Occurrence and distribution of Panstrongylus megistus (Burmeister, 1835) (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) in a metropolitan area of Southern Brazil

ABSTRACT Two triatomine genera (Panstrongylus and Triatoma) have essentially been recorded in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Panstrongylus megistus should be highlighted since this species is one of the main vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi in Brazil, due to its wide geographical distribution and the high susceptibility to this protozoan. This study aimed to present not only the occurrence and distribution of P. megistus in the Porto Alegre city's metropolitan area (PAMA), Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, but also the rates of T. cruzi infection, from 2009 to 2020. The PAMA, which comprises 34 cities and 4.4 million habitants, extends across the transition area in two biomes - Pampa and Mata Atlantica - found in the state. Results showed that P. megistus was recorded in 76.5% of cities (i.e., 26 out of 34), mainly in Porto Alegre city, where the vector was found in 11 out of the 12 years that were monitored. Three hundred and nineteen specimens were captured. Two hundred and sixty-seven specimens (83.7%) were located intradomicile (p < 0.0001), while 52.3% positivity for T. cruzi was found. Thus, P. megistus is important in the PAMA, because it invades and colonizes the households. Moreover, the high rates of T. cruzi infection have drawn attention.

Structure and physiology of giant DNA viruses.

Although giant viruses have existed for millennia and possibly exerted great evolutionary influence in their environment. Their presence has only been noticed by virologists recently with the discovery of Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus in 2003. Its virion with a diameter of 500 nm and its genome larger than 1 Mpb shattered preconceived standards of what a virus is and triggered world-wide prospection studies. Thanks to these investigations many giant virus families were discovered, each with its own morphological peculiarities and genomes ranging from 0.4 to 2.5 Mpb that possibly encode more than 400 viral proteins. This review aims to present the morphological diversity, the different aspects observed in host-virus interactions during replication, as well as the techniques utilized during their investigation.

Epidemiological aspects of the first human autochthonous visceral leishmaniosis cases in Porto Alegre, Brazil

ABSTRACT Human visceral leishmaniasis is a growing anthropozoonosis in Brazil, and particularly in the southern region of the country. It is an infectious disease transmitted to humans, dogs and other animals in urban and rural areas of the Americas, mainly due to the bite of Lutzomya longipalpis infected with Leishmania infantum. This article aims to portray the current epidemiological situation of the human visceral leishmaniasis arrival in Porto Alegre city, located in the southern region of Brazil. It is a descriptive study, a case series and a critical review. Six human cases with human visceral leishmaniasis were notified by the date of conclusion of the study, all human visceral leishmaniasis cases were diagnosed at late stage, leading to four deaths.

Description of the male of Evandromyia gaucha Andrade Filho, Souza, Falcão (Psychodidae, Phlebotominae)

Here, we present the description of male of the sand fly species Evandromyia gaucha. Six male specimens of E. gaucha, together with conspecific females, were collected in native forest areas of the municipalities of Porto Alegre, Caçapava do Sul (type locality of E. gaucha) and Santa Cruz do Sul, in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. The specimens are distinguished from other species of the rupicola series of the genus Evandromyia by the presence of dilatation in the apical quarter of the genital filaments followed by tapering of the final portion.

PROXIMAL TIBIAL OSTEOTOMY: STABILIZATION OF THE MEDIAL OPENING WITH A TRICORTICAL ILIAC BONE GRAFT.

OBJECTIVE: Radiographic assessment of lower limb alignment, in the frontal and sagittal planes, after high tibial osteotomy. To stabilize the osteotomy, a tricortical iliac graft was used, along with a positioning screw. METHODS: Prospective study on 46 patients with ages ranging from 17 to 61 years. Among them, 42 patients presented genu varum secondary to knee osteoarthritis and four from other causes. Teleradiography was performed for surgical planning, using the Frank Noyes method, as modified by Fugizawa. A conventional surgical access of 3 cm was made to harvest a tricortical iliac graft. Osteotomy was performed under radioscopic control, by means of an anteromedial incision of 3 cm with release of the superficial portion of the medial collateral ligament. The graft was placed in the posterior portion of the osteotomy, to maintain an unaltered tibial slope. The screw crossed the osteotomy orthogonally to protect the lateral cortex. Pre and postoperative radiographic criteria were established to assess the results. RESULTS: There was consolidation in 100% of the cases and maintenance of the mechanical axis, obtained intraoperatively, in 94% of the cases. The posterior slope of the tibial plateau in the sagittal plane ranged from 7° to 12°. Joint mobility was restored in all the patients. Eleven patients presented temporary pain at the site of graft harvesting, but none had paresthesia. The incidence of complications was 8% (infection, loss of correction and joint fracture). CONCLUSION: The technique was shown to be reproducible, simple, biological, accurate and low-cost, and it may be an alternative to the existing techniques.

