Risk factors and presence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in dogs from the coast of São Paulo State, Brazil

Toxoplasmosis is caused by the obligate intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii and affects warm-blooded vertebrates, including pets and man. Dogs are epidemio-logically important since they act as sentinels for the infection in humans. The present study aimed to determine the presence of antibodies to T. gondii in 205 serum samples from dogs in Ubatuba, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, through indirect immunofluorescence reaction (IFAT), as well as the risk factors related to toxoplasmosis in the animals such as breed, age, sex, access to outdoors, homemade food ingestion, access to untreated water, and contact with rodents. Toxoplasmosis-positive samples accounted for 52/205 (25.4%), with titers ranging from 16 to 256. The serological results presented significant association (P<0.05) with homemade food ingestion (45/118; 38.1%; CI95% 29.9%-47.2%) (OR=7.0; CI95% 3.0-16.6), and with access to outdoors where those that do not have access to the street were prevalent (37/121; 30.6%; CI95% 23.1%-39.3%) (OR=0.5; CI95% 0.2-1.0). These results show that toxoplasmosis in this region is related to problems of sanitary education, mainly concerning the appropriate cooking of foods, since most positive animals did not show significant association with the presence of rodents or untreated water consumption but showed, instead association with ingestion of homemade food. Thus, toxoplasmosis is a public health problem in the studied region, and sanitary measures are needed to control the infection due to the strict relationship between man and dog and the presented risk factors

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Seroprevalence of and risk factors for Toxoplasma gondii in sheep raised in the Jaboticabal microregion, São Paulo State, Brazil

Research in Veterinary Science ◽

10.1016/j.rvsc.2009.06.006 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 88 (1) ◽

pp. 104-106 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Welber Daniel Zanetti Lopes ◽

Thaís Rabelo dos Santos ◽

Ricardo dos Santos da Silva ◽

Walter Matheus Rossanese ◽

Fernando Augusto de Souza ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Toxoplasma Gondii ◽

Sao Paulo ◽

São Paulo ◽

Paulo State ◽

São Paulo State

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Evolution of bacterial meningitis diagnosis in Sao Paulo State-Brazil and future challenges

Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria ◽

10.1590/0004-282x20130148 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 71 (9B) ◽

pp. 672-676 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Maristela Marques Salgado ◽

Maria Gisele Goncalves ◽

Lucila Okuyama Fukasawa ◽

Fabio Takenori Higa ◽

Juliana Thalita Paulino ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Bacterial Meningitis ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Sao Paulo ◽

Immunological Methods ◽

Haemophilus Influenzae Type ◽

Molecular Technique ◽

São Paulo ◽

Paulo State ◽

São Paulo State

Bacterial meningitis (BM) is a severe disease and still represents a serious public health problem with high rates of morbidity and mortality. The most common cases of BM around the world, mainly in Brazil, have been caused by Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae type b. Bacterial culture is the gold-standard technique for BM confirmation, but approximately 50% of suspected cases are not culture-confirmed, due to problems related to improper transportation and seeding or previous antibiotic treatment. Immunological methods present low sensitivity and have possibility of cross-reactions. Real time PCR (qPCR) is a molecular technique and has been successful used for BM diagnosis at Instituto Adolfo Lutz in São Paulo State, Brazil, since 2007. The incorporation of qPCR in the Public Health surveillance routine in our state resulted in diminishing 50% of undetermined BM cases. Our efforts are focused on qPCR implementation in the BM diagnostic routine throughout Brazil.

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Impact of noise pollution during the COVID-19 pandemic in a hospital area in Sorocaba city, São Paulo State, Brazil

Revista Nacional de Gerenciamento de Cidades ◽

10.17271/2318847297120212915 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (71) ◽

Author(s):

Erik de Lima Andrade ◽

Eligelcy Augusta de Lima ◽

Paulo Henrique Trombetta Zannin

Keyword(s):

