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BACKGROUND: The role of bats as reservoirs of zoonotic agents, especially pathogenic bacteria such as Bartonella and Coxiella, has been discussed around the world. Recent studies have identified bats as potential hosts of species from the proteobacteria phylum. In Brazil, however, the role of bats in the natural cycle of these agents is poorly investigated and generally neglected. In order to analyze the participation of bats in the epidemiology of diseases caused by Bartonella, Coxiella, Rickettsia, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia, we conducted a descriptive epidemiological study in three biogeographic regions of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. RESULTS: Tissues of 119 bats captured in preserved areas in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Bahia and Santa Catarina from 2014 to 2015 were submitted to molecular analysis using specific primers. Bartonella spp. was detected in 22 spleen samples (18.5%, 95% CI: 11.9-26.6), whose phylogenetic analysis revealed the generation of at least two independent clusters, suggesting that these may be new unique genotypes of Bartonella species. In addition, four samples (3.4%, 95% CI: 0.9-8.3) were positive for the htpAB gene of C. burnetii [spleen (2), liver (1) and heart (1)]. Rickettsia spp., Anaplasma and Ehrlichia were not identified. This is the first study reporting C. burnetii and Bartonella spp. infections in bats from the Atlantic Forest biome. CONCLUSIONS: These findings shed light on potential host range for these bacteria, which are characterized as important zoonotic pathogens.
Assuntos
Bartonella/isolamento & purificação , Quirópteros/microbiologia , Coxiella/isolamento & purificação , Animais , Bartonella/genética , Infecções por Bartonella/epidemiologia , Brasil/epidemiologia , Coxiella/genética , DNA Bacteriano , Feminino , Florestas , Bactérias Gram-Negativas , Masculino , Filogenia , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase , Análise de Sequência de DNA , Baço/microbiologia , Zoonoses/epidemiologiaRESUMO
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247560.].
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Coxiella burnetii is the agent of Q fever , an emergent worldwide zoonosis of wide clinical spectrum. Although C. burnetii infection is typically associated with acute infection, atypical pneumonia and flu-like symptoms, endocarditis, osteoarticular manifestations and severe disease are possible, especially when the patient has a suppressed immune system; however, these severe complications are typically neglected. This study reports the sequencing of the repetitive element IS1111 of the transposase gene of C. burnetii from blood and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples from a patient with severe pneumonia following methotrexate therapy, resulting in the molecular diagnosis of Q fever in a patient who had been diagnosed with active seronegative polyarthritis two years earlier. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first documented case of the isolation of C. burnetii DNA from a BAL sample.
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Artrite/microbiologia , Coxiella burnetii/genética , DNA Bacteriano/genética , Febre Q/diagnóstico , Sequências Repetitivas de Ácido Nucleico/genética , Transposases/genética , Doença Aguda , Adulto , Lavagem Broncoalveolar , Coxiella burnetii/isolamento & purificação , Humanos , MasculinoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Q fever is among the top 13 global priority zoonoses, however, it is still neglected and under-reported in most of the world, including Brazil. Thus, we evaluated the seroprevalence of and the risk factors for Coxiella burnetii infections in humans from Minas Gerais, a highly urbanised Brazilian state. METHODS: Coxiella burnetii was searched for patient samples (n=437), which were suspected of then later confirmed as negative for dengue fever, by the indirect immunofluorescence technique and real-time PCR. Risk factors for infections and spatial clusters for both C. burnetii-seropositive individuals and livestock concentration were evaluated. RESULTS: We found that 21 samples (4.8%; 95% CI 3.0 to 7.2%) were reactive for at least one class of anti-C. burnetii antibodies (titer of ≥64), with rural residence (p=0.036) being a risk factor. Also, two spatial clusters of seropositivity were found within a significant area by Scan, and a probable relationship between the Scan result and the livestock concentration by area was found. CONCLUSIONS: Seropositive individuals were associated with rural residence, with a likely relationship with the livestock concentration. Thus, this study establishes baseline figures for C. burnetii seroprevalence in humans in a state of Brazil, allowing the monitoring of trends and setting of control targets, as well as more representative longitudinal and risk analysis studies.
