[Dengue study in a slum area in Rio de Janeiro: preliminary analysis]. / Estudo do dengue em área urbana favelizada do Rio de Janeiro: considerações iniciais.

This study is part of a program to control and prevent dengue in a slum bordering on the grounds of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The results obtained from a questionnaire and entomological survey called attention to problems pertaining to the information transmitted by public health campaigns and its interpretation, since many practices result from misunderstanding or forgetting preventive messages. Dengue-related data include most frequent vector breeding sites, people's knowledge, and dengue-related habits. The study's conclusions in terms of dengue prevention point to the need for drafting messages not only about ideal preventive practices but also teaching possible solutions: disseminating frequent messages throughout the year and not only seasonally and planning health education to join health professionals and the population in the search for sustainable dengue control alternatives.

Parasitos, parasitismos e paleoparasitologia molecular / parasite, Parasitism and Molecular Paleoparasithology

A associação parasito-hospedeiro é muito mais amplo do que a simples presença do primeiro no organismo do outro. O enfoque ecológico do fenômeno do parasitismo procura entender as relações entre dois organismos como um processo evolutivo, cuja origem remota à própria origem da vida. Ao se revelarem conceitos sobre o fenômeno do parasitismo, procura-se dar ênfase aos recentes avanços das técnicas de biologia molecular aplicadas ao diagnóstico de infecções parasitárias em material arqueológico. O isolamento e a replicação de material genético, com datações de alguns milhares de anos, possibilitam estudos evolutivos da relação parasito-hospedeiro, com implicações possíveis sobre a virulência de parasitos e a origem e evolução de doenças infecciosas

Seroepidemiology of abdominal angiostrongyliasis: the standardization of an immunoenzymatic assay and prevalence of antibodies in two localities in southern Brazil.

Abdominal angiostrongyliasis is a nematode disease produced by Angiostrongylus costaricensis, a metastrongylid parasite of wild rodents. Accidental human infection occurs through ingestion of food or water contaminated with third-stage larvae present in the mucous secretion of terrestrial molluscs. An ELISA test was standardized for detection of IgG antibodies recognizing a surface antigen prepared from female worms. Competitive absorption of sera with Ascaris suum crude antigen resulted in a test with 86% sensitivity and 83% specificity. The disease is endemic in Southern Brazil and a number of cases are diagnosed every year through anatomo-pathological examination of biopsies or surgical specimens, since no other diagnostic method is available. According to seroepidemiological studies, prevalences in two transmission foci are 29.8 and 66%, attesting to the widespread occurrence of the infection in those endemic areas.

Natural habitat of Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans in decaying wood forming hollows in living trees.

Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans was repeatedly isolated from decaying wood forming hollows in living trees growing in urban areas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A new natural habitat for C. neoformans var. neoformans has been found that is not associated with specific trees.

[Intestinal parasite contamination of vegetables sold at supermarkets in the city of Rio de Janeiro]. / Estudo da contaminação por enteroparasitas em hortaliças comercializadas nos supermercados da cidade do Rio de Janeiro.

Parasitological examinations were performed in material derived from 220 vegetables to detect cysts and eggs of intestinal parasites. This material was collected from supermarkets in northern and southern areas and from CEASA (Central Supply Market--40 vegetables) in Rio de Janeiro city. Vegetables proceeding from the northern areas presented a greater degree of contamination mostly of helminth eggs; lettuce was the most contaminated vegetable. The authors suggest that differences found between the northern and southern areas of the city may be due to either packing or manipulation by shop assistants and consumers.

On the diversity of mollusc intermediate hosts of Angiostrongylus costaricensis Morera & Cespedes, 1971 in southern Brazil.

Veronicellid slugs are considered the most important intermediate hosts of Angiostrongylus costaricensis, an intra-arterial nematode of rodents. Studies undertaken in three localities in southern Brazil led to identification of molluscs other than veronicellid slugs as hosts of A. costaricensis: Limax maximus, Limax flavus and Bradybaena similaris. These data indicate a low host specificity of larval stages of A. costaricensis, as it has been reported to other congeneric species.

