First Report of Trypanosoma cruzi Infection in Salivary Gland of Bats from the Peruvian Amazon.

In the Americas, 8 million people are infected with Chagas disease, and an additional 90 million people are at risk for infection. Little is known about the role bats play in the sylvatic transmission cycle of Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite causing Chagas disease. Here, we captured bats in the villages of Palmiche, Pachacutec, Nuevo San Martin, and Mayuriaga located in the Datem del Marañon Province in Loreto, Peru. Venous blood samples were collected by cardiac puncture or from the upper extremities, and trypanosomatids were identified by microscopy and molecularly. We collected blood samples from 121 bats on filter paper for molecular studies and 111 slides for microscopic examination of thin and thick blood smears from 16 different bat species. The prevalence of trypanosomatids in all bats species was 34.7% (42/121) and the prevalence of T. cruzi was 4.1% (5/121). In hematophagous bat species, the prevalence of trypanosomatids and T. cruzi was 36.9% (27/73) and 2.7% (2/73), respectively. In non-hematophagous bats, the prevalences of trypanosomatids and T. cruzi were 31.2% (15/48) and 6.2% (3/48), respectively. Also, we confirm the presence of T. cruzi in salivary glands of hematophagous bats Diaemus youngi. These results suggest a sylvatic cycle of trypanosomatid transmission in which bats may harbor infectious T. cruzi parasites that could be transmitted to humans via hematophagous bat bites or salivary contamination by non-hematophagous bats of vegetables consumed by humans.

Enfermedades registradas por contingencia laboral en descansos médicos emitidos en la Seguridad Social de Salud peruana 2015-2016 / Conditions reported as working occurrences in sick leave certificates issued in Peruvian Social Security, 2015 - 2016

Objetivos: Describir las enfermedades registradas por contingencia laboral en los descansos médicos emitidos por el Seguro Social de Salud (EsSalud) a nivel nacional, 2015-2016. Materiales y métodos: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo transversal de la base total existente en EsSalud. El estudio abarcó todos los certificados de incapacidad temporal para el trabajo (CITT) reportados como enfermedades por contingencia laboral en el sistema de gestión hospitalario de EsSalud a nivel nacional. Resultados: De 256 CITT reportados, ingresaron al análisis 188 CITT que cumplieron el criterio de inclusión (encontrarse en lista peruana de enfermedades profesionales). Los trastornos músculo esqueléticos representaron la patología más frecuente, presentando mayor cantidad de días por incapacidad. En 39 CITT no se logró identificar a que actividad productiva se encontraban registradas. Conclusiones: En las enfermedades registradas por contingencia laboral que requirieron descanso médico, la gran mayoría corresponde a trastornos musculo esqueléticos, dentro de las cuales el lumbago tuvo mayor frecuencia. Existe la necesidad de realizar mayor investigación para definir mediante los criterios de causalidad si las enfermedades mencionadas corresponden a la definición de enfermedades profesionales

Objectives: To describe the conditions reported as working occurrences (occupational diseases) in sick leave certificates issued in Peruvian Social Security (EsSalud) all over the country, for the 2015-2016 period. Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study of the EsSalud database. The study comprised all sick leave certificates issued because of working occurrences in the EsSalud hospital management system all over the country. Results: Of 256 certificate reports, 188 that complied with the inclusion criterion (being included in the Peruvian list for occupational diseases) entered the analysis. Musculoskeletal conditions were the most frequently reported diseases, leading to the largest amount of days granted for sick leave. In 39 of the aforementioned certificates it was not possible to identify to which activity the condition was related to. Conclusions: Amongst conditions reported as working occurrences (occupational diseases) that required issuing a sick leave certificate, most of them were musculoskeletal conditions, and low back pain was the most prevalent. There is a need for performing further research in order to define according to causality criteria whether these conditions truly correspond to occupational diseases

Dermatitis por Paederus sp. en la Amazonía peruana: reporte de casos / Dermatitis by Paederus sp. in the Peruvian Amazon: report of cases

En la amazonia peruana existe una gran diversidad de artrópodos relacionados a problemas de salud pública. Dentro de ellos al poco conocido escarabajo de la familia Staphylinidae, del género Paederus, capaz de producir una dermatitis cáustica vesiculante, a todo aquel que entre en contacto con su hemolinfa. Este tipo de lesiones ha sido descrita en aéreas tropicales y subtropicales causando brotes de dermatitis estacionales a lo largo del mundo, como sucedió en el fenómeno climatológico "El Niño" por Paederus irritans (Ciudad de Piura, 1999). Se presenta dos casos de dermatitis por Paederus sp. en zonas rurales de la amazonia peruana, donde aún no se ha reportado casos.

In the peruvian amazon we have a great diversity of arthropods which are related to public health problems. For example, there is an unknown beetle of the family Staphylinidae, genus Paederus, capable of producing a caustic-vesicular dermatitis, to anyone who gets any physical contact with its hemolymph. This type of injury has been described in tropical and subtropical areas, causing epidemic outbreaks of seasonal dermatitis throughout the world; as it happened in the weather phenomenon "El Niño" by Paederus irritans (Ciudad de Piura, 1999). We present two dermatitis cases due to Paederus sp. in rural areas of the peruvian amazon, where no cases have been reported earlier.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus/systemic sclerosis overlap syndrome.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome is a clinicoradiologic entity associated with diverse medical conditions. It is very important to properly recognize this condition because early diagnosis and treatment usually result in its complete resolution, whereas a delay in giving an adequate therapy may lead to permanent neurologic sequelae. A case of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in a female patient with an overlap syndrome of systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis is presented here.

Mayaro virus infection, Amazon Basin region, Peru, 2010-2013.

During 2010-2013, we recruited 16 persons with confirmed Mayaro virus infection in the Peruvian Amazon to prospectively follow clinical symptoms and serologic response over a 12-month period. Mayaro virus infection caused long-term arthralgia in more than half, similar to reports of other arthritogenic alphaviruses.