Assuntos
Coxiella burnetii , Febre Q , Animais , Anticorpos Antibacterianos , Brasil/epidemiologia , Humanos , Gado , Febre Q/epidemiologia , Febre Q/etiologia , Fatores de Risco , Estudos Soroepidemiológicos , ZoonosesRESUMO
In Brazil, Brazilian spotted fever was once considered the only tick-borne rickettsial disease. We report eschar-associated rickettsial disease that occurred after a tick bite. The etiologic agent is most related to Rickettsia parkeri, R. africae, and R. sibirica and probably widely distributed from Sao Paulo to Bahia in the Atlantic Forest.
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Infecções por Rickettsia/epidemiologia , Rickettsia/classificação , Rickettsia/isolamento & purificação , Febre Maculosa das Montanhas Rochosas/epidemiologia , Pele/patologia , Adulto , Brasil/epidemiologia , DNA Bacteriano/análise , DNA Bacteriano/isolamento & purificação , Humanos , Masculino , Rickettsia/genética , Rickettsia/imunologia , Infecções por Rickettsia/diagnóstico , Infecções por Rickettsia/microbiologia , Infecções por Rickettsia/patologia , Febre Maculosa das Montanhas Rochosas/diagnóstico , Febre Maculosa das Montanhas Rochosas/microbiologia , Febre Maculosa das Montanhas Rochosas/patologia , Análise de Sequência de DNA , Pele/microbiologia , Língua/microbiologia , Língua/patologiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Due to immunological susceptibility, close contact with the environment and way of life, indigenous communities are in a highly vulnerable condition to be affected by zoonoses, such as bartonellosis. METHODS: Seventy three paired serum samples were collected from indigenous people from a region of the Brazilian Legal Amazon, in cohorts carried out in 2014 and 2015, with the performance of serological tests by indirect immunofluorescence to detect anti-Bartonella IgG antibodies. The interviews and laboratory results were double entered in the EpiInfo 7 software, and the data processing was performed in the MiniTab 17 software. RESULTS: 5.47% of the indigenous people were seroreagent. The female gender was predominant (65.75%), aged between 20 and 39 years old (39.73%) with complete elementary school (42.47%). As for housing, wooden residences predominated (50.68%). Rodents were seen by 46.58% of the interviewees, and 55.88% of them reported that the animal was close to or inside the house. It was identified that each indigenous family, in its majority, had four to six cats, for the function of hunters of rodents. CONCLUSION: The high concentration of domestic cats, the close contact of indigenous people with wild rodents and the lack of care and poor hygiene of both are aspects that imply the possibility of infection by Bartonella sp. Health surveillance through seroepidemiological studies is essential to find evidence of the circulation of bartonellosis in these populations.
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Infecções por Bartonella , Bartonella , Doenças do Gato , Animais , Infecções por Bartonella/epidemiologia , Infecções por Bartonella/veterinária , Brasil/epidemiologia , Gatos , Feminino , Humanos , Estudos Soroepidemiológicos , ZoonosesRESUMO
Coxiella burnetii is a global, highly infectious intracellular bacterium, able to infect a wide range of hosts and to persist for months in the environment. It is the etiological agent of Q fever-a zoonosis of global priority. Currently, there are no national surveillance data on C. burnetii's seroprevalence for any South American country, reinforcing the necessity of developing novel and inexpensive serological tools to monitor the prevalence of infections among humans and animals-especially cattle, goats, and sheep. In this study, we used immunoinformatics and computational biology tools to predict specific linear B-cell epitopes in three C. burnetii outer membrane proteins: OMP-H (CBU_0612), Com-1 (CBU_1910), and OMP-P1 (CBU_0311). Furthermore, predicted epitopes were tested by ELISA, as synthetic peptides, against samples of patients reactive to C. burnetii in indirect immunofluorescence assay, in order to evaluate their natural immunogenicity. In this way, two linear B-cell epitopes were identified in each studied protein (OMP-H(51-59), OMP-H(91-106), Com-1(57-76), Com-1(191-206), OMP-P1(197-209), and OMP-P1(215-227)); all of them were confirmed as naturally immunogenic by the presence of specific antibodies in 77% of studied patients against at least one of the identified epitopes. Remarkably, a higher frequency of endocarditis cases was observed among patients who presented an intense humoral response to OMP-H and Com-1 epitopes. These data confirm that immunoinformatics applied to the identification of specific B-cell epitopes can be an effective strategy to improve and accelerate the development of surveillance tools against neglected diseases.
