José Manuel Macário Rebêlo

Comunidades de machos de Euglossini (Hymenoptera: Apidae) em matas semidecíduas do Nordeste do estado de São Paulo

A composicao, abundância e mudancas sazonais da fauna de Euglossini foram determinadas pela atracao de machos por iscas de cineol, eugenol e vanilina. O estudo foi realizado em duas Reservas do Estado de Sao Paulo: Estacao Experimental de Zootecnia (EEZ), municipio de Sertaozinho, e Fazenda Santa Carlota, Seccao Itaoca (SI), municipio de Cajuru. As coletas foram realizadas a cada 15 dias, das 08:00 as 17:00h, durante um ano, em cada localidade. Machos de 10 e 14 especies foram atraidos na EEZ e SI, respectivamente. Todas as especies amostradas na EEZ ocorreram tambem na SI proporcionando um coeficiente de similaridade entre as areas de 0,83. Eulaema nigrita Lepeletier, Euglossa pleosticta Dressler e Euglossa fimbriata Rebelo & Moure foram as especies mais abundantes em ambas as areas, correspondendo a 80.3% da amostra total na SI e 90,6% na EEZ. Em ambas as areas os machos foram mais abundantes no outono (53.8% da amostragem da EEZ e 46.3% da SI) e menos no inverno (0.7% da EEZ e 4.8% da SI). A abundância de machos e o numero de especies amostradas por estacao nao foram significantemente correlacionados. Cineol foi a isca mais atrativa tanto na EEZ (58,7% do total de machos coletados e 9 especies) como na SI (71,5% dos machos e 13 especies) seguido por eugenol e vanilina.

Nível de conhecimentos sobre Leishmaniose Tegumentar Americana (LTA) e uso de terapias alternativas por populações de uma área endêmica da Amazônia do Maranhão, Brasil

Realizou-se estudo visando identificar e comparar que conhecimentos basicos e uso de terapias alternativas relativos a Leishmaniose Tegumentar Americana (LTA), tem populacoes residentes em cinco areas rurais (Sexta Vicinal, Quinta Vicinal, Trilha 410, Vila Uniao e Buritizinho) pertencentes ao municipio de Buriticupu, Maranhao. No periodo de setembro de 1997 a janeiro de 1998, aplicou-se questionarios com perguntas abertas e fechadas, abordando aspectos epidemiologicos, modos de prevencao, clinica e terapeutica alternativa. A populacao estudada foi de 378 (19%) individuos de um total de 1980 habitantes. Na Sexta Vicinal (35 individuos), Quinta Vicinal (63), Trilha 410 (96), Vila Uniao (85) e Buritizinho (99). Dos entrevistados, 72% tinham poucos conhecimentos dos modos de transmissao, 96,9% ja ouviram falar da doenca, a maioria obteve informacoes com amigos, 60,7% conheciam a LTA como lesh. O Glucantime foi a droga mais citada para o tratamento, 29,6% relataram uso de plantas no local da lesao. O Citrus limon (limao) foi a planta mais citada (15,4%) dos entrevistados, o modo de uso mais frequente era o po espalhado sobre a lesao. Conclui-se que o nivel de conhecimento sobre LTA foi incipiente, principalmente na prevencao e terapeutica, situacao similar nas cinco areas estudadas.

[Epidemiological characteristics of dengue in the Municipality of São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil, 1997-2002].

A total of 12,008 cases of dengue were reported from 1997 to 2002, with peaks in 1997 (35.8%) and 1998 (45.8%). The disease predominated in the 15-49-year age group (72.2%) and during the rainy season (83.3%), showing a positive correlation with the amount of rainfall (r = 0.84) and relative humidity (r = 0.76) and a negative correlation with temperature (r = -0.78). There was no significant difference (chi2 = 2.319; p > 0.05) in the number of cases in males (49%) and females (51%). Dengue was detected in all seven health districts: Tirirical (27%), Coroadinho (17%), Bequimao (16%), Cohab (14%), Itaqui-Bacanga (11%), Centro (8%), and Vila Esperanca (7%). The building infestation rate ranged from 1.01 to 7.15, and the Breteau index ranged from 1.10 to 8.18. The most frequent mosquito breeding sites were metal barrels or similar recipients (80.0%), followed by plant vases (4.7%), bottles, cans, and plastics (3.6%), tires (3.3%), water tanks (2.7%), and others (5.7%). In the case of Aedes aegypti, 134,631 positive water deposits were detected, with a predominance of type B (80.0%), followed by types C (4.7%), E (3.6%), and A (3.3%).

