Diagnóstico de Dirofilaria immitis en el municipio Sucre, estado Sucre, Venezuela / Diagnosis of Dirofilaria immitis in the municipality of Sucre, Sucre state, Venezuela

La dirofilariasis es una patología parasitaria, causada por los nematodos Dirofilaria immitis y D. repens, principalmente. Mientras que D. immitis presenta distribución mundial, D. repens se extiende por el viejo mundo. Ambas especies afectan a caninos y felinos domésticos y salvajes, así como a humanos, por lo que es un problema de salud pública mundial. En este estudio se determinó la prevalencia de D. immitis, en caninos del municipio Sucre, estado Sucre, Venezuela. Se tomaron muestras sanguíneas a 138 caninos domésticos, mayores de seis meses, sin distinción de raza ni sexo, previo consentimiento informado por sus propietarios. El diagnóstico parasitológico de las microfilarias circulantes se realizó por examen directo y método de concentración Knott modificado; las características morfológicas fueron observadas en extendidos teñidos con Giemsa. Se utilizó un estuche comercial, para la captura de antígenos de excreción-secreción de D. immitis. De los 138 caninos estudiados, 12 casos positivos (8,7%) fueron detectados parasitológicamente, mientras que por el estuche comercial se detectaron antígenos en 20 caninos (14,5%), lo que demuestra que existe una dirofilariasis oculta en el 5,8% de los casos evaluados. Uno de los perros microfilarémicos, no presentó antígenos circulantes. La prevalencia de dirofilariasis en el municipio Sucre, estado Sucre fue de 15,2%. Este reporte de dirofilariasis canina en el municipio Sucre, representa un importante aporte en el levantamiento epidemiológico de la enfermedad. Futuros estudios permitirán evaluar el riesgo de infección de las personas que conviven con los perros con dirofilariasis.

Heartworm is a parasitic disease, caused by nematodes Dirofilaria immitis and D. repens, mainly. While D. immitis presents worldwide distribution, D. repens extends the old world. Both species affect canines and felines domestic and wild, as well as human, so it is a global public health problem. In this study we determined the prevalence of D. immitis in dogs in the municipality of Sucre, Sucre state, Venezuela. Blood samples were taken for 138 domestic dogs, over six months, regardless of race or sex, prior informed consent by their owners. The parasitological diagnosis of circulating microfilariae was done by direct examination and concentration method modified Knott, the morphological characteristics were observed in Giemsa-stained smears. We used a commercial kit, for the capture of excretory-secretory antigens of D. immitis. Of the 138 dogs studied, 12 cases (8.7%) were detected parasitologically, whereas the commercial kit antigens were detected in 20 dogs (14.5%), demonstrating that there is an occult infections in 5.8% of the cases. One of the dogs with microfilariae in blood, did not submit antigens circulating. The prevalence of heartworm in the municipality of Sucre, Sucre state was 15.2%. This report of canine heartworm in the municipality of Sucre, represents an important contribution in an epidemiologic survey of the disease. Future studies will assess the risk of infection for people living with dogs with heartworm disease.

Armazenamento de Trichogramma pretiosum Riley (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) em baixas temperaturas / Cold storage of Trichogramma pretiosum Riley (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