Osteotomia proximal da tíbia: estabilização da abertura medial com enxerto tricortical de ilíaco / Proximal tibial osteotomy: stabilization of the medial opening with atricortical iliac bone graft

OBJETIVO: Avaliação radiográfica do alinhamento do membro inferior, nos planos frontal e sagital, após osteotomia alta da tíbia. Para estabilização da osteotomia foi utilizado enxerto tricortical de ilíaco e parafuso de posicionamento. MÉTODOS: Estudo prospectivo envolvendo 46 pacientes com idade entre 17 e 61 anos, sendo 42 portadores de geno varo secundário à osteoartrose e quatro por outras causas. A telerradiografia foi realizada para planejamento cirúrgico, utilizando o método de Frank Noyes modificado por Fugizawa. Foi realizado acesso cirúrgico convencional de 3cm para retirada do enxerto tricortical de ilíaco. A osteotomia foi realizada sob controle de radioscopia, por incisão anteromedial de 3cm com liberação da porção superficial do ligamento colateral medial. O enxerto foi colocado na porção posterior da osteotomia, para manter inalterado o slope tibial. O parafuso cruzou a osteotomia ortogonalmente para proteger a cortical lateral. Foram estabelecidos critérios radiográficos pré e pós-operatórios para avaliação dos resultados. RESULTADOS: Houve consolidação em 100 por cento dos casos e manutenção do eixo mecânico, obtido no intraoperatório, em 94 por cento. A inclinação posterior do platô tibial, no plano sagital, variou entre 7º e 12º. A mobilidade articular foi restabelecida em todos os pacientes operados. Onze pacientes apresentaram dor temporária no local da retirada do enxerto; no entanto, nenhum apresentou parestesia. A incidência de complicações foi de 8 por cento (infecção, perda da correção, fratura articular). CONCLUSÃO: A técnica mostrou-se reprodutível, simples, biológica, precisa e com baixos custos, podendo ser uma alternativa às técnicas já existentes.

OBJECTIVE: Roentgenographic assessment of lower limb alignment, in the frontal and sagittal planes, after a high tibial osteotomy. To stabilize the osteotomy, a tricortical iliac graft was used along with a positioning screw. METHODS: Prospective study of 46 patients with ages ranging from 17 to 61 years. Among them, 42 patients were carriers of genu varum secondary to knee osteoarthritis and four from other causes. Radiography was performed for surgical planning, using the Frank Noyes method modified by Fugizawa. Three cm conventional surgical access was performed to remove a tricortical iliac graft. The osteotomy was performed under fluoroscopic control, by 3 cm anteromedial incision with release of the superficial portion of the medial collateral ligament. The graft was placed in the posterior portion of the osteotomy to maintain an unaltered tibial slope. The screw crossed the osteotomy orthogonally to protect the lateral cortex. Radiographic criteria were established pre-and postoperatively to assess the results. RESULTS: There was consolidation in 100 percent of cases and maintenance of the mechanical axis, obtained intraoperatively in 94 percent of cases. Correction of mechanical axis occurred in 94 percent (43 patients / 47 osteotomies). The posterior slope of the tibial plateau in the sagittal plane ranged from 7º to 12º. Joint mobility was restored in all patients. Eleven patients had temporary pain at the site of graft removal, however, none had paraesthesia. The incidence of complications was 8 percent (infection, loss of correction, joint fracture). CONCLUSION: This technique is reproducible, simple, biologic, accurate, low-cost, and can be used as an alternative to existing techniques.

The first report of the main vector of visceral leishmaniasis in America, Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva) (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae), in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a widespread zoonosis in Brazil and, up to now, there has been no record of the main vector of its agent, Lutzomyia longipalpis, in the Southern Region. Due to the diagnosis of VL in a dog in October 2008 in the city of São Borja, in the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, a collection of phlebotomines was undertaken to detect the presence of the vector Lu. longipalpis. The captures were carried out with CDC light traps on three consecutive nights in 2008. A total of 39 specimens of Lu. longipalpis were captured, thereby increasing the knowledge of the geographical distribution of this important vector.

Description of a new phlebotomine species, Evandromyia gaucha sp. nov. (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae), from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

The present paper describes a new phlebotomine species, Evandromyia gaucha sp. nov., based on seven females found in the municipality of Caçapava do Sul, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The new species belong to rupicola series and differs from other sand flies of the genus Evandromyia due to the presence of a rounded spermatheca head with its size very close to that of the spermatheca body.

Influência de iododesoxiuridina, iododesoxicitidina e trifluorotimidina sobre a regeneração do epitélio corneano em coelhos, estudo clínico e histopatológico / Effect of iodo-5-deoxy-2-uridine (IDU); iodo-5-deoxy-2-citidine (IDC) and trifluoromethydine (TFT) on corneal reepithelization. Clinical and histological study

O autor estudou, clínica e histologicamente, o efeito de três medicamentos antivirais (iodo-5-desoxi-2'uridina - IDU 0,1 por cento; iodo-5-desoxi-2'citidina - IDC 1 por cento e trifluorotimidina - TFT 1 por cento) sobre a reepitelização corneana em 56 coelhos albinos. A despitelização foi feita pelo método de Moses, que sabidamente não lesa a membrana basal. O estudo da velocidade de regeneração foi realizado com um analisador de imagens computadorizado, conferindo maior precisão ao método empregado. A histopatologia foi executada sob microscopia óptica. Conclui que, estatisticamente, não houve diferença significativa entre as substâncias, ou seja, as drogas não alteraram a velocidade de reepitelização. Histologicamente houve diferença entre os fármacos estudados obedecendo à seguinte ordem de toxicidade: controle, IDC, TFT e IDU.