fecal samples examined. Bacteria were the most frequently encountered pathogens (isolated in 22% of samples), followed by protozoa (19.5%) and viruses (16%). Viral and bacterial pathogens were associated with episodes of severe diarrhea, while viral and protozoan pathogens were associated with longer episodes. The study demonstrated the importance of a public health monitoring system based on 'sentinel areas'.

[Chromobacteriosis in Ilhéus, Bahia: epidemiologic, clinical and laboratorial investigation]. / Cromobacteriose em Ilhéus, Bahia: investigação epidemiológica clínica e laboratorial.

In April/2004, a group of people traveled to a farm in a town in the south of Bahia and afterwards, three teenagers from the same family developed symptoms of severe septicemia and two died. The Health Department carried out an epidemiologic, clinical, laboratory and environmental investigation that resulted in the identification of Chromobacterium violaceum, in biological material from one of them, water and soil. This is the first report of the disease in Bahia State.

Chromobacterium violaceum in siblings, Brazil.

Chromobacterium violaceum, a saprophyte bacterium found commonly in soil and water in tropical and subtropical climates, is a rare cause of severe, often fatal, human disease. We report 1 confirmed and 2 suspected cases of C. violaceum septicemia, with 2 fatalities, in siblings after recreational exposure in northeastern Brazil.

Cromobacteriose em Ilhéus, Bahia: investigacão epidemiológica clínica e laboratorial / Chromobacteriosis in Ilhéus, Bahia: epidemiologic, clinical and laboratorial investigation

Em abril/2004, um grupo de pessoas realizou passeio a um sítio em cidade no baixo sul da Bahia e em seguida três adolescentes de uma mesma família apresentaram septicemia grave com óbito de dois destes. Objetivando identificar o evento, o Servico de Vigilância procedeu à investigacão epidemiológica, clínica, laboratorial e ambiental, identificando a Chromobacterium violaceum em material biológico de um dos pacientes que evoluíram para óbito e na água e solo do local do passeio. Esta é o primeira descricão desta doenca na Bahia.