Cutaneous leishmaniasis is caused by different species of theLeishmania genus. Leishmania(Leishmania) infantum, causing cutaneous leishmaniasis, has been described in patients living in areas where visceral leishmaniasis is endemic. In this study, it was possible to characterize this species in seven slides from cutaneous tissue imprints from patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.

The present paper deals with the phlebotomine species captured during the period from January 1998 to June 2000 in 12 caves located in the Serra da Bodoquena, situated in the south central region of Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil. Three of the caves are situated further north (in Bodoquena county), seven in the central area (Bonito county) and two in the south (Jardim county). These last two caves and three of those in Bonito are located at the west side of the ridge. Eighteen species of phlebotomines were captured within the caves: Brumptomyia avellari (Costa Lima, 1932), Brumptomyia brumpti (Larrousse, 1920), Brumptomyia cunhai (Mangabeira, 1942), Brumptomyia galindoi (Fairchild & Hertig, 1947), Evandromyia corumbaensis (Galati, Nunes, Oshiro & Rego, 1989), Lutzomyia almerioi Galati & Nunes, 1999, Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva, 1912), Martinsmyia oliveirai (Martins, Falcão & Silva, 1970), Micropygomyia acanthopharynx (Martins, Falcão & Silva, 1962), Micropygomyia peresi (Mangabeira, 1942), Micropygomyia quinquefer (Dyar, 1929), Nyssomyia whitmani (Antunes & Coutinho, 1939), Psathyromyia campograndensis (Oliveira, Andrade-Filho, Falcão & Brazil, 2001), Psathyromyia punctigeniculata (Floch & Abonnenc, 1944), Psathyromyia shannoni (Dyar, 1929), Pintomyia kuscheli (Le Pont, Martinez, Torrez-Espejo & Dujardin, 1998), Sciopemyia sordellii (Shannon & Del Ponte, 1927) and Sciopemyia sp. A total of 29,599 phlebotomine sandflies was obtained. Lutzomyia almerioi was absolutely predominant (91.5%) over the other species on both sides of the Bodoquena ridge, with the exception of the southern caves in which it was absent. It presents summer predominance, with nocturnal and diurnal activities. The species breeds in the caves and was captured during daytime both in the dark area and in the mouth of the caves. Martinsmyia oliveirai, the second most frequent sandfly, also presents a summer peak and only predominated over the other species in one cave, in which there were human residues.0

O presente estudo visou estabelecer a prevalência de Cryptosporidium parvum em crianças abaixo de 5 anos, residentes na zona urbana de Campo Grande, MS, 1996/97, através de exames coprológicos e avaliar epidemiologicamente os casos diagnosticados. Tratou-se de um estudo transversal com inquérito domiciliar, onde foram examinadas 1051 amostras fecais, processadas segundo a técnica de Blagg, utilizando-se a coloração de Ziehl-Neelsen modificada para a pesquisa de oocistos de C. parvum. Concluiu-se que: a prevalência de C. parvum (1,1%) observada não foi estatisticamente significativa; foi relatado diarréia em 58,3% das crianças com diagnóstico positivo, supondo-se associação entre diarréia e a presença do parasita; o C. parvum foi mais freqüente em crianças com idade de 25 a 36 meses (50%), porém sem diferença estatisticamente significativa; o sexo não teve papel diferencial em relação ao parasitismo por C. parvum; entre as 12 crianças com criptosporidiose, 83,3% tiveram contato com animais domésticos (cão e ou gato).

The purpose of this study was to establish the prevalence of Cryptosporidium parvum among infants of less than 5 years of age, resident in the urban area of Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil, 1996/97, through parasitological examinations and epidemiological analysis of the diagnosed cases. It was a transverse study with domiciliary inquiry and we evaluated 1051 fecal samples processed by the Blagg method, and a modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining was used for research of oocysts of C. parvum. We can concluded that the prevalence of C. parvum (1.1%) was not statistically significant; 58.3% of the children with positive diagnosis presented diarrhea, suggesting an association between this sign and the presence of the parasites; C. parvum was more frequent among children aged between 25 to 36 months (50%), but this was not statistically significant; sex did not have a differential role in relation to the cryptosporidiosis; out of the 12 children with cryptosporidiosis, 10 had contact with domestic animals (dogs and or cats).

