Gonzalo Efrain Moya-Borja

Factors of susceptibility of human myiasis caused by the New World screw-worm, Cochliomyia hominivorax in São Gonçalo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Abstract This study was carried out between July 2007 and June 2008 and reports on the occurrence of human myiasis caused by the New World screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in São Gonçalo in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Liquid or solid vaseline was used to suffocate the larvae, which were then preserved in 70% ethanol and sent to the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz for identification. C. hominivorax were identified in all 22 cases of myiasis. There were 12 male and 10 female patients with ages ranging from 03 to 71. Ethnically the highest incidence was among black people, with 17 cases. Open wounds were the main cause of the parasitosis, whereas poor personal hygiene, the low educational level, alcoholism, bedridden patients, and physical or mental disability were possibly secondary factors; in addition to all these factors the income of the patients was very low.

POPULATION GENETICS AND GENE VARIATION IN SCREWWORMS (DIPTERA : CALLIPHORIDAE) FROM BRAZIL

Allozyme variation in New World screwworm,Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel), populations from Brazil was examined. Variability was observed in 8 of 13 enzyme loci and the frequency of the most common allele was <0.95 for seven loci. Observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.159 and 0.165, respectively. Comparisons of the Brazilian populations with previously studied populations from Costa Rica resulted in Neis genetic distances of between 0.000 and 0.006, with the greatest distance being between populations within Brazil. Comparisons with Mexican populations using only three loci resulted in genetic distances ≤0.031. Goodness-of-fit statistics for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and WrightsF statistics indicated small deviations from expected equilibrium genotype frequencies and low levels of differentiation between populations within Brazil. Differentiation among screwworm populations from Brazil, Costa Rica, and Mexico was minimal.

Determinação das exigências térmicas para o desenvolvimento pós-embrionário de Lucilia cuprina (Wied., 1830) (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

The objetive of this study was to analyze the post-embrionary development of Lucilia cuprina under different temperatures (20, 25, 30 and 35oC), in order to determine the thermal constant of the different phases of this life cycle under laboratorial conditions. Thirty larva newly hatched were transfered to plastic recipients, containing 60 g of equine meat previously maitained 24 hours under 27oC. After that, the recipients were kept in climatized chamber under different temperature. Each treatment was perfomed with three repetitions. The intersection of regression rate of the larval development shows that the temperature base was 10,35 and 10,13oC, respectively, corresponding to the thermal constant 121,57 and 167,87 GD, respectively. The recognition of the thermal preference allowed us to determine that the larval development of L. cuprina on a diet of equine meat, at 25oC, was the most adequate to the rearing of this diptera or under laboratoral conditions.