Abstract. A prerequisite for the control of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is the accessibility to reference diagnostics. The high price of the freeze-dried direct agglutination test (FD-DAT) and the short shelf-life time of the rK39 strip test (rK39) have limited the application of these tests in Sudan. An original liquid DAT (LQ-DAT) with high reproducibility compared with the FD-DAT and rK39 has been routinely produced in our laboratory since 1999. In this study, a 3.4-year-old batch (of more than 90 test batches produced to date) was chosen to validate the diagnostic performance of this test against microscopy, FD-DAT, and rK39 in 96 VL and 42 non-VL serum samples. Relatively higher sensitivity (95/96, 99.0%) was recorded for the LQ-DAT than for the FD-DAT (92/96, 95.8%) and rK39 (76/96, 79.2%), probably because of the use of the endemic autochthonous Leishmania donovani isolate as the antigen. Experience with the LQ-DAT, its low cost of production, ease of providing this test, and diagnostic reliability compared with the FD-DAT suggest that widescale implementation of the LQ-DAT can contribute to sustainable VL control in Sudan.

Schistosomiasis, which is caused by trematodes of the genus Schistosoma and by the species Schistosoma mansoni in Brazil, is transmitted primarily by Biomphalaria glabrata mollusks. Infections occur in humans and mollusks in freshwater environments contaminated with feces from infected humans. This study aimed to evaluate potential foci of schistosomiasis based on the identification of infection sites for the snails, factors that increased the human infection probability of S. mansoni infection, and the relationship of the disease with abiotic, biotic, and sociocultural factors. The study was conducted in an urban area on the northeast coast of Brazil; this location was chosen based on the following factors: the presence of B. glabrata, nearby freshwater, and the absence of sewer treatment. A parasitological analysis was performed to evaluate infections of the mollusks and residents inside the perimeter defined by the collection points. Questionnaires were applied to obtain demographic data and to identify behaviors that led to human infection. To verify the contamination of freshwater by human feces, a microbiological analysis of the water was performed at the mollusk collection points to determine the rate of contamination with fecal coliforms. A total of 10,270 B. glabrata mollusks were collected between August 2013 and August 2014, of which 8.8% were positive for S. mansoni; the prevalence ranged from 0 to 34.5% over the study period. A total of 232 coprological samples from the residents were analyzed. The S. mansoni infection prevalence rate was 16.4%, and the S. mansoni parasitic load in the infected residents was 54.9 eggs per gram of feces on average. Males were more affected by the parasite, especially in the 8-17-year-old age range. Thermotolerant coliforms were observed at the mollusk collection sites, which indicated that freshwater and sewage were in continuous contact. This contamination indicated poor sanitary conditions, as was previously observed, which could be combined with detrimental behavior due to the residents' habits. These conditions cause a predisposition for both intermediate and definitive infections of the hosts by creating a socioenvironmental scenario that is conducive to the formation and maintenance of potential schistosomiasis foci. This and similar areas deserve special attention from the government with an aim of improving sanitation services and local resident knowledge to prevent future contamination.

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Introduction:The present study identified the triatomines collected in intra and peri-domestic environments, observed the occurrence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in triatomines and correlated this information with housing conditions and the fauna associated with the rural areas of the City of Itabaianinha, located in the State of Sergipe, Brazil. Methods: Quarterly visits were conducted between March 2009 and March 2010, and the homes to be visited for the active search of insects were determined by random selection. In each housing unit, the insects were collected by a manual search with a metal clip and flashlight to inspect openings and cavities, with a collection time of one hour/home/individual. The Pirisa® dislodge chemical was used to force the insects to leave their ecotopes. Analysis of the intestinal contents of triatomines was performed in the laboratory to establish the presence of Trypanosomatidae. Results: Of the 103 dwellings surveyed, 17.5% were infested with Panstrongylus megistus. The village of Mutuca exhibited the highest infestation rate (38.1%). All the villages with relevant infestation rates were situated in the northern area of the city. The highest percentage of vector infection was found in the village of Água Boa (56.5%). The rural dwellings were found to be primarily brick or wooden house with or without roughcast or plastered walls, and the outbuilding most frequently associated with triatomines was the chicken run. Conclusions: These results emphasise the need for broader vector control and surveillance and for educational campaigns in the context of the Chagas Disease Control Program.

Parasites are important components of communities and constitute great part of the biological diversity found in ecosystems, providing valuable information about their hosts and the environment in which they live. However, despite its importance, parasitic diversity is still not well known in some regions of Brazil, especially with respect to fish parasites in the Northeast Region. The present study aims to perform the survey of gill parasites of fish from two tropical estuaries located in northeastern Brazil: Paraíba and Mamanguape rivers. Two collections were made in each estuary, one during the dry period (November / 2013) and the other during the rainy season (July / 2014). The fish were caught using a beach seine net, dragged along the main channel margin. After the identification, biometry and necropsy of the fish, their parasites were collected, stored and identified. For each species of parasite, the values of prevalence, mean intensity and mean abundance were calculated. Of the 882 examined fish, belonging to four species, 145 were parasitized by at least one species of parasite. In total, 18 taxa of parasites of the groups Monogenea, Digenea, Nematoda, Copepoda and Isopoda were recorded, being the copepod Acusicola brasiliensis the most abundant species of parasite.

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Updated information of the dispersion dynamics of Chagas disease (CD) and a systemic analysis of these data will aid the early identification of areas that are vulnerable to transmission and enable efficient intervention. This work synthesized spatiotemporal information regarding triatomine fauna and analyzed this information in combination with the results from serological tests to elucidate the epidemiological panorama of CD in the state of Sergipe, Brazil. This is a retrospective analytical study that utilized information from the database of the National Chagas Disease Control Program. Between 2010 and 2016, 838 triatomines of eight species, namely, Panstrongylus geniculatus, which was first recorded in the state of Sergipe, Panstrongylus lutzi, P. megistus, Triatoma brasiliensis, T. pseudomaculata, T. tibiamaculata, T. melanocephala, and Rhodnius neglectus, were collected. Optical microscopy revealed that 13.2% of triatomines examined were infected by Trypanosoma cruzi-like flagellates. The distribution of triatomines exhibits an expanding south-central to northern dispersion, with a preference for semiarid and agreste areas and occasional observations in humid coastal areas due to anthropogenic actions reflected in the environment. Of the human cases analyzed from 2012 to 2016, 8.3% (191/2316) presented positive serology for Trypanosoma cruzi, and this proportion showed a gradual increase in the southern center of the state and new notifications in coastal regions. There is a need for intensification and continuity of the measures adopted by the Chagas Disease Control Program in Sergipe, identifying new priority areas for intervention and preferential ecotopes of the vectors, considering the occurrence of positive triatomines intradomicilliary and a source of new triatomines in the peridomiciles.