Diagnóstico molecular da taxa de infecção natural de flebotomíneos (Psychodidae, Lutzomyia) por Leishmania sp na Amazônia maranhense

The natural infection rate due to Leishmania was studied in three different sandfly species using the polymerase chain reaction technique. Leishmania specific primers were designed to examine whether sandfly pools were infected. In total 1,100 female sandflies separated into pools of 10 individuals, consisting of 50 pools of Lutzomyia whitmani, 43 of Lutzomyia triacantha and 17 of Lutzomyia choti, were analyzed. Among all the pools examined, four pools of Lutzomyia whitmani were positive, but none of the pools of the other two species were infected. Thus, a total infection rate of 0.4% was established in this study. A similar infection rate was found in previous studies, suggesting that Lutzomyia whitmani transmits Leishmania to mammals in Buriticupu, Maranhão.

Blood feeding sources and peridomiciliation of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva, 1912) (Psychodidae, Phlebotominae)

A precipitin test was employed to study the alimentary tract content of Lutzomyia longipalpis in the intra- and peridomiciliary environments in the municipality of Raposa, Maranh o State, a transmission area for visceral leishmaniasis or kala azar. Out of 2,240 female sandflies captured, 547 (24.4%) had fed on vertebrate blood, with the following proportions: avian (87.9%); rodent (47.2%); human (42.4%); canine (27.6%); opossum (26.6%); and equine (22.5%). Based on a survey of 120 human dwellings, chickens were found to be the most common domestic animals in the peridomicile (28.3%), followed by dogs (21.7%), cats (17.5%), donkeys (13.3%), pigeons (7.5%), rabbits (3.3%), ducks (3.3%), and horses, mallards, and pigs (1.7% each). Synanthropic animals included opossums (39.3%), followed by rats (37.9%), bats (14.3%), raccoons (3.6%), foxes (2.1%), snakes (1.4%), and frogs (1.4%). The peridomiciliary presence of domestic and synanthropic animals as well as sandflies that had fed on human, opossum, and canid blood supports the hypothesis that kala azar transmission has been taking place in the anthropic environment in the municipality of Raposa.

Flebótomos (Diptera, Phlebotominae) da Ilha de São Luis, zona do Golfão Maranhense, Brasil

This study lists 32 species of sand flies, 1 of them belonging to the genus Brumptomyia and 31 to the genus Lutzomyia, distributed among the following subgenera: Psychodopygus (6), Nyssomyia (5), Pressatia (3), Evandromyia (2), Psathyromyia (2), Sciopemyia (2), Lutzomyia (1), Micropygomyia (1), Viannamyia (1), and the groups Oswaldoi (5) and Migonei (3). The sand flies were captured in the wild (forest) and in peridomicile (pigpen, hen house and stable) and intradomicile (bedroom) areas from 06:00 PM to 06:00 AM, once a month, for 4 years on the Island of Sao Luis, Maranhao. All species sampled were present in the forest. Among them, 16 were found in the peridomicile, while 11 were found inside the houses. A total of 22,581 specimens were captured, 65.1% of them in the peridomicile, 17.5% in the forest and 17.4% in the intradomicile. The most common species was Lutzomyia longipalpis (66.4% of the captured specimens), followed by Lutzomyia whitmani (24%) and Lutzomyia evandroi (5.9%). The remaining 29 species represented 3.7% of the total sample.

