Southern Brazil has the highest prevalence rate of AIDS in the country and is the only region in the Americas where HIV-1 subtype C prevails. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of pregnant women living with HIV/AIDS in the South region of Santa Catarina, Brazil. METHODS: All pregnant women with HIV infection attending the obstetric outpatient clinic of Criciúma, State of Santa Catarina, in 2007 (n = 46) were invited to participate. Data of 36 eligible participants were obtained through a standardized questionnaire. RESULTS: The great majority were young, with a steady partner, low family income, low education level and referring early first sexual intercourse. Many reported use of illicit non-injecting drugs (55.5%) and unprotected sex with partners that were HIV-positive (57.7%), injecting drug user (22.2%), male inmate (19.4%), truck driver (13.8%), with history of sexually transmitted disease (11.1%) or men who have sex with men (MSM) (2.8%). Most (66.7%) of the participants had their HIV diagnosis done during the pregnancy, 7 (19.4%) had a previous history of HIV mother-to-child transmission. Therapy based on highly active antiretroviral therapy (94%) was initiated at 19.3 weeks on average and 33% showed irregular antiretroviral adherence. CONCLUSION: These results confirm previous data on HIV epidemiology in Brazil and suggest that the women partners' sexual behavior and unprotected sexual intercourse are important aspects of HIV epidemic. Additional efforts in education, prophylaxis and medication adherence are needed.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar a ocorrência de infecção por Leptospira spp. em cães errantes de Itapema, Santa Catarina, Brasil. As amostras de soro coletadas em 590 cães de rua foram testadas contra 25 sorovares de Leptospira spp. usando-se o teste de soro aglutinação microscópica. A ocorrência de anticorpos antileptospiras para um ou mais sorovares foi de 10,5%. O sorovar mais freqüente foi pyrogenes com 26 (18,0%) amostras positivas, seguido pelos sorovares canicola 20 (13,8%), icterohaemorragiae e copenhageni com 18 (12,5%), com títulos de anticorpos variando de 1:100 a 1:3.200. Considerável prevalência (10,4-11,1%) também foi detectada para os sorovares castellonis, butembo e grippothyphosa.

This study aimed to verify Leptospira spp. serovar infections in stray dogs in Itapema, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Serum samples were collected from 590 stray dogs and tested against 25 Leptospira spp. serovars using the microscopic agglutination test. Prevalence of anti-leptospiral antibodies against one or more serovars was 10.5%. The most frequent serovar was pyrogenes, positive in 26 (18.0%) samples, followed by canicola with 20 (13.8%) and icterohaemorragiae and copenhageni with 18 (12.5%, with antibody titers from 1:100 to 1:3,200). Significant prevalence (10.4 to 11.1%) was also detected against serovars castellonis, butembo, and grippothyphosa.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar a ocorrência de infecção por Leptospira spp. em cães errantes de Itapema, Santa Catarina, Brasil. As amostras de soro coletadas em 590 cães de rua foram testadas contra 25 sorovares de Leptospira spp. usando-se o teste de soro aglutinação microscópica. A ocorrência de anticorpos antileptospiras para um ou mais sorovares foi de 10,5%. O sorovar mais freqüente foi pyrogenes com 26 (18,0%) amostras positivas, seguido pelos sorovares canicola 20 (13,8%), icterohaemorragiae e copenhageni com 18 (12,5%), com títulos de anticorpos variando de 1:100 a 1:3.200. Considerável prevalência (10,4-11,1%) também foi detectada para os sorovares castellonis, butembo e grippothyphosa.

This study aimed to verify Leptospira spp. serovar infections in stray dogs in Itapema, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Serum samples were collected from 590 stray dogs and tested against 25 Leptospira spp. serovars using the microscopic agglutination test. Prevalence of anti-leptospiral antibodies against one or more serovars was 10.5%. The most frequent serovar was pyrogenes, positive in 26 (18.0%) samples, followed by canicola with 20 (13.8%) and icterohaemorragiae and copenhageni with 18 (12.5%, with antibody titers from 1:100 to 1:3,200). Significant prevalence (10.4 to 11.1%) was also detected against serovars castellonis, butembo, and grippothyphosa.

Foram estudadas amostras fecais de cães apreendidos em logradouros públicos, pela vigilância sanitária de Itapema, SC. De 158 amostras examinadas, 121 (76,6%) foram positivas, com uma prevalência maior para Ancylostoma spp (70,9%), seguida por Toxocara canis (14,5%), Trichuris vulpis (13,9%), Isospora spp. (6,3%) e Dipylidium caninum (1,9%).

Samples of feces from dogs seized by the health surveillance program of Itapema city, SC, were studied. From 158 samples examined 121 (76.6%) were positive, with a prevalence of Ancylostoma spp (70.9%), followed by Toxocara canis (14.5%), Trichuris vulpis (13.9%), Isospora spp (6.3%) and Dipylidium caninum (1.9%).