Visceral leishmaniasis in the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil

In the last few years the number of human cases of American visceral leishmaniasis in the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte (MRBH), Minas Gerais, Brazil has increased, indicating an elevation in the transmission rate of the disease. The total number of notified human cases in the MRBH since 1994, when the first case was identified, up to 1999 was 345 of which 223 (65%) were from the city itself, indicating an urbanization of the disease in this region of Minas Gerais. The age distribution of visceral leishmaniasis cases in the MRBH shows a higher prevalence in children from 0-4 years old, responsible for 28.9% of the notifications. Clinical and immunological findings from dogs infected with Leishmania chagasi are described. The majority of these animals showed no sign of the disease. Sera from all infected dogs showed detectable Leishmania-induced high titles of antibodies based on the results of an indirect fluorescent antibody test. Samples of isolated Leishmania from human and dogs were characterized as L. (L.) chagasi by biochemical and molecular techniques.     

Prevalence of Trypanosoma lewisi in Rattus norvegicus from Belo Horizonte,State of Minas Gerais,Brazil

From April 1984 to March 1985, a Trypanosoma lewisi prevalence of 21.7% was found in 429 Rattus norvegicus trapped in Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The infection rates were higher in male and young rats and could be attributed to ecological and behavioral factors. T. lewisi was observed in rats measuring between 60 and 250 mm. Data about monthly T. lewisi infections throughout the year are presented for the first time in Brazil, with the highest prevalences observed in the warm-rainy season (October to March).     

Epidemiology of visceral leishmaniasis through spatial analysis, in Belo Horizonte municipality, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil

The geographic information system approach has permitted integration between demographic, socio-economic and environmental data, providing correlation between information from several data banks. In the current work, occurrence of human and canine visceral leishmaniases and insect vectors (Lutzomyia longipalpis) as well as biogeographic information related to 9 areas that comprise the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, between April 2001 and March 2002 were correlated and georeferenced. By using this technique it was possible to define concentration loci of canine leishmaniasis in the following regions: East; Northeast; Northwest; West; and Venda Nova. However, as for human leishmaniasis, it was not possible to perform the same analysis. Data analysis has also shown that 84.2% of the human leishmaniasis cases were related with canine leishmaniasis cases. Concerning biogeographic (altitude, area of vegetation influence, hydrographic, and areas of poverty) analysis, only altitude showed to influence emergence of leishmaniasis cases. A number of 4673 canine leishmaniasis cases and 64 human leishmaniasis cases were georeferenced, of which 67.5 and 71.9%, respectively, were living between 780 and 880 m above the sea level. At these same altitudes, a large number of phlebotomine sand flies were collected. Therefore, we suggest control measures for leishmaniasis in the city of Belo Horizonte, giving priority to canine leishmaniasis foci and regions at altitudes between 780 and 880 m.     

Study on phlebotomine sand fly (Diptera: Psychodidae) fauna in Belo Horizonte, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil

A study on the phlebotomine sand fly fauna in Belo Horizonte city, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, was carried out. From April 2001 to March 2003, monthly systematic collections were performed in three houses from each of the nine regions of the city, using CDC light traps for four consecutive days. The traps were set into the houses and in peridomestic areas totaling 54 traps. A number of 3871 sand fly specimens of the genera Lutzomyia and Brumptomyia were collected. Sixty eight percent of the specimens were L. longipalpis and 16% L. whitmani, insect vectors of visceral and American cutaneous leishmaniasis, respectively. Environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and frequency of precipitation suggest that the number of insects increases after rainy periods. During the same period mentioned above, seasonal captures were carried out in parks and green areas of Belo Horizonte, using Shannon trap. A total of 579 phlebotomine sand flies were collected from which 398 (68.7%) were females with the predominance of L. whitmani and L. monticola. Those specimens were used for natural infection examination, by polymerase chain reaction. No Leishmania DNA was present in any of the specimens tested.     

Endosymbionts of Ctenocephalides felis felis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) obtained from dogs captured in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Specimens of fleas Ctenocephalides felis felis (1052 female symbol/448 male symbol), obtained from 150 dogs in Centro de Controle de Zoonoses de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, were dissected and examined for endosymbionts. Three protozoan, Nolleria pulicis, a gregarine (Actinocephalidae) and Leptomonas sp., together with one cestode, Dipylidium caninum were identified. Infections by N. pulicis and Leptomonas sp. occurred mainly in the warm-rainy period. The prevalence and distribution of these endosymbionts in fleas derived from Brazil and South America, and the their variation according to sex and season, are reported for the first time.     

Prevalence of nits and lice in samples of cut hair from floors of barbershops and beauty parlors in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

A louse survey based on samples of cut hair collected from floors of barbershops and beauty parlors was conducted in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, from October 1984 to April 1985, as an alternative way to determine the prevalence of pediculosis capitis in the population. Of 475 samples examined for nits, nymphs, or adults of Pediculus capitis, 140 were infested (29.5%). A total of 58 lice and 3,553 nits were found in 33,632.9 g of hair collected, giving a ratio of 0.10 nit/g. Almost 29% of the nits were viable and capable of being transmitted after hatching. There was significant difference among the infestation rates by socioeconomic levels, and samples from barbershops with male customers were the most infested. Based upon the number of haircuts in each sample, we estimated that 5 or 6% of the population might be infested by this species.     

