Qualidade parasitológica e condições higiênico-sanitárias de hortaliças comercializadas na cidade de Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brasil

Embora as hortaliças sejam amplamente comercializadas e consumidas no Brasil, o consumo de verduras cruas constitui importante meio de transmissão de parasitas intestinais. Neste estudo, avaliou-se a presença de formas transmissíveis de três tipos de hortaliças (rúcula, agrião e alface-crespa) comercializadas em cinco principais pontos de venda aos consumidores (dois supermercados, dois "sacolões" e em uma feira livre), na cidade de Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brasil, no período de junho 2003 a maio 2004. As hortaliças in natura foram lavadas com água e esta foi submetida ao método de sedimentação, durante um período de 24 horas. Concomitante à pesquisa laboratorial, foram avaliadas as condições de cultivo e manipulação de diferentes produtores agrícolas, os quais forneciam as hortaliças que eram posteriormente comercializadas em Florianópolis. A análise parasitológica mostrou alta freqüência de parasitas intestinais na maioria das amostras analisadas (40% a 76%). Entre os fatores envolvidos na contaminação das verduras, destacaram-se a origem das águas de irrigação, o acondicionamento, o transporte e a manipulação destas durante a coleta. Conclui-se que as hortaliças comercializadas nesta região têm relevante papel na transmissão de enfermidades intestinais, havendo necessidade de medidas específicas que evitem a contaminação desses vegetais.

Prevalência de enteroparasitoses em manipuladores de alimentos, Florianópolis, SC

Analisamos 238 amostras fecais oriundas de duas populações de indivíduos na cidade de Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brasil: os que trabalhavam em uma empresa de alimentos e trabalhadores de feiras livres e sacolões. Observou-se que esses manipuladores de alimentos apresentaram elevados índices de parasitose.

[Relationship between intestinal parasites in food handlers and epidemiological factors in the city of Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil]

The presence of intestinal parasites and epidemiological aspects were evaluated in 238 workers from a fast food company and other individuals working in street markets and farmers' produce markets in the city of Florianópolis, Santa Catarina State, Brazil. Parasitological techniques used in this study were: Lutz, Baermann-Moraes, Graham, and Faust, and parasite infection rates were 42.85% and 47.06%, respectively. Socioeconomic factors such as income distribution, schooling, and occupational categories proved to be relevant in this context. Habitual daily intake of fruits and vegetables was the factor most heavily associated with infection. These data suggest that intestinal parasites are frequent among food handlers in this city and that there is a need for constant epidemiological surveillance through periodic parasitological tests and health education for this entire population segment.

Evaluation of techniques for the diagnosis of Strongyloides stercoralis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive and HIV negative individuals in the city of Itajaí, Brazil

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and intestinal parasites are common in Brazil. Previous studies have shown that infection with Strongyloides stercoralis is frequently associated with HIV infection. Strongyloidiasis is difficult to diagnosis and stool examination with conventional techniques fails to detect the helminth larvae. We made a prospective study, to test the efficacy of the agar plate technique to detect S. stercoralis in 211 HIV-positive patients and 213 HIV-negative patients in the city of Itajaí, Brazil, between September 2001 and June 2002. The feces samples of these patients were processed and analyzed according to the following methods: Lutz, formalin ethyl acetate, Baermann, Harada-Mori and agar plate culture. HIV-positive patients were more frequently infected by S. stercoralis (odds ratio= 5,.687). Among the methods used on fecal specimens, the larvae of S. stercoralis were most efficiently detected by the agar plate (69.7%) method, followed by the Baermann and the formalin ethyl acetate methods (48.5%) (P=0.01), Lutz (42.4%) (P=0.01), and Harada-Mori culture (24%) (P=0.001). Therefore agar plate culture is the most efficient method for the detection of S. stercoralis larvae and this technique should be the test of choice, especially in immunocompromised patients.

[Toxoplasmosis: occurrence of antibodies antitoxoplasma gondii and diagnosis]

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonosis of broad geographic distribution, being an opportunist infection mainly in AIDS patients. The incidence of serum antibodies of the type anti-Toxoplasma gondii is variable and growing according the different age groups. The laboratory test for the diagnostic of this disease, include the exam of the pathologic species as well as immunologic tests. Although the serum tests have limitations, they are still utilized in the Clinical Analysis laboratories. To improve the congenital toxoplasmosis diagnosis in AIDS patients, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Nested-PCR have been utilized alternatively.

PURPOSES

To focus the occurrence of toxoplasmosis, considering the different techniques and shapes of point of views in the serological analysis.

METHODS

The antibodies (Ac) anti-Toxoplasma gondii of 2994 patients from the Santa Catarina Federal University Hospital, in the period from February 28, 1996 to July 28, 1998 were evaluated. This evaluation was accomplished by the Immunofluorescency Indirect reaction, which was confirmed by the ELISA method.

RESULTS

The results showed that 41.91% of the patients had the antibodies anti-Toxoplasma gondii. From this total we concluded that 0.87% of these patients had the IgM in different titles which can be or not classified in the acute phase of the disease. This study demonstrates that the incidence of toxoplasmosis in our orment is relatively high. It shows too that in the identification of the acute process of the disease, the serologic tests can be added to a more sensible and specific techniques that allows the evidentiation of the microorganism thus contributing to a better diagnosis.