Description of the first cases of Zika virus fever investigated in municipalities of the Brazilian Northeastern Region, 2015. / Descrição dos primeiros casos de febre pelo vírus Zika investigados em municípios da região Nordeste do Brasil, 2015.

OBJECTIVE: to confirm Zika virus circulation and discard other etiological agents in an outbreak occurred in the states of Rio Grande do Norte, Maranhão and Paraíba, in May, 2015. METHODS: this is a case series descriptive study with residents in Natal-RN, Barra do Corda-MA, São Luis-MA and João Pessoa-PB, with 20 cases in each state, presenting rash, absent or mild fever and one of the following signs/symptoms: conjunctival hyperemia, arthralgia or limb edema; RT-PCR/isolation tests for Zika, enterovirus and respiratory viruses, and serology tests (dengue, rubella and parvovirus B19) were performed. RESULTS: the main symptoms were rash (n=60), pruritus (n=54), and arthralgia (n=47); 51 individuals did not present fever; Zika virus was identified in 18 cases (12 in Paraíba, four in Maranhão and two in Rio Grande do Norte), and antibodies to dengue, in 14 cases. CONCLUSION: the symptoms were consistent with Zika virus fever; there was laboratory confirmation for Zika and dengue.

Descrição dos primeiros casos de febre pelo vírus Zika investigados em municípios da região Nordeste do Brasil, 2015 / Descripción de los primeros casos de fiebre por el virus Zika investigados en los municipios de la región noreste de Brasil, 2015 / Description of the first cases of Zika virus fever investigated in municipalities of the Brazilian Northeastern Region, 2015

OBJETIVO: Confirmar a circulação do vírus Zika e descartar outros agentes etiológicos em surto ocorrido no Rio Grande do Norte (RN), Maranhão (MA) e Paraíba (PB), em maio/2015. MÉTODOS: estudo descritivo de série de casos com residentes em Natal-RN, Barra do Corda-MA, São Luís-MA e João Pessoa-PB, 20 em cada estado, com exantema e ausência de febre ou febre baixa e um dos seguintes sinais/sintomas, hiperemia conjuntival, artralgia ou edema de membros; realizou-se RT-PCR/isolamento para Zika, enterovírus e vírus respiratórios, e sorologias (dengue, rubéola e parvovírus B19). RESULTADOS: os principais sintomas foram exantema (n=60), prurido (n=54) e artralgia (n=47); 51 indivíduos não apresentaram febre; identificou-se vírus Zika em 18 casos (12 na PB, quatro no MA e dois no RN) e anticorpos para dengue em 14. CONCLUSÃO: os sintomas foram compatíveis com febre pelo vírus Zika; houve confirmação laboratorial de Zika e dengue.

OBJETIVOS: confirmar la circulación del virus Zika y descartar otros agentes etiológicos en el brote ocurrido en Rio Grande do Norte (RN), Maranhão (MA) y Paraíba (PB), en mayo/2015. MÉTODOS: estudio descriptivo de serie de casos con residentes de Natal-RN, Barra do Corda-MA, São Luís-MA y João Pessoa-PB, 20 en cada estado, con exantema y ausencia de fiebre o fiebre baja y uno de los siguientes signos/síntomas, hiperemia conjuntival, artralgia o edema de miembros; se realizaron RT-PCR/aislamiento para Zika, enterovirus y virus respiratorios y serologías (dengue, rubéola y parvovirus B19). RESULTADOS: los principales síntomas fueron exantema (n=60), prurito (n=54) y artralgia (n=47); 51 individuos no presentaron fiebre, se identificó virus Zika en 18 casos (12 en PB, cuatro en MA y dos en RN) y anticuerpos para dengue en 14. CONCLUSIÓN: Los síntomas fueron compatibles con fiebre por el virus Zika; hubo confirmación por laboratorio de Zika y dengue.

OBJECTIVE: to confirm Zika virus circulation and discard other etiological agents in an outbreak occurred in the states of Rio Grande do Norte, Maranhão and Paraíba, in May, 2015. METHODS: this is a case series descriptive study with residents in Natal-RN, Barra do Corda-MA, São Luis-MA and João Pessoa-PB, with 20 cases in each state, presenting rash, absent or mild fever and one of the following signs/symptoms: conjunctival hyperemia, arthralgia or limb edema; RT-PCR/isolation tests for Zika, enterovirus and respiratory viruses, and serology tests (dengue, rubella and parvovirus B19) were performed. RESULTS: the main symptoms were rash (n=60), pruritus (n=54), and arthralgia (n=47); 51 individuals did not present fever; Zika virus was identified in 18 cases (12 in Paraíba, four in Maranhão and two in Rio Grande do Norte), and antibodies to dengue, in 14 cases. CONCLUSION: the symptoms were consistent with Zika virus fever; there was laboratory confirmation for Zika and dengue.

An outbreak of bat-transmitted human rabies in a village in the Brazilian Amazon.

During 45 days without electrical power, 57 individuals (8.7% of the population) from the village of Antônio Dino (municipality of Turiaçu, Northeastern Brazil) were attacked by bats and 16 died from human rabies. The aim of the study was to analyze the factors associated with bat attacks and the development of human rabies. Of the 46 individuals, who suffered bat attacks, 36 (78.3%) were under 17 years of age. The risk factors associated with bat attacks were age under 17 years, having observed bats inside the bedroom and having been without electrical power in the house. Age under 17 years and having been without electrical power in the house were factors associated with human rabies.

An outbreak of bat-transmitted human rabies in a village in the Brazilian Amazon / Surto de raiva humana transmitida por morcegos em povoado da Amazônia brasileira

During 45 days without electrical power, 57 individuals (8.7 percent of the population) from the village of Antônio Dino (municipality of Turiaçu, Northeastern Brazil) were attacked by bats and 16 died from human rabies. The aim of the study was to analyze the factors associated with bat attacks and the development of human rabies. Of the 46 individuals, who suffered bat attacks, 36 (78.3 percent) were under 17 years of age. The risk factors associated with bat attacks were age under 17 years, having observed bats inside the bedroom and having been without electrical power in the house. Age under 17 years and having been without electrical power in the house were factors associated with human rabies.

Durante 45 dias sem energia elétrica, 57 indivíduos (8,3 por cento da população) da localidade Antônio Dino, município de Turiaçu, MA, foram atacados por morcegos e 16 morreram de raiva humana. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar os fatores associados aos ataques por morcegos e ao desenvolvimento de raiva humana. Dos 46 indivíduos que sofreram ataque por morcegos, 36 (78,3 por cento) tinham menos de 17 anos de idade. Os fatores de risco associados a ataques por morcegos foram idade inferior a 17 anos, ter observado morcego dentro do quarto e haver ficado sem energia elétrica no domicílio. Idade inferior a 17 anos e ter ficado sem energia elétrica no domicílio foram fatores associados à raiva humana.