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In canine leishmaniosis caused by the protozoan Leishmania infantum, little is known about how co-infections with or co-seropositivities for other pathogens can influence aggravation of this disease. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to evaluate the frequency of co-infections with or co-seropositivities for certain pathogens in dogs seropositive for L. infantum and their relationship with clinical signs, histological changes and L. infantum load. Sixty-six L. infantum-seropositive dogs were submitted to clinical examination, collection of blood and bone marrow, culling, and necropsy. Antibodies against Anaplasma spp., Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Ehrlichia spp. and Toxoplasma gondii and Dirofilaria immitis antigens were investigated in serum. Samples from different tissues were submitted to histopathology and immunohistochemistry for the detection of Leishmania spp. and T. gondii. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to assess the L. infantum load in spleen samples. For detection of Coxiella burnetii, conventional PCR and nested PCR were performed using bone marrow samples. All 66 dogs tested positive for L. infantum by qPCR and/or culture. Fifty dogs (76%) were co-seropositive for at least one pathogen: T. gondii (59%), Ehrlichia spp., (41%), and Anaplasma spp. (18%). Clinical signs were observed in 15 (94%) dogs monoinfected with L. infantum and in 45 (90%) dogs co-seropositive for certain pathogens. The L. infantum load in spleen and skin did not differ significantly between monoinfected and co-seropositive dogs. The number of inflammatory cells was higher in the spleen, lung and mammary gland of co-seropositive dogs and in the mitral valve of monoinfected dogs. These results suggest that dogs infected with L. infantum and co-seropositive for certain pathogens are common in the region studied. However, co-seropositivities for certain pathogens did not aggravate clinical signs or L. infantum load, although they were associated with a more intense inflammatory reaction in some organs.
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Coinfecção/sangue , Coinfecção/veterinária , Doenças do Cão/sangue , Ehrlichia canis/imunologia , Ehrlichiose/sangue , Ehrlichiose/veterinária , Leishmania infantum/imunologia , Leishmaniose Visceral/sangue , Leishmaniose Visceral/veterinária , Carga Parasitária , Toxoplasma/imunologia , Toxoplasmose Animal/sangue , Animais , Anticorpos Antiprotozoários/sangue , Coinfecção/parasitologia , Coinfecção/patologia , Doenças do Cão/parasitologia , Doenças do Cão/patologia , Cães , Ehrlichiose/parasitologia , Ehrlichiose/patologia , Feminino , Imuno-Histoquímica/métodos , Leishmaniose Visceral/parasitologia , Leishmaniose Visceral/patologia , Leucócitos/imunologia , Masculino , Células Mieloides/imunologia , Toxoplasmose Animal/parasitologia , Toxoplasmose Animal/patologiaRESUMO
To describe the intra-ocular manifestations of cat-scratch disease (CSD) found at two uveitis reference centers in Brazil. Retrospective case series study. Review of clinical records of patients diagnosed with CSD in the Uveitis Department of São Geraldo Hospital and the Ophthalmology Department of the Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Evandro Chagas-FIOCRUZ, from 2001 to 2008. In the 8-year period, 24 patients with the diagnosis of CSD were identified. Twelve patients were male and 12 female. The mean age was 27.04 years (range 7-56). Sixteen patients (66.6%) presented with a history of a cat scratch and all patients reported cat exposure. Visual acuity ranged from counting fingers to 1.0 in the affected eye. Thirteen patients presented with bilateral disease. Sixteen (66.6%) patients complained of systemic symptoms, including fever, lymphadenopathy, liver and spleen enlargement and rash. All patients presented with serum antibodies (IgG) to Bartonella henselae. Thirty-seven eyes were affected. The most common findings were small areas of retinal infiltrates which occurred in 11 eyes (29.7%) and angiomatous lesions which occurred in nine eyes (24.3%). Neuroretinitis occurred in only six eyes (16.2%). The most common findings of CSD in our study were retinal infiltrates and angiomatous lesions. CSD patients may present with significant visual loss. Patients may benefit from systemic treatment with antibiotics.
