Anaplasma phagocytophilum was detected in dogs from Brazil in the municipalities of Seropédica and Itaguaí, Rio de Janeiro state, by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using SYBR Green to detect the amplification. Of 253 samples, 18 (7.11%) were positive, with a threshold cycle (Ct) ranging from 31 to 35 cycles. The PCR product from a positive sample was cloned and sequenced. The sequence obtained demonstrated 100% identity with other A. phagocytophilum sequences published in the GenBank database. The analytical sensitivity of RT-PCR using SYBR Green system was able to detect 3 plasmid copies when defined numbers of plasmid copies containing 122 base pairs from the msp2 gene were used. The assay was considered specific when DNA from bacteria (Anaplasma platys, Anaplasma marginale, Ehrlichia canis, Neorickettsia risticii, Rickettsia rickettsii) closely related to A. phagocytophilum was placed in the reaction. These results demonstrate that the canine granulocytic anaplasmosis agent is present in regions in which dogs could be a source of infection for tick vectors. The current study reports the detection of A. phagocytophilum, a zoonotic agent responsible for Human granulocytic anaplasmosis, in Brazilian dogs.

No município de Paracambi, Estado do Rio de Janeiro, foi realizado um inquérito epidemiológico sobre a leishmaniose tegumentar americana na população canina residente em áreas endêmicas rural e semiurbana. Foram cadastrados 179 cães e 138 (77,1%) foram examinados, segundo seus aspectos clínicos e desenvolvimento de hipersensibilidade tardia ao antígeno Imunoleish® e respostas sorológicas à reação de imunofluorescência indireta e ao ensaio imunoenzimático. Dos 9 (6,5.%) animais portadores de lesões/cicatrizes suspeitas, 66,7% foram causadas por Leishmania sp; 44,4% produziram infecção em hamsters e apresentaram crescimento em meio de cultura, compatíveis com o comportamento de Leishmania do complexo braziliensis. A caracterização molecular (análises isoenzimáticas e do perfil de restrição do KDNA) identificou 2 amostras como similares à Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis. A prevalência da infecção canina observada através do teste cutâneo, RIFI e ELISA foi, respectivamente, 10,1%, 16,7% e 27,8%. A presença das formas clínica/subclínica da LTA na população canina associada à infecção humana sugere que o cão pode atuar como possível fonte de infecção, assim como na disseminação da doença.

Twenty-seven species of calyptrate muscoids (Muscidae and Sarcophagidae) were collected from December 1993 to November 1994 with wind oriented traps (W.O.T.) baited with decomposing beef liver at the Rio de Janeiro Zoo. The most abundant species found were Musca domestica (57.84%), Peckia chrysostoma (28.16%), Ophyra aenescens (17.11%), Oxysarcodexia thornax (17.82%), Synthesiomyia nudiseta (13.05%), and Oxysarcodexia diana (14.52%).

The aim of this research was to monitor the presence of females of Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762) on the Seropédica municipality, Rio de Janeiro State, from 2010 to 2013. For this purpose, the Intelligent Dengue Monitoring (IM-Dengue) and Intelligent Virus Monitoring (IM-Virus) developed by Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (Ecovec – Minas Gerais, Brazil), were used. IM-Dengue is a tool that allows achieving a weekly overview of A. aegypti infestation, while IM-Virus is another tool that allows detecting dengue virus directly from the mosquito, by Real Time-PCR. Both tools were developed for diagnosis in a prepathogenesis period of the disease, before infection occurrence. Traps were distributed in 19 locations inside the municipality and the bugs were collected weekly during the years of the research. As a result, the presence of 163 females of A. aegypti was recorded over the period; there was no circulation of the virus in the municipality. In one of the 19 study sites, a high degree of disease transmission risk was verified. The study concluded that the municipality, as a whole, showed no risk of disease transmission throughout the field research period.

SUMMARY The aim of the present study was to analyze the status of the American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis (ATL) in the state of Rio de Janeiro, from 2004 to 2013, through its spatiotemporal distribution. We also described variables considered relevant to the epidemiology of the disease, such as the clinical form, gender, ethnic group, age group, and progression of disease. This is a descriptive study, which used notified secondary data from the Brazilian Information System of Notifiable Diseases (SINAN), Ministry of Health, Brazil, regarding confirmed diagnoses. To help the calculation of coefficients of detection and mortality, we used population data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). We analyzed 1,470 cases of ATL with the predominance of the cutaneous clinical form (1,292/87.89%). The data has also revealed seven deaths, a predominance of males (922/62.72%), and a higher incidence of ATL in the white ethnic group (731/49.72%). We observed a high incidence of ATL in the group of 20 - 39 years old (477/32.44%). We concluded that there was a decrease in the number of ATL cases in the state of Rio de Janeiro, based on a coefficient of detection of 1.44/100.000 inhabitants in 2004 decreasing to 0.20/100.000 inhabitants in 2013. The localities with the highest occurrences of ATL were the metropolitan region (843 cases) and the municipality of Rio de Janeiro (740 cases). In 2005, the highest incidence of the disease was observed (351 cases) in the study. Among the variables selected to describe the epidemiology of the disease, the following categories: cutaneous clinical form, male patients, white ethnic group, and the age group of 20 - 39 years old were more affected than the others.

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Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, estado do Rio de Janeiro, no período de 2011 a 2012. O objetivo foi testar in vitro e in vivo a eficácia da planta medicinal Chenopodium ambrosioides Linnaeus, 1786 (erva-de-santa-maria), nas formas fitoterápica e homeopática, como meios alternativos para o controle de endoparasitos de Gallus gallus Linnaeus, 1758 (galinha caipira), um sério problema que afeta a criação e desempenho de aves domésticas, ocasionando morte quando muito intenso, retardo de crescimento, redução do ín-dice de conversão alimentar e aumento na suscetibilidade às doenças infecciosas. As metodologias utilizadas foram preconizadas por Coles et al. (1992) The aim was to test in vitro and in vivo the effectiveness of the medicinal plant Chenopodium ambrosioides Linnaeus, 1786 (santa maria herb) regarding phytotherapeutic and homeopathic alternative methods to control endoparasites of Gallus gallus Linnaeus, 1758 (free range chicken), a serious problem affecting domestic poultry performance causing losses, retarded development, decreased food conversion rate and increase of susceptibility to infectious diseases. In vitro essay demonstrated high reduction rate on eggs eclosion inhibition (97.18%), and in vivo essay showed high fecal eggs counting reduction rate (91.67%). Presence of the genera Ascaridia (35.00%), Capillaria (30.00%), Heterakis (25.00%) and Strongyloides (10.00%) was displayed by this survey. The plant C. ambrosioides showed upper rates front traditional products (Thiabendalol/Mebendazol) as well as to those ones advocated by the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and the World Health Organization as effective.INDEX TERMS: Chenopodium ambrosioides, santa maria herb, Gallus gallus, endoparasitosis.