Public Health Problem ◽

Noise Pollution ◽

Environmental Noise ◽

Sao Paulo ◽

Control Measures ◽

São Paulo ◽

Heavy Vehicles ◽

Paulo State ◽

Sensitive Areas ◽

São Paulo State

Environmental noise is a public health problem that arises mainly from vehicular traffic. In noise-sensitive areas, such as hospitals, the harm is even greater, as noise affects the recovery of patients and causes stress and disturbance to employees. Noise control measures are usually restricted to simulations and mathematical modeling. Given this context, the present study assesses environmental noise around a public hospital in Sorocaba city, São Paulo State, Brazil, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, benefiting from measures to restrict the circulation of vehicles and people. Measurements were performed in triplicate, on weekdays, at four points around the hospital during the day, and followed the guidelines of standard NBR 10.151/2019. The number of light and heavy vehicles was counted manually. The equipment used was the BK 2260 analyzer and a tripod with adjustable height. The circulation of light and heavy vehicles decreased significantly during the pandemic. However, this decrease was not enough for sound levels to meet the 50 dB(A) recommended for noise-sensitive areas. This fact can be due to the speed of the remaining vehicles being above the established for the surrounding streets. Vehicles are the main responsible for the high levels of noise in the area, overlapping the levels generated by the different activities in the study site.

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The relationship between low birth weight and exposure to inhalable particulate matter

Cadernos de Saúde Pública ◽

10.1590/s0102-311x2013000600007 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 29 (6) ◽

pp. 1101-1108 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Rodrigo Romão ◽

Luiz Alberto Amador Pereira ◽

Paulo Hilário Nascimento Saldiva ◽

Patricia Matias Pinheiro ◽

Alfésio Luiz Ferreira Braga ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Birth Weight ◽

Low Birth Weight ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Sao Paulo ◽

São Paulo ◽

Global Public Health ◽

Paulo State ◽

São Paulo State ◽

Adverse Pregnancy ◽

The Relationship

Atmospheric pollution is a global public health problem. The adverse effects of air pollution are strongly associated with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and, to a lesser extent, with adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study analyzes the relationship between exposure to PM10 and low birth weight in the city of Santo André, São Paulo State, Brazil. We included babies born to mothers resident in Santo André between 2000 and 2006. Data on daily PM10 levels was obtained from the São Paulo State Environmental Agency. We performed descriptive analysis and logistic regressions. The prevalence rate of low birth weight was 5.9%. There was a dose-response relationship between PM10 concentrations and low birth weight. Exposure to the highest quartile of PM10 (37,50µg/m³) in the third trimester of pregnancy increased the risk of low birth weight by 26% (OR: 1.26; 95%CI: 1.14-1.40) when compared to the first quartile. The same effect was observed in the remaining trimesters. This effect was observed for ambient particle concentrations that met the current air quality standards.

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Toxoplasma gondii antibodies and related risk factors in mammals at Sorocaba zoo, São Paulo, BrazilToxoplasma gondii antibodies and related risk factors in mammals at Sorocaba zoo, São Paulo, Brazil

Semina Ciências Agrárias ◽

10.5433/1679-0359.2017v38n4supl1p2845 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 38 (4Supl1) ◽

pp. 2845

Author(s):

Renata Bezerra Marujo ◽

Helio Langoni ◽

Leila Sabrina Ullmann ◽

Maysa Pellizzaro ◽

Ramiro Das Neves Dias Neto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Toxoplasma Gondii ◽

Feeding Habits ◽

Univariate Analysis ◽

Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Sao Paulo ◽

São Paulo ◽

Intermediate Hosts ◽

Serum Samples ◽

Related Risk

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic zoonosis with worldwide distribution and different wild species either are involved in maintenance of the pathogen in the environment as definitive or intermediate hosts serving as font of feeding or prey to definitive hosts. The present study aimed to investigate Toxoplasma gondii antibodies and the risk factors relating to infection in mammals at Sorocaba Zoo, state of São Paulo, Brazil. Serum samples collected from 153 animals were analyzed using the modified agglutination test (MAT; cutoff ? 25). Seropositivity was found in 62 animals (40.5%; 95% CI: 33.1-48.5%), with different titers. Significant differences were observed in relation to the ages of the animals, origin, presence of free-ranging animals in the enclosure and feeding habits, through univariate analysis (p ? 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that only age (p = 0.03) had significance for the study. Adult animals were 3.5 more likely to become infected than were young ones. In relation to feeding habits, herbivores (80%) and carnivores (46.5%) were the animals most affected. These results highlight the presence of T. gondii in animals at Brazilian zoos, and suggest that continuous transmission is occurring at zoos.

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