Thirty-five individuals from endemic areas of Central Brazil (age range, 18-64 years; 19 women) in the chronic phase of Chagas disease, with positive serology and presence of circulating parasites detected by one or more recent positive xenodiagnosis, were selected for this study. Allopurinol (900 mg/d) or placebo was administered in a double-blind clinical trial for 60 days. After codes were broken, 23 had been allocated to the intervention group and 12 to the placebo group. Side effects were observed in 11 patients in the intervention group and in 1 in the placebo group. Seventeen patients in the intervention group and 10 in the placebo group completed the trial. Follow-up was performed by monthly xenodiagnosis and serologic tests every 3 months during the first year and at the end of the trial. Xenodiagnosis remained positive in all 17 of the treated group and in all 10 of the placebo group. Serologic tests were persistently positive in both groups after treatment. We concluded that, at the doses used, allopurinol was not effective to clear, in our region, Trypanosoma cruzi from peripheral blood of infected individuals.

Apresenta-se a distribuição geográfica de triatomíneos em Goiás e indicadores entomológicos no ambiente domiciliar: infestação domiciliar, densidade triatomínica domiciliar e infecção vetorial pelo Trypanosoma cruzi. Os indicadores estudados foram de triatomíneos capturados no intra e peridomicílio, em 201 municípios, no Estado de Goiás, Brasil, no período entre 2000 e 2003. Foram investigadas 249.868 unidades domiciliares e capturados 51.570 triatomíneos, com 335 espécimes infectados com Trypanosoma cruzi. A infestação peridomiciliar foi significativamente maior do que a intradomiciliar na espécie Triatoma sordida, seguida de Panstrongylus megistus. O inverso ocorreu nas espécies Rhodnius neglectus, Panstrongylus geniculatus e Triatoma pseudomaculata (p<0,018). Não houve diferença significativa entre as infestações intra e peridomiciliar nas espécies Panstrongylus diasi, Triatoma costalimai e Triatoma williami. Apenas um exemplar da espécie Triatoma infestans foi capturado no ano 2000.

BackgroundTriatomines are hematophagous insects that act as vectors of Chagas disease. Rhodnius neglectus is one of these kissing bugs found, contributing to the transmission of this American trypanosomiasis. The saliva of hematophagous arthropods contains bioactive molecules responsible for counteracting host haemostatic, inflammatory, and immune responses.Methods/Principal FindingsNext generation sequencing and mass spectrometry-based protein identification were performed to investigate the content of triatomine R. neglectus saliva. We deposited 4,230 coding DNA sequences (CDS) in GenBank. A set of 636 CDS of proteins of putative secretory nature was extracted from the assembled reads, 73 of them confirmed by proteomic analysis. The sialome of R. neglectus was characterized and serine protease transcripts detected. The presence of ubiquitous protein families was revealed, including lipocalins, serine protease inhibitors, and antigen-5. Metalloproteases, disintegrins, and odorant binding protein families were less abundant.Conclusions/SignificanceThe data presented improve our understanding of hematophagous arthropod sialomes, and aid in understanding hematophagy and the complex interplay among vectors and their vertebrate hosts.

Phytochemical study of the larvicidal fractions which were carried out for the first time, isolated of the Magonia pubescens, monitored by the study of efficacy against the 3rd larval instar of Aedes aegypti, in the search of alternatives for the control of that mosquito and to obtain structures susceptible to chemical improving of the activity for the synthetic via of other derived. The fractions with biological activity were monitored chemically through chromatography of thin layer, using as revealing a solution acid of vanillin, analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance of hydrogen and spectrometry of masses. The bioassays with the fractions were accomplished with five replications, controlled at the temperature of 28+/-1 degrees C, 80+/-5% of relative humidity and 12 h light. The found lethal concentrations of the fraction that it presented the largest potential larvicidal, MP-9, LC50 and LC90, were of 3.1 and 36.6 ppm, respectively. All the experiments were accompanied by a control series, containing the same number of larvae.

RESUMOIntrodução: A densidade larvária de Aedes aegypti flutua de acordo com as variações climáticas sazonais, elevando-se nas estações de maior pluviosidade, em função do número de potenciais criadouros disponíveis, o que predispõe ao aumento da incidência de dengue. Este estudo teve o objetivo de mostrar a associação entre os casos de dengue, a pluviosidade e o índice de infestação predial. Métodos: Os municípios foram estratificados de acordo com transmissão e risco de dengue, e infestados ou não pelo mosquito. Utilizou-se o índice de infestação predial larvário (IIP) como indicador de risco de transmissão. Resultados: Houve correlação positiva entre o IIP, o número de casos de dengue e a pluviosidade. A transmissão da doença foi maior nos quatro primeiros meses de cada ano estudado, período de elevada pluviosidade, diminuindo, nos meses de junho a setembro, época de poucas chuvas. Os casos de dengue mostraram-se contínuos e crescentes nos meses de janeiro a março de cada ano, declinando nos meses de abril e maio, quando ocorreu a interrupção na maioria dos municípios. A região metropolitana de Goiânia foi responsável por mais de 80% dos casos de dengue em Goiás e a transmissão foi contínua em todos os meses, embora baixa no período de maio a dezembro, mas com aumento nos três últimos meses, os quais, normalmente, apresentam índices baixos de transmissão. Conclusões: A correlação positiva entre o IIP e a pluviosidade, e o IIP e a incidência de casos, apontaram para uma associação significativa crescente na transmissão e no número de casos de dengue. Palavras-Chaves: Aedes aegypti. Dengue. Pluviosidade. Associação. ABSTRACT Introduction:The larval density of Aedes aegypti fluctuates according to seasonal climatic changes. It rises in seasons with higher rainfall, according to the number of potential breeding sites available, thereby predisposing towards increased incidence of dengue. This study aimed to show the association between dengue cases, rainfall and the building infestation rate. Methods: The municipalities were stratified according to the risk and transmission of dengue, and according to presence or absence of mosquito infestation. We used the building larval infestation rate as an indicator for the risk of transmission. Results: There was a positive correlation between the building infestation rate, number of dengue cases and rainfall. Disease transmission was greater during the first four months of each year studied (period of high rainfall) and lower between June and September (season with low rainfall). Dengue cases occurred continually and in increased numbers between January and March of each year, and then declined in the months of April and May, when it ceased in most municipalities. The metropolitan region of Goiânia was responsible for more than 80% of the dengue cases in Goiás. Transmission was continuous throughout the year, although lower during the period from May to December. Over the last three months, there was increased transmission, but usually still at low rates. Conclusions: The ...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the larvicidal potential of a crude ethanol extract (CEE) of soapberry Sapindus saponaria stem peel on the cattle tick Boophilus microplus. Tick larvae obtained by incubating engorged females, collected from naturally infested cattle, were placed in envelopes of filter paper impregnated with different concentrations of CEE in the test group, and distilled water in the control group. Four repetitions were made with each solution (n>120). Mortality was observed after 48 hours. Lethal concentration values of 1,258 ppm (LC50) and 6,360 ppm (LC99) were obtained.

Oil-resin fractions from

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