Avaliou-se o efeito do armazenamento em baixa temperatura de pupas de Trichogramma pretiosum, em ovos de Sitotroga cerealella, sobre a emergência e a viabilidade reprodutiva do parasitoide. Os testes foram conduzidos em câmara climática a 5, 8 e 10° C, 70% UR, escotofase constante, com 10 tratamentos (testemunha, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 e 20 dias de armazenamento) e 10 repetições. Foram distribuídos 1.000 ovos contendo pupas em tubos de ensaio (10 x 3 cm), 100 foram mantidos a 25º C, 70% UR e 14 horas de fotofase (testemunha) e os demais armazenados. Após cada período de armazenamento, 100 ovos foram transferidos para 25º C e avaliados quanto à emergência e funções reprodutivas. A emergência de T. pretiosum não foi influenciada pelo período de armazenamento nas três temperaturas (Tukey P ≤ 0,05) e as menores taxas de emergência foram de 85,6%, 84,5% e 77,6%, respectivamente para os parasitoides armazenados a 5, 8 e 10° C. Não houve perda da viabilidade reprodutiva dos parasitoides provenientes da estocagem nas temperaturas avaliadas, pois todas as fêmeas acasaladas produziram indivíduos de ambos os sexos. Estes resultados auxi-liarão no planejamento da criação massal, embalagem e transporte de T. pretiosum do laboratório para o local de liberação.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of storage at low temperature of Trichogramma pretiosum pupae in eggs of Sitotroga cerealella on the emergence and reproduction rates of the parasitoid. The trials were conducted in a climatic chamber at 5, 8 and 10º C, 70% R.H., constant scotophase, with 10 treatments: 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 days of storage and a control not kept in storage, all in 10 replicates. A total of 1,000 eggs containing pupae were distributed in glass tubes (10 x 3 cm), 100 of which were kept at 25° C, 70% RH and 14 h photophase (control), while the remaining ones were stored. After each storage period 100 eggs were transferred to 25º C and the emergence and reproductive capacity were observed. The T. pretiosum emergence rate was not affected by the storage time at 3 temperatures (Tukey P ≤ 0.05) and the lowest emergence rates were 85.6%, 84.5% and 77.6%, respectively for parasitoid storage at 5, 8 and 10º C. The reproductive capacity of T. pretiosum was not affected after the exposure periods in the temperatures evaluated. This result will aid in the planning of mass production, package and transport of T. pretiosum to the place of release.

Coccidae, Pseudococcidae, Ortheziidae, and Monophlebidae (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) of Espírito Santo, Brazil / Coccidae, Pseudococcidae, Ortheziidae, e Monophlebidae (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) do Espírito Santo, Brasil

New plant hosts are recorded for nine scale insect species recently collected in Espírito Santo, Brazil, and eleven scale insect species are recorded for the first time from the state: Ceroplastes floridensis Comstock, Coccus longulus (Douglas), Coccus viridis (Green), Eucalymnatus tesselatus (Signoret), Pseudokermes sp., Saissetia coffeae (Walker), Phenacoccus madeirensis Green, Pseudococcus jackbeardsleyi Gimpel & Miller, Pseudococcus longispinus (Targioni Tozzetti), Icerya purchasi Maskell, and Icerya genistae Hempel. This is also the first record of Co. longulus in Brazil. Information on the host plants and geographic distribution of the 26 species of scale insects of the families Coccidae, Pseudococcidae, Ortheziidae, and Monophlebidae, currently known from Espírito Santo is provided.

Novas plantas hospedeiras foram registradas para nove espécies de cochonilhas coletadas recentemente no Estado do Espírito Santo, Brasil, e onze espécies de cochonilhas são registradas pela primeira vez no Estado: Ceroplastes floridensis Comstock, Coccus longulus (Douglas), Coccus viridis (Green), Eucalymnatus tesselatus (Signoret), Pseudokermes sp., Saissetia coffeae (Walker), Phenacoccus madeirensis Green, Pseudococcus jackbeardsleyi Gimpel & Miller, Pseudococcus longispinus (Targioni Tozzetti), Icerya purchasi Maskell, e Icerya genistae Hempel. Co. longulus é registrada pela primeira vez no Brasil. É disponibilizada a informação das plantas hospedeiras e a distribuição geográfica de 26 espécies de cochonilhas das famílias Coccidae, Pseudococcidae, Ortheziidae, e Monophlebidae atualmente conhecidas no Estado do Espírito Santo.

Oviposition sequence and offspring of mated and virgin females of Cotesia flavipes (hymenoptera: braconidae) parasitizing Diatraea saccharalis larvae (lepidoptera: crambidae)

Large scale mass rearing of natural enemies has been a mean of improving biological control in the sugarcane intensive agriculture. Among them, Cotesia flavipes, a gregarious koinobiont endoparasitoid, was imported by Brasil to control caterpillars of the sugarcane borer Diatraea saccharalis. The C. flavipes larval development depends on its association with polydnavirus, which blocks the host defense reaction. To verify if the oviposition sequence (1st, 2nd or 3rd) and the female condition (mated or virgin) interfere in the number of C. flavipes descendents, 4th instar caterpillars of D. saccharalis were parasitized. Analysis of the data showed that: a) there is an inverse correlation between the parasitism efficiency and the host reaction (encapsulation); b) the number of caterpillars parasitized by virgin females that released parasitoid larvae in the period from 12 to 15 days was higher than that of caterpillars parasitized by mated females; c) a slight difference between mated and virgin females in relation to the parasitim success was observed; and d) the number of encapsulated parasitoid larvae was higher than that of eggs, suggesting that eggs have a better capacity to overcome the host reaction. In this study, the viability of C. flavipes eggs and larvae in the non-specific host D. saccharalis could be correlated with the oviposition sequence and the female condition

