Following howling monkey (Alouatta caraya) deaths and yellow fever (YF) antigen detection by immunohistochemistry in the liver sample of a dead monkey in April and May 2001 in the municipalities of Garruchos and Santo Antônio das Missões, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, epidemiological field investigations were initiated. Two strains of YF virus were isolated in suckling mice from 23 Haemagogus (Conopostegus) leucocelaenus Dyar & Shannon mosquitoes collected from the study sites. The YF virus was isolated from this species in the 1930s in Brazil and in the 1940s in Colombia. No human cases were reported during the current epizootic outbreak. The YF virus isolation and the absence of Hg. (Haemagogus) janthinomys Dyar from the area suggest that Hg. leucocelaenus may be a secondary YF vector and play an important role in the epidemiology of this disease in the Southern Cone.

Snakebite envenoming affects close to 2.7 million people globally every year. In Brazil, snakebites are reported to the Ministry of Health surveillance system and cases receive antivenom free of charge. There is an urgent need to identify higher risk areas for antivenom distribution, and to develop prevention activities. The objective of this study is to provide an overview of the epidemiological situation of snakebite envenoming in Brazil and explore possible drivers; as well as to create a flowchart tool to support decision-makers identify higher risk areas. An ecological-type study was carried out using data by municipality (2013–2017). Study parts: 1) Create a geocoded database and perform a descriptive and cluster analysis; 2) Statistical analysis to measure the association of snakebite and possible environmental and socioeconomic drivers; 3) Develop a flowchart to support decision-makers and the application of this tool in one state (Rio Grande do Sul) as an example. An average of 27,120 snakebite cases per year were reported at the country level. Clusters of municipalities with high numbers of snakebites are mostly found in the Amazon Legal Region. The negative binomial regression model showed association with the snakebite case count: the type of major habitat, tropical or non-tropical; temperature; percentage of urbanization; precipitation; elevation; GDP per capita; a weaker relation with forest loss; and with venomous snake richness. The state where the instrument was applied reported 4,227 snakebites in the period. Most municipalities were considered as medium risk and 56/496 as high risk according to the tool created. Snakebite cases are distributed across the entire country with the highest concentration in the Legal Amazon Region. This creates a complex situation both for better understanding of the association of environmental and socioeconomic factors with snakebites and for the distribution and maintenance of antivenom to remote areas. Research into types of antivenom with a longer shelf life without the need for refrigeration is needed.

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As praças e parques públicos contaminados com fezes de cães e gatos constituem uma importante via de transmissão de zoonoses parasitárias. O aumento do número de cães domiciliados, peridomiciliados e errantes, e o crescente acesso destes a locais públicos têm contribuído para a elevação da contaminação ambiental e de infecções zoonóticas, especialmente em crianças. Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a ocorrência de formas parasitárias no solo de praças públicas no município de Esteio (RS). Para isto, foram selecionadas seis praças, onde foram realizados cinco pontos de coleta, totalizando 30 amostras. Os métodos utilizados foram: Técnica de Willis-Mollay, Técnica de Faust e cols., Técnica de Sheather e sedimentação espontânea. A análise do material processado evidenciou que das 30 amostras coletadas: 17 (56,6%) foram positivas – das quais, 15 (88,2%) apresentaram ovos de Ancylostoma sp.; nove (52,9%) apresentaram ovos de Toxocara sp.; três (17,6%), oocistos de Isospora sp.; e uma (5,8%), ovos de Taenia sp. Concluiu-se que o solo das caixas de areia das praças do município de Esteio (RS) está contaminado por formas parasitárias que podem causar doença em seres humanos.

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