Co-infestation caused by Goniodes pavonis (L., 1758) (Ischnocera: Goniodidae) and Goniocotes rectangulatus Nitzsch [In Giebel], 1866 on white Indian peafowl, Pavo cristatus L., 1758 (Galliformes: Phasianidaede) in Brazil.

The genus Goniodes Nitzsch and Goniocotes Burmeister (Ischnocera: Goniogodidae) are distributed worldwide, and exclusively parasitizing avian hosts of the Galliformes. In Brazil, there are only four species recorded: Goniodes dissimilis Denny, Goniodes gigas (Taschenberg), Goniodes pavonis (L.), and Goniocotes gallinae (DeGeer). In the present study, we are reporting the co-parasitism of G. pavonis and G. rectangulatus Nitzsch [In Giebel] on specimens of the white Pavo cristatus, popularly known as 'white Indian peafowl' for the first time. Furthermore, a new Brazilian locality for G. pavonis species has been reported, as well as the first time that G. rectangulatus is reported to Brazil. Additionally, we provide the first molecular information for G. pavonis.

Co-infestation caused by Goniodes pavonis (L., 1758) (Ischnocera: Goniodidae) and Goniocotes rectangulatus Nitzsch [In Giebel], 1866 on white Indian peafowl, Pavo cristatus L., 1758 (Galliformes: Phasianidaede) in Brazil

The genus Goniodes Nitzsch and Goniocotes Burmeister (Ischnocera: Goniogodidae) are distributed worldwide, and exclusively parasitizing avian hosts of the Galliformes. In Brazil, there are only four species recorded: Goniodes dissimilis Denny, Goniodes gigas (Taschenberg), Goniodes pavonis (L.), and Goniocotes gallinae (DeGeer). In the present study, we are reporting the co-parasitism of G. pavonis and G. rectangulatus Nitzsch [In Giebel] on specimens of the white Pavo cristatus, popularly known as ‘white Indian peafowl’ for the first time. Furthermore, a new Brazilian locality for G. pavonis species has been reported, as well as the first time that G. rectangulatus is reported to Brazil. Additionally, we provide the first molecular information for G. pavonis.

Prevalence of virological and serological markers of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the population of Ribeirão Preto, Southeast Brazil: an epidemiological survey.

INTRODUCTION: This epidemiological household survey aimed to estimate the prevalence of the current and past SARS-CoV-2 infections in Ribeirão Preto, a municipality of southeast Brazil. METHODS: The survey was conducted in two phases using a clustered sampling scheme. The first phase spanned May 1-3 and involved 709 participants. The second phase spanned June 11-14, 2020, and involved 646 participants. RESULTS: During the first phase, RT-PCR performed on nasopharyngeal swabs was positive at 0.14%. The serological tests were positive in 1.27% of the patients during the first phase and 2.79% during the second phase. People living in households with more than five members had a prevalence of 10.83% (95%CI: 1.58-74.27) higher than those living alone or with someone other. Considering the proportion of the positive serological test results with sex and age adjustments, approximately 2.37% (95%CI: 1.32-3.42) of the population had been cumulatively infected by mid-June 2020, which is equivalent to 16,670 people (95%CI: 9,267-24,074). Considering that 68 deaths from the disease in the residents of the city had been confirmed as at the date of the second phase of the survey, the infection fatality rate was estimated to be 0.41% (95%CI: 0.28-0.73). Our results suggest that approximately 88% of the cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection at the time of the survey were not reported to the local epidemiological surveillance service. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study provide in-depth knowledge of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil and are helpful for the preventive and decision-making policies of public managers.

Lying in wait: the resurgence of dengue virus after the Zika epidemic in Brazil.

After the Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic in the Americas in 2016, both Zika and dengue incidence declined to record lows in many countries in 2017-2018, but in 2019 dengue resurged in Brazil, causing ~2.1 million cases. In this study we use epidemiological, climatological and genomic data to investigate dengue dynamics in recent years in Brazil. First, we estimate dengue virus force of infection (FOI) and model mosquito-borne transmission suitability since the early 2000s. Our estimates reveal that DENV transmission was low in 2017-2018, despite conditions being suitable for viral spread. Our study also shows a marked decline in dengue susceptibility between 2002 and 2019, which could explain the synchronous decline of dengue in the country, partially as a result of protective immunity from prior ZIKV and/or DENV infections. Furthermore, we performed phylogeographic analyses using 69 newly sequenced genomes of dengue virus serotype 1 and 2 from Brazil, and found that the outbreaks in 2018-2019 were caused by local DENV lineages that persisted for 5-10 years, circulating cryptically before and after the Zika epidemic. We hypothesize that DENV lineages may circulate at low transmission levels for many years, until local conditions are suitable for higher transmission, when they cause major outbreaks.

