Letícia Nishi

Association between contamination of public squares and seropositivity for Toxocara spp. in children.

A concomitant study was carried out, of the association of positive serology for Toxocara spp. in 90 children who played in public squares used for leisure, with the frequency with which each child used these areas, and the presence of eggs of Toxocara spp. in the sand or grass in these locations. The sand and grass of their peridomiciles and school playgrounds, as well as the feces of their dogs were also analyzed for Toxocara. Serum samples were tested for IgG antibodies to Toxocara canis excreted-secreted larval antigens by ELISA, and blood samples for eosinophilia. The water-sedimentation technique was used to evaluate the presence of parasite eggs in the sand and grass turfs, and in feces of the dogs that also frequented these locations. 16/90 (17.8%) of the children were seropositive for Toxocara spp. There was a positive association between seropositivity in children who played in the public squares six or seven times a week, with a parasite load above 1.1 eggs/g of sand, as well as with contamination of the peridomicile, even at less than 1.0 egg/g of sand. Eosinophilia, the habit of geophagy, age from one to four years, and the presence of parasitized pet dogs were also positively correlated with seropositivity in the children. Eggs were found in 15/15 (100%) of the public squares, 17/90 (18.9%) of the peridomiciles, 3/13 (23.1%) of the schools, and 12/41 (29.3%) of the dogs living in the peridomiciles investigated.

Qualidade de hortaliças comercializadas no noroeste do Paraná, Brasil

This work had the objective of performing a parasitological evaluation of fresh vegetables colletedfrom production places and free markets of Maringa, Parana. From July/2002 to July/2004, 66samples were collected in 13 smallholdings and 181 samples in 17 free markets. Heads of lettuce(varieties flat, curly and American), watercress and rocket salad, picked up randomly and in triplicate,were submitted to Oliveira & Germano’s and Kynioun staining techniques and to the research oftotal and thermotolerant coliforms. The total index of parasitism of the vegetables of free markets(63%) and smallholdings (71.1%) didn’t differ statistically. The fresh vegetables from smallholdingshave shown more protozoa than (10/47) that from the free markets (19/114). Rhabditoidea larvaeand Ancylostomatoidea eggs were equally distributed in the fresh vegetables of both places. Parasiticforms of other species were also found. All the curly lettuce samples collected in the smallholdingspresented total and thermotolerant bacteria index incompatible with the human consumption. Thedifficult in doing laboratorial diagnose at the genre and specie level of the human parasites in freshvegetables and the sanitary surveillance challenges in the obtaining of good quality products werediscussed.

Blastocystis sp. and other intestinal parasites in hemodialysis patients

Chronic renal insufficiency disease (CRI) leads to uremia in hemodialysis patients and induces a state of immunodepression that results in higher frequencies of infections and diarrhea. Hemodialysis patients resident in the city of Campo Mourão, Paraná, Brazil were analyzed from April 2006 through September 2007 for Blastocystis sp. and other intestinal parasites and for associated diarrhea. Fecal samples from 86 hemodialysis patients and 146 healthy (reference) persons were examined by standard methods for detecting ova, larvae and cysts, which included preservation in 10% formalin and the Kinyoun method. Thirty-three hemodialysis patients (45.1%) and 36 reference individuals (25.7%) were found to be parasitized. The differences in the percentages of parasitism and polyparasitism between the reference group and the chronic renal patients was significant (p= 0.0318 and 0.0019, respectively). Blastocystis sp. (18%-20.1%), Endolimax nana (14%-16.3%), Cryptosporidium sp. (4%-4.7%) and Entamoeba coli (4%-4.7%) were the most frequent protozoa found in the hemodialysis patients. Parasitism was not significantly associated with diarrhea (p=0.9947) or with decreased white blood cell counts (p=0.7046) in these individuals. Because parasitic infections may be an important comorbidity factor in hemodialysis patients, we suggest that parasitological stool examinations, especially for Blastocystis sp. and Cryptosporidium sp., be included in routine medical follow-up examinations of these patients.

