Abstract This study was conducted to provide information on the genetic diversity of human parvovirus B19 (B19V) circulating in the municipality of Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Southeast Brazil during 1996–2006, a period with two distinct outbreaks of B19V infection: 1999–2000 and 2004–2005. A total of 27 sera from patients with erythema infectiosum and five sera from HIV-infected patients that tested positive for B19V DNA during the study period were analyzed. To genotype B19V strains, a semi-nested PCR for partial amplification of the capsid gene was performed and sequence analysis revealed that 31 sequences belonged to subgenotype 1a (G1a) of the main genotype 1 and one sequence was characterized as subgenotype 3b (G3b). The phylogenetic tree supported the division of the G1a into two well-defined clades with 1.3% of divergence. The low diversity of the G1a strains may be explained by the fact that all patients had acute B19V infection and 30/32 sera were collected during two distinct outbreaks. The G3b strain was from an HIV-infected patient who seroconverted to anti-B19 IgG antibodies in September/2005. This is the first report of G3b in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS:A administração de fármacos na criança é uma prática amplamente difundida, porém pode levar a inúmeros prejuízos à saúde, pois além da orientação médica, exige atenção dos pais e cuidadores. O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar a prevalência da administração de fármacos na criança, por seus responsáveis, previamente ao atendimento médico.MÉTODOS:Trata-se de uma pesquisa quantitativa descritiva, envolvendo adultos que acompanhavam as crianças antes do atendimento médico em um Pronto Socorro Infantil de um município de médio porte do Vale do Paraíba Paulista, nos meses de junho, julho e agosto de 2011, sendo os dados registrados por meio de um formulário específico.RESULTADOS:Participaram do estudo 105 adultos responsáveis pelas crianças que relataram que 71,42% das crianças foram medicadas previamente ao atendimento médico e apenas 28,58% não adotaram essa prática. O principal sintoma citado foi febre, presente em 40% dos participantes, e os fármacos mais utilizados foram o paracetamol e a dipirona.CONCLUSÃO:Os resultados obtidos permitem concluir que houve um alto índice de administração de fármacos nas crianças previamente ao atendimento médico, com predomínio dos anti-inflamatórios não esteroides, fármacos esses que podem causar lesões à saúde. Evidencia-se a necessidade de adoção de medidas que favoreçam o acesso aos serviços de saúde, além da conscientização sobre os riscos da administração de fármacos sem a devida prescrição médica.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:Drug administration to children is a widely spread practice, however it may lead to several health problems, because in addition to medical guidance it requires attention of parents and caregivers. This study aimed at identifying the prevalence of drug administration in children by their tutors, before medical assistance.METHODS:This is a quantitative descriptive research involving adults who were escorting children, before medical assistance in a Children's First Aid Unit of a medium-sized city of the Vale do Paraíba Paulista in the months of June, July and August 2011, being data recorded by means of a specific form.RESULTS:Participated in the study 105 adults responsible for the children who reported that 71.42% of children were medicated before medical assistance and only 28.58% have not adopted such practice. Most frequent symptom was fever, present in 40% of participants, and drugs used were paracetamol and dipirone.CONCLUSION:Our results allow concluding that there has been a high rate of drug administration to children before medical assistance, with predominance of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, which may be noxious to health. It is clear the need for the adoption of measures which favor the access to health services, in addition to the awareness about the risk of administering drugs without medical prescription.

Immunocompromised patients may develop severe chronic anaemia when infected by human parvovirus B19 (B19V). However, this is not the case in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients with good adherence to highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART). In this study, we investigated the clinical evolution of five HIV-infected patients receiving HAART who had B19V infections confirmed by serum polymerase chain reaction. Four of the patients were infected with genotype 1a strains and the remaining patient was infected with a genotype 3b strain. Anaemia was detected in three of the patients, but all patients recovered without requiring immunoglobulin and/or blood transfusions. In all cases, the attending physicians did not suspect the B19V infections. There was no apparent relationship between the infecting genotype and the clinical course. In the HAART era, B19V infections in HIV-positive patients may be limited, subtle or unapparent.

