Resumo São descritas as características clínicas e epidemiológicas de 422 casos de paracoccidioidomicose atendidos no Hospital Universitário da Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul (Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil) no período de Janeiro de 1980 a Agosto de 1999. A média de idade foi de 43,4 anos e a proporção homem: mulher foi de 10:1. Quase metade (45,5%) dos doentes era trabalhadora rural no momento do diagnóstico. A forma aguda/subaguda (tipo juvenil)(15,4% dos casos) revelou-se com importante comprometimento do sistema fagocítico-monocitário, manifestado principalmente por adenomegalia (95,4%); hepatomegalia (40%); esplenomegalia (23,1%). A forma crônica (tipo adulto)(84,6% dos casos) apresentou-se com maiores proporções de lesões em orofaringe (66,4%); rouquidão (31,4%) e tosse (50,7%). Para o diagnóstico, foram utilizados o exame micológico direto em 365 pacientes e o histopatológico em 302, com positividade de 50,7% e 97,3%, respectivamente. O tratamento antifúngico preferencial foi a associação de sulfametoxazol e trimetoprim (cotrimoxazol), utilizado em 90,3% dos doentes. Seqüelas foram observadas em 30,3% e óbito em 7,6% dos casos. Palavras-chaves: Paracoccidioidomicose. Clínica. Epidemiologia. Mato Grosso do SulAbstract Clinical and epidemiological features of 422 cases of paracoccidioidomycosis attended at University Hospital of Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil) from January 1980 to August 1999, were analysed. The mean age was 43.4 years old and the male: female ratio was 10:1. Nearly half (45.5%) of the patients were agricultural workers at the moment of diagnosis. In the acute/ subacute form (juvenile type) the phagocytic-monocytic system was very much impaired and mainly marked by lymphadenopathy (95.4%), hepatomegaly (40%), splenomegaly (23.1%). The chronic form (adult type) presents more lesions in oropharynx (66.4%), dysphonia (31.4%) and cough (50.7%). Mycological diagnosis was obtained by direct microscopy of wet mounts in 185/365 (50.7%) patients and by histopathological examination of biopsies in 294/302 (97.3%) patients. The treatment of choice was Sulfamethoxazole/ trimethoprim (Co-trimoxazole), used in 90.3% patients. Sequelae occurred in 30.3% and death in 7.6% of the cases. Key-words: Paracoccidioidomycosis. Clinical. Epidemiology. Mato Grosso do Sul.

The effects of supplementing canthaxanthin on productive and reproductive aspects of broiler breeders were examined in this study. In total, 360 female pullets and 36 roosters were placed in an open-sided house with 12 pens, each pen with an area of 7.0 m(2) (3.5 × 2.0 m). At 42 wk of age, the breeder hens and roosters were distributed into 2 experimental groups with similar BW and uniformity. From 46 to 66 wk of age, one group received 6 mg/kg of canthaxanthin supplemented in the diet and the other group received the diet without the addition of canthaxanthin (control diet). Body weight was measured every 28 d, the laying rate was calculated weekly, and mortality was evaluated at the end of the study. Twenty-one weekly incubations were performed to evaluate fertility and incubation responses. To evaluate the antioxidant effect of canthaxanthin at different storage times and during the incubation process, eggs from each treatment were subject to thiobarbituric reactive substances analysis. Body weight, mortality, and laying rate were not affected by the inclusion of canthaxanthin in the breeder's diets. An increase in hatchability of total and fertile eggs (P ≤ 0.0001 and P ≤ 0.0003, respectively) in breeders fed canthaxanthin during the experimental period was observed. Canthaxanthin also improved breeder fertility and reduced embryo mortality. This can be attributed to reductions in embryo mortality in the first 48 h of incubation and in the last wk of incubation. No differences were observed in BW and quality of the chicks. A reduction of thiobarbituric reactive substances was observed in yolks from stored hatching eggs produced by breeders fed diets plus canthaxanthin. The same effect was observed in yolks of eggs stored for 4 d and incubated for 7 d. The supplementation of broiler breeder diets with canthaxanthin improved the hatchability rate, fertility, and reduced the presence of thiobarbituric reactive substances in eggs.

There was described the first cultural proven case of gastrointestinal entomophthoramycosis caused by B. haptosporus. A review of the literature on gastrointestinal zygomycosis led us to presume that similar clinical reported cases have been also caused by this fungus. A commentary on the designation of the clinical forms of the infections caused by Zygomycetes was also made.

Of 156 cases of histoplasmosis observed in the State of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil), during a 21-year period (1978-1999) 137 were included in this study. Sixty-seven per cent of the patients had hematogeneous disseminated histoplasmosis, 24% had a self-limited syndrome (acute pulmonary histoplasmosis, histoplasmoma or primary pulmonary lymph node complex), and 9 per cent had chronic pulmonary histoplasmosis. Clinical, mycological, and epidemiological data were reviewed and commented.

To study hollows of living trees as natural habitats of Cryptococcus neoformans in an endemic area of cryptococcosis in the northeastern region of Brazil, samples of decaying wood were collected inside 32 hollows of living trees and plated on niger seed agar. Identification of C. neoformans was based upon morphological and physiological tests. Canavanine-glycine-bromothymol medium was used to screen the varieties and Crypto Check Iatron Kit to serotype the isolates. A total of 123 C. neoformans colonies were recovered from samples of six (18.5%) out of 32 hollow trees. C. neoformans var. neoformans and C. neoformans var. gattii were found occurring alone (pink shower tree, fig tree and pottery tree) or sharing the same hollow (pink shower tree). Long lasting positivity (19-36 months) and significant number of cfu of C. neoformans per gram of decaying wood (0.15-21.7 x 10(3) cfu g(-1)) inside hollows of pink shower tree, fig tree and pottery tree were observed, indicating colonization of these habitats by the fungus. For the first time, C. n. var. neoformans and C. n. var. gattii were found sharing the same natural biotope, thus establishing a possible link between them in their life cycle in nature and suggesting the primary natural niche for the species.

There were described the first three South American cases of subcutaneous zygomycosis caused by B. haptosporus. The patients were children from nearby towns lying just north of 13 degrees latitude S. The diagnosis was based on histopathological aspects plus cultural isolation of the fungus.

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Thirty six cases of acute disseminated paracoccidioidomycosis in 3 to 12 year-old children, natives of the state of Rio de Janeiro, were seen in the period 1981-1996. All patients were residents in the rural region of 15 counties, scattered on the Southwestern part of this state. The rural region of two neighboring counties, where 16 cases (44.4%) occurred, was visited. It exhibited the environmental conditions that are considered favorable to the survival of P. brasiliensis. The most important of these conditions, abundant watercourses and autochthonous forest, are distributed on well defined and limited areas, in which the dwellings are also localized. Probably, a careful epidemiological study of forthcoming cases of the disease in children may facilitate the search for the micro-niche of the fungus.