Occurrence and biology of Rhodnius neglectus Lent, 1954 in palm trees of suburban areas of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais

Eighty-one "macaubeiras" palm-trees (Acrocomia sclerocarpa) from the periphery of Belo Horizonte city were cut down and dissected between April 1979 and July 1980. 60.5% of the trees were positive for R. neglectus and 463 specimens of this insect were collected, providing a mean rate of 9,45 individuals for positive palm-trees. R. neglectus seems to present a single annual generation in this region, but evidence was obtained that two generations may occur. Its spawn period is related to the hot months of the year, when younger insects prevail over the adults. This observation suggests that higher population densities are related to better feeding conditions and to minor densities of specific predators such as Telenomus sp., ants, spiders, hemipters, scorpions and pseudo scorpionidae. The Trypanosoma cruzi infection index was 15,9%, suggesting that R. neglectus is a very important vector of silvatic infections in the region. Marsupials are the main vertebrate source of T. cruzi infection. R. neglectus is strongly associated with palm-trees in the area, and with the various species of birds that haunt them. So far, there is no evidence suggesting R. neglectus to be an important vector of human Chagas' disease in the region.     

Risk factors for tuberculosis among human immunodeficiency virus-infected persons. A case-control study in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil (1985-1996)

The objective of this study was to identify tuberculosis risk factors and possible surrogate markers among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons. A retrospective case-control study was carried out at the HIV outpatient clinic of the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais in Belo Horizonte. We reviewed the demographic, social-economical and medical data of 477 HIV-infected individuals evaluated from 1985 to 1996. The variables were submitted to an univariate and stratified analysis. Aids related complex (ARC), past history of pneumonia, past history of hospitalization, CD4 count and no antiretroviral use were identified as possible effect modifiers and confounding variables, and were submitted to logistic regression analysis by the stepwise method. ARC had an odds ratio (OR) of 3.5 (CI 95% - 1.2-10.8) for tuberculosis development. Past history of pneumonia (OR 1.7 - CI 95% 0.6-5.2) and the CD4 count (OR 0.4 - CI 0. 2-1.2) had no statistical significance. These results show that ARC is an important clinical surrogate for tuberculosis in HIV-infected patients. Despite the need of confirmation in future studies, these results suggest that the ideal moment for tuberculosis chemoprophylaxis could be previous to the introduction of antiretroviral treatment or even just after the diagnosis of HIV infection.     

SWITCH in Belo Horizonte,Brazil: infiltration and detention systems for more sustainable stormwater control in Belo Horizonte

Belo Horizonte, Brazil, is one of the demonstration cities of the SWITCH project. Flooding and wet weather pollution are major issues for the city. Because of this SWITCH in Belo Horizonte has focussed on more sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS). Demonstrations are being conducted of infiltration and detention devices, artificial wetlands, and rainfall harvesting. This paper focuses on the use of detention and infiltration trenches to control runoff and abate wet weather pollution. Preliminary results indicate that use of these devices have potential for significantly mitigating suspended matter such as heavy metals originating from road surfaces.     

Tree dominance and diversity in Minas Gerais,Brazil

Quantifying diversity is an old challenge for ecologists and is also a social demand given the increasing threats to natural areas. We sought to work on these issues by using data from 158 vegetation remnants (over 350,000 trees) in southeastern Brazil (Minas Gerais State—MG, nearly 600,000 km²). Specifically, we sought to answer the following questions. (1) How many trees and tree species currently exist in MG vegetation remnants? (2) How much of such biodiversity is present in each vegetation domain (Atlantic Forest, Cerrado and Caatinga) and vegetation type (Seasonally Dry tropical forest “semideciduous”, Seasonally Dry tropical forest “deciduous”, Rain Forest, Swamp, Cerrado and Cerradão) in MG? (3) How much has been lost in regards to tree amount and tree species? We built a 0.1-degree cell grid to estimate the number of trees via spatial regression and used Fisher’s alpha and Fisher’s log series to provide estimates on how many tree species there are and were in MG. We found the number of trees in Minas Gerais to be approximately 24.5 × 10⁹, and the number of tree species to be between 3592 and 3743. The most abundant species distribution among the vegetation domains and vegetation types followed inversely the environmental heterogeneity of the classes. Consequently, the most abundant species in MG belonged to the Cerrado domain, where there was less environmental heterogeneity. The numbers of trees and tree species lost were estimated at 68.54 and 4.03–8.42% of the original values, respectively. We discuss that due to the consequences of human impacts that go back in the region for over a thousand years, other processes not considered in this study, such as habitat degradation by isolation, alterations of food webs, unsustainable use, and climate change, might have caused local extinctions and potentially increased the number of species lost. We believe our results may guide conservation initiatives by providing a base for future environmental laws, parks planning, and the development of more appropriate vegetation management techniques in MG. In addition, our results may inspire future quantitative ecological studies in the tropics.     