Identical Assemblage of Giardia duodenalis in Humans, Animals and Vegetables in an Urban Area in Southern Brazil Indicates a Relationship among Them

Background Giardia duodenalis infects humans and other mammals by ingestion of cysts in contaminated water or food, or directly in environments with poor hygiene. Eight assemblages, designated A–H, are described for this species. Methodology/Principal Findings We investigated by microscopy or by direct immunofluorescence technique the occurrence of G. duodenalis in 380 humans, 34 animals, 44 samples of water and 11 of vegetables. G. duodenalis cysts present in samples were genotyped through PCR-RFLP of β giardin and glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh) genes and sequencing of gdh. The gdh gene was amplified in 76.5% (26/34) of the human faeces samples with positive microscopy and in 2.9% (1/34) of negative samples. In 70.4% (19/27) of the positive samples were found BIV assemblage. In two samples from dogs with positive microscopy and one negative sample, assemblages BIV, C, and D were found. Cysts of Giardia were not detected in water samples, but three samples used for vegetable irrigation showed total coliforms above the allowed limit, and Escherichia coli was observed in one sample. G. duodenalis BIV was detected in two samples of Lactuca sativa irrigated with this sample of water. BIV was a common genotype, with 100% similarity, between different sources or hosts (humans, animals and vegetables), and the one most often found in humans. Conclusions/Significance This is the first study in Brazil that reports the connection among humans, dogs and vegetables in the transmission dynamics of G. duodenalis in the same geographic area finding identical assemblage. BIV assemblage was the most frequently observed among these different links in the epidemiological chain.

Improvement of the coagulation/flocculation process using a combination of Moringa oleifera Lam with anionic polymer in water treatment

The objective of this study is to investigate the impacts of anionic polymer as a flocculant aid on the coagulation/flocculation performance with a saline solution of Moringa oleifera as a coagulant to provide larger flocs and decrease the time sedimentation. For the tests, raw water was used from Pirapó River Basin (Maringá, Paraná, Brazil). Optimization of coagulation/flocculation tests was initially performed in a jar-test with a dosage of M. oleifera Lam (crude extract – MO, oil-extracted with ethanol – MO (et) and hexane – MO (hex) 1% m/v) as the coagulant that ranged from 10 to 60 mg L−1 and of the anionic polymer 0.1% as a flocculant aid with a dosage that ranged from 0 to 0.4 mg L−1. The parameters analysed were colour, turbidity and compounds with absorption in UV254nm. In view of the statistical analysis results, MO (hex) with a dosage of 30 mg L−1 was chosen as a coagulant for the next tests of coagulation/flocculation. When anionic polymer was used alone (0.0 mg L−1 of MO (hex)), parameters were not removed and there was no generation of heavy flocs as compared with the combination of MO (hex) with the anionic polymer. Statistical analysis showed that MO (hex) obtained the highest removals of the parameters analysed in lower dosages and no significant increase in parameters removal was observed when the polymer dosage was increased. The efficacy of the coagulant+anionic polymer was optimal when 30 mg L−1 of MO (hex) was used as a coagulant and 0.1 mg L−1 of the anionic polymer was used as a flocculant aid, decreasing the time sedimentation from 1 h to 15 min.

Giardia Spp. and Cryptosporidium Spp. in the Ivaí Indigenous Land, Brazil

The objective of this study was to investigate the occurrence of cysts of Giardia spp. and oocysts of Cryptosporidium spp. in waters of the Ivaí Indigenous Land, Brazil. Samples of river and spring water and of treated water were filtered and analyzed by direct immunofluorescence (Merifluor kit, Meridian Bioscience, Cincinnati, Ohio). Of 21 samples, 7 from each locality, 3 (3/7, 42.8%) from a river were positive for Giardia (mean concentration 2.57 cysts/L), and 1 (1/7, 14.3%) was positive for Cryptosporidium (6 oocysts/L). From springs, 1 sample (1/7, 14.3%) was positive for Cryptosporidium (6 oocysts/L). One sample (1/7, 14.3%) from treated water was positive for both, with 4 oocysts/L and 2 cysts/L. Giardia was the more frequent protozoan present.

