Marco Antônio Andrade de Souza

Heterópteros aquáticos oriundos do município de Mariana, MG

In surveys carried out in lotic and lentic environments in Mariana County, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, 35 genera and 64 species of aquatic and semi-aquatic Heteroptera were recorded, distributed in 13 families. Thirty four species were collected in lentic environments, while in lotic environments 48 species were collected, some of them common to both environments. Nepomorpha presented the greatest number of species (45), markedly for the family Naucoridae, represented by 12 species. Among the 19 Gerromorpha species collected, eight were Veliidae and six were Gerridae.

Caracterização de larvas de trematódeos emergentes de moluscos gastrópodes coletados em Mariana, Minas Gerais, Brasil

ABSTRACT. Characterization of larval trematodes emerging from gastropod mollusks collected in Mariana, Minas Gerais, Brazil. In malacological survey conducted at Mariana municipality, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, between April 2003 and February 2004 were found Biomphalaria glabrata (Say, 1818) and Physa marmorata Guilding, 1828 mollusks harboring Digenea larval trematodes. In B. glabrata were observed, in addition to cercaria of Schistosoma mansoni Sambon, 1907, strigeocercaria, two types of xiphidiocercaria, ocellifera cercaria and two types of gymnocephalus, while in P. marmorata the only larval form emerging was echinostome cercaria. Some of cercariae found differ from those described in the literature. KEYWORDS . Malacological survey, cercaria, morphology. RESUMO. Em levantamento malacologico realizado no municipio de Mariana, estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil, entre abril de 2003 e fevereiro de 2004 foram encontrados moluscos Biomphalaria glabrata (Say, 1818) e Physa marmorata Guilding, 1828 albergando larvas de trematodeos digeneticos. Em

Intestinal parasites in a quilombola community of the Northern State of Espírito Santo, Brazil

The aim of this study was to determine the occurrence of intestinal parasites in a quilombola community from the northern Espírito Santo, Brazil. Descendants of slaves who arrived in Brazil in the sixteenth century, this population settled in the municipality of São Mateus in 1858. Fresh fecal samples from 82 individuals who agreed to participate in the study were collected between August 2009 and July 2010, and immediately sent to the Clinical Laboratory of the Centro Universitário Norte do Espírito Santo of the Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo for analysis. Out of all the participants, 36 (43.9%) were male and 46 (56.1%) were female, whose ages ranged from six to 85 years. The study of the occurrence of intestinal parasites indicated that 35 individuals (42.7%) were infected with at least one intestinal parasite. Among helminths, the most frequent were hookworms, with a rate of 14.6%. With regard to protozoa, Entamoeba coli, Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar and Endolimax nana stood out, with frequencies of 23.2%, 8.5% and 4.9%, respectively. The occurrence of biparasitism was observed in 13 of the 82 subjects, accounting for 15.8%, and no cases of multiple parasitic infections were observed. It was concluded that the reduction of cases of intestinal diseases due to parasites will only be achieved with the improvement of basic sanitation and quality of life of quilombola populations.

Water quality comparison between a supply network and household reservoirs in one of the oldest cities in Brazil

ABSTRACT Water is an essential good for human life. This study aimed to verify the effects of household reservoirs on the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of water in the municipality of São Mateus, Brazil, founded on 21 September 1544. Samples were collected in 83 residences, two samples per residence, one from the supply network and another from the household reservoir, making a total of 166 samples. The pH values, the free residual chlorine content and the turbidity values were determined. For the microbiological analysis, the defined substrate technology was used, allowing the simultaneous detection and identification of total coliforms and Escherichia coli. The results showed that the samples from household reservoirs were more contaminated than those from the public supply network (p = 0.008). The high degree of microbiological contamination of the two groups may be directly associated to the reduced residual chlorine content in the samples, especially those from household reservoirs.