Avaliação da atividade leishmanicida in vitro de plantas medicinais

Searching for new leishmanicidal agents, promastigotes forms of L. amazonensis were cultured with the hydroalcoholic extracts obtained from the Tephrosia cinerea (L.) Pers. (Fabaceae), Dichorisandra sp (Commelinaceae), Syzygium jambolanum DC. (Myrtaceae), Julocroton triqueter (Lam.) Didr. var. triqueter (Euphorbiaceae), Passiflora edulis Sims(Passifloraceae), Cecropia sp (Cecropiaceae), Chenopodium ambrosioides L.(Chenopodiaceae), Pedilanhus tithymaloides (L.) Poit (Euphorbiaceae), Peristrophe angustifolia Nees(Acanthaceae) leaves and the aqueous extract obtained from the Orbignya phalerata Mart. (Arecaceae) mesocarp flour. The in vitro assay was performed with promastigotes incubated during 24 hours with 31.3, 62.5, 125.0, 250.0 and 500.0 µg/mL of each extract. Then the inhibitory concentration of the parasite growth (IC50) was determined. The effectiveness of J. triqueter, Dichorisandra sp and T. cinerea hydroalcoholic extracts to induce promastigotes death was intense since the IC50 were 29.5; 32.9 and 43.6 µg/mL, respectively. P. edulis, C. ambrosioides and S. jambolanum extracts had moderated effectiveness since the IC50 were 150.1; 151.9 and 166.6 µg/mL, respectively. P. tithymaloides and O. phalerata extracts showed a low efficacy in comparison with IC50 >500 µg/mL. Peristrophe angustifolia and Cecropia sp extracts had no leishmanicidal effect. Thus, three of the ten extracts that were tested showed a significant in vitro leishmanicidal activity.

Phlebotominae (Diptera: Psychodidae) de Lagoas, município de Buriticupu, Amazônia Maranhense. I - Riqueza e abundância relativa das espécies em área de colonização recente

In this study the diversity of the species and relative abundance of the sand flies in the Amazonian community of Lagoas, in Buriticupu, Maranhao State, was determined. The study consisted of adult sandflies captured with CD light-traps, Shannon-trap and manual aspiration tube, between 18 PM and 6 AM, once a month, from December/95 to January/97, in a forest fragment and in the domestic environment (peri and intra). In all, 9,393 specimens were captured (4,302 males and 5,140 females) distributed among 38 species (1 Brumptomyia and 37 Lutzomyia). The diversity and abundance of species was higher in the forest, followed by the peri and intra. The predominance in the wild ambient is a consequence of the potentialities found in the remaining fragments of the forest which have survived the lumber yard exploitation and agricultural activities. In the forest environment Lutzomyia whitmani (64.9%), L. migonei (27%) and L. serrana (3.6%) were the most frequent species. In the peri and intra domicile L. evandroi predominated (55.4% and 97.9%). The species, L. whitmani (33.4%) and L. migonei (6.4%), were important in the peri domicile. The peridomestic habit of 7.7% of the sand flies showed the greatest epidemiologic importance, due to the existence of patients with leishmaniasis ulcers, who believe they were infected near their habitations.

ABELHAS EUGLOSSINAE DE BARREIRINHAS, ZONA DO LITORAL DA BAIXADA ORIENTAL MARANHENSE

Male euglossine bees were collected in the savannas (Cerrado) of Barreirinhas, in the western coastal lowland zone of Maranhao State. Animals were baited with cineole, eugenol, methyl salicylate and benzyl benzoate. Nine species belonging to 4 genera were found. Euglossa cordata was the most abundant (63,31%), followed by Eulaema cingulata (17,80%), Eulaema nigrita (7,63%), Euglossa modestior (4,94%) and Eufriesea ornata (4,16%). The others Euglossa chalybeata, Euglossa fimbriata, Euglossa melanotricha and Exaerete smaragdina, were less frequently found, representing only 2,16% of the total sample (combined). The bees were active in both the rains and dry seasons, especially on the first. Cineole was the most attractive aromatic compound (78,2% of specimens and 8 species), followed by eugenol (19,9% and 5 species), benzyl benzoate (0,6% and 2 species) and methyl salicylate (1,3% and 1 species).

Ecoepidemiologia da leishmaniose tegumentar no Município de Buriticupu, Amazônia do Maranhão, Brasil, 1996 a 1998

This study presents the distribution of leishmaniasis in the town of Buriticupu, Maranhao, Brazil, by month, season, occupation, gender, and age from 1996 to 1998. These data were compared with those on sand flies obtained by other authors during the same period. The disease affected all age groups, in the following order: 0-5 years (4.1%), 6-10 (7.1%), 11-15 (13.6%), 16-21 (20.8%), 22-30 (21.1%), and > 30 (33.3%). The disease predominantly affected males (70.1%) and agricultural workers (52.5%), followed by students (17.7%), and domestic workers (16.0%). Like the sand fly vector, the disease was distributed throughout the year, but the greatest concentration of cases was recorded in the dry season (58.5%), while sand flies presented bimodal peaks in the first two years and occurred more frequently in the rainy season in 1998. The disease continues to present the same characteristics as in the past, but there was a proportional increase in cases among children and females, suggesting transmission in the anthropic environment.