Socioecological vulnerability and the risk of zoonotic disease emergence in Brazil

In developing countries, outbreaks of zoonotic diseases (ZDs) result from intertwined ecological, socioeconomic, and demographic processes that shape conditions for (i) increased contact between vulnerable human population and wildlife in areas undergoing environmental degradation and (ii) the rapid geographic spread of infections across socially vulnerable regions. In Brazil, recent increases in environmental and social vulnerabilities, amplified by economic and political crises, are potential triggers for outbreaks. We discuss Brazilian features that favor outbreaks and show a novel quantitative method for zoonotic risk assessment. Using data on nine ZDs from 2001 to 2019, we found that the most significant causal variables were vegetation cover and city remoteness. Furthermore, 8 of 27 states presented low-level risk of ZD outbreaks. Given the ZD-bushmeat connection, we identified central hunted mammals that should be surveilled to prevent spillover events. The current challenge is to coordinate intersectoral collaboration for effective One Health management in megadiverse countries with high social vulnerability and growing environmental degradation like Brazil.

Wild and Domestic Canids and Their Interactions in the Transmission Cycles of Trypanosoma Cruzi and Leishmania spp. in an Area of the Brazilian Cerrado

Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp. are parasites that infect multiple hosts including canids, considered bioaccumulators of parasites. Deforestation in the Cerrado biome has resulted in the exposure of wild canids to anthropized areas, where they may establish ecological and epidemiological relationships with domestic dogs. We evaluated the infection by trypanosomatids in canids from a Cerrado agroecosystem between 2013 and 2017. Samples of wild canids (blood, bone marrow and skin) and dogs (blood) were collected for parasitological, serological and molecular diagnosis. A total of 414 samples from wild (n = 131) and domestic (n = 283) canids were collected, including recaptures. We obtained five positive hemocultures from Lycalopex vetulus (n = 2), Cerdocyon thous (n = 1) and dogs (n = 2), all characterized as T. cruzi TcIII/V (18S rDNA) and TcIII/V/VI (gGAPDH); one positive skin fragment for Leishmania sp. (C. thous), one positive skin culture (Chrysocyon brachyurus) and one positive fresh blood examination from a dog. Infection by T. cruzi and Leishmania spp. was serologically confirmed in 18% and 4% of the canids, respectively. Active transmission was attested by seroconversion events and occurred despite the low rate of positive parasitological assays. Wild and domestic canids infected by both parasites were detected sharing the same areas, pointing to a possible spillover of parasites among them.

ATLANTIC-CAMTRAPS: a dataset of medium and large terrestrial mammal communities in the Atlantic Forest of South America

Our understanding of mammal ecology has always been hindered by the difficulties of observing species in closed tropical forests. Camera trapping has become a major advance for monitoring terrestrial mammals in biodiversity rich ecosystems. Here we compiled one of the largest datasets of inventories of terrestrial mammal communities for the Neotropical region based on camera trapping studies. The dataset comprises 170 surveys of medium to large terrestrial mammals using camera traps conducted in 144 areas by 74 studies, covering six vegetation types of tropical and subtropical Atlantic Forest of South America (Brazil and Argentina), and present data on species composition and richness. The complete dataset comprises 53,438 independent records of 83 species of mammals, includes 10 species of marsupials, 15 rodents, 20 carnivores, eight ungulates and six armadillos. Species richness averaged 13 species (±6.07 SD) per site. Only six species occurred in more than 50% of the sites: the domestic dog Canis familiaris, crab-eating fox Cerdocyon thous, tayra Eira barbara, south American coati Nasua nasua, crab-eating raccoon Procyon cancrivorus and the nine-banded armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus. The information contained in this dataset can be used to understand macroecological patterns of biodiversity, community, and population structure, but also to evaluate the ecological consequences of fragmentation, defaunation, and trophic interactions.

Food web connections and the transmission cycles of Trypanosoma cruzi and Trypanosoma evansi (Kinetoplastida, Trypanosomatidae) in the Pantanal Region, Brazil

We examined by parasitological tests (hemocultures and buffy coat) infection by Trypanosoma cruzi and T. evansi in blood samples from Leopardus pardalis, Cerdocyon thous and domestic dogs. Besides, 25 T. cruzi isolates previously derived from feral pigs and small wild mammals were here characterized by miniexon gene and demonstrated to be in the TcI genotype. Herein, we make an overall analysis of the transmission cycle of both trypanosome species in the light of the assemblage of data collected over the last seven years. The carnivore Nasua nasua was confirmed to play a major role in the transmission cycles of both T. cruzi and T. evansi since it was the species that had the higher prevalence and higher parasitemias by both flagellate species. In addition, our results show that both trypanosomatid species may be found throughout the Pantanal landscape, in all forest strata, as shown by the infection of carnivore, arboreal and terrestrial scansorial marsupial species in complex and seasonal transmission cycles. We propose that transmission of T. cruzi and T. evansi in the southern Pantanal region takes place via an intricate ecological trophic network involving generalist and specialist mammal species that are linked through a robust food-web connection.

