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PubMed2005

Herd-level risk factors for Neospora caninum seroprevalence in dairy farms in southern Brazil.

A cross-sectional study was used to test the relationship between herd seroprevalence to Neospora caninum and various potential herd-level risk factors in 60 dairy farms located in two distinct regions in southern Brazil. Thirty farms were randomly selected from within each region. A questionnaire was designed to summarize each farm's production system as it might relate to N. caninum transmission. The questionnaire contained 105 closed questions relating to general characteristics of the farms, farm facilities, management, source of food and water, herd health, environment and biosecurity, which included questions relevant to N. caninum transmission, including presence and number of dogs and other animals, purchase of animals and contact with man. Serum samples were collected from 40% of animals in each farm and N. caninum antibodies were detected by immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT). The association between potential risk factors and the probability of an animal being seropositive was modeled using a generalized estimation equations (GEE) logistic regression model. The model accounted for multilevel correlation of data from multiple animals within herds. The mean (+/-S.D.) number of animals in the 60 herds was 64.5 (+/-45.6), ranging from 20 to 280 females. Blood samples were collected from 1549 animals. The size of the farms varied from 4 to 100 ha (mean 30.1+/-25.9 ha). At least one dog was found in 57 of the 60 dairy farms (95%). The mean number of dogs was 3.1 (+/-1.9), ranging from 0 to 10. All females were raised on pasture. For all cattle sampled, N. caninum seroprevalence was 17.8%. Overall, 93.3% of herds (56/60) had at least one seropositive animal identified. Four variables were significantly associated with N. caninum sero-response in the 57 dairy farms, which were included in the final multivariable model: the number of dogs on the farm, farm area (hectares), feeding pooled sources of colostrum and region. The odds of a cow being seropositive increased 1.13 times for each additional dog present on the farm (P=0.021). Cattle from farms that fed calves colostrum pooled from multiple cows had 1.79 times greater odds for being seropositive for N. caninum (P<0.003). The probability of being seropositive was inverse to the area of the farms, such that cattle had 0.92 times the odds to be seropositive (P=0.014) for each additional 10 ha of farmland. Finally, cattle from farms in region one had 0.71 times the odds to be seropositive than cattle from region two (P=0.035). Results of this study suggest that several risk factors may explain why dairy cattle in Brazil may become exposed to N. caninum. However, further investigation of these factors is necessary because the purpose of this study was to refine and generate hypotheses on N. caninum transmission.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed2005

Trends in dental caries prevalence in 12-year-old schoolchildren between 1976 and 2001 in Bauru, Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the trends in dental caries prevalence in 12-year-old schoolchildren between 1976 and 2001 in Bauru, Brazil. Study design. An epidemiological survey was performed by trained, calibrated examiners by the same research group in 1976, 1984, 1990, 1995 and 2001, using the decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) index. METHODS: Urban elementary schools were chosen because they provide a fair representation of the city's population in terms of socio-economic status. The study included 261, 321, 253, 377 and 211 subjects from the same regions in 1976, 1984, 1990, 1995 and 2001, respectively. The prevalence of caries and the DMFT index were used. RESULTS: A remarkable decrease was seen in the DMFT index at age 12 (84.53%) between 1976 and 2001. The DMFT indices at age 12 were 9.89, 7.01, 3.97, 4.13 and 1.53 in 1976, 1984, 1990, 1995 and 2001, respectively. The percentage of schoolchildren presenting with sound permanent teeth (DMFT = 0) increased from 0.40 to 45.50% between 1976 and 2001. Over the same period, the percentage of schoolchildren with six or more decayed teeth decreased from 86.99% to 5.21%. CONCLUSIONS: The phenomenon of dental caries polarization is already perceptible in Bauru, Brazil. The increase in the number of schoolchildren with sound permanent teeth (DMFT = 0) suggests that the dental health policy in Bauru has had a positive effect in children's dental health, and should therefore be considered for other cities.

Brazil↗
PubMed2006

Emergency medical services: Brazil.

Emergency medical services in Brazil have been created to offer first aid, primary medical treatment, basic life support, stabilization and rapid transfer to the closest appropriate hospital and advanced life support. Pre-hospital emergency care in Brazil is divided into permanent and mobile services. Permanent care is provided by the pre-hospital network (basic health units, family health program, specialized clinics, diagnosis and therapy services, non-hospital emergency care units). The mobile medical services include: mobile emergency care service, fire department and private services. Emergency hospital care units (emergency departments) are classified into general and reference units. Details of these services are described.