Produccion masiva de Romanomermis iyengari (Nematoda: Mermithidae) y su aplicacion en criaderos de anofelinos en Boa Vista (Roraima), Brasil / Mass produced Romanomermis iyengari (Nematoda: Mermithidae) applied to anopheline breeding sites in Boa Vista (Roraima), Brazil

Para desarrollar la produccion masiva del nematodo Romanomermis iyengari Welch, se llevo a cabo el diseno y montaje de una bioplanta en las instalaciones de la Universidad Federal del Estado de Roraima, Brasil, tras un convenio con la Secretaria de Salud del mencionado estado. El objetivo de este trabajo fue establecer el proceso basico de cria masiva del parasito para su posterior aplicacion en criaderos de anofelinos. Se obtuvieron 68 cultivos por cada ciclo de siete dias, con un total de 272 cultivos por mes. Antes de los tratamientos de campo se realizaron pruebas de laboratorio en las que se comprobo la gran susceptibilidad de las larvas de anofelinos a la infestacion por R. iyengari, con tasas de parasitismo de 71 a 98 por ciento. Para evaluar la capacidad parasitaria de R. iyengari en condiciones de campo, se seleccionaron 12 criaderos naturales de anofelinos, con areas que oscilaron entre 50 y 450 m2, en los que se observo la presencia de larvas de mosquitos de las especies Anopheles albitarsis Lynch-Arribalzaga y Anopheles rondoni Neiva-Pinto, con densidades de 34 a 66 larvas/m2. Para la dispersion del biolarvicida en los 12 criaderos se utilizo una bomba costal manual de fabricacion nacional a una presion de dos atmosferas y se aplico una dosis de 2000 preparasitos/m2. Siete dias despues de los tratamientos se observo una marcada reduccion (85 a 97 por ciento) de las poblaciones de anofelinos. Los resultados obtenidos demostraron la posibilidad de utilizar R. iyengari para controlar las poblaciones larvarias de ambas especies de anofelinos

Identificación morfométrica de los estadios inmaduros de Dictyocaulus viviparus de un aislado de Hueytamalco, Puebla / Morphometric identification of inmmature stages of Dictyocaulus viviparus from an isolate in the state of Puebla in Mexico

Se identificaron las fases inmaduras del nematodo pulmonar Dictyocaulus viviparus de los bovinos, de un aislamiento realizado en una región tropical de México. Se analizaron 100 especímenes por cada una de las fases; las tres primeras fases de su desarrollo fueron obtenidas de un bovino infectado artificialmente con el parásito, mientras que la cuarta fase y adultos inmaduros fueron identificados mediante la inoculación y sacrificio de cobayos. Se describen las medidas de longitud total, longitud del esófago, ancho del cuerpo y, según su estado de madurez, se registraron las distancias del ano a la punta de la cola de la vaina; asimismo se enfatizan los caracteres morfológicos de las diversas fases. Se describen por primera vez las características de las fases 2,3,4 y adultos inmaduros machos y hembras de un aislamiento realizado en México

Diagnostic methods for intestinal parasites in southern Iraq with reference to Strongyloides stercoralis.

