Objetivo levantar a prevalência dos fatores intrínsecos e extrínsecos que podem interferir no processo de aprendizagem em crianças com epilepsia. Métodos este estudo descritivo foi realizado no Ambulatório de Neurologia Infantil do Hospital de Pediatria Professor Heriberto Bezerra (HOSPED) da UFRN. A obtenção dos dados ocorreu durante setembro/2009 a março/2010 por meio da aplicação de um questionário com pais e cuidadores de crianças com epilepsia. A amostra foi constituída por 41 crianças, seguindo os seguintes critérios de inclusão: a) pais ou cuidadores de crianças com diagnóstico inequívoco de epilepsia atendidas no ambulatório do HOSPED; b) crianças com idades entre 3 e 12 anos; e c) pais ou responsáveis assinarem o termo de consentimento livre e esclarecido. Resultados 61% das crianças apresentaram diagnóstico de epilepsia pura. 59% tiveram sua primeira crise antes dos 03 anos de idade. 34% apresentavam crises do tipo generalizada. 51% apresentavam crises no período da pesquisa. 98% estavam em tratamento medicamentoso para controle das crises, sendo 55% monoterapia e 45% politerapia. 76% estavam inseridas na escola, sendo 50% em escolas públicas. 66% nunca repetiram o ano. 49% das crianças tiveram assiduidade escolar prejudicada em virtude das crises. 64% nunca foram excluídas da escola pelos professores devido a epilepsia e 85% dos pais afirmaram superproteger os filhos. Conclusão o estudo concluiu que, além da epilepsia, as crianças com essa patologia são também expostas a outros fatores, decorrentes da doença, que podem influenciar negativamente no processo de aprendizagem dessas crianças.

Purpose to raise the prevalence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors of the learning process in children with epilepsy. Methods this descriptive study was conducted at the Clinic of Neurology Children’s Hospital of Pediatrics Professor Heriberto Bezerra, HOSPED – UFRN. Data collection occurred during the September/2009 to March/2010 through a questionnaire with parents and carers of children with epilepsy. The sample comprised 41 children, according to the following inclusion criteria: a) parents or caregivers of children with an unequivocal diagnosis of epilepsy seen at the outpatient clinic of HOSPED; b) children aged between 3 and 12 years; and c) parents or guardian sign the consent form free and clear. Results 61% of children were diagnosed with pure epilepsy. 59% had their first crisis before the age of 03. 34% presented generalized crisis type. 51% presented crisis during the survey period. 98% were on medications to control crisis, and from these children, 55% monotherapy and 45% polytherapy. 76% were at school, 50% inserted in public school. 66% never repeated the school year. 49% of children had school attendance affected because of the crisis. 64% have never been excluded from school by teachers because of epilepsy and 85% of parents affirmed to overprotect their children. Conclusion the study concluded that, in addition epilepsy, children with that pathology are also exposed to other factors, resulting from the disease, which may negatively affect these children learning process.

In Venezuela, a total of 363,466 malaria cases were reported between 1999-2009. Several states are experiencing malaria epidemics, increasing the risk of vector and possibly transfusion transmission. We investigated the risk of transfusion transmission in blood banks from endemic and non-endemic areas of Venezuela by examining blood donations for evidence of malaria infection. For this, commercial kits were used to detect both malaria-specific antibodies (all species) and malaria antigen (Plasmodium falciparum only) in samples from Venezuelan blood donors (n = 762). All samples were further studied by microscopy and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The antibody results showed that P. falciparum-infected patients had a lower sample/cut-off ratio than Plasmodium vivax-infected patients. Conversely, a higher ratio for antigen was observed among all P. falciparum-infected individuals. Sensitivity and specificity were higher for malarial antigens (100 and 99.8%) than for antibodies (82.2 and 97.4%). Antibody-positive donors were observed in Caracas, Ciudad Bolívar, Puerto Ayacucho and Cumaná, with prevalences of 1.02, 1.60, 3.23 and 3.63%, respectively. No PCR-positive samples were observed among the donors. However, our results show significant levels of seropositivity in blood donors, suggesting that more effective measures are required to ensure that transfusion transmission does not occur.

Foi realizado um estudo de ocorrência da conidiobolomicose ovina em 25 rebanhos no Estado do Piauí, de janeiro de 2002 a dezembro de 2004. A enfermidade acometeu apenas ovinos e ocorreu principalmente em abril-julho. A incidência média anual foi de 2,80% e a incidência semestral foi significativamente mais alta (P <0,05) no primeiro semestre (2,10%), durante a época chuvosa, do que no segundo semestre (0,69%), durante a seca. A incidência entre rebanhos variou de 0,1-14,3% e a letalidade foi de 100%. Ao exame clínico, os animais apresentavam apatia, emagrecimento progressivo, secreção nasal serosa, mucosa e/ou hemorrágica, dificuldade respiratória, respiração ruidosa, febre e na maioria dos casos assimetria crânio-facial e exoftalmia. Alguns ovinos permaneciam com a cabeça baixa ou a pressionavam contra objetos. O curso clínico foi de 1-5 semanas. As lesões macroscópicas, microscópicas e ultrastructurais e a identificação do agente são descritas separadamente. Este é o primeiro registro de conidiobolomicose em ovinos no Brasil, enfermidade endêmica no Estado do Piauí, associada à alta pluviosidade (1000-1600mm anuais) e alta temperatura (19-36ºC).

Conidiobolomycosis is reported in 25 farms, from January 2002 to December 2004, in the state of Piauí. The disease affects only sheep, mainly in April-June. The mean morbidity rate was 2.80%, but was higher in the first semester (2.1%), during the raining period, than in the second one (0.69%), during the dry period. Morbidity rate among flocks varied from 0.1-14.3%. Case fatality rate was 100%, and the clinical manifestation period varied from 1-5 weeks. Clinical signs were serous, mucous and/or bloody nasal secretion, respiratory distress, snoring respiration, cranium-facial asymmetry, exophthalmia, fever and progressive emaciation. Marked depression, sometimes with the head down or head pressing was observed in some cases. Gross, microscopic and ultrastructural lesions and identification of the agent are reported elsewhere. This is the first report of conidiobolomycosis in Brazil, which is endemic and has a high frequency in sheep in the State of Piauí, associated with high rainfalls (1000-1600mm annually) and high temperature (19-36ºC).