Assuntos
Bartonella henselae , Doença da Arranhadura de Gato/diagnóstico , Infecções Oculares Bacterianas/diagnóstico , Adolescente , Adulto , Animais , Doença da Arranhadura de Gato/complicações , Gatos , Criança , Infecções Oculares Bacterianas/microbiologia , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Retinite/etiologia , Retinite/microbiologia , Acuidade Visual , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Global publications on Q fever have increased after the 2007 epidemic in the Netherlands. However, the epidemiology of Q fever/coxiellosis in Brazil is still poorly understood. Accordingly, there have been few studies investigating the presence of Coxiella burnetii in dairy products around the world, especially in Brazil, where consumption of fresh cheese made from raw-milk is very high. OBJECTIVE: This study was a random survey to assess the prevalence of C. burnetii by PCR in traditional Minas artisanal cheese from the Serro microregion, Brazil, which is manufactured from bovine raw-milk. METHODS: DNA extracted from 53 cheese samples were analyzed by nested PCR with C. burnetii-specific primers and the products confirmed by DNA sequencing. RESULTS: Out of the 53 cheese samples five (9.43%) were C. burnetii DNA-positive, each coming from one of the respective randomly selected manufacturing agroindustries. Based on our results, it is estimated that 1.62â¯tons/day of ready-to-eat cheese made from raw-milk from a total of 16.2â¯tons produced daily in the study region are contaminated with C. burnetii. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first report of highly heat-resistant zoonotic pathogen in raw-milk Brazilian artisanal cheese. This food safety hazard has been completely neglected in ready-to-eat raw-milk Brazilian artisanal cheese and could imply potential threats to consumers, since C. burnetii survives in artisanal cheese submitted to long ripening periods. Thus, this work established random and representative baseline prevalence of C. burnetii in this food product in Brazil. Further epidemiological studies, monitoring trends and setting control targets are warranted. Finally, these results point out the importance of including C. burnetii in animal and public health surveillance programs.
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Queijo/microbiologia , Coxiella burnetii/isolamento & purificação , Microbiologia de Alimentos , Febre Q , Animais , Brasil , Bovinos , Inocuidade dos Alimentos , LeiteRESUMO
The Bartonella species are zoonotic agents that infect mammals and are transmitted by arthropod vectors. Approximately 18 distinct genotypes cause diseases in humans, and may be spread by both domestic and wild animals. In Brazil, Bartonella genotypes have been identified in several species of wild mammals, and in the present study, we analyzed samples from non-human primates (marmosets), marsupials, rodents, and bats, and compared them with the genotypes described in mammals from Brazil, to examine the distribution of Bartonella genotypes in two impacted areas of Rio de Janeiro state, in southeastern Brazil. We used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods to detect the Bartonella DNA using partial sequences of the gltA, ftsZ, and groEL genes. We generated Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood trees to characterize the positive PCR samples and infer the phylogenetic relationships of the genotypes. A total of 276 animals were captured, including 110 bats, 91 rodents, 38 marsupials, and 37 marmosets. The DNA of Bartonella was amplified from tissue samples collected from 12 (4.34%) of the animals, including eight rodents - Akodon cursor (5/44) and Nectomys squamipes (3/27) - and four bats, Artibeus lituratus (3/58) and Carollia perspicillata (1/15). We identified Bartonella genotypes closely related to those described in previous studies, as well as new genotypes in both the rodent and the bat samples. Considering the high diversity of the Bartonella genotypes and hosts identified in the present study, further research is needed to better understand the relationships between the different Bartonella genotypes and their vectors and host species. The presence of Bartonella in the wild rodents and bats from the study area indicates that the local human populations may be at risk of infection by Bartonella due to the spillover of these strains from the wild environment to domestic and peri-domestic environments.
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Capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris Linnaeus, 1766) (Rodentia: Caviidae) are important hosts of Amblyomma ticks (Acari: Ixodidae), which in turn can transmit rickettsiae to humans and animals. However, there is a scarcity of studies about the tick fauna and rickettsial infection in the Amazon region. The present study evaluated rickettsial infection in capybaras and ticks in different areas of the municipality of Rio Branco, state of Acre, in the Western Brazilian Amazon, where rickettsiosis has never been reported. Blood sera from 43 capybaras from four localities in Rio Branco were tested by indirect immunofluorescence assay using Rickettsia rickettsii antigens. Ticks were collected from capybaras and from vegetation as well. Ticks were taxonomically identified to the species level and some of them were tested by PCR, targeting a fragment of the rickettsial gltA gene. Additionally, ticks were tested for bacteria from the genus Borrelia and family Anaplasmatacae. All capybaras submitted to the serological examination were considered non-reactive to R. rickettsii. A total of 410 ticks were collected directly from the capybaras. Amblyomma dubitatum Neumann, 1899 was the most abundant species (82.4%), followed by Amblyomma naponense (Packard, 1869) (14.3%), Amblyomma humerale Koch, 1844 (0.7%), Amblyomma pacae Aragão, 1911 (0.4%), Amblyomma rotundatum Koch 1844 (0.2%) and Amblyomma sp. (1.7%). From the environment 262 ticks were collected: Rhipicephalus microplus (Canestrini, 1888) (88.9%), Dermacentor nitens Neumann, 1897 (9.9%), Amblyomma varium Koch, 1844 (0.7%) and A. rotundatum (0.3%). With the exception of A. humerale, A. rotundatum and R. microplus, all other species are reported here for the first time in the state. Some of the ticks sampled (N = 317) were tested by molecular methods for infection by Rickettsia spp. Rickettsia bellii was identified infecting A. dubitatum and A. rotundatum, while Rickettsia amblyommatis only was found infecting A. humerale and Rickettsia sp. strain Tapirapé was found in A. naponense. This is the first detection of R. bellii and Rickettsia sp. strain Tapirapé in Acre. No Borrelia or Anaplasmataceae were found in the tested ticks. These results add relevant knowledge about the Rickettsia spp. and the acarological fauna in the region of the Western Amazon, and are essential for the maintenance of vigilance about possible pathogens that occur in the state and determination of the risks that they pose to humans and animals that inhabit the region.
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Doenças dos Roedores/epidemiologia , Roedores , Rickettsiose do Grupo da Febre Maculosa/veterinária , Infestações por Carrapato/veterinária , Carrapatos/microbiologia , Carrapatos/fisiologia , Anaplasmataceae/isolamento & purificação , Animais , Antígenos de Bactérias/análise , Borrelia/isolamento & purificação , Brasil/epidemiologia , Feminino , Larva/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Larva/microbiologia , Masculino , Ninfa/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Ninfa/microbiologia , Rickettsia/isolamento & purificação , Rickettsia rickettsii/isolamento & purificação , Doenças dos Roedores/microbiologia , Doenças dos Roedores/parasitologia , Rickettsiose do Grupo da Febre Maculosa/microbiologia , Infestações por Carrapato/epidemiologia , Infestações por Carrapato/parasitologia , Carrapatos/classificaçãoRESUMO
Q fever is a worldwide zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii-a small obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacterium found in a variety of animals. It is transmitted to humans by inhalation of contaminated aerosols from urine, feces, milk, amniotic fluid, placenta, abortion products, wool, and rarely by ingestion of raw milk from infected animals. Nested PCR can improve the sensitivity and specificity of testing while offering a suitable amplicon size for sequencing. Serial dilutions were performed tenfold to test the limit of detection, and the result was 10× detection of C. burnetti DNA with internal nested PCR primers relative to trans-PCR. Different biological samples were tested and identified only in nested PCR. This demonstrates the efficiency and effectiveness of the primers. Of the 19 samples, which amplify the partial sequence of C. burnetii, 12 were positive by conventional PCR and nested PCR. Seven samples-five spleen tissue samples from rodents and two tick samples-were only positive in nested PCR. With these new internal primers for trans-PCR, we demonstrate that our nested PCR assay for C. burnetii can achieve better results than conventional PCR.
