RESUMO
Objectives: To examine the epidemiology of hospitalized cases of malaria in indigenous people living in the municipalities of Roraima in the northern Brazilian Amazon from 2008 to 2022. Methods: Ecological study using secondary data and spatiotemporal analyses based on thematic maps. Average rates were calculated per study period and spatiotemporal clusters were estimated from spatial statistics. Results: Of the 541 medical records, 77.08% were related to Plasmodium vivax. Higher rates were observed in municipalities in the south and center of the state. The rates increased throughout the study period. The analysis generated three clusters. Conclusions: Although Roraima has characteristics that worsen the malaria problem, no studies were found that examined the transmission of the disease in the state as a whole. This increases the importance of this study, which contributes to the discussion in the field of indigenous health.
RESUMO
This study presents the importance of the Research Ethics Committees (CEP) in the context of the Brazilian North Region, formed by the Amazon rainforest, which is occupied by traditional populations and those constituted by migratory currents. This study aims to analyze the bioethical implications arising from the activities of CEPs in the ethical evaluation of research projects and their essential role in protecting vulnerable populations. The authors seek to highlight the importance of ethics committees in the Amazon and their importance face the modern bioethical values that can contribute to the preservation of one of the most valuable and diverse environments on earth.
Este estudio presenta la importancia de los comités de ética en investigación (CEP) en el contexto de la Región Norte de Brasil, formada por la selva amazónica, ocupada por poblaciones tradicionales y constituida por corrientes migratorias. Este estudio tiene como objetivo analizar las implicaciones bioéticas derivadas de las actividades de los CEP en la evaluación ética de los proyectos de investigación y su papel esencial en la protección de las poblaciones vulnerables. Los autores buscan destacar la importancia de los comités de ética en la Amazonia y su importancia frente a los valores bioéticos modernos que pueden contribuir a la preservación de uno de los ambientes más valiosos y diversos del planeta.
Esse estudo apresenta a importância dos Comitês de Ética em Pesquisa (CEPs) no contexto da Região Norte Brasileira, formada pela floresta amazônica e ocupada por populações tradicionais e aquelas constituídas por correntes migratórias. Esse estudo objetiva analisar as implicações bioéticas que surgem das atividades dos CEPs na avaliação ética de projetos de pesquisa e seu papel fundamental em proteger populações vulneráveis. Os autores procuram enfatizar a importância dos comitês de ética na Amazônia e sua importância face a valores bioéticos modernos, que podem contribuir para a preservação de um dos mais valiosos e diversos ambientes na terra.
RESUMO
In Ecuador, the regulatory framework for the remediation of petroleum-contaminated soils is based on predefined concentration endpoints for a selected range of petroleum hydrocarbon compounds. However, such approach may lead to over or under-estimation of the environmental risk posed by contaminated soils. In this study, the end-point remediation criteria according to Ecuadorian Environmental legislation were evaluated using different approaches. The first one was based on Total Extractable Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TEPH) and the second one on Total Bioavailable Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TBPH). Both were compared with ecotoxicological determinations using EC50 -Microtox® bioassay at 5 and 15 min of exposure. The correlation (R2) between EC50 values vs TEPH was of 0.2 and 0.25 for 5 and 15 min, respectively. Meanwhile, R2 between EC50 and TBPH was of 0.9 and 0.65 for 5 and 15 min, respectively, demonstrating a stronger correlation. Our results suggest that a contaminated site where the concentration of the TEPH is higher than the relevant regulatory concentrations may be deemed to present an acceptable risk even though their concentrations exceed the target values in soils. The results also challenge the notion that hormesis is associated with TEPH, contrary to some literature. This study is the first in Ecuador to propose incorporating bioavailability into environmental regulations, highlighting the need for further research to establish realistic and achievable remediation goals based on toxicity studies involving various trophic levels.
RESUMO
The El Niño represents a substantial threat to pastures, affecting the availability of water, forage and compromising the sustainability of grazing areas, especially in the northern region of Brazil. Therefore, the objective of this study was to characterize the thermographic profile of three production systems in the Eastern Amazon, Brazil. The study was conducted on a rural cattle farm in Mojuí dos Campos, Pará, Brazil, between August and November 2023. The experiment involved livestock production systems, including traditional, silvopastoral and integrated, with different conditions of shade and access to the bathing area. An infrared thermographic (IRT) camera was used, recording temperatures in different zones, such as areas with trees, pastures with forage and exposed pastures. The highest mean temperatures (p = 0.02) were observed in pastures with full sun from August to November. On the other hand, the lowest average temperatures were recorded in areas shaded by chestnut trees (Bertholletia excelsa). The highest temperature ranges were found in sunny areas and the lowest were recorded in shaded areas. The highest temperatures were observed in the pasture in full sun, while the lowest were recorded in areas shaded by chestnut trees (p < 0.0001). The interaction between the systems and treatments revealed significant temperature differences (p < 0.0001), with the native trees showing an average temperature of 35.9 °C, lower than the grasses and soil, which reached 61.2 °C. This research concludes that, under El Niño in the Eastern Amazon, areas shaded by Brazil nut trees had lower temperatures, demonstrating the effectiveness of shade. Native trees, compared to grasses and soil, showed the ability to create cooler environments, highlighting the positive influence on different species such as sheep, goats and cattle.
RESUMO
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is a common cause of acute viral hepatitis in tropical regions. In Brazil, HEV G3 is the only genotype detected to date. Reports on HEV prevalence are heterogeneous. We aimed to compare the prevalence of anti-HEV among three populations living in the Brazilian Amazon basin. Two cross-sectional studies were conducted in urban, rural, and Yanomami indigenous areas. Plasma samples from 428 indigenous and 383 non-indigenous subjects were tested for anti-HEV IgG using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The overall prevalence of anti-HEV was 6.8% (95%CI: 5.25-8.72), with 2.8% (12/428) found in the Yanomami areas, 3% (3/101) in an urban area, and 14.2% (40/282) in a rural area. Multivariate logistic analysis indicated that patients aged 31-45 years or ≥46 years are more likely to present anti-HEV positivity, with a respective aOR of 2.76 (95%CI: 1.09-7.5) and 4.27 (95%CI: 1.58-12.35). Furthermore, residence in a rural area (aOR: 7.67; 95%CI: 2.50-33.67) represents a relevant risk factor for HEV infection. Additional studies detecting HEV RNA in fecal samples from both humans and potential animal reservoirs are necessary to comprehensively identify risk factors associated with HEV exposure.
RESUMO
The Totiviridae family of viruses has a unique genome consisting of double-stranded RNA with two open reading frames that encode the capsid protein (Cap) and the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRpol). Most virions in this family are isometric in shape, approximately 40 nm in diameter, and lack an envelope. There are five genera within this family, including Totivirus, Victorivirus, Giardiavirus, Leishmaniavirus, and Trichomonasvirus. While Totivirus and Victorivirus primarily infect fungi, Giardiavirus, Leishmaniavirus, and Trichomonasvirus infect diverse hosts, including protists, insects, and vertebrates. Recently, new totivirus-like species have been discovered in fish and plant hosts, and through metagenomic analysis, a novel totivirus-like virus (named Tianjin totivirus) has been isolated from bat guano. Interestingly, Tianjin totivirus causes cytopathic effects in insect cells but cannot grow in mammalian cells, suggesting that it infects insects consumed by insectivorous bats. In this study, we used next-generation sequencing and identified totivirus-like viruses in liver tissue from Molossus molossus bats in the Amazon region of Brazil. Comparative phylogenetic analysis based on the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase region revealed that the viruses identified in Molossus bats belong to two distinct phylogenetic clades, possibly comprising different genera within the Totiviridae family. Notably, the mean similarity between the Tianjin totivirus and the totiviruses identified in Molossus bats is less than 18%. These findings suggest that the diversity of totiviruses in bats is more extensive than previously recognized and highlight the potential for bats to serve as reservoirs for novel toti-like viruses.
RESUMO
O acesso à saúde e às políticas públicas em áreas remotas é um desafio relevante aos sistemas públicos no Brasil, dada sua dimensão e diversidade territorial. Este artigo tem como proposta apresentar o modelo teórico-lógico elaborado para avaliar o acesso da população ribeirinha à rede de urgência e emergência (RUE) em cenário amazônico, com vistas a fortalecer o planejamento, o monitoramento e a avaliação em saúde voltados para populações específicas. O ponto de partida metodológico foi a revisão temática sobre o acesso à saúde e o contexto amazônico na sua inter-relação com a proposta da pesquisa, que foi problematizada em encontros com colaboradores. Em seguida, buscou-se compreender e analisar os componentes teórico e lógico do modelo e adaptá-los à tríade donabediana estrutura, processo e resultado. O resultado configurou a construção do modelo propriamente dito, com centralidade nas características que representam a oferta dos serviços (sócio-organizacional) e que retratam principalmente o espaço (geográfico). Esses pontos de construção do modelo demonstram sua contribuição para subsidiar outros processos avaliativos e o impacto final na tomada de decisão para qualificar o acesso da população ribeirinha à saúde em momento de sofrimento agudo, auxiliando na superação das condições que segregam essas populações.
Access to health and public policies in remote areas is a major challenge for public systems in Brazil, given its dimension and territorial diversity. This article presents a theoretical-logical model designed to assess the ribeirinho population's access to the urgency and emergency network in the Amazon as to strengthen health planning, monitoring, and evaluation aimed at specific populations. Starting from a thematic review on access to health and the Amazon in its interrelation with the research proposal, which were problematized in meetings with collaborators, the research sought to understand and analyze the model's theoretical and logical components and adapt them to the Donabedian triad (structure, process and result). This resulted in the model itself, centered on service provision (socio-organizational) and the space (geographic). These points demonstrate its contribution to support other evaluation processes and the final impact on decision-making to qualify this population's access to health under acute suffering, helping to overcome current restrictive conditions.