Erythrovirus B19 (B19V) infection may cause red cell aplasia in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has improved the immune function of these patients by modifying the course of B19V infection. The purpose of this study was to estimate the frequency of B19 seroconversion in a cohort of HIV-infected patients and evaluate the occurrence of B19V-related anaemia during the seroconversion period. Adult HIV-infected patients were studied at a public hospital in Niterói, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. IgG and IgM antibodies against B19V were detected by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and B19 viraemia was assayed by polymerase chain reaction. Medical records were reviewed for any clinical evaluation of anaemia. Seroconversion was detected in 31.8% of the 88 individuals who began the study as anti-B19V IgG-negative. No clinical manifestations of B19V infection were detected during the period of seroconversion. Patients who seroconverted were 5.40 times more likely to have anaemia than those who did not [odds ratio 5.40 (95% confidence interval: 1.33-22.93)]. Anaemia was detected in eight patients. All patients recovered from anaemia by either beginning or continuing HAART, without requiring blood transfusions. In the HAART era, B19V infection may only be associated with a course of disease characterised by less severe chronic anaemia. This milder course of B19V-associated disease is likely due to the increased immune function of HAART-treated patients.

OBJETIVO: Dada a importância do conhecimento acerca da população de cães e gatos domiciliados para o adequado planejamento e avaliação das ações de controle da raiva em áreas urbanas, propõe-se a utilização de um valor preciso de estimativa dessas populações com base em indicadores populacionais humanos. MÉTODOS: Foi calculada a razão entre as populações humana e animal (canina e felina) por meio de inspeções domiciliares, no Município de Taboão da Serra, SP. O município foi dividido em duas áreas homogêneas distintas socioeconomicamente, de acordo com o algoritmo da média k, de modo a permitir a comparação das razões homem:animal (cão e gato) das áreas homogêneas. RESULTADOS: A razão entre a população humana e a população canina foi 5,14 e a entre a humana e a felina foi 30,57. Não foi observada diferença significativa ao comparar-se as razões entre as populações humana e animal das áreas homogêneas. CONCLUSÕES: A adoção de uma metodologia de estimativa populacional canina e felina domiciliada, baseada em indicadores populacionais humanos, é a mais indicada e facilmente exeqüível quando comparada ao censo canino.

OBJECTIVE: Given the importance of assessing owned dog and cat populations to adequate planning and evaluation of rabies control measures in urban areas, it is proposed the use of an estimate of these populations based on human population parameters. METHODS: The ratio between human population and owned animal (dogs and cats) population was calculated in the municipality of Taboão da Serra, state of São Paulo, Brazil. This municipality was divided into two distinct social and economic homogeneous areas through k-mean algorithm, allowing for comparison between the ratios of the two homogeneous areas. RESULTS: A 5.14 ratio was calculated for human and dog populations and a 30.57ratio for human and feline populations. A significant difference was not observed when comparing the ratios for human and animal populations of the two homogeneous areas. CONCLUSIONS: An estimate of owned dog and cat populations based on the human population is the better choice for assessing the animal population instead of an animal census because it can be easily implemented.

OBJETIVO: Dada a importância do conhecimento acerca da população de cães e gatos domiciliados para o adequado planejamento e avaliação das ações de controle da raiva em áreas urbanas, propõe-se a utilização de um valor preciso de estimativa dessas populações com base em indicadores populacionais humanos. MÉTODOS: Foi calculada a razão entre as populações humana e animal (canina e felina) por meio de inspeções domiciliares, no Município de Taboão da Serra, SP. O município foi dividido em duas áreas homogêneas distintas socioeconomicamente, de acordo com o algoritmo da média k, de modo a permitir a comparação das razões homem:animal (cão e gato) das áreas homogêneas. RESULTADOS: A razão entre a população humana e a população canina foi 5,14 e a entre a humana e a felina foi 30,57. Não foi observada diferença significativa ao comparar-se as razões entre as populações humana e animal das áreas homogêneas. CONCLUSÕES: A adoção de uma metodologia de estimativa populacional canina e felina domiciliada, baseada em indicadores populacionais humanos, é a mais indicada e facilmente exeqüível quando comparada ao censo canino.

OBJECTIVE: Given the importance of assessing owned dog and cat populations to adequate planning and evaluation of rabies control measures in urban areas, it is proposed the use of an estimate of these populations based on human population parameters. METHODS: The ratio between human population and owned animal (dogs and cats) population was calculated in the municipality of Taboão da Serra, state of São Paulo, Brazil. This municipality was divided into two distinct social and economic homogeneous areas through k-mean algorithm, allowing for comparison between the ratios of the two homogeneous areas. RESULTS: A 5.14 ratio was calculated for human and dog populations and a 30.57ratio for human and feline populations. A significant difference was not observed when comparing the ratios for human and animal populations of the two homogeneous areas. CONCLUSIONS: An estimate of owned dog and cat populations based on the human population is the better choice for assessing the animal population instead of an animal census because it can be easily implemented.

