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-This study reports the fi rst records of the parasitism rates of the association among ectoparasitic fl ies of the family Streblidae found in phyllostomid bats in the state of Maranhão. Specimens were collected in patches of secondary forest and borders of mangrove in the village of Quebra Pote, located in the south portion of the island of São Luís. Carollia perspicillata e P. discolor apresentaram a maior riqueza de ectoparasitas, sendo cada uma, infestada por quatro espécies de moscas, apresentando taxa de infestação de 46% e 100%, respectivamente.PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Diversidade, parasitismo, índice parasitológico, Phyllostomidae

Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical 46(5):637-640, Sep-Oct, 2013http://dx.doi. org/10.1590/0037-8682-1607-2013 Ants in a hospital environment and their potential as mechanical bacterial vectors ABSTRACT Introduction:We studied the richness and abundance of ant species, their bacteria and the bacteria isolated from patient clinical samples. Methods: Ants were collected with baited traps at 64 sites in a public hospital in São Luis, State of Maranhão, Brazil. Results: In total, 1,659 ants from 14 species were captured. The most frequent species were Crematogaster victima, Solenopsis saevissima, Tapinoma melanocephalum, Camponotus vittatus and Paratrechina fulva. Forty-one species of bacteria were isolated from the ants and 18 from patients. Conclusions: Ants are potential vehicles for pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria, and they can represent a risk factor in nosocomial infections.