Three hundred and thirty-two stool samples were examined for the presence of intestinal parasites including Strongyloides stercoralis. Each sample was processed and examined by direct smear, formalin-ether and Harada and Mori culture methods. Nine parasites were recovered from patients attending Basrah Teaching Hospital, southern Iraq during 1989. The prevalence rate of infection was 64.2%. It was higher in rural (74.2%) than in urban (57.5%) region (p < 0.01). Sex distribution was 120 (36.1%) males and 87 (26.2%) females (p > 0.05). The most common parasites were Blastocystis hominis, Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica, Hymenolepis nana and Strongyloides stercoralis. Formalin-ether concentration method was 3.75 times better than the direct smear method in the diagnosis of helminth rather than protozoan infections. The yield obtained by the usage of the Harada and Mori culture method (4.5%) was significantly higher than that obtained by formalin-ether (2.7%) or direct smear (0.3%) methods. Therefore, the Harada and Mori culture method is recommended in patients with undiagnosed diarrhea and where strongyloidiasis is endemic or suspected. Investigation of the relationship between age of the patients and prevalence showed that the prevalence of total intestinal parasites and of Strongyloides alone had essentially levelled off by age 11-20 and 21-30 years old, respectively. Clinical symptoms associated with S. stercoralis infection were diarrhea, anorexia and abdominal pain. Thiabendazole is still a drug of choice in the treatment of strongyloidiasis.

Intestinal parasitic infections in Campalagian district, south Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Intestinal parasitic infections were surveyed in the inhabitants of 3 coastal and 2 inland villages of Campalagian District, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, in July 1992. A total of 398 fecal samples were examined by using Kato-Katz thick smear, Harada-Mori culture and agar-plate culture techniques. Protozoan cysts were examined by formalin ether concentration technique on 380 fecal samples. Soil-transmitted helminth infections were highly prevalent with the overall positive rates as follows: Ascaris lumbricoides 25.3%, Trichuris trichiura 59.3%, hookworm 68.3% and Strongyloides stercoralis 2.3%. Eight species of protozoan were detected with the overall prevalence as follows: Entamoeba histolytica 10.9%, E. hartmanni 16.3%, E. coli 31.9%, Endolimax nana 12.5%, Iodamoeba buetschlii 5.4%, Giardia lamblia 4.6%, Chilomastix mesnili 0.8% and Blastocystis hominis 18.0%. In the inland villages, prevalence of hookworm infection was higher than Ascaris and Trichuris infections, while in the coastal villages Trichuris infection was predominant. Egg count revealed that the infection level was light in most of the hookworm and Trichuris carriers. Prevalence of lavatories among houses appeared to be inversely proportional to the prevalence of hookworm infection. Meanwhile, the incomplete structure of the lavatories might result in contamination of environment with Ascaris and Trichuris eggs. Harada-Mori culture was the most efficient method in the detection of hookworm infection compared to other techniques. Both Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale were found in all villages, but the former was the predominant species. An adult pinworm was detected by agar-plate culture of feces. Two types of pinworm males, corresponding to Enterobius vermicularis and E. gregorii, were observed.

Erradicación de helmintos intestinales en Costa Rica / Erradication of intestinal helmiths in Costa Rica

Con el fin de establecer posibles cambios en la helmintiasis intestinal, a partir de 1966 que pudieran ser relacionadas con las marcadas mejoras socioeconómicas del país, se realizó un estudio similar, tomando como base la Encuesta Nacional de Nutrición de 1982. La muestra, al igual que la de 1966, fue aleatoria y consistió de familias completas. Los métodos de campo y de laboratório en ambos estudios fueron básicamente los mismos. La comparación de las dos encuestas reveló una marcada reducción en el nivel del parasitismo de todas las especies investigadas (Ascaris, Trichuris, Ancylostoma-Necator e Hymenolepis nana) tanto en áreas urbanas como rurales. Los cambios fueron tan dramáticos que en 1982 no se detectaron del todo algunas de las especies de helmintos en ciertos grupos etarios. Por otro lado, la frecuencia de infecciones leves y moderadas también había disminuido en forma significativa en 1982 en comparación con 1966. La única explicación de los cambios dramáticos ocurridos en un lapso de 16 años es la interacción de mejoras en educación, saneamento ambiental, higiene personal (disposición de excretas, uso de zapatos y empleo de jabón) y tratamiento periódico de la población parasitada en establecimientos de salud y por automedicación. La extrapolación de las líneas trazadas entre datos de las dos encuestas, sugiere que las helmintiasis están en vías de extinción. Si las medidas que indujeron los cambios se mantuviesen o aún mejoras en el futuro inmediato podría esperarse que ya en 1988 no se detectarán infecciones por Ascaris, Trichuris, e H. nana en la población general, aunque podrían persistir focos de uncinarias en poblaciones indígenas y nuevos colonos que no hayan adoptado el calzado ni letrinas ...