Evidence for current circulation of an ancient West Nile virus strain (NY99) in Brazil.

INTRODUCTION: In Brazil, West Nile virus (WNV) was first detected, in 2018, in horses with neurological disease. AIM: We report the first case of WNV infection in a horse from Ceará state and the complete genome sequence of an isolate from Espírito Santo state. Both infections occurred in 2019. METHODS: WNV was isolated from the tissues of a horse with neurological signs in Espírito Santo and sequenced by MiSeq. RESULTS: Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the isolate belongs to lineage 1a, clustering with the NY99 strain, a strain that has not circulated in the USA since 2005. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reinforce the hypothesis that WNV has been silently circulating in Brazil for many years.

Coding-Complete Genome Sequence of a Yellow Fever Virus Isolated from a Baby Howler Monkey (Alouatta caraya) from São Paulo State, Brazil, in 2016.

We report a coding-complete sequence of a yellow fever virus, strain JabSPM02, containing the 3' untranslated region and all coding regions. The virus was recovered from an infected howler monkey from a rural area in São Paulo State, Brazil. Our findings show that it belongs to the South America 1E genotype.

Evidence for current circulation of an ancient West Nile virus strain (NY99) in Brazil

Abstract INTRODUCTION: In Brazil, West Nile virus (WNV) was first detected, in 2018, in horses with neurological disease. AIM: We report the first case of WNV infection in a horse from Ceará state and the complete genome sequence of an isolate from Espírito Santo state. Both infections occurred in 2019. METHODS: WNV was isolated from the tissues of a horse with neurological signs in Espírito Santo and sequenced by MiSeq. RESULTS: Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the isolate belongs to lineage 1a, clustering with the NY99 strain, a strain that has not circulated in the USA since 2005. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reinforce the hypothesis that WNV has been silently circulating in Brazil for many years.

The Importance of Coordinated Actions in Preventing the Spread of Yellow Fever to Human Populations: The Experience from the 2016-2017 Yellow Fever Outbreak in the Northeastern Region of São Paulo State.

Yellow fever (YF) is a zoonotic arthropod-borne disease that is caused by the yellow fever virus (YFV) and characterized by a sylvatic and urban cycle. Its most severe presentation is manifested as a hemorrhagic disease, and it has been responsible for thousands of deaths in the last decades. This study describes the public health approaches taken to control the 2016-2017 YF outbreak in nonhuman primates (NHPs) that took place in the northeastern region of São Paulo state, Brazil. NHPs recovered from the field were necropsied, and YF diagnoses were made at the Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School and the Center of Pathology, Adolfo Lutz Institute of São Paulo. NHP samples were inoculated into Vero cells for YFV isolation. RNA extraction was performed directly from NHP tissues and tested by RT-qPCR. YFV-positive samples were confirmed by sequencing. Based on the rapid RT-qPCR results, surveillance actions were implemented in the entire region. Confirmatory histopathology and immunohistochemistry for YFV were also performed. Among nine NHPs, gross hepatic involvement was observed in six animals, five of which were YFV-RT-qPCR-positive. One YFV was isolated from the serum of an infant NHP. YFV RNA sequences diverged from the virus responsible for the last epizootic that occurred in São Paulo state, but it was similar to the current Brazilian epizootic. Public health actions included dissemination of information on YF transmission, investigation of the probable location of NHP infection, characterization of the environment, and subsequent creation of the blueprint from which prevention and control measures were implemented. The YFV sylvatic cycle occurred in the periurban areas of the northeastern region of São Paulo state, but no human cases were reported during this period, showing that integrated actions between human, animal, and environmental health professionals were critical to restrain the virus to the sylvatic cycle.

West Nile virus infections are here! Are we prepared to face another flavivirus epidemic?

Emerging arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), such as chikungunya and Zika viruses, are a major threat to public health in countries like Brazil where biodiversity is high and medical care is sometimes precarious. West Nile fever is a disease caused by the West Nile Virus (WNV), an RNA virus belonging to the Flaviviridae family. It is transmitted by infected mosquitoes to numerous animals like birds, reptiles and mammals, including human and non-human primates. In the last decade, the number of reported cases of WNV infection in humans and animals has increased in the Americas. Circulation of WNV in forests and rural areas in Brazil has been detected based on serological surveys and, in 2014, the first case of West Nile fever was confirmed in a patient from Piauí State. In 2018, the virus was isolated for the first time from a horse from a rural area in the state of Espírito Santo presenting with a neurological disorder; this raises the possibility that other cases of WNV encephalitis may have occurred without clinical recognition and without laboratory diagnosis by specific assays. The imminent WNV outbreak poses a challenge for Brazilian clinicians and researchers. In this review, we summarize the basic biological and ecological characteristics of this virus and the clinical presentation and treatment of febrile illnesses caused by WNV. We also discuss the epidemiological aspects, prophylaxis of WNV infections, and monitoring strategies that could be applied in the possibility of a WNV outbreak in Brazil.

West nile virus infections are here! are we prepared to face another flavivirus epidemic?

Abstract Emerging arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), such as chikungunya and Zika viruses, are a major threat to public health in countries like Brazil where biodiversity is high and medical care is sometimes precarious. West Nile fever is a disease caused by the West Nile Virus (WNV), an RNA virus belonging to the Flaviviridae family. It is transmitted by infected mosquitoes to numerous animals like birds, reptiles and mammals, including human and non-human primates. In the last decade, the number of reported cases of WNV infection in humans and animals has increased in the Americas. Circulation of WNV in forests and rural areas in Brazil has been detected based on serological surveys and, in 2014, the first case of West Nile fever was confirmed in a patient from Piauí State. In 2018, the virus was isolated for the first time from a horse from a rural area in the state of Espírito Santo presenting with a neurological disorder; this raises the possibility that other cases of WNV encephalitis may have occurred without clinical recognition and without laboratory diagnosis by specific assays. The imminent WNV outbreak poses a challenge for Brazilian clinicians and researchers. In this review, we summarize the basic biological and ecological characteristics of this virus and the clinical presentation and treatment of febrile illnesses caused by WNV. We also discuss the epidemiological aspects, prophylaxis of WNV infections, and monitoring strategies that could be applied in the possibility of a WNV outbreak in Brazil.

Comparison between tests for tuberculosis diagnosis in slaughtered bovines / Comparação entre testes de diagnóstico para tuberculose em bovinos abatidos

Our goal for this article is to compare several different diagnosis tests for bovine tuberculosis identification. We have performed bacterial isolation, histopathological characterization, acid-fast bacilli (AFB) identification and M. bovis DNA detection. Lesions suggestive of Tuberculosis were sampled from bovine lymph nodes during slaughtering of bovines at an abattoir that operates under federal inspection. The bacterial isolation was performed in solid culture mediums, the histopathological characterization was made by Hematoxylin-eosinstaining, and AFB identification by Ziehl-Neelsen staining. Bacterial DNA detection was performed by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) using DNA from two different sources, directly collected from the tuberculosis-like lesions (PCR followed by nested PCR) and from isolated bacteria. We have concluded that the multi-step approach, including histopathological characterization, bacterial isolation and AFB identification, is strongly recommended to diagnose tuberculosis in bovines. Furthermore, PCR assays using specimens of lesions suggestive of tuberculosis are a faster and more promising way to diagnose the disease. However, it should not be used alone due to the low sensitivity shown in this study.(AU)

O objetivo deste estudo foi a comparação entre diferentes testes de diagnóstico para tuberculose bovina. Foram realizados o isolamento bacteriano, a caracterização histopatológica, a identificação de bacilos álcool-ácido resistentes e a detecção do DNA de M. bovis pela reação em cadeia da polimerase, em bovinos adultos abatidos em matadouros frigoríficos sob o Serviço de Inspeção Federal, valendo-se de amostras de linfonodos com lesões macroscópicas sugestivas de tuberculose, identificadas e coletadas durante o abate. O isolamento bacteriano foi realizado pelo cultivo em meios de cultura sólidos; a caracterização histopatológica, pela coloração com hematoxilina-eosina; e a identificação de bacilos álcool-ácido resistentes foi feita pela coloração de Ziehl-Neelsen. A detecção de DNA foi realizada em amostra extraída das lesões sugestivas de tuberculose pela reação em cadeia da polimerase, seguida da nested reação em cadeia da polimerase e por meio das colônias isoladas para identificação do M. bovis, utilizando-se também da reação em cadeia da polimerase . Os resultados obtidos permitiram concluir que os testes histopatológicos, o isolamento bacteriano e a identificação de bacilos álcool-ácido resistentes são aconselháveis para o diagnóstico da tuberculose bovina. Além disso, ensaios de reação em cadeia da polimerase utilizando amostras de lesões sugestivas de tuberculose são um modo mais rápido e promissor para diagnosticar a enfermidade, no entanto não deve ser utilizado sozinho, em virtude da baixa sensibilidade apresentada neste estudo.(AU)