Anabolic steroids induce cardiac renin-angiotensin system and impair the beneficial effects of aerobic training in rats

We evaluated the effects of swimming and anabolic steroids (AS) on ventricular function, collagen synthesis, and the local renin-angiotensin system in rats. Male Wistar rats were randomized into control (C), steroid (S; nandrolone decanoate; 5 mg/kg sc, 2x/wk), steroid + losartan (SL; 20 mg.kg(-1).day(-1)), trained (T), trained + steroid (T+S), and trained + steroid + losartan (T+SL; n = 14/group) groups. Swimming was performed 5 times/wk for 10 wk. Serum testosterone increased in S and T+S. Resting heart rate was lower in T and T+S. Percent change in left ventricular (LV) weight-to-body weight ratio increased in S, T, and T+S. LV systolic pressure declined in S and T+S. LV contractility increased in T (P < 0.05). LV relaxation increased in T (P < 0.05). It was significantly lower in T+S compared with C. Collagen volumetric fraction (CVF) and hydroxyproline were higher in S and T+S than in C and T (P < 0.05), and the CVF and LV hypertrophy were prevented by losartan treatment. LV-ANG I-converting enzyme activity increased (28%) in the S group (33%), and type III collagen synthesis increased (56%) in T+S but not in T group. A positive correlation existed between LV-ANG I-converting enzyme activity and collagen type III expression (r(2) = 0.88; P < 0.05, for all groups). The ANG II and angiotensin type 1a receptor expression increased in the S and T+S groups but not in T group. Supraphysiological doses of AS exacerbated the cardiac hypertrophy in exercise-trained rats. Exercise training associated with AS induces maladaptive remodeling and further deterioration in cardiac performance. Exercise training associated with AS causes loss of the beneficial effects in LV function induced by exercising. These results suggest that aerobic exercise plus AS increases cardiac collagen content associated with activation of the local renin-angiotensin system.

The burden of social phobia in a Brazilian community and its relationship with socioeconomic circumstances, health status and use of health services: the Bambuí study

AIMS

Social phobia in the environment of poverty and major social inequalities, as observed in most developing countries, has received little attention. This population-based study was carried out in a poor community in Brazil (15,000 inhabitants), aiming at determining the prevalence of social phobia and its associated factors.

METHOD

The Composite International Diagnostic Interview was applied in a random sample of 1037 residents aged > or = 18 years.

RESULTS

The 1-month, 1-year and lifetime prevalence of social phobia were 7.9, 9.1 and 11.8%, respectively. One-month social phobia was independently associated with age (45-64 years), marital status (divorced/separated), worse socioeconomic indicators (family income and education), number of months worked, worse health status and use of health services and medications.

CONCLUSION

There was an important burden of social phobia in the study community, due to its high prevalence (similar or superior to those observed in most developed countries), and due to its association with worse health status and use of health services and medications. The strong association between social phobia and socioeconomic circumstance, even in a small and poor community, is certainly a reflex of the major social inequalities in Brazil.

Placebo-controlled study of tianeptine in major depressive episodes

The efficacy and safety of tianeptine were compared, in the course of a multicentre randomised, double-blind, parallel group study, to those of placebo in the treatment of Major Depressions and Bipolar Disorder, Depressed with or without melancholia, without psychotic features. After a 1-week run-in placebo period, 126 depressed out-patients presenting DSM-III-R Major Depression or Bipolar Disorder, Depressed, with a total MADRS score of at least 25, were treated for 42 days with either tianeptine (25-50 mg/day) or placebo. Efficacy assessments were MADRS, CGI, HARS, Zung Depression Self Rating Scale and a VAS. Better efficacy of tianeptine was shown, and confirmed by covariance analyses, in final MADRS scores of the intention-to-treat population, of patients treated for at least 14 days and of completers; also in CGI items 1 and 2, MADRS item 10, and VAS. The results confirmed the efficacy of tianeptine (mean dosage: 37.5 mg/day) in the treatment of Major Depression and Bipolar Disorder, Depressed, with or without melancholia, compared to placebo. Tianeptine's acceptability did not differ from that of placebo. For adverse events, a higher incidence of headaches was found with tianeptine.

Vitamin B12 deficiency and dementia

We set out to investigate the possible beneficial effects on cognitive function of demented patients with cobalamin deficiency after cobalamin replacement. A total of 181 consecutive, demented (DSM-III or DSM-III-R criteria and score below 24 on the Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE]) outpatients (mean age 77.5 years) were prospectively evaluated and had their vitamin B12 level measured by radioimmunoassay. The frequency of vitamin B12 deficiency (less than 200 pg/mliter) was 25% (46 patients). Treatment outcome was obtained in 19 patients (19 of 46). Despite cobalamin replacement, 16 of 19 patients persisted in showing progressive decline during follow-up visits (3 to 24 months). The nonresponse to vitamin B12 replacement in most cases seems to reflect the presence of associated irreversible dementia or a follow-up of shorter duration in a few patients. All of the patients who showed some improvement (MMSE returned to normal values) had mild dementia with a history of less than 2 years. Thus, screening for B12 deficiency should be considered in patients with recent onset of mild mental status changes.

Kleptomania, mood disorder and lithium

Kleptomania has been found in association with major depression in a fairly large number of reports in recent years. We describe a patient with concurrent DSM-III-R Bipolar Mood Disorder and Kleptomania, whose symptoms remitted completely, apparently in response to lithium therapy, which raised the possibility that pharmacological treatment may benefit kleptomania. Further studies are needed to establish the possible relationship between kleptomania, mood disorders and lithium therapy.