Overview of snakebite in Brazil: Possible drivers and a tool for risk mapping.

Snakebite envenoming affects close to 2.7 million people globally every year. In Brazil, snakebites are reported to the Ministry of Health surveillance system and cases receive antivenom free of charge. There is an urgent need to identify higher risk areas for antivenom distribution, and to develop prevention activities. The objective of this study is to provide an overview of the epidemiological situation of snakebite envenoming in Brazil and explore possible drivers; as well as to create a flowchart tool to support decision-makers identify higher risk areas. An ecological-type study was carried out using data by municipality (2013-2017). Study parts: 1) Create a geocoded database and perform a descriptive and cluster analysis; 2) Statistical analysis to measure the association of snakebite and possible environmental and socioeconomic drivers; 3) Develop a flowchart to support decision-makers and the application of this tool in one state (Rio Grande do Sul) as an example. An average of 27,120 snakebite cases per year were reported at the country level. Clusters of municipalities with high numbers of snakebites are mostly found in the Amazon Legal Region. The negative binomial regression model showed association with the snakebite case count: the type of major habitat, tropical or non-tropical; temperature; percentage of urbanization; precipitation; elevation; GDP per capita; a weaker relation with forest loss; and with venomous snake richness. The state where the instrument was applied reported 4,227 snakebites in the period. Most municipalities were considered as medium risk and 56/496 as high risk according to the tool created. Snakebite cases are distributed across the entire country with the highest concentration in the Legal Amazon Region. This creates a complex situation both for better understanding of the association of environmental and socioeconomic factors with snakebites and for the distribution and maintenance of antivenom to remote areas. Research into types of antivenom with a longer shelf life without the need for refrigeration is needed.

Redescription of adults of Simulium jeteri (Py-Daniel, Darwich, Mardini, Strieder amp; Coscarón, 2005) (Diptera: Simuliidae).

Simulium jeteri (Py-Daniel, Darwich, Mardini, Strieder Coscarón, 2005) was not fully described, because only pharate male and female adults extracted from pupae were used for the original descriptions. Important diagnostic characters were either incompletely or poorly described. During field work in areas at the same hydrographic basin of the type-locality, we were able to rear adult stages. The main objective of this study is to redescribe the male and female of S. jeteri, providing a complete description, including morphological characteristics not reported before, such as, presence of a median ventral projection on male ventral plate and a bilobed anal lobe on female terminalia. Additional characters of pupae and larvae are given. The addition of new characters will be useful to better understand phylogenetic relationships among species in this group. Females of S. jeteri are not known to bite.

Simuliidae (Diptera, Culicomorpha) no Brasil - XII sobre o gênero Thyrsopelma Enderlein, 1934: descrição de T. jeteri Sp.N., considerações sobre o cibário e chave para as pupas / Brazilian Simuliidae (Diptera, Culicomorpha) - XII about the genus Thyrsopelma Enderlein, 1934: description of the T. jeteri new species, considerations related with cibarium and key for the pupae

É acrescentado um novo caráter pupal para a espécie T. hirtipupa (Lutz,1910). É evidenciada a existência de dentes no cibário da fêmea de T. guianense (Wise,1911), principal espécie envolvida na transmissão da filaria Onchocerca volvulus (Leuckart,1893) no foco da região amazônica. É proposta uma nova relação para os artículos antenais da larva de T. guianense. É descrita uma nova espécie para o gênero Thyrsopelma Enderlein,1934, T. jeteri sp.n., proveniente da bacia hidrográfica do rio Uruguai, no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. São apresentados os parâmetros físico-químicos do criadouro de onde provem o material tipo. É apresentada uma chave para diferenciação das pupas das espécies constantes neste gênero.

Simuliidae (Diptera, Culicomorpha) no Brasil - XII sobre o gênero Thyrsopelma Enderlein, 1934: descrição de T. jeteri Sp.N., considerações sobre o cibário e chave para as pupas

A new pupal character is increased for T. hirtipupa (Lutz,1910). The existence of teeth is evidenced in the female cibarium of T. guianense (Wise,1911), main species involved in the transmission of Onchocerca volvulus (Leuckart,1893) in the focus of the Amazonian area. A new relationship is proposed among the antenna articles of the T. guianense larva. A new species is described for the genus Thyrsopelma Enderlein,1934, T. jeteri sp.n., collected in Uruguay basin, State of Rio Grande do Sul. The physico-chemical parameters are presented for the type locality. A key is presented for the pupal differentiation inside of Thyrsopelma.

É acrescentado um novo caráter pupal para a espécie T. hirtipupa (Lutz,1910). É evidenciada a existência de dentes no cibário da fêmea de T. guianense (Wise,1911), principal espécie envolvida na transmissão da filaria Onchocerca volvulus (Leuckart,1893) no foco da região amazônica. É proposta uma nova relação para os artículos antenais da larva de T. guianense. É descrita uma nova espécie para o gênero Thyrsopelma Enderlein,1934, T. jeteri sp.n., proveniente da bacia hidrográfica do rio Uruguai, no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. São apresentados os parâmetros físico-químicos do criadouro de onde provem o material tipo. É apresentada uma chave para diferenciação das pupas das espécies constantes neste gênero.

The initial epidemiological studies in the low endemicity schistosomiasis area in Esteio, Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost Brazilian state, 1997 to 2000.