Visceral Larva Migrans syndrome (VLM) results from the presence or migration of helminth larvae in humans, who nonetheless only play the role of paratenic hosts in the helminths' life cycle. In humans, VLM can be caused by larvae of various nematode species, chiefly those of the ascarid Toxocara canis, which can then be found at a variety of body sites, such as the liver, lungs, heart, and brain. Clinical and pathological manifestations depend primarily on larvae number and location, infection duration, reinfection occurrence, and host's immunological condition. Signs and symptoms may range from asymptomatic infection to severe disease. In humans, infection is acquired through ingestion of T. canis eggs present in soil, containing larvae in the infective stage7, 8, 9. Indeed, eggs of Toxocara sp. have been found in sandboxes in several public places in the city of Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul state2. This study was carried out to detect the presence of anti-Toxocara antibodies in children attending the Pediatrics division of Hospital Universitário of Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul at Campo Grande, Brazil. Over the years 1992-94, 454 serum samples, obtained from children of 5.25 ± 3.28 years of mean age and selected at that hospital on the basis of eosinophil count greater than or equal to 1000/mm3 of blood, were tested for the presence of antibodies by means of the ELISA technique employing Toxocara canis larvae excretory-secretory antigens5. A high prevalence rate for toxocariasis (35.55%) was found, which was observed to be associated with eosinophil levels lower than those usually reported in literature. Furthermore, a higher frequency of positive serology among boys was also observed (13 cases in contrast to only 3 among girls), a result also reported by other authors

Desenvolveram-se estudos sobre flebotomíneos em área de leishmaniose tegumentar, fazenda Boa Sorte, Município de Corguinho, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil, com vistas a incriminar vetor dessa parasitose. No início dos estudos, encontravam-se bem preservados vários tipos da cobertura vegetal primitiva, com predomínio de cerrado e cerradão, denominado localmente de "croa". Decorridos quatro meses, parte significativa da "croa" e do cerrado foi queimada para transformação em áreas de pastagens. Durante julho/1991 a junho/93, realizaram-se coletas semanais das 18:00 às 6:00 horas, com armadilha CDC (Center on Disease Control), em floresta-galeria, floresta de encostas, cerrado, "croa", peridomicílio (chiqueiro e poleiro) e no interior de uma tulha; coletas mensais com armadilha de Shannon das 18:00 às 24:00 horas em floresta-galeria e "croa". De junho/91 a setembro de 1992, capturas mensais com isca humana, por 24 horas, em floresta-galeria. Investigou-se infecção natural por flagelados em flebotomíneos coletados com armadilha de Shannon e isca humana. As coletas com CDC resultaram 24 espécies de Lutzomyia e duas de Brumptomyia. A "croa" foi o ambiente que mais contribuiu com espécimens e que apresentou a maior diversidade, juntamente com a floresta de encostas. Nas coletas com CDC, L. whitmani revelou-se a mais abundante, índice de abundância padronizado = 0,991; porém, esteve muito pouco representada no interior do anexo domiciliar; apresentou prevalência de 96,0% nas armadilhas de Shannon e isca humana, respectivamente com 3.265 e 516 espécimens. Sua maior freqüência deu-se em épocas frias e secas. Dotada de atividade quase que exclusivamente noturna, exibiu pico de ocorrência das 18:00 às 19:00 horas. A taxa de infecção natural por flagelados, em 680 fêmeas de flebotomíneos dissecadas, foi de 0,15% e, entre 613 fêmeas de L. whitmani, de 0,16%. Com base em seu comportamento, L. whitmani foi incriminada como provável vetora da leishmaniose tegumentar na área. A segunda espécie mais abundante, L. lenti, não demonstrou antropofilia. Apresenta-se também a fauna flebotomínica por ambientes.

