Psocoptera (Psocodea) in Spice and Medicinal Dehydrated Plants Sold in Bulk in a Big Metropolis in Brazil.

In Brazil, the production of dried herbs and condiments is on a smaller scale than that of its other agricultural sectors; however, it has been growing and attracting new producers, driven by the stimulus to provide healthy and gourmet foods. Insects in the order Psocoptera may cause loss of quality in such dried foods, and because of their small size, these insects can be easily transported by commerce. No information is available on how these insects may be entering Brazil via the importation of dehydrated products or how they may be exported with the increase of Brazilian dried food production. To examine these issues, 10 sites offering foods sold in bulk within the city of São Paulo, Brazil, were chosen. At each food site, the same 20 species of aromatic spice and medicinal dehydrated plants were purchased. In the laboratory, they were analyzed for the presence of insects immediately after acquisition. After removal of nymphal and adult psocopterans, the plants were kept in vials under environmental conditions to be investigated 40 days later. Psocopterans were found in 12 of the 20 dehydrated plant species. Eleven psocopteran species were recorded, including six species of unidentified Liposcelis. Liposcelis bostrychophila (Badonnel) was found in all samples with the presence of insects. The other frequent species were Liposcelis entomophila (Enderlein) and Lepinotus reticulatus (Enderlein). Lepinotus reticulatus constitutes the first record in Brazil. In total, 1,021 insects were recorded in the evaluation right after purchase, and this number grew to 3,734 individuals recovered 40 days later under laboratory conditions. The data show that in a relatively short period of storage, a population increase occurs that may cause loss of product quality and a decrease in organoleptic properties. Thus, it is necessary to have greater surveillance of the products so that consumers have access to quality dehydrated foods.

Persistence of chlorpyrifos in greenhouse air / Persistência do inseticida clorpirifós no ar em casa de vegetação

Organophosphate pesticides are among those with the highest acute toxicity and are available on the market and used in several regions of Brazil. The concentration and residence time of the organophosphate pesticide, chlorpyrifos, in the air after application in a greenhouse were investigated. For more than 24 h, the chlorpyrifos remained in the greenhouse air at concentrations three times above the occupational exposure limit and was still detectable four days later.(AU)

Os inseticidas organofosforados estão entre os agrotóxicos de maior toxicidade aguda disponíveis no mercado e são usados em várias regiões do Brasil. Avaliaram-se a concentração e o tempo de permanência do inseticida organofosforado clorpirifós no ar, após aplicação em uma casa de vegetação. O clorpirifós permaneceu no ar da casa de vegetação em concentração três vezes acima do limite de exposição ocupacional por mais de 24 horas, e ainda foi detectado após quatro dias.(AU)

Zoonosis associated to Rattus rattus and the impacts of the public actions to control the species / Zoonoses associadas à Rattus rattus e os impactos das ações públicas de controle sobre a espécie

The occurrence of the black rat, Rattus rattus , in major Brazilian cities has increased in the recent years. To evaluate if the efforts of public rodent control have been reaching the species in the city of São Paulo, a survey was conducted in flooding areas using live trapping before and after implementation of the control program. Captures were carried out from 2009 to 2011, and animals were evaluated for their risk of zoonosis transmission. The number of R. rattus captured after control did not differ from the number of animals captured before the control program in the Spring/Summer season, but, in the Autumn/Winter season, effective control was observed. Low infestations of Ctenocephalides felis (Siphonaptera) and Echinolaelaps echidninus (Acarina) were observed, and antibodies against Leptospira spp. were detected in just 1 of 65 serum samples. Ten out of 18 serum samples were sororeactive for Vaccinia virus, suggesting contact between R. rattus and the pathogen Calodium hepaticum (= Capillaria hepaticum ) (Nematoda) was found in the liver of 73.4% of captured R. rattus. In conclusion, R. rattus may not be effectively controlled by the rodent Control Program in the city of São Paulo, and represents a threat to human health, justifying permanent environmental management and educational programs.(AU)

A ocorrência do rato de telhado, Rattus rattus , nas grandes cidades brasileiras aumentou nos últimos anos. A fim de investigar se os esforços do controle público de roedores têm atingido essa espécie, foi conduzido um levantamento em áreas com risco de inundação na cidade de São Paulo, com armadilhas para captura viva dos roedores, antes e depois do controle público. O estudo foi realizado entre 2009 e 2011, e os animais capturados foram estudados para identificar seu risco como transmissores de zoonoses. O número de R. rattus capturados após o controle não diferiu entre o número de animais capturados antes do programa de controle, no período de primavera/verão, mas, no período de outono/inverno, foi observada efetividade do controle. Foram registradas infestações baixas de Ctenocephalides felis (Siphonaptera) e Echinolaelaps echidninus (Acarina). Anticorpos contra Leptospira spp. foram detectados em apenas 1 das 65 amostras de soro. Dez entre 18 amostras de soro foram sororeativas para o vírus Vaccinia , sugerindo o contato entre R. rattus e o patógeno Calodium hepaticum (Nematoda) foi encontrado no fígado de 73,4% dos R. rattus capturados. Concluiu-se que R. rattus pode não ser controlado pelas ações propostas pelo Programa de Controle de Roedores na cidade de São Paulo e representa uma ameaça para a saúde humana, justificando permanentes programas de gestão ambiental e programas educacionais.(AU)