Enteropatógenos relacionados à diarréia em pacientes HIV que fazem uso de terapia anti-retroviral

The etiology of the diarrheic process in AIDS may be caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa or helminths, as well as HIV itself. This study evaluated enteropathogens relating to diarrhea in HIV patients who were on antiretroviral therapy. The parasitological methods used were Faust, Hoffmann and Kinyoun. Isolation and culturing of fungi were carried out in accordance with the methodology recommended by the NCCLS M27-A standard. The yeast species were identified using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Bacteria were isolated on MacConkey and SS agar and the species were identified using Enterokit B (Probac do Brasil) and biochemical methods. Forty-nine patients were evaluated: 44.89% presented enteroparasites and 48.1% presented Candida sp, of which 61.5% were Candida albicans, 7.6% were Candida sp and 30.7% were Candida non-albicans. Bacteria were isolated from 72% of the patients, of which 49% were Escherichia coli, 13% Salmonella parathyphi, Klebsiella sp or Proteus and 6% Citrobacter freundii or Yersinia sp. There was high prevalence of Candida sp in HIV patients with diarrhea and non-albicans species were isolated. Their presence could be taken to mean that they were accomplices in or causes of the infection.

Food handlers as a link in the chain of transmission of Giardia duodenalis and other protozoa in public schools in southern Brazil.

BACKGROUND Food handlers (FHs) may facilitate transmission and dissemination of pathogens. The importance of FHs as a link in the epidemiological chain of transmission of Giardia duodenalis and other intestinal protozoa was assessed. METHODS Fecal and subungual material from 27 FHs were analyzed using parasitological methods. G. duodenalis was identified by direct immunofluorescence and genotyped by PCR-RFLP for the bg and gdh genes, and gdh was sequenced. RESULTS At least one protozoan was detected in 30% (8/27) of the FHs and G. duodenalis (19%; 5/27) was the most common species. The AII and BIV genotypes were found in 20% (1/5) and 60% (3/5) of FHs infected with G. duodenalis, respectively. CONCLUSIONS FHs can be involved in the chain of transmission of G. duodenalis and other protozoa. GENBANK ACCESSION NUMBERS KJ741310 - KJ741313.

Coagulation/Flocculation with Moringa oleifera and Membrane Filtration for Dairy Wastewater Treatment

The main objective of the present paper is to evaluate the use of Moringa oleifera (MO) as a natural coagulant in coagulation/flocculation/sedimentation (CFS) followed by the microfiltration (MF) or nanofiltration (NF) process in dairy wastewater treatment, focusing on determining the best association of treatments that can generate wastewater for reuse purposes. The association of CFS-MF-NF treatments showed a high removal efficiency for chemical oxygen demand (COD) (mean of 96%), turbidity, and color (mean of 99%) meeting water reuse standards, allowing the reutilization of the wastewater, in relation to the analyzed parameters. The results indicate a lower membrane fouling rate (63%), an increase in permeate flow, and better quality of the permeate, proving that the CFS-MF-NF treatment is the most suitable among all the tested treatments. Finally, the treated wastewater obtained with this process presents better quality than the wastewater obtained with the conventional treatments.

Removal of Anabaena flos-aquae in water treatment process using Moringa oleifera and assessment of fatty acid profile of generated sludge

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of the coagulation/flocculation/dissolved air flotation (C/F/DAF) process using the coagulant Moringa oleifera (MO) seed powder, and to analyse the profile of fatty acids present in the generated sludge after treatment. For the tests, deionized water artificially contaminated with cell cultures of Anabaena flos-aquae was used, with a cell density in the order of 104 cells mL–1. C/F/DAF tests were conducted using ‘Flotest’ equipment. For fatty acid profile analyses, a gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector was used. It was seen that the optimal dosage (100 mg L–1) of MO used in the C/F/DAF process was efficient at removing nearly all A. flos-aquae cells (96.4%). The sludge obtained after treatment contained oleic acid (61.7%) and palmitic acid (10.8%). Thus, a water treatment process using C/F/DAF linked to integral MO powder seed was found to be efficient in removing cells of cyanobacteria, and produced a sludge rich in oleic acid that is a precursor favourable for obtaining quality biodiesel, thus becoming an alternative application for the recycling of such biomass.