Brazil↗
PubMed2004

Isolation and characterization of Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale from chickens in Brazil.

Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT) is a recently described species of bacterium associated with respiratory disease, growth retardation, mortality, and decreased egg production in chickens and turkeys. Pneumonia, pleuritis, and airsacculitis characterise the infection. ORT has been isolated in many countries but it is still considered exotic in Brazil. Up to date it is prohibited to import and produce reagents for diagnostic and vaccination control. The aim of this study was to isolate and identify the bacteria in chickens. Four isolates were obtained from tracheal swabs of broilers. They were isolated in blood agar with gentamicin and showed biochemical, morphological, antigenic and genetic characteristics of ORT. The results confirm that ORT is present in Brazil.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Toxoplasma gondii infection in cats from São Paulo state, Brazil: seroprevalence, oocyst shedding, isolation in mice, and biologic and molecular characterization.

Cats are the most important hosts in the epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infections in humans and animals. Serologic and parasitological prevalence of T. gondii were determined in 237 cats from 15 counties in São Paulo state, Brazil. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in a 1:25 dilution of serum of 84 (35.4%) out of 237 cats by the modified agglutination test (MAT). Samples of brain, heart, tongue, and limb muscles (total 50 g) of 71 of the seropositive cats were pooled for each cat, digested in pepsin and bioassayed in mice. Faeces (1 g) from the rectum of each cat were examined microscopically for T. gondii-like oocysts and verified by bioassay in mice; T. gondii oocysts were found in the faeces of three (1.3%) of 237 cats. T. gondii was isolated from tissue homogenates of 47 cats. The DNA obtained from these 47 tissue isolates was characterized using the SAG2 locus: 34 (72.4%) isolates were type I, 12 (25.5%) were type III and one (2.1%) was mixed with types I and III. No type II isolates were detected. Most (23/34) of the type I isolates killed all infected mice and 7 of 12 type III isolates did not kill infected mice. Characterization of the SAG2 locus directly from tissue homogenates from 37 of 46 cats was successful. Genotypes obtained from these primary samples were the same as those from the corresponding isolates obtained in mice. Genotyping of the three oocyst isolates revealed that two were type I and one was type III. Molecular and biologic characteristics of T. gondii isolates from animals from Brazil are different from those from other parts of the world.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

The influence of the Amazonian floodplain ecosystems on the trace element dynamics of the Amazon River mainstem (Brazil).

The purpose of this paper is to forecast the role of riverine wetlands in the transfer of trace elements. One of the largest riverine wetlands in the world is the floodplain (várzea) of the Amazon River and its tributaries (Junk and Piedade, 1997). The central Amazon wetlands are constituted by a complex network of lakes and floodplains, named várzeas, that extend over more than 300,000 km2 (Junk, W.J., The Amazon floodplain--a sink or source for organic carbon? In Transport of Carbon and Minerals in Major World Rivers, edited by E.T. Degens, S. Kempe, R. Herrera, SCOPE/UNEP; 267-283, 1985.) and are among the most productive ecosystems in the world due to the regular enrichment in nutrients by river waters In order to understand if the adjacent floodplain of Amazon River have a significant influence on the trace element concentrations and fluxes of the mainstem, the concentrations of selected elements (i.e., Al, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Mo, Rb, Sr, Ba, and U) have been measured in the Amazon River water (Manacapuru Station, Amazonas State, Brazil) and in lake waters and plants (leaves) from a várzea(Ilha de Marchantaria, Amazonas State, Brazil) during different periods of the hydrological cycle. Four plant species (two perennial species: Pseudobombax munguba and Salix humboldtiana, and two annual herbaceous plants: Echinochloa polystachya and Eichhornia crassipes) were selected to represent the ecological functioning of the site. Time series obtained for dissolved Mn and Cu (<0.20 microm) in Amazon River water could not be explained by tributary mixing or instream processes only. Therefore, the contribution of the waters transiting the floodplains should be considered. These results suggest that the chemical composition of the waters draining these floodplains is controlled by reactions occurring at sediment-water and plant-water interfaces. Trace elements concentrations in the plants (leaves) vary strongly with hydrological seasonality. Based on the concentration data and the biological productivity of floodplain ecosystems, a first order approximation of trace element storage (permanent or temporary) in the vegetation of these floodplains was made. It was found that floodplain-mainstem elemental fluxes make a significant contribution to the dissolved flux of the Amazon River. This study is part of the Brazilian_French joint research program Hybam (Hydrology and Geochemistry of the Amazonian Basin).

Brazil↗
PubMed2004

PGEs and other traffic-related elements in roadside soils from São Paulo, Brazil.

The distribution of platinum, palladium, and rhodium in soils adjacent to a major road in São Paulo, Brazil, is presented. Sampling was made at four sites with varying traffic volumes and driving styles (stop/start vs. constant speed). High-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HR-ICP-MS) with NiS fire assay collection and Te coprecipitation was used as analytical procedure. The platinum group element (PGE) pattern distribution in the analyzed roadside soil was similar to that of other traffic-related elements such as Zn and Cu, characterized by a strong decrease of the PGE content with increasing distance from the traffic lane. The results indicate that the PGE concentrations in roadside soil are directly influenced by traffic conditions and distance, which characterize their catalytic converter origin. Pt, Pd, and Rh contents range between 0.3 and 17 ng g(-1), 1.1 and 58 ng g(-1), and 0.07 and 8.2 ng g(-1) respectively. Lower levels of Pt and lower Pt/Pd ratios in relation to similar studies in other countries were observed due to the different Pt/Pd ratios in Brazilian automobile catalytic converters. This is the first study to assess traffic-derived Pt, Pd, and Rh deposition in Brazil.

Brazil↗
PubMed2005

Experiences of stigma and access to HAART in children and adolescents living with HIV/AIDS in Brazil.

This study describes and conceptualizes the experiences of stigma in a group of children living with HIV in São Paulo, Brazil, and evaluates the impact of access to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) over the social course of AIDS and over the children's experiences of stigma. Through ethnographic research in São Paulo from 1999 to 2001, the life trajectories of 50 children ages 1-15 living with or affected by HIV were studied. Data were collected via participant observation and semi-structured informal interviews and analyzed using social theories on illness experience and social inequality. Our results demonstrate that AIDS-related stigma occurs within complex discrimination processes that change as children reach adolescence. We found that structural violence in the forms of poverty, racism, and inequalities in social status, gender, and age fuels children's experiences of stigma. We also describe how access to HAART changes the lived experience of children, reduces stigma, and brings new challenges in AIDS care such as adolescents' sexuality and treatment adherence. Based on these results, we propose structural violence as the framework to study stigma and argue that interventions to reduce stigma that solely target the perception and attitudes toward people living with HIV are limited. In contrast universal access to HAART in Brazil is a powerful intervention that reduces stigma, in that it transforms AIDS from a debilitating and fatal disease to a chronic and manageable one, belongs to a broader mechanism to assure citizens' rights, and reduces social inequalities in access to health care.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed2006

In practice, the theory is different: a processual analysis of breastfeeding in northeast Brazil.

'Na prática, a teoria è outra' (in practice, the theory is different) is an old Brazilian saying. This phrase summarizes well the general practice of breastfeeding in Brazil: 'Breast is best' is central in the pregnant women's future oriented 'theory' of how their infant should be fed. In the subsequent weeks after delivery, however, in the daily practicalities of feeding their infant, this theory is, to a large extent, abandoned. The present study is based on a sample of 300 mothers in the city of Aracaju in the Northeast of Brazil. Through interviews, the differences and similarities between knowledge and practice with respect to infant feeding were established. An explanation of these differences is developed on the basis of a processual analysis of the qualitative and quantitative results of the interview data. Nearly all mothers were knowledgeable of the need to breastfeed, and nearly all mothers had initiated breastfeeding. However, only a minority was exclusively breastfeeding at the time of the interview. A distinction is made between a breastfeeding process and a de-breastfeeding process. The data suggest that mothers, in general, start the de-breastfeeding process with the positive intention of ameliorating the infant's situation without realizing the negative processual consequences that most likely ends in a cessation of breastfeeding. The study supports the view that health policy should underline the processual character of both breastfeeding and de-breastfeeding when promoting the importance of exclusive breastfeeding.

Brazil↗
PubMed2006

Influence of leptospirosis on reproductive performance of sows in Brazil.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between seropositivity for the most frequent Leptospira serovars and reproductive losses in sows in Brazil. Serum samples from 351 sows from 18 herds (in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) with low reproductive efficiency were tested (microscopic agglutination) for antibodies against serovars of Leptospira. Antibodies were detected in serum samples of 66.1% of all sows, most frequently serovar icterohaemorrhagiae (43.1%), followed by pomona (18.1%) and tarassovi (9.9%). Seroreactivity to icterohaemorrhagiae and pomona were associated (P<0.05) with impaired reproductive performance (and substantial economic loss). Seroreactivity for pomona was associated (P<0.05) with stillborn piglets and mummified fetuses, whereas seroreactivity to icterohaemorrhagiae was associated (P<0.05) with the number of piglets born dead.

Abortion, Habitual↗
PubMed2004

Do we need living unrelated organ donation in Brazil?

The remarkable success achieved by organ transplantation has also engendered the major problem of organ shortage. As a consequence, the use of living unrelated donors (LURD) has been proposed as an ethically justifiable alternative for developed nations to minimize their waiting lists for organ transplantation (OTx). This change in attitude has caused an ethical dilemma for developing countries like Brazil, which is struggling to increase the cadaver donor pool. Due to a huge socioeconomic gap of values and needs among nations, the incentive to use LURD in developed countries may not only produce a disincentive to cadaver organ donation but also stimulate organ trade in developing countries. In this paper we aimed to show that in Brazil, we do not need to use LURD because we have not optimized our cadaver donor pool. The exploitation of LURD might be a good option for developed countries, but it is not useful for developing countries. The Transplantation Society urgently needs to solve and clarify this problem by establishing basic ethical and justice principles that can serve as a guide for every country, throughout the entire process required, to achieve an adequate pool of cadaver donors.

Bioethics↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Twenty years of liver transplantation in Brazil.

This paper summarizes the 20 years of liver transplantation in Brazil, in the context of the Western world scenario. More than 5000 liver transplantations have been performed in the country since September 1, 1985. The living-donor liver transplantation, one of the landmarks in liver transplantation, was first described by our team in 1989. Brazil is the seventh country in number of liver transplants in the Western world and the first in Latin America. Almost 1000 procedures were performed in 2004, 19% of them involving living donors.

Brazil↗
PubMed2005

Haemoglobin variants and anaemia among pre-school/school children in north-east Brazil.

In this study we investigated the presence of haemoglobin (Hb) variants and anaemia among 382 pre-school/school children from Bahia State, Brazil, a state where intermixing involving people from African origin is the highest in the country. Hb variants were investigated by cellulose acetate electrophoresis at alkaline pH. The pattern obtained was confirmed by citrate agar electrophoresis at pH 6.2. From the 382 children investigated, 79 (20.7%) had Hb variants: 47 (59.5%) had HbAS, 28 (35.4%) HbAC, 3 (3.8%) HbSC and 1 (1.3%) HbCC. Two hundred and fourteen children had anaemia. From these, 39 had microcytosis and 14 had low values of ferritin (<12 ng/ml). We cannot exclude thalassaemia among the children with microcytosis and hypochromia because it was not investigated. The majority of the children showed high mean values of ferritin, suggestive of subclinical infection. There was no difference when we compared the prevalence of anaemia among children with Hb variants (65.8%) and those without Hb variants (53.5%) (P = 0.06). These data demonstrate that Hb variants and anaemia are probably important public health problems in north-east Brazil.

Anemia↗
PubMed2005

Mixed infection with Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis and Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi in a naturally infected dog from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

We report here the first case of co-infection with Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis and Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi in a naturally infected dog from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Isoenzyme characterisation identified the parasites isolated in culture from the cutaneous lesion as L. (V.) braziliensis and the isolates from blood and lymph node as L. (L.) chagasi. PCR analysis using specific primers followed by molecular hybridisation for direct Leishmania species identification in tissue fragments confirmed the presence of L. (V.) braziliensis DNA in the cutaneous lesion and of L. (L.) chagasi DNA in spleen and popliteal lymph node fragments. This report emphasises the importance of identification of Leishmania species infecting seropositive dogs in endemic areas, and the consequent re-assessment of control and epidemiological surveillance measures for the control of leishmaniasis, as is the case in Brazil.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

History of breastfeeding and Helicobacter pylori infection in children: results of a community-based study from northeastern Brazil.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of breastfeeding and the infection status of the mother in the acquisition of Helicobacter pylori infection in a poor urban community in northeastern Brazil. Helicobacter pylori status was evaluated by 13C-urea breath test in individuals under the age of 14 years and by ELISA in the mothers. The prevalence of H. pylori infection was 55.8% (197/353) in the children and it increased with age (P<0.0001). Of the children in whom breastfeeding status was known, 93.2% (316/339) were breastfed. The H. pylori prevalence did not differ between breastfed and never breastfed children (55% vs. 52%) even when children were breastfed for >6 months. The prevalence of infection was much higher in children whose mothers were H. pylori infected than in children whose mothers were not infected, resulting in a crude odds ratio (OR) of 3.11 (95% CI 1.57-6.19) and 2.40 after adjustment for potential confounders (95% CI 1.12-5.15). This study suggests that breastfeeding does not protect against acquisition of H. pylori in northeastern Brazil; conversely, an infected mother may have an important role in transmission of the disease to the child.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of yellow fever in Brazil: analysis of reported cases 1998-2002.

Yellow fever (YF), an arboviral infection of major public health importance in Brazil, is associated with high mortality and high epidemic potential. We analysed confirmed YF cases from the National Surveillance System from 1998-2002 and assessed risk factors for death among hospitalised patients. Variables assessed included age, gender, clinical signs and laboratory findings. A logistic regression model was used to identify independent predictors of death among hospitalised patients. From 1998-2002, among 2117 suspected YF cases reported to Brazil's Ministry of Health, 251 (11.9%) had confirmed YF, of whom 217 (86.5%) were hospitalised and the case fatality rate was 44.2%. Factors associated with higher mortality in univariate analysis included male gender (relative risk (RR) 1.96, 95% CI 1.17-2.28), age >40 years (RR 2.61, 95% CI 1.25-5.45), jaundice (RR 2.66, 95% CI 2.12-3.35), serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) >1200 IU/l (RR 1.84, 95% CI 1.23-2.74), alanine aminotransferase >1500 IU/l (RR 2.09, 95% CI 1.38-3.17), total bilirubin >7.0mg/dl (RR 2.33, 95% CI 1.44-3.78), direct bilirubin >5.0mg/dl (RR 2.29, 95% CI 1.33-3.94) and blood urea nitrogen >100mg/dl (RR 5.77, 95% CI 1.43-23.22). In multivariate analysis, elevated AST and jaundice remained independently associated with higher mortality. These findings suggest that selected clinical and laboratory indicators may help clinicians recognise potentially fatal cases of YF.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Diagnosis of paratuberculosis in a dairy herd native to Brazil.

Paratuberculosis (PTB) in Brazil has previously only been reported in imported animals and is officially considered as an exotic disease. A dairy herd, which had no imported animals, presented clinically suspect animals and was investigated for paratuberculosis using faecal culture, histopathology, indirect ELISA and the agar gel immunodiffusion test. Infection with Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map) was confirmed by culture of faeces from five cows with clinical symptoms of PTB and in 7/24 randomly selected asymptomatic cows from the same herd. Two cows with clinical symptoms were necropsied and their tissues were positive for Map by culture and histopathology. Twelve asymptomatic, randomly selected cows were positive on ELISA. The results confirmed the presence of PTB in this dairy herd and for the first time demonstrated the disease in a herd of native-bred cattle in Brazil.

Animals↗
PubMed2007

Sero-prevalence and risk indicators for canine ehrlichiosis in three rural areas of Brazil.

Ehrlichia canis has a worldwide geographic distribution, occurring particularly in tropical and subtropical areas. In Brazil, the main vector in urban areas is believed to be the brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus, but little is known about the occurrence, transmission and other epidemiological aspects of canine ehrlichiosis in rural areas, where Amblyomma ticks are found more frequently than R. sanguineus. A sero-prevalence study of canine ehrlichiosis was carried out in three distinct rural regions of the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Serum samples were collected from 226 dogs living on farms in Lavras (n=85), Belo Horizonte (n=45), and Nanuque (n=96) and were analyzed by an indirect fluorescent antibody test for the detection of anti-Ehrlichia canis antibodies. Age, breed, sex, presence of ticks and packed cell volume were also recorded. There were 65.6% positive dogs in Nanuque, 37.8% in Belo Horizonte, and 24.7% in Lavras. Animals living in Nanuque were 4.6 times more likely to be serologically positive than dogs living in the other two regions and antibody titres were considerable higher in this area. Male dogs, dogs >5 years of age, those infested with ticks, and mongrels all showed higher rates of positivity. The results point to the importance of canine ehrlichiosis in rural areas and indicate the need for further studies on natural transmission and maintenance of the disease.

Animals↗