El acceso a la salud y a las políticas públicas en áreas remotas es un desafío relevante para el sistema público en Brasil dada su dimensión y diversidad territorial. El objetivo de este artículo es presentar un modelo teórico-lógico desarrollado para validar el acceso de la población ribereña a la red de urgencia y emergencia en el escenario amazónico, para fortalecer la planificación, la vigilancia y la evaluación de los resultados de salud de poblaciones específicas. El punto de partida metodológico fue la revisión temática sobre el acceso a la salud en el contexto amazónico, en especial su interrelación con la propuesta de investigación, que fue problematizada en reuniones con colaboradores. Después, se buscó comprender y analizar los componentes teórico y lógico del modelo y adaptarlos a la tríada donabediana estructura, proceso y resultado. El resultado configuró la construcción del modelo propiamente dicho, con foco en las características que representan la prestación de los servicios (social-organizacional) y que retratan principalmente el espacio (geográfico). Estos puntos de construcción del modelo destacan su contribución para subsidiar otros procesos evaluativos y el impacto final en la toma de decisiones para calificar el acceso de la población ribereña a la salud en un momento de sufrimiento agudo, ayudando a superar las condiciones que segregan a estas poblaciones.
RESUMO
ABSTRACT Quilombo remnant communities are areas officially recognized by the Brazilian government as historical communities founded by formerly enslaved individuals. These communities are mostly located in the endemic areas of malaria in the Brazilian Amazon. We retrospectively described the prevalence of malaria among individuals living in 32 recognized quilombo remnant communities in the Baiao and Oriximina municipalities located in the Para State. The number of malaria cases and the Annual Parasitic Incidence (API) recorded by the Brazilian malaria surveillance system (SIVEP-Malaria) from January 2005 to December 2020 were analyzed. We found that all communities registered at least one case over the 16-year period, the most frequent parasitic species being Plasmodium vivax (76.1%). During this period, 0.44% (4,470/1,008,714) of the malaria cases registered in Para State were reported in these quilombo remnant communities, with frequencies of 10.9% (856/7,859) in Baiao municipality and 39.1% (3,614/9,238) in Oriximina municipality, showing that individuals living in these rural communities are exposed to malaria. These data indicate that effective surveillance requires improved measures to identify malaria transmission among vulnerable populations living in quilombo remnant communities in the Brazilian Amazon.
RESUMO
ABSTRACT Noroviruses are highly infectious, genetically diverse viruses. Global outbreaks occur frequently, making molecular surveillance important for infection monitoring. This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to monitor cases of norovirus gastroenteritis in the Brazilian Amazon. Fecal samples were tested by immunoenzymatic assay, RT-PCR and genetic sequencing for the ORF1/ORF2 and protease regions. Bayesian inference with a molecular clock was employed to construct the phylogeny. The norovirus prevalence was 25.8%, with a higher positivity rate among children aged 0-24 months. Genogroup GII accounted for 98.1% of the sequenced samples, while GI accounted for 1.9% of them. The GII.P16/GII.4 genotype was the most prevalent, with an evolution rate of 2.87x10−3 and TMRCA estimated in 2012. This study demonstrates that norovirus is a primary causative agent of gastroenteritis and provides data on viral genetic diversity that may facilitate infection surveillance and vaccine development.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The tick Amblyomma cajennense sensu stricto (A. cajennense s.s.) frequently parasitizes animals and humans in the Amazon biome, in addition to being a vector of Rickettsia amblyommatis. In the present study, we evaluated both the population dynamics of A. cajennense s.s. in a degraded area of the Amazon biome and the presence of rickettsial organisms in this tick population. METHODS: The study was carried out in a rural area of the Santa Inês municipality (altitude: 24 m a.s.l.), Maranhão state, Brazil. Ticks were collected from the environment for 24 consecutive months, from June 2021 to May 2023. The region is characterized by two warm seasons: a rainy season (November-May) and a dry season (June-October). We characterized the temporal activity of A. cajennense s.s. on the vegetation by examining questing activity for each life stage (larvae, nymphs, adults [males and females]) in relation to the dry and rainy season. Ticks collected in this study were randomly selected and individually tested by a TaqMan real-time PCR assay that targeted a 147-bp fragment of the rickettsial gltA gene. RESULTS: Overall, 1843 (62.4%) adults (52.6% females, 47.4% males), 1110 (37.6%) nymphs and 398 larval clusters were collected. All adult females and nymphs were morphologically identified as A. cajennense s.s. Larval activity was observed from April to December, with a peak from June to September (dry season); nymph abundance peaked from September to November (transition period between dry and rainy seasons); and adult ticks were abundant from October to May (spring/summer/early autumn). The infection rate by R. amblyommatis in A. cajennense s.s. ticks was at least 7% (7/99). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest a 1-year generation pattern for A. cajennense s.s., with a well-defined seasonality of larvae, nymphs and adults in the Amazon biome. Larvae predominate during the dry season, nymphs are most abundant in the dry-rainy season transition and adults are most abundant in the rainy season. The presence of R. amblyommatis in adult ticks suggests that animals and humans in the study region are at risk of infection by this species belonging to the spotted fever group of Rickettsia.