Studies of the phlebotomine sandflies on the Boa Sorte farm, Corguinho county, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Central-West region of Brazil, were carried out, with the object of identifying local fauna and a cutaneous leishmaniasis vector. At the beginning of the studies, several types of primitive vegetation covering: gallery forest, forest slopes and the cerrados: s. str. and tropical xeromorphic semideciduous broadleaf forest, locally denominated "croa", existed. Four months after the beginning of the studies, a fire destroyed a significant part of the cerrados. Captures were made during the interval from July/91 to June/93, with a CDC trap, weekly, at 10 ecotopes: in the soil of forest slopes; in the soil and canopy of cerrado s. str., "croa" and gallery forest; in the peridomicile, in hen house and pigpen and in a storage shed. A Shannon's trap was used, monthly, from 18:00-24:00 hours, in the gallery forest and "croa". Human bait was used, monthly, for 24 hours, from June/91 to September/92. An investigation into natural infection in female phlebotomines was made through the dissection of specimens captured in the Shannon's trap and on human bait. The captures with CDC totalled in 2,281 specimens of 26 species: 2 of Brumptomyia and 24 of Lutzomyia. The "croa" was the environment that contributed with the greatest number of specimens and presented the largest diversity, together with the forest slope. L. withmani was the most abundant species captured with CDC, in all the ecotopes (Standardized abundance index = 0.991). However, in the storage shed its frequence was the lowest. This species presented a prevalence of 96.0% in the Shannon's trap and on human bait (3,265 and 516 specimens, respectively). It was the most frequent in the cold and dry periods. It presented almost exclusively nocturnal activity, with its peak at 18:00-19:00 hours and an infection rate by flagellates of 0.16% (613 females dissected). On the basis of its behavior, this species was incriminated as the probable vector of the cutaneous leishmaniasis in the area, which had extradomicilary transmission. L. lenti, the second most abundant species, is not anthropophilic. The phlebotomine fauna is presented by environment.

Desenvolveram-se estudos sobre flebotomíneos em área de leishmaniose tegumentar, fazenda Boa Sorte, Município de Corguinho, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil, com vistas a incriminar vetor dessa parasitose. No início dos estudos, encontravam-se bem preservados vários tipos da cobertura vegetal primitiva, com predomínio de cerrado e cerradão, denominado localmente de "croa". Decorridos quatro meses, parte significativa da "croa" e do cerrado foi queimada para transformação em áreas de pastagens. Durante julho/1991 a junho/93, realizaram-se coletas semanais das 18:00 às 6:00 horas, com armadilha CDC (Center on Disease Control), em floresta-galeria, floresta de encostas, cerrado, "croa", peridomicílio (chiqueiro e poleiro) e no interior de uma tulha; coletas mensais com armadilha de Shannon das 18:00 às 24:00 horas em floresta-galeria e "croa". De junho/91 a setembro de 1992, capturas mensais com isca humana, por 24 horas, em floresta-galeria. Investigou-se infecção natural por flagelados em flebotomíneos coletados com armadilha de Shannon e isca humana. As coletas com CDC resultaram 24 espécies de Lutzomyia e duas de Brumptomyia. A "croa" foi o ambiente que mais contribuiu com espécimens e que apresentou a maior diversidade, juntamente com a floresta de encostas. Nas coletas com CDC, L. whitmani revelou-se a mais abundante, índice de abundância padronizado = 0,991; porém, esteve muito pouco representada no interior do anexo domiciliar; apresentou prevalência de 96,0% nas armadilhas de Shannon e isca humana, respectivamente com 3.265 e 516 espécimens. Sua maior freqüência deu-se em épocas frias e secas. Dotada de atividade quase que exclusivamente noturna, exibiu pico de ocorrência das 18:00 às 19:00 horas. A taxa de infecção natural por flagelados, em 680 fêmeas de flebotomíneos dissecadas, foi de 0,15% e, entre 613 fêmeas de L. whitmani, de 0,16%. Com base em seu comportamento, L. whitmani foi incriminada como provável vetora da leishmaniose tegumentar na área. A segunda espécie mais abundante, L. lenti, não demonstrou antropofilia. Apresenta-se também a fauna flebotomínica por ambientes.