Antimeasles antibodies in children submitted to different vaccination schedules.

In order to study the measles antibody behavior of three vaccination schedules, 684 children were divided into 4 Groups: Group A (341 vaccinated children under the age of one); Group B (101 children at the age of one); Group C (74 children under the age of one and one at the age of one); Group D (163 unvaccinated children with a history of measles in the past-Group control). Children of Group A presented lower rates and 25.9% of the age group under two did not show any measles antibodies. In Group B, all the children presented antibodies. In Group C only 4.0% did not. In all age groups, the geometric mean HI antibody titers of Group A were lower than the values found in the other groups. The age at vaccination was the factor of greater influence on the results of this study.

Clinical and epidemiological aspects of abdominal angiostrongyliasis in southern Brazil.

Most of the cases of abdominal angiostrongyliasis in Brazil were reported from the southern States of São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul (RS). A study in 27 cases from RS revealed a distinct local epidemiology. Peasants were usually affected, either adults or children, from the mountainous areas in the north of the State. There was a seasonal increase in the number of cases, from late spring to autumn, that does not coincide with the rainy season. Besides the most common clinical features of abdominal pain, fever and eosinophilia in the leukogram, painful relapsing episodes were detected in some patients. The abdominal pain could be either localized or diffuse during the rapid evolution to a surgical abdominal condition, with a lethality of 7.4%. The use of a serological test and the greater awareness of physicians working in endemic areas is expected to improve the recognition of uncomplicated and benign courses of the disease. This study confirms the known clinical manifestations of abdominal angiostrongyliasis and demonstrates the diversity of its epidemiology.

Avaliação das condições de estocagem da vacina contra o sarampo nas unidades sanitarias dos municipios de Niteroi e Sao Goncalo, estado do Rio de Janeiro / Evaluation of the conditions of storage of measles vaccine in Public Health Unit of Niteroi and Säo Gonçalo, State of Rio de Janeiro

Com o objetivo de estudar as condicoes de estocagem da vacina contra o sarampo na rede de vacinacao dos Municipios de Niteroi e Sao Goncalo - RJ, 22 Unidades Sanitarias foram avaliadas de acordo com as normas tecnicas especificas estabelecidas pelo Programa Nacional de Imunizacao. Observou-se que em 86,4 por cento das Unidades visitadas os cuidados com os refrigeradores eram adequados ou regulares mas quanto a arrumacao das vacinas no interior dos aparelhos e ao controle da temperatura, estes percentuais cairam para 60,0 por cento e 54,5 por cento, respectivamente. De todos os itens avaliados, o mais problematico foi o apoio tecnico imediato frente a situacoes de emergencia, apoio esse considerado insuficiente em 90,0 por cento dos casos. Em 100 por cento das amostras vacinais recolhidas da Unidades Sanitarias, os titulos estavam abaixo da potencia minima preconizada para tal produto no momento da aplicacao. Torna-se necessario entao, que as condicoes de conservacao e uso das vacinas sejam melhoradas evitando assim a formacao de grupamentos de criancas suscetiveis a doenca.

[Evaluation of the conditions of storage of measles vaccine at the Public Health Units of Niteroi and São Gonçalo, State of Rio de Janeiro]. / Avaliação das condições de estocagem da vacina contra o sarampo nas unidades sanitárias dos municípios de Niterói e São Gonçalo, Estado do Rio de Janeiro.

Twenty two "Public Health Units" were visited and evaluated as to standards of storage recommended by the Brazilian Immunization Programme. In 86.4% of the units, refrigerators were adequately or regularly maintained. However, when items such as proper inside location of the vaccines in the refrigerator or the control of temperature were checked, only 60% and 54.5% respectively presented adequate storage conditions. In 90% of the Units health workers complained of lack of immediate technical support in emergency situations. In 100% of the vaccine samples titers were well under the minimal recommended potency. Inadequacy and lack of uniformity, at regional and local levels, concerning conditions of vaccine storage as well as insufficient training of health personnel must have contributed to the above results.

Histopathological criteria for the diagnosis of abdominal angiostrongyliasis.

An increasing number of cases of abdominal angiostrongyliasis have recently been diagnosed in southern Brazil. A comparative study of 19 confirmed cases and 15 suspected cases was undertaken to review the anatomo-pathology of the disease and to establish histopathological criteria for its diagnosis. The results were similar in both groups, except for the identification of the worm in the confirmed cases. Macroscopic features comprised two types: a predominant thickening of the intestinal wall (pseudo-neoplastic pattern) and a congestive necrotic lesion (ischemic-congestive pattern). Microscopically, three fundamental histopathological findings were detected: (1) a massive infiltration of eosinophils in all layers of the intestinal wall, (2) a granulomatous reaction and (3) eosinophilic vasculitis affecting arteries, veins, lymphatics and capillaries. We conclude that observation of this histopathological triplet excludes other causes of "eosinophilic gastroenteritis" and establishes the diagnosis of probable abdominal angiostrongyliasis.

[Identification of wild rodents as hosts of Angiostrongylus costaricencis in southern Brazil]. / Identificação de roedores silvestres como hospedeiros do Angiostrongylus costaricensis no sul do Brasil.

Increasing number of human cases of abdominal angiostrongyliasis has been diagnosed in the south of Brazil. The main definitive host of Angiostrongylus costaricensis in Central America is the cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus) that does not occur in South America, except in the north of Colombia, Peru and Venezuela. Rodents were captured in the endemic area in Rio Grande do Sul (RS) and definitive hosts were identified for the first time in Brazil: Oryzomys nigripes and Oryzomys ratticeps. O. nigripes is a small wild rodent and it appears to be the main definitive host of A. costaricensis in the highlands of RS, Brazil's southernmost State.

Phillocaulis variegatus - an intermediate host of Angiostrongylus costaricensis in south Brazil

Moluscos coletados em cinco localidades no estado do Rio Grande do Sul (Brasil) foram digeridos e examinados. As lesmas infectadas foram identificadas como Phyllocaulis variegatus e as larvas encontradas foram inoculadas per os em camundongos albinos. Após 50 dias, parasitos com as características de A. costaricensis foram recuperados do sistema arterial mesentérico. Estes resultados estabelecem o papel do P. variegatus como hospedeiro intermediário de A. costaricensis no sul do Brasil, onde diversos casos de angiostrongilíase abdominal têm sido diagnosticados

Phyllocaulis variegatus--an intermediate host of Angiostrongylus costaricensis in south Brazil.

Molluscs collected in five localities in the State of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) were digested and examined. The infected slugs were identified as Phyllocaulis variegatus and the larvae found were inoculated per os into mice. After 50 days, worms with the caracteristics of Angiostrongylus costaricensis were recovered from the mesenteric arterial system. The results establish the role of P. variegatus as intermediate host of A. costaricensis in south Brazil, where many cases of abdominal angiostrongyliasis have been diagnosed.

Ocorrencia da doenca meningococica em japoneses e descendentes no municipio de Londrina, Parana, Brasil (19651975). / Occurrence of meningococcal disease in Japanese and descendants in the municipality of Londrina, Parana, Brazil (1965-1975)

Foi feito estudo visando a determinacao das taxas de medida da doenca meningococica em japoneses e seus descendentes, do municipio de Londrina, Parana, Brasil. A morbidade por doenca meningococica (DM)foi cerca de 7 meses mais baixa que no restante da populacao, tendo sido nula entre os mesmos a ocorrencia de obitos, tanto em fase endemica, como epidemica. A revisao dos prontuarios medicos hospitalares correspondentes aos casos notificados exclui o diagnostico de DM em 75% dos pacientes de origem japonesa e em 20% da amostra de pacientes nao japoneses. E discutida a eventual relacao de fatores socio-economicos e cultural (alimentar) as observacoes