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Proteínas de Bactérias/genética , Coxiella burnetii/isolamento & purificação , Elementos de DNA Transponíveis , Febre/microbiologia , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase/métodos , Transposases/genética , Proteínas de Bactérias/metabolismo , Coxiella burnetii/classificação , Coxiella burnetii/genética , Humanos , Transposases/metabolismoRESUMO
The increasing use of illicit drugs imposes a public health challenge worldwide. People who inject drugs (PWID) are more susceptible to health complications due to immunosuppression associated with drug use and non-hygienic self-administration of substances, contaminants, and liquids. PWID are subjected to increased risk of acquiring and transmitting different pathogens (frequently functioning as sentinel cases for (re)emerging pathogens), including those transmitted by arthropods and vertebrate reservoirs in unhealthy environments. A clear association between injection drug use and HIV, HBV, and HCV infections has been described; however, other infectious viral and bacterial agents have been seldomly assessed. In this study, we investigated the seroprevalence of Bartonella spp., Coxiella burnetii, and Hantavirus among 300 randomly selected PWIDs from Rio de Janeiro, as part of a multi-city cross-sectional study carried out in the 1990s. Point seroprevalences and respective 95% CIs are as follows: 9.3% for C. burnetii (95% CI: 6.0%-13.0%), 1.0% for Bartonella spp. (95% CI: 0.0%-3.0%), and 4.0% for Hantavirus (95% CI: 2.0%-7.0%). In addition to the blood-borne pathogens, the results of this study increase our knowledge on other transmissible infectious agents in PWID. The high seroprevalence of C. burnetii and Hantavirus found among PWID is intriguing and suggests the need to carry out prospective studies, including molecular analyses, to confirm these findings and allow a better understanding of the putative relevance of these zoonotic infectious agents among PWID.
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Infecções por Bartonella/epidemiologia , Infecções por Hantavirus/epidemiologia , Febre Q/epidemiologia , Abuso de Substâncias por Via Intravenosa/epidemiologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Distribuição por Idade , Idoso , Bartonella/isolamento & purificação , Bancos de Sangue , Brasil/epidemiologia , Coxiella burnetii/isolamento & purificação , Feminino , Técnica Indireta de Fluorescência para Anticorpo , Orthohantavírus/isolamento & purificação , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estudos Retrospectivos , Fatores de Risco , Estudos Soroepidemiológicos , Distribuição por Sexo , Fatores Socioeconômicos , Abuso de Substâncias por Via Intravenosa/microbiologia , Abuso de Substâncias por Via Intravenosa/virologia , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Coxiella burnetii, an intracellular bacterium, is the agent of Q fever/coxiellosis, a worldwide zoonosis. Dairy animals are the primary reservoirs of C. burnetii, and although the disease is usually asymptomatic or subclinical, abortion is a serious clinical outcome among small ruminants. This study was conducted to investigate C. burnetii seroprevalence and infection In a flock of dairy goats in Brazil. Serum samples from 312 goats collected from a dairy goat flock with a history of reproductive failure were tested by a commercial ELISA (LSIVet Ruminant Q Fever - Serum/Milk; Thermo Fisher Scientific, Lissieu, France) for anti-C. burnetii IgG antibodies. Samples of cotyledons from 23 placentas were analyzed by nested PCR for the presence of the bacterial DNA. ELISA seroreactivity was found in 55.1% (172/312; 95% CIâ¯=â¯49.4%-60.7%) of the serum samples analyzed. C. burnetii DNA was detected in 8.7% (2/23) of the placental samples tested, where both animals were also seropositive. This study reports the first description of C. burnetii infection in an abortion outbreak in goats in Brazil. The results point out to the importance of including this disease in animal and public health surveillance programs as well as into the list of abortive diseases in goats in Brazil.
Assuntos
Coxiella burnetii/isolamento & purificação , Indústria de Laticínios , Doenças das Cabras/microbiologia , Cabras/microbiologia , Febre Q/veterinária , Animais , Brasil/epidemiologia , Cruzamento , Coxiella burnetii/genética , DNA Bacteriano/análise , Surtos de Doenças/veterinária , Ensaio de Imunoadsorção Enzimática/veterinária , Feminino , Doenças das Cabras/epidemiologia , Leite/microbiologia , Placenta/microbiologia , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase/veterinária , Gravidez , Febre Q/epidemiologia , Febre Q/microbiologia , Reprodução , Estudos Soroepidemiológicos , Zoonoses/epidemiologiaRESUMO
We report five cases of Q fever among cadets during a training program for Military Firefighters Academy in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This cluster confirms the significance of Coxiella burnetii as an infectious agent in Brazil, where the occurrence of this zoonosis is poorly documented and highlights the potential risk for Q fever transmission in rural areas or farms with infected animals.
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Bombeiros , Militares , Febre Q/diagnóstico , Adulto , Animais , Brasil/epidemiologia , Coxiella burnetii/genética , Coxiella burnetii/isolamento & purificação , DNA Bacteriano , Humanos , Masculino , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase , Febre Q/epidemiologia , Febre Q/transmissão , Ensino , Adulto Jovem , Zoonoses/epidemiologia , Zoonoses/microbiologia , Zoonoses/transmissãoRESUMO
Zoonotic pathogens comprise a significant and increasing fraction of all emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases that plague humans. Identifying host species is one of the keys to controlling emerging infectious diseases. From March 2007 until April 2012, we collected a total of 131 wild rodents in eight municipalities of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We investigated these rodents for infection with Coxiella burnetii, Bartonella spp. and Rickettsia spp. In total, 22.1% (29/131) of the rodents were infected by at least one pathogen; co-infection was detected in 1.5% (2/131) of rodents. Coxiella burnetii was detected in 4.6% (6/131) of the wild animals, 17.6% of the rodents harbored Bartonella spp. No cases of Rickettsia were identified. Bartonella doshiae and Bartonella vinsonii were the species found on the wild mammals. This report is the first to note C. burnetii, B. doshiae and B. vinsonii natural infections in Atlantic Forest wild rodents in Brazil. Our work highlights the potential risk of transmission to humans, since most of the infected specimens belong to generalist species that live near human dwellings.
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Animais Selvagens/microbiologia , Bartonella/isolamento & purificação , Coxiella burnetii/isolamento & purificação , Florestas , Roedores/microbiologia , Zoonoses/microbiologia , Animais , Bartonella/classificação , Infecções por Bartonella/epidemiologia , Infecções por Bartonella/microbiologia , Infecções por Bartonella/veterinária , Brasil/epidemiologia , Coinfecção/epidemiologia , Coinfecção/microbiologia , Coinfecção/veterinária , Doenças Transmissíveis Emergentes/epidemiologia , Doenças Transmissíveis Emergentes/microbiologia , Doenças Transmissíveis Emergentes/veterinária , Febre Q/epidemiologia , Febre Q/microbiologia , Febre Q/veterinária , Rickettsia/isolamento & purificação , Infecções por Rickettsia/microbiologia , Zoonoses/epidemiologia , Zoonoses/transmissãoRESUMO
The authors describe the first characterization of Rickettsia rickettsii in a fatal case occurring in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil.
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Infecções por Rickettsia/diagnóstico , Brasil , Evolução Fatal , Humanos , Imuno-Histoquímica , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Infecções por Rickettsia/patologiaRESUMO
Rickettsia rickettsii and Rickettsia sp. strain Atlantic rainforest, that is considered to represent a genetic variant of Rickettsia parkeri, are confirmed as being capable of infecting humans in Brazil. This study reports the detection and characterization, by PCR and nucleotide sequencing, of Rickettsia sp. strain Atlantic rain forest in Amblyomma ovale parasitizing a human, in ticks infesting dogs and in free-living ticks collected from the environment where the human infestation was recorded. The data contribute to our knowledge of infection rates in A. ovale with Rickettsia sp. strain Atlantic rainforest and identified an additional location in the state of São Paulo populated with ticks infected with this emerging pathogen.
Assuntos
Ixodidae/microbiologia , Rickettsia/isolamento & purificação , Distribuição Animal , Animais , Brasil , FemininoRESUMO
Q fever is an important cause of undifferentiated fever that is rarely recognized or reported in Brazil. The objective of this study was to look for the presence of Coxiella burnetii during a dengue fever outbreak in the municipality of Itaboraí, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where this bacterium had previously infected humans and domesticated animals. Blood samples from clinically suspected dengue fever patients were tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for C. burnetii; the DNA was detected in nine (3.3%) of 272 patients. One was coinfected with dengue virus, which was also detected in another 166 (61.3%) patients. The nucleotide sequence of PCR amplification and DNA sequencing of the IS1111 transposase elements in the genome of C. burnetii exhibited 99% identity with the sequence in GenBank. The detection of C. burnetii in patients suspected of dengue fever indicates that awareness and knowledge of Q fever should be strengthened and that this bacterium is present in Brazil. Finally, because a negative molecular result does not completely rule out the diagnosis of Q fever and the serological assay based on seroconversion was not available, the actual number of this zoonosis is likely to be much higher than that reported in this study.