Seroprevalence and risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii in goats (Capra hircus) in the state of Espírito Santo, Southeast Brazil.

Toxoplasma gondii is described as a potential cause of abortion in goats and as a threat to public health. To estimate the prevalence of goats infected by T. gondii, in different cities in the Espírito Santo State, and to identify possible risk factors for infection a serological study was conducted. A total of 146 goat serum samples from the cities of Cariacica, Serra and Vila Velha were analyzed. The presence of IgG Class Immunoglobulins was serologically evaluated by Immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) and by Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). The seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii was 46.6% (68/146) in both techniques and the same samples got the same results in both techniques. Among the analyzed sera, 70.6% (48/68) exhibited high-avidity IgG antibodies, and 29.4% (20/68) exhibited low-avidity IgG antibodies, suggesting that the infection was chronic in the infected animals. Female sex, age group over two years old, water from the public supply system, storage of food and supplies in an open and unprotected place, and the presence of a domestic cat on the property were identified as risk factors for T. gondii infection in goats. The state of Espirito Santo has a high frequency of infected goats, and this is the first research on caprine toxoplasmosis seroepidemiology in that region.

COVID-19 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: a perspective on epidemiological events / COVID-19 no Rio de Janeiro, Brasil: uma perspectiva sobre eventos epidemiológicos

Introduction: the progression of SARS-CoV-2 highlighted the Americas region for the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths. In Brazil, the Southeast region was one of the most affected, especially the state of Rio de Janeiro, due to its cosmopolitan characteristics.Objective: to analyze temporal variations in the incidence, mortality and lethality of COVID-19 in the state of Rio de Janeiro from January 2020 to December 2022.Methods: ecological time-series study with publicly available data on COVID-19 cases and deaths. Crude incidence, mortality, and fatality rates, and estimates of percent daily change (DPC) were analyzed using Prais-Winsten linear regression. With calculation of crude rates were performed using Microsoft Excel 2019, and DPC estimates were performed using STATA MP 17.0 software.Results: 2.5 million cases and 76 thousand COVID-19 deaths were confirmed in the state of Rio de Janeiro from 2020 to 2022, with lethality declining from 4.89% to 0.60%. The highest lethality occurred in May 2020 (11.59%), October 2021 (9.13%) and March 2022 (6.78%), showing a stationary trend. In 2020, incidence and mortality rates peaked in December (797.76 per 100,000 inhabitants) and May (43.96 per 100,000 inhabitants), respectively, followed by subsequent declines. Incidence trend was increasing in 2020 and stationary in 2022, while mortality decreased in 2021 and 2022 after stability in 2020.Conclusion: The incidence of COVID-19 peaked in 2020 and subsequently declined, suggesting partial transmission control. Mortality stabilized after 2020, indicating evolution in health care. Lethality showed a stationary trend, indicating an improvement in hospital capacity. The divergent behavior of the epidemiological indicators reflected the complex dynamics of the pandemic in the analyzed state. There were 790 thousand deaths from COVID-19 in the State of Rio de Janeiro in the period from 2020 to 2022.

Introdução: a progressão do SARS-CoV-2 destacou a região das Américas pelo número de casos e óbitos de COVID-19. No Brasil, a região Sudeste foi uma das mais afetadas, em especial o estado do Rio de Janeiro, devido suas características cosmopolitas.Objetivo: analisar as variações temporais da incidência, mortalidade e letalidade da COVID-19 no estado do Rio de Janeiro no período de janeiro de 2020 a dezembro de 2022.Método: estudo ecológico de séries temporais com dados de acesso público de casos e óbitos de COVID-19. Analisou-se as taxas brutas de incidência, mortalidade e letalidade, e estimativas das taxas de variação percentual diária (DPC) utilizando a regressão linear de Prais-Winsten. Para o cálculo das taxas brutas usou-se o aplicativo Microsoft Excel 2019, e na estimativa da DPC o software STATA MP 17.0.Resultados: foram confirmados 2,5 milhões de casos e 76 mil óbitos por COVID-19 no estado do Rio de Janeiro, no período de 2020 a 2022, com letalidade declinando de 4,89% para 0,60%. A maior letalidade ocorreu em maio de 2020 (11,59%), outubro de 2021 (9,13%) e março de 2022 (6,78%), com tendência estacionária no período. Em 2020, as taxas de incidência e mortalidade, atingiu pico em dezembro (797,76/100 mil hab.), com posterior declínio e em maio (43,96/100 mil hab.), também com posterior queda, respectivamente. A tendência de incidência foi crescente em 2020 e estacionária em 2022, a mortalidade decresceu em 2021 e 2022, após estabilidade em 2020.Conclusão: a incidência de COVID-19 atingiu pico em 2020 e decresceu posteriormente, sugerindo controle parcial da transmissão. A mortalidade se estabilizou após 2020, indicando evolução da assistência à saúde. A letalidade apresentou tendência estacionária no período, sinalizando melhoria da capacidade hospitalar. O comportamento divergente dos indicadores epidemiológicos refletiu a complexa dinâmica da pandemia no estado do Rio de Janeiro. Houve 790 mil óbitos por COVID-19 no Estado do Rio de Janeiro no período de 2020 a 2022.