Enteroparasites in vegetables marketed in an ancient Brazilian city

OBJECTIVE To assess contamination by enteroparasites in raw vegetables consumed in the city of São Mateus, Espírito Santo, Brazil. MATERIAL AND METHODS Samples of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and parsley (Petrosolium sativum) were collected from six popular establishments, such as supermarkets and street markets. The obtained material was analyzed, after washing, by the spontaneous sedimentation method in the Clinical Analysis Laboratory of the Federal University of Espírito Santo, São Mateus Campus. RESULTS From a total of 120 analyzed samples, 71 (59 %) had one or more parasitic contaminants. Lettuce samples had a contamination rate of 78.3 %, and parsley samples of 40 %. CONCLUSIONS The results show that the vegetables consumed in the city had protozoa, helminths and arthropods, which points to the need for implementing hygienic-sanitary measures in production, handling and transportation of these vegetables.

Influence of Shading and Pedestrian Traffic on the Preference of Aedes (Stegomyia) Aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) for Oviposition Microenvironments

ABSTRACT: Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are highly adaptable to abiotic stimuli. To evaluate the influence of shading and pedestrian traffic on the preference of Ae. aegypti for oviposition microenvironments, 20 sites were sampled weekly using ovitraps within the perimeter of Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, located in São Mateus, Espírito Santo, Brazil. A spatial and statistical analysis was performed in order to assess the relationship between shading time, pedestrian traffic, and the presence of biological forms of Ae. aegypti. A temporal analysis of temperature and precipitation influence on oviposition was also made. Between June, 2013 and June, 2014, 7,362 Ae. aegypti eggs were collected. Over a 12-month period, we made weekly collections of Ae. aegypti eggs from ovitraps. Pedestrian traffic and shading time influenced the number of positive ovitraps; precipitation and temperature were correlated with the number of positive ovitraps (p <0.05). We conclude that the influence of temperature and precipitation was not significant for the oviposition index, and the frequency of oviposition was directly proportional to the number of individuals moving close to the traps during periods of greater shading.

Gastrópodes de água doce da mesorregião Litoral Norte do Espírito Santo, Brasil

Studies on the distribution of molluscs in Brazil have been conducted since the beginning of the twentieth and the knowledge of the species distributed in the country represent important findings, which contribute to the understanding of human diseases and those of veterinary importance, transmitted by them. In order to verify the distribution of freshwater gastropods in Espírito Santo, a malacological surveywas carried out in nine municipalities that comprise the Northern mesoregion of the State, between January 2010 and February 2015. Initially the water collections occurring in the municipality were verified and the lotic systems at different levels of use and conservation were determined. Molluscs were collected monthly using a hand net adapted to a stick steel. An individual sample effort of 30 minutes was applied, by scanning, at about ten meters in each one of the selected habitats. A total of 6,000 specimens were collected, represented by genera Melanoides, Drepanotrema, Physa, Biomphalaria and Pomacea. Among the molluscs, some specimens were positive for flatworm larvae of medical and veterinary importance. The results contributed to the knowledge of the current distribution of freshwater gastropods in the Northern region of Espírito Santo whose the only record for the region dates back to 1983.

Epidemiology of hepatitis B virus in the cities of the northern region of Espírito Santo, Brazil.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately 2 billion people worldwide have already had contact with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and 373 million have become chronic carriers. Hepatitis B is a major cause of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, leading to a large number of deaths annually. Both viral factors and the host immune response have been implicated in the pathogenesis and clinical result of HBV infection. Many Brazilian cities, including the cities of the northern region of the state of Espírito Santo are located in regions with little health infrastructure. Our study performed an epidemiological analysis of cases of Hepatitis B in São Mateus, using methodology of Geographic Information System (GIS), aiming to raise the number of disease cases, establishing preventive measures to control the disease, improving the quality of life of people affected by this pathology. The city of São Mateus had the largest number of reported cases of hepatitis B northern region of Espírito Santo. The age group with the highest number of hepatitis B notifications was 20-49 years, mostly females. The major forms of contact with HBV in these cities were dental treatment, use of injectable medications, surgical procedures and multiple sexual partners.