Alysson Rodrigo Fonseca

Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) as vectors for bacteria in two hospitals in the municipality of Divinópolis, State of Minas Gerais.

The presence of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in hospital environments may constitute a public health problem, especially since they are mechanical vectors for pathogenic organisms. This study aimed to survey the ant populations and analyze the presence of bacteria associated with them in two medium-sized regional hospitals in the municipality of Divinópolis, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Specimens were collected every monthly over a six-month period. The following ant species were found: Pheidole sp1 and sp2, Linepithema humile, Wasmannia auropunctata, Camponotus sp1 and sp2, Odontomachus sp, Solenopsis sp, Acromyrmex sp and Tapinoma melenocephalum. It was observed that these ants mechanically transported Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus, Streptococcus, Escherichia coli and non-pathogenic and pathogenic Staphylococcus. These results show the propensity for occurrences of hospital infections at these sites caused by mechanical transmission of pathogens by ants.

Awareness of Rural Producers Regarding the LR and PPA in Divinopolis, MG, Brazil

This study sought to evaluate the environmental awareness of small rural producers in the municipality of Divinópolis, MG, Brazil, regarding Legal Reserves – LR and Permanent Preservation Areas – PPA, referencing the state’s current forest legislation, known as the Forest Code of Minas Gerais (Law 20.922/2013). For this purpose, a qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews, with the sample defined by the saturation criterion, and issues considered using Bardin content analysis. The results showed that, in general, rural landowners define both evaluated terms incorrectly and/or incompletely. All of them reported not having knowledge of the environmental legislation and the majority declared not having been informed about the question and presented no record of LR notarization or registration at the Rural Environmental Registry RER. This finding showed the need for the involvement of public and social institutions, and companies operating in the region to create guidance and training programs for landowners regarding environmental legislation, as well as encouraging the creation and maintenance of protected areas and supporting the environmental compliance of the properties.

Fatores associados às enteroparasitoses em crianças usuárias de creches comunitárias

Objetivo: Este trabalho teve como objetivo principal avaliar os fatores de risco associados a presenca de enteroparasitoses em criancas usuarias de duas creches comunitarias do municipio de Divinopolis (MG). Materiais e Metodos: Neste estudo prospectivo, exploratorio e transversal, foram coletadas amostras de fezes de 86 criancas e estas foram analisadas atraves do metodo de Hoffman, Pons e Janer. As informacoes familiares e socioeconomicas das criancas foram obtidas atraves de um questionario. As condicoes higienico sanitarias das creches foram analisadas atraves de observacao estruturada. Resultados: A prevalencia de enteroparasitoses encontrada foi de 15,1%, sendo estas ocasionadas pelos protozoarios Giardia lamblia (58,4%) e Entamoeba coli (41,6%), nao sendo observada infeccao por helmintos. Foram identificados alguns fatores de risco associados a presenca de parasitoses intestinais, como a baixa escolaridade da mae (p=0,048), a presenca de animais domesticos em casa (p=0,028), o tempo de gestacao inferior a 36 semanas (p=0,022) e o tempo de amamentacao inferior a seis meses (p=0,009). As condicoes higienico sanitarias das creches foram consideradas adequadas. Conclusao: Os resultados demonstram que caracteristicas familiares estao relacionadas a ocorrencia de enteroparasitoses em criancas e reforca a necessidade da educacao/conscientizacao dos pais como fator essencial no controle dessas doencas.