Studies of the phlebotomine sandflies on the Boa Sorte farm, Corguinho county, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Central-West region of Brazil, were carried out, with the object of identifying local fauna and a cutaneous leishmaniasis vector. At the beginning of the studies, several types of primitive vegetation covering: gallery forest, forest slopes and the cerrados: s. str. and tropical xeromorphic semideciduous broadleaf forest, locally denominated "croa", existed. Four months after the beginning of the studies, a fire destroyed a significant part of the cerrados. Captures were made during the interval from July/91 to June/93, with a CDC trap, weekly, at 10 ecotopes: in the soil of forest slopes; in the soil and canopy of cerrado s. str., "croa" and gallery forest; in the peridomicile, in hen house and pigpen and in a storage shed. A Shannon's trap was used, monthly, from 18:00-24:00 hours, in the gallery forest and "croa". Human bait was used, monthly, for 24 hours, from June/91 to September/92. An investigation into natural infection in female phlebotomines was made through the dissection of specimens captured in the Shannon's trap and on human bait. The captures with CDC totalled in 2,281 specimens of 26 species: 2 of Brumptomyia and 24 of Lutzomyia. The "croa" was the environment that contributed with the greatest number of specimens and presented the largest diversity, together with the forest slope. L. withmani was the most abundant species captured with CDC, in all the ecotopes (Standardized abundance index = 0.991). However, in the storage shed its frequence was the lowest. This species presented a prevalence of 96.0% in the Shannon's trap and on human bait (3,265 and 516 specimens, respectively). It was the most frequent in the cold and dry periods. It presented almost exclusively nocturnal activity, with its peak at 18:00-19:00 hours and an infection rate by flagellates of 0.16% (613 females dissected). On the basis of its behavior, this species was incriminated as the probable vector of the cutaneous leishmaniasis in the area, which had extradomicilary transmission. L. lenti, the second most abundant species, is not anthropophilic. The phlebotomine fauna is presented by environment.

Com o objetivo de se conhecer a prevalência da infecção por leishmaniose tegumentar americana, e caracterização da população atingida, em área de transmissão recente, na localidade de Boa Sorte, município de Corguinho, MS, procedeu-se ao estudo, no período de março/91 a março/94, tia população residente, compreendendo 150 habitantes. Destes, 12 apresentavam lesões suspeitas de leishmaniose tegumentar. Em 8 deles foi possível a confirmação por meio de exames parasitológicos. Apenas um paciente apresentou a forma mucosa, os demais manifestaram as formas cutâneas, sendo: ulcerada (3), úlcero-verrucosa (1), úlcero- vegetante (1), placa-infiltrada (1) e lesão nodular com exuberante adenopatia regional (1). Os pacientes responderam bem ao tratamento com antimoniato de N-metil- glucamina (glucantime), 10 a 20mg Sbv/kg/dia durante 20 dias, com cicatrização das lesões e raros efeitos colaterais. O parasito isolado de todos os pacientes foi identificado como Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis, através de anticorpos monoclonais. O teste de Montenegro aplicado em 150 moradores revelou 32 reagentes. Destes, 6 eram portadores da doença, 21 mostraram seqüelas sugestivas da parasitose e 5 não apresentaram sitiais da infecção. A faixa etária atingida pela parasitose compreendia de 22 a 78 anos com predomínio de homens (75%). A transmissão até o momento revelou-se de caráter extradomiciliar.

A study on the resident population of 150 inhabitants of Boa Sorte in the Municipality of Corguinho, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil was made, from March 1991 to March 1994, to establish the prevalence of South American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (SACL), and to characterize the affected population, in an area of recent transmission. Twelve of the inhabitants showed lesions suspected to be SACL, and in 8 cases it was possible to confirm this by biopsy and parasitology. The mucosal form was found in one patient only, the rest showed the following cutaneous forms: ulcerated (3), ulcero-verrucose (1), hyperkeratotic ulcer (1), infiltrated maccule (1), nodule with florid regional adenopathy (1). All patients reacted favorably to treatment with glucantime, with lesion scarring. Side-effects were rare. The parasite isolated from all patients was identified as Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis. The Montenegro skin test, applied to the 150 inhabitants, showed 32 reactive ones. Of these, six were carriers of the disease, 21 showed sequelae suggestive of the disease and five showed no signs of infection. The age grouping of the cohort ranged from 22 to 78 years, 75% being male. To date, transmission is suspected to be in the peridomicile.