Estimated prevalence of viral hepatitis in the general population of the municipality of Säo Paulo, measures by a serologic survey of a stratified, randomized and residence-based population

The present study was done to estimate the prevalence of Hepatitis A (HAV), B (HBV), C (HCV), and E (HEV) infection in the general population residing in the municipality of Säo Paulo, and to evaluate the level of knowledge related to the various modes of infection transmission by and protection against the different viruses. Blood samples and health questionnaires were collected from 1,059 individuals. The study design used an inductive metod of predictive statistical inferences through randomized sampling stratifield by sex, age and residence region. The estimated prevalence rated found were: Hepatitis A = 66.59 percent (63.75 percent - 69.44 per cent CI); Hepatitis B = 5.94 percent (4.50 percent-7.35 percent); Hepatitis C =1.42 percent (0,70 percent - 2.12 percent); Hepatitis E = 1.68 percent (0.91 percent - 2.46 percent). The frequency of hepatitis was similar in males and females. HAV showed an estimated prevalence of 56.16 percent in the population up to 17 years old, increasing to 65.30 percent in individuals between 18 and 29 years. The infection reached its peak of 90 percent in individuals 40 years of age or older. The study showed a greater tendency of dissemination of HBV among the population between 15 and 17 years. This specific age group showed an estimated prevalence of active infection of 1.04 percent (0.43 percent - 1.65 percent CI), and also demonstrated an ascending level of acquired immunity with an estimated prevalence of 4.90 percent (3.60 percent - 6.20 percent CI). HCV demonstrated an estimated prevalence of 1.42 percent (0.70 percent - 2.12 percent CI). This specific infection occurred more frequently among adults 30 years of age or older, with the prevalence reaching a peak of 3.80 percent among the group aged 50 to 59 years. HEV showed zero prevalence among the age group between 2 and 9 years. This was followed by a slighty ascending rate starting from age 10, with an estimated prevalence of 1.05 percent (0.94 percent - 3.04 percent CI) among those 10 to 14 years of age....

Absence of clinical abnormalities suggesting renal involvement during the long-term course of visceral leishmaniasis

Anormalidades das funçöes renais têm sido demonstradas em pacientes portadores de leishmaniose visceral; embora haja tendência à normalizaçäo logo após o tratamento antiparasitário, algumas dessas anormalidades persistem. Com o propósito de estudar o curso clínico a longo prazo do envolvimento renal na leishmaniose visceral, 32 pacientes foram estudados na área endêmica, pelo menos 6 meses após a cura clínica da doença, e comparado a um grupo-controle de 28 indivíduos. Em nenhum paciente se documentou história ou dados clínicos sugestivos de doença renal. A avaliaçäo laboratorial foi normal em todos os pacientes, exceto 3 com sumários de urina anormais em um, proteinúria leve e hematúria microscópica num único sumário de urina (três outros foram normais) e leucocitúria em dois outros pacientes. Concluiu-se que na leishmaniose visceral o envolvimento renal é discreto e transitório, havendo desaparecimento das alteraçöes sugestivas de disfunçäo após a cura da doença parasitária