A prevalência de anticorpos anti-parvovirus humano B19 foi determinada em soros de 165 pacientes portadores de anemia hemolítica crônica, atendidos no Instituto Estadual de Hematologia (IEHE), Rio de Janeiro, durante o ano de 1994. Esta amostra representa cerca de 10% dos pacientes portadores de anemia hemolítica crônica atendidos no IEHE. A maioria destes pacientes (140) são portadores de anemia falciforme. Anticorpos IgG anti-parvovirus humano B19 foram detectados em 32,1% dos pacientes. Nenhuma diferença estatisticamente significante foi verificada entre a prevalência de anticorpos em pacientes do sexo masculino (27,8%) e feminino (35,5%). Anticorpos IgG anti-parvovirus humano B19 foram mais freqüentes em pacientes na faixa etária acima (37,8%) que abaixo (28,2%) de 20 anos de idade, embora esta diferença não tenha significado estatístico (p > 0,05). A prevalência de anticorpos IgG anti-B19 demonstrou que 67,9% dos pacientes incluídos no estudo eram ainda suscetíveis à infecção aguda pelo parvovirus humano B19. Com o objetivo de detectar infecção aguda por este vírus, o seguimento de pacientes continuou até fevereiro de 1996. Durante este período, 4 pacientes apresentaram crise de aplasia transitória devido ao parvovirus humano B19 conforme confirmado pela detecção de anticorpos IgM específicos. Todos 4 pacientes estavam na faixa etária abaixo de 20 anos, sendo que 3 tinham menos de 10 anos de idade. Três destes pacientes eram portadores de anemia falciforme. Em 3 dos 4 pacientes, a infecção aguda por B19 ocorreu durante a primavera de 1994.

The prevalence of anti-human parvovirus B19 IgG antibodies was determined in sera from 165 chronic hemolytic anemia patients, receiving medical care at Instituto Estadual de Hematologia (IEHE), Rio de Janeiro, during the year of 1994. This sample represents around 10% of the chronic hemolytic anemia patients attending at IEHE. Most of these patients (140) have sickle cell disease. Anti-B19 IgG antibodies were detected in 32.1% of patients. No statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) was seen between IgG antibody prevalence in male (27.8%) and female (35.5%) patients. Anti-B19 IgG antibodies were more frequent in older (37.6%) than younger (28.2%) than 20 years old patients, although this difference had no statistical significance (p > 0.05). Anti-B19 IgG antibody prevalence showed that 67.9% of patients enrolled in the study were susceptible to B19 acute infection. With the aim to detect acute B19 infection, patients follow up continued until February 1996. During this period four patients presented transient aplastic crisis due to human parvovirus B19 as confirmed by the detection of specific IgM antibodies. All four patients were younger than 20 years old, and 3 were younger than 10 years old. Three of them were sickle cell disease patients. Three of the four acute B19 infection occurred during 1994 springtime.

Amostras fecais de cães com gastrenterite, até 6 meses de idade, foram testadas para a presença do parvovírus canino (CPV-2) pela reação de hemaglutinação (HA) e confirmadas pela reação de inibição da hemaglutinação (HI). Quarenta das 79 amostras, recebidas no período de abril de 1995 a junho de 1997, foram consideradas positivas. Aproximadamente 70% destas amostras foram obtidas de animais entre 2 e 4 meses de idade, época em que o risco de contraírem a infecção pelo CPV-2 é alto apesar da vacinação. Nenhuma variação sazonal da infecção pelo parvovírus canino pôde ser observada, e um estudo retrospectivo realizado na PolVet - UFF mostrou que em um período de 6 anos (1991-97), casos de gastrenterite ocorreram durante todos os anos em Niterói, sem uma sazonalidade definida.

Fecal samples from puppies with gastroenteritis less than 7 months old were examined for canine parvovirus infection (CPV-2) by hemagglutination (HA) and subsequent hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) tests. Forty of the 79 samples collected from April 1995 to June 1997 were found to be positive. About 70% of these samples were from 2 to 4 months old puppies, age in which they are at increased risk of developing CPV-2 infection, despite of vaccination. No seasonal distribution of canine parvovirus cases was found and it was supported by the results of a retrospective study realized at PolVet-UFF, which showed that gastroenteritis cases occurred throughout the year, for a six-year period (1991-97) in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro.