A watershed impacted by anthropogenic activities: Microbial community alterations and reservoir of antimicrobial resistance genes.

Water is the main resource for maintaining life. Anthropic activities influence the microbial epidemiological chain in watersheds, which can act as ways of disseminating microorganisms resistant to antimicrobial drugs, with impacts on human, animal, and environmental health. Here, we characterized aquatic microbial communities and their resistomes in samples collected along Rio das Ostras watershed during two seasons. Surface water samples were collected at eleven sites from the Jundiá, Iriry, and Rio das Ostras rivers in two seasons (dry and wet season). Microbial DNA was extracted, high-throughput sequenced and screened for antimicrobial resistance genetic (ARG) markers. The physicochemical characteristics and the microbiota data confirmed that Rio das Ostras watershed can be divided into three well defined portions: rural, urban, and marine. Rural areas were enriched by bacteria typically found in limnic environments and Patescibacteria phyla. The urban portion was characterized by sites with low pH and groups associated with iron oxidation. Some genera of clinical relevance were also identified, though in relatively low abundance. The marine site was enriched mainly by Cyanobacteria and bacteria that showed strong correlation with conductivity, salinity, and chloride. Twenty-six ARG markers were identified on the resistome, being found most frequently in the urban area, despite being present in rural sites. Among them were some related to classes of great clinical concern, such as genes coding for extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (blaCTX-M and blaTEM), resistance to carbapenems (blaKPC) and to methicillin by Staphylococcus aureus (mecA). These results broaden our understanding of the microbial community of a watershed impacted by anthropogenic actions. The large number of ARGs detected along the Rio das Ostras watershed contrasts with the small number of microorganisms of clinical relevance observed, suggesting that antimicrobial resistance has arisen from non-clinical environments and microbes. Our results corroborate that freshwater acts as a reservoir of antimicrobial resistance genes.

Prevalência de resultados positivos de VDRL (Venereal Disease Research Laboratory) e análise das variáveis epidemiológicas em pacientes atendidos no serviço de saúde pública / Prevalence of VDRL (Venereal Disease Research Laboratory) positive results and epidemiological variables analysis in patients assessed on a public health service

Syphilis is an infection caused by Treponema pallidum of sexual, blood and vertical transmission. Despite being easy to diagnose and treat, its incidence has been increasing in Brazil in recent years, and it is being considered a public health problem in the country and worldwide. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of positive results for VDRL (Venereal Diseases Research Laboratory) in the city of Juiz de Fora / MG between 2014 and 2016, as well its epidemiological characteristics. 25,735 VDRL results were analyzed from the database of the Central Laboratory (LACEN) of the city hall of Juiz de Fora. The results were then related to the variables year, gender, age, pregnant or not and the region of the city where the test was performed. The prevalence of positive results was 5.55%, with the highest number of cases recorded in 2015. Reactive cases were more prevalent in the central region, in men and a higher prevalence was obtained for the age group of 12 to 18 years. Among women, it was observed higher VDRL positivity in non-pregnant women from August 2015 to December 2016. The data obtained in this study indicates an increase in prevalence of syphilis from 2014 to 2015, followed by a reduction in the following year, among the population served by SUS, where young men represent the population at greater risk.