OBJECTIVES: In this preliminary study we investigated cellular and humoral immune responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antigens in blood samples from 14 recovered coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients and compared them to those in samples from 12 uninfected/unvaccinated volunteers. METHODS: Cellular immunity was assessed by intracellular detection of IFN-γ in CD3+ T lymphocytes after stimulation with SARS-CoV-2 spike (S1), nucleocapsid (NC), or receptor-binding domain (RBD) recombinant proteins or overlapping peptide pools covering the sequence of SARS-CoV-2 spike, membrane and nucleocapsid regions. The humoral response was examined by ELISAs and/or chemiluminescence assays for the presence of serum IgG antibodies directed to SARS-CoV-2 proteins. RESULTS: We observed differences between humoral and cellular immune profiles in response to stimulation with the same proteins. Assays of IgG antibodies directed to SARS-CoV-2 NC, RBD and S1/S2 recombinant proteins were able to differentiate convalescent from uninfected/unvaccinated groups. Cellular immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 protein stimuli did not exhibit a specific response, as T cells from both individuals with no history of contact with SARS-CoV-2 and from recovered donors were able to produce IFN-γ. CONCLUSIONS: Determination of the cellular immune response to stimulation with a pool of SARS-CoV-2 peptides but not with SARS-CoV-2 proteins is able to distinguish convalescent individuals from unexposed individuals. Regarding the humoral immune response, the screening for serum IgG antibodies directed to SARS-CoV-2 proteins has been shown to be specific for the response of recovered individuals.

ABSTRACT Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is caused by SARS-Cov-2 and the manifestations of this infection range from an absence of symptoms all the way up to severe disease leading to death. To estimate the prevalence of past infection in a population, the most readily available method is the detection of antibodies against the virus. This study has investigated the prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in outpatients of the Hospital das Clinicas, in Sao Paulo city (Brazil), which is a large university hospital belonging to the public health system that cares for patients with complex diseases who need tertiary or quaternary medical care. Our serological inquiry was carried out for 6 weeks, with once-a-week blood sampling and included 439 patients from several outpatient services. Overall, 61 patients tested positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG (13.9%); 56.1 % of the patients live in Sao Paulo city, with the remaining living in other towns of the metropolitan area; 32.8% of the patients testing positive for IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 were asymptomatic, 55.7% developed mild or moderate disease and 11.5% had to be hospitalized. The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 positive serology was lower among patients who had received the seasonal influenza vaccine compared to the ones who did not. These findings may indicate that those individuals care more about health issues, and/or that they have a better access to health care and/or a better quality of health care service. The large proportion of patients who were unaware of having had contact with SARS-CoV-2 deserves attention, reflecting the scarcity of tests performed in the population.

Plantações de trigo milho e arroz no Brasil utilizam sementes tratadas com o inseticida e nematicida sistêmico carbofuran, associado ao corante vermelho rodamina B. O carbofuran é tóxico e a rodamina B é atrativa às aves silvestres, as quais consomem estas sementes, resultando em notável mortalidade durante o plantio. Um experimento realizado em campo agrícola no sudeste do Brasil mostrou que sementes camufladas foram menos removidas por aves silvestres do que sementes com rodamina B. A camuflagem foi potencializada em presença de irregularidades e serrapilheira no solo. Não houve remoção de sementes de cor azul, mas a formulação granular de cor azul tem causado mortalidade de aves nos USA e Canadá. Como sementes tratadas com agrotóxicos devem, de acordo com a legislação, receber coloração diferenciada para evitar acidentes com humanos, a camuflagem pode ser utilizada, substituindo a rodamina B.

Wheat, corn and rice crops in Brazil use seeds treated with systemic insecticide/nematicide carbofuran, mixed to rhodamine B red dye. Carbofuran is toxic and rhodamine B is attractive to wild birds that eat up these seeds, resulting in notable mortality during planting. A field experiment was performed in southeast Brazil to evaluate if camouflaged seeds would be less consumed by wild birds in comparison to commercial seeds with red-colored rhodamine B and aposematic blue seeds. Camouflaged seeds were less removed than seeds with rhodamine B and natural colors. The camouflaging was more effective in the presence of irregularities and litter. There was no removal of blue-colored seeds. As legislation requires treated seeds to receive a different color to avoid accidents with humans, camouflaging may be used as replacement of rhodamine B to reduce mortality rates of wild birds.

Plantações de trigo, milho e arroz no Brasil utilizam sementes tratadas com o inseticida carbofuran, associado ao corante rodamina B, que é atrativo às aves granívoras, causando notável mortalidade durante o plantio. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar se sementes camufladas minimizam a mortalidade de aves, causada pela ingestão de sementes tratadas com carbofuran. Possíveis alternativas para redução da mortalidade como carbofuran sem a rodamina B e o carbusulfan, foram testadas comparativamente. Realizaram-se três experimentos em regiões de expressiva mortalidade de aves no Paraná e São Paulo. Semeaduras foram convencionais sobre solo arado no sistema de plantio tradicional, utilizando 15.896 kg de sementes em 111,46 ha. Carcaças de aves foram coletadas e dissecadas, revelando quais tratamentos de sementes envenenadas causaram mortes. A mortalidade foi de 296 aves de 11 espécies. Pombas avoantes foram as vitimas mais numerosas com 263 mortes. Houve correlação significativa entre mortalidade e quantidade de sementes consumidas. O consumo de sementes camufladas e com carbofuran foi menor em relação ao de sementes com rodamina B e com carbosulfan. A mortalidade causada por sementes com rodamina B e carbofuran foi maior em relação à causada por sementes camufladas e com carbofuran, que foi igual à causada por sementes com rodamina B e carbosulfan, cujo inventário foi subestimado. Sementes tratadas com carbofuran, com e sem rodamina B, foram atrativas. Como sementes tratadas com agrotóxicos devem por lei receber coloração diferenciada para evitar acidentes com humanos, camuflagem de sementes deve ser encorajada substituindo a rodamina B.

Seeds used to plant wheat, corn and rice crops in Brazil are treated with the insecticide carbofuran associated with the dye rhodamine B, attracting granivorous birds and causing mortality during sowing. The objective of this study was to evaluate if using camouflaged seeds can minimize mortality caused by the ingestion of seeds with carbofuran. Alternatives for reducing mortality, such as using carbofuran without rhodamine B or replacing carbofuran by carbosulfan, were compared. Three experiments were carried out in regions of known bird mortality in the states of Paraná and São Paulo, Brazil, using conventional sowing over plowed soil in the traditional planting system, 15,896 kg of seeds in 111.46 ha. Bird carcasses were collected and dissected to unveil which poisoned seed treatments had caused birds' deaths. The mortality mounted to 296 birds of 11 species. Eared doves were the most numerous casualties (263). There was significant correlation between mortality and number of consumed seeds. The consumption of camouflaged seeds was lower than that of commercial seeds treated with rhodamine B. The mortality caused by seeds with both rhodamine B and carbofuran was higher than mortality caused by seeds camouflaged only with carbofuran. The replacement of carbofuran with carbosulfan also seemingly reduced mortality, but carbosulfan mortality might have been underestimated as a result of the apparent movement of affected birds after exposure. Seeds treated with carbofuran and rhodamine B and without any dye, were attractive. Because legal requirement for seeds treated with pesticides to be differentiated by dying, the substitution of rhodamine B by camouflaging must be encouraged.