Nor Biomphalaria glabrata neither Schistosoma mansoni were reported from Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost Brazilian state before 1997. Their detection next to the Sinos River, Esteio, confirmed predictions of schistosomiasis expansion to the south. Parasitological examinations both in snails and fecal samples from the human population were performed from 1997 to 2000. The last 3 out of 5 surveys were performed after a preliminar serological screening procedure in a risk group identified at a population census. A total of 11 infected individuals were found infected and snails from 2 different sites were positive for S. mansoni. Samples from these 2 and other sites were identified as B. glabrata. Egg counts in feces were below 1 per gram in 6 out of 11 patients. Some socio-cultural perceptions of water contact activities next to the Sinos River may cause difficulties to control efforts, but they also may be partially acting against a very rapid increase in transmission intensity. The southernmost schistomiasis mansoni foci in Americas rise the alert for its ongoing expansion.

The initial epidemiological studies in the low endemicity schistosomiasis area in esteio, Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost Brazilian State, 1997 to 2000

Nor Biomphalaria glabrata neither Schistosoma mansoni were reported from Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost Brazilian state before 1997. Their detection next to the Sinos River, Esteio, confirmed predictions of schistosomiasis expansion to the south. Parasitological examinations both in snails and fecal samples from the human population were performed from 1997 to 2000. The last 3 out of 5 surveys were performed after a preliminar serological screening procedure in a risk group identified at a population census. A total of 11 infected individuals were found infected and snails from 2 different sites were positive for S. mansoni. Samples from these 2 and other sites were identified as B. glabrata. Egg counts in feces were below 1 per gram in 6 out of 11 patients. Some socio-cultural perceptions of water contact activities next to the Sinos River may cause difficulties to control efforts, but they also may be partially acting against a very rapid increase in transmission intensity. The southernmost schistomiasis mansoni foci in Americas rise the alert for its ongoing expansion.

The initial epidemiological studies in the low endemicity schistosomiasis area in esteio, Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost Brazilian State, 1997 to 2000

Nor Biomphalaria glabrata neither Schistosoma mansoni were reported from Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost Brazilian state before 1997. Their detection next to the Sinos River, Esteio, confirmed predictions of schistosomiasis expansion to the south. Parasitological examinations both in snails and fecal samples from the human population were performed from 1997 to 2000. The last 3 out of 5 surveys were performed after a preliminar serological screening procedure in a risk group identified at a population census. A total of 11 infected individuals were found infected and snails from 2 different sites were positive for S. mansoni. Samples from these 2 and other sites were identified as B. glabrata. Egg counts in feces were below 1 per gram in 6 out of 11 patients. Some socio-cultural perceptions of water contact activities next to the Sinos River may cause difficulties to control efforts, but they also may be partially acting against a very rapid increase in transmission intensity. The southernmost schistomiasis mansoni foci in Americas rise the alert for its ongoing expansion.

Isolations of yellow fever virus from Haemagogus leucocelaenus in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil.

Following howling monkey (Alouatta caraya) deaths and yellow fever (YF) antigen detection by immunohistochemistry in the liver sample of a dead monkey in April and May 2001 in the municipalities of Garruchos and Santo Antônio das Missões, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, epidemiological field investigations were initiated. Two strains of YF virus were isolated in suckling mice from 23 Haemagogus (Conopostegus) leucocelaenus Dyar & Shannon mosquitoes collected from the study sites. The YF virus was isolated from this species in the 1930s in Brazil and in the 1940s in Colombia. No human cases were reported during the current epizootic outbreak. The YF virus isolation and the absence of Hg. (Haemagogus) janthinomys Dyar from the area suggest that Hg. leucocelaenus may be a secondary YF vector and play an important role in the epidemiology of this disease in the Southern Cone.

Simulium spp. Control program in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Insects of the Simuliidae family have been the object of control in Rio Grande do Sul since the 70s. Their constant attacks became a social-economical problem as well as a problem of Public Health, with serious consequences to men and to the economy of the areas in which the insects develop. At first, the control was done with a chemical larvicide Themephos ABATE 500 E, but an imperfect measuring of outflow to determine the quantity of the product made Simulium spp. resistant to it. From 1983 on, following a study of a new method for the outflow measuring, we started to use a biological larvicide Bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis based. The biological control uses the new method in 36.4 percent of the state area, assisting about 3,500,000 inhabitants

Predação e foresia (ocasional?) entre imaturos de Simuliidae (Diptera: Culicomorpha) e Asolene (Pomella) Megastoma (Sowerby, 1825) (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Ampullaridae) / Predation and phoretic association (occasional?) among immature stages of Simuliidae (Diptera: Culicomorpha) and Asolene (Pomella) megastoma (Sowerby, 1825) (Mollusca: Ampullaridae)

The predation and phoretic association (occasional?) among simulids and mollusks are being registered here for the first time on the Neotropical region. These inter-relations observations were obtained among Asolene (Pomella) megastoma (Sowerby, 1825) and the simulids: Simulium (Thyrsopelma) Orbitale Lutz, 1910; Simulium (Psaroniocompsa) spp. The material studied is proceeding from the Uruguai river Hidrological Basin. Based on the mollusks natural habitat, it is here suggested his use as a possible integrated management element for simulids species which immature stages live on mighty river with rocks.