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BackgroundIntestinal parasitic infections constitute a public health issue in developing countries, with prevalence rates as high as 90%, a figure set to escalate as the socioeconomic status of affected populations deteriorates. Investigating the occurrence of these infections among inmates is critical, since this group is more vulnerable to the spread of a number of infectious illnesses.MethodsThis cross-sectional, analytical, quantitative study was conducted in July 2015 at prison facilities located in Midwest Brazil to estimate the prevalence of parasitic infection among inmates. For detection of parasites, 510 stool samples were examined by ether centrifugation and spontaneous sedimentation.ResultsEight parasitic species were detected, with an overall prevalence of 20.2% (103/510). Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba histolytica/dispar were the most frequent pathogenic parasites. Endolimax nana was the predominant non-pathogenic species. Nearly half of the subjects (53/103; 51.4%) were positive for mixed infection. Logistic regression revealed that inmates held in closed conditions were more likely to contract parasitic infections than those held in a semi-open regime (OR = 1.97; 95% CI = 1.19–3.25; p = 0.0085). A higher prevalence of parasitic infections was observed among individuals who had received no prophylactic antiparasitic treatment in previous years (OR = 10.2; 95% CI = 5.86–17.66; p < 0.001). The other factors investigated had no direct association with the presence of intestinal parasites.ConclusionInfections caused by directly transmissible parasites were detected. Without adequate treatment and prophylactic guidance, inmates tend to remain indefinitely infected with intestinal parasites, whether while serving time in prison or after release.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is caused by different species of theLeishmania genus. Leishmania(Leishmania) infantum, causing cutaneous leishmaniasis, has been described in patients living in areas where visceral leishmaniasis is endemic. In this study, it was possible to characterize this species in seven slides from cutaneous tissue imprints from patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.

Transfusion-transmitted leishmaniasis has been a concern in regions endemic for the disease. Whether immediate or delayed, the risks posed by this mode of transmission call for careful assessment. The purpose of this study was to detect Leishmania infection in blood donors living in an endemic area and to investigate progression to the disease in these individuals. Immunofluorescent antibody test, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, leishmaniasis rapid test, and the polymerase chain reaction were applied to 430 donors in an initial evaluation. Of those donors with at least one positive test, 50 were reevaluated four years later by the same methods, as were 25 controls who had been negative on the same tests. In the first evaluation, Leishmania infection was detected in 41.4% (95% CI: 36.7–46.1) of donors (n = 430). None of the 75 reevaluated individuals had developed the disease, but retesting revealed positivity in at least one test in 36.0% (95% CI: 25.1–46.9) of donors. Of the 50 initially testing positive, 50% remained so on retesting. Of the 25 initially negative controls, two tested positive in the subsequent evaluation. The severity of the parasitosis and the risk of transfusion transmission warrant investigation of the potential inclusion of methods for Leishmania detection into blood banks for effective screening of infected donors.

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Cutaneous leishmaniasis has several species of Leishmania as agents, and a wide variety of wild and domestic animals as hosts and different species of phlebotomines as vectors. A case of cutaneous leishmaniasis in a dog coming from an agricultural settlement is described. This is the first report of parasitism in a dog by Le. (Viannia) braziliensis in Mato Grosso do Sul State. Attention is called to the importance of including this protozoonosis in the differential diagnosis of dermopathies in dogs as also the need to assess the importance of the domestic dog as a possible reservoir of Le. braziliensis.Keywords: domestic dog, human cases, reservoir RESUMO As leishmanioses tegumentares são antropozoonoses metaxênicas de importância em saúde pública. Possuem como agentes etiológicos várias espécies de

Furnas do Dionísio is a Brazilian Afro-descendant settlement in the city of Jaraguari, 21.4 miles from Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Approximately 96 families live in this quilombola (Maroon) settlement, also known in Brazil as a remnant community of descendants of African slaves. Recent studies found 20% of households were infested by triatomines, 18% of insects captured in the community were infected by Trypanosoma cruzi, and 22.7% of dogs presented T. cruzi antibodies. The low prevalence of Chagas disease observed in humans in Mato Grosso do Sul State is attributed to its arrival via colonist migration and subsequent transplacental transmission. In order to gain a better understanding of the T. cruzi cycle in residents of the study community, serological and molecular tests were carried out to diagnose Chagas disease. In the present study, 175 residents between 2 and 80 years old were included. A total of 175 participants were interviewed and 170 provided blood samples, which were tested for T. cruzi antibodies with serological tests. Molecular diagnosis was performed in 167 participants by PCR (KDNA) and NPCR (satellite DNA) tests. One of the 170 samples tested positive for all serological tests performed. The overall frequency of Chagas disease in the community was low (0.6%). Interview responses revealed that 66.3% knew of triatomine insects and 65.7% reported having had no contact with them. Physical improvements to residences, together with vector surveillance and control by the State and municipal governments and local ecological conservation contribute to the low frequency of the Chagas disease in this quilombola community.