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in Uberaba,Minas Gerais,Brazil

This report describes the epidemiological and clinical-evolutive characteristics of eight patients with hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil. A positive history of contact with rodents was present in 100% of the cases. The time between the onset of symptoms and hospital care was, on average, 3.6 days. All patients showed clinical and laboratory findings suggestive of HPS. Elevated urea and creatinine levels were observed in 6 (75%) cases, PO2 was < 60 mmHg in 100% of the cases, and a chest X-ray demonstrated a bilateral interstitial-alveolar infiltrate. The diagnosis was confirmed by the detection of IgM antibodies against Sin Nombre virus by ELISA. Three patients died as a direct consequence of HPS.     

Bromeliaceae diversity and conservation in Minas Gerais state,Brazil

Field work and data from herbaria collections (2686 records) representing 283 taxa (265 species and 18 infraspecific taxa) of Bromeliaceae occurring at Minas Gerais state, southeastern Brazil, were analyzed in order to obtain distribution and diversity information, and to determine IUCN (The World Conservation Union) conservation status for each taxon. A map containing 1° × 1° grid cells was used to identify priority areas for new research collections, areas of high species diversity, and Bromeliaceae conservation status. A clear decrease in Bromeliaceae diversity is observed between the eastern and the western portions of Minas Gerais, and low floristic similarities were found between neighboring grid cells. The rocky mountains of Cadeia do Espinhaço are considered the most important area for Bromeliaceae endemics. From the 283 taxa of Bromeliaceae that occur at Minas Gerais, 118 (42%) are considered threatened, and 124 taxa (44% of the total) do not occur inside any protected area. The region of the Quadrilátero Ferrífero in the southern portion of the Cadeia do Espinhaço is the most threatened, and urgent strategies for conservation of this rich Bromeliaceae flora are needed. Northeastern Minas Gerais, particularly the rocky outcrops or inselbergs located in the Jequitinhonha and Mucuri rivers drainage basins need additional collection efforts and conservation actions focused on these saxicolous taxa.     

Hepatitis B virus infection profile in hemodialysis patients in Central Brazil: prevalence, risk factors, and genotypes

Hemodialysis patients are at high risk for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. A survey was conducted in the hemodialysis population of the state of Goiás, Central Brazil, aiming to assess the prevalence of HBV infection, to analyse associated risk factors, and also to investigate HBV genotypes distribution. A total of 1095 patients were interviewed in 15 dialysis units. Serum samples were screened for HBV serological markers by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive samples were tested for HBV DNA by polymerase chain reaction and genotyped by restriction fragment length polymorphism. Global HBV infection prevalence was 29.8% (95% CI: 27.1-32.5). Multivariate analysis of risk factors showed that male gender, length of time on hemodialysis, and blood transfusion before 1993 were associated with HBV positivity. HBV DNA was detected in 65.4% (17/26) of the HBsAg-positive samples. Thirteen of 17 HBV DNA positive samples were genotyped. Genotype D (61.5%) was predominant, followed by A (30.8%), while genotype F was detected in only one (7.7%) sample.     

Evaluation of the sticky MosquiTRAP for detecting Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) during the dry season in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

MosquiTRAP is a sticky trap specifically designed to capture gravid females of Aedes aegypti (L.) and allows the identification of the mosquito in the field during the inspection of the trap. This study aims to compare this sticky trap to larval and ovitrap surveys for field monitoring of A. aegypti during the dry season. The study was conducted from March to June of 2003 in 20 blocks of the district of Itapo?, Belo Horizonte, MG. The traps were monitored every week while the larval survey was conducted on a monthly basis. The larval index: Premise Index (PI) and Breteau Index (BI) had equal values throughout the experiment (1.72 in the first two months and zero in the last two). The container index (CI) during the first two months was 0.09 and 0.1%, respectively and zero in the last two. The Ovitrap Positive Index (OPI) ranged from 16.7 to 76.9%, and the MosquiTRAP Positive Index (MPI) ranged from 0 to 31.5%. The Egg Density Index (EDI) ranged from 26.6 to 82.8, while the Adult Density Index ranged from 0 to 1.6 throughout the experiment. Temperature and rainfall did not affect the Positive and Density Indices, although these environmental variables seemed to have affected the larvae indices. Although the MosquiTRAP caught a low number of Aedes mosquitoes during the study, it was more sensitive than the larval survey to detect the presence of Aedes mosquitoes.     

Bioaerosol vertical fungal spores profile in Minas Gerais State,Brazil

Aerobiologia - Primary biological aerosol particles (PBAPs) are involved in multiple phenomena ranging from seasonal allergies to pandemic diseases. Furthermore, PBAPs that act as ice nuclei, might...