The Rio de Janeiro HIV vaccine site - I. Recruitment strategies and socio-demographic data of a HIV negative homosexual and bisexual male cohort in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The initial effort of the Brazilian Ministry of Health to be an active partner in the world effort in the preparation of future accurate human immune deficiency virus (HIV) efficacy trial was the establishment of a multi-centered cohort of homosexual and bisexual men. An open cohort of homosexual and bisexual men. An open cohort was established to determine the HIV incidence and the socio-behavioral aspects involved in Rio de Janeiro. A total of 318 potencial participants, originated from multiple sources (health units, public information, snowball recruitment), were screened and recruitment became effective through the direct involvement of target communities (with the support of Non Governmental Organizations) and the population, Among this group, seropositivity for sexually transmitted diseases was high with 23, 32 and 46 per cent for HIV, syphilis and hepatite B, respectively. The socio-demographic data from the first 200 participants of this HIV negative cohort suggests that the cohort volunteers are an appropriate sample of the general male population of the State of Rio de Janeiro.

Acute respiratory infections in children living in two low income communities of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Community studies of non-hospitalized children are essential to obtain a more thorough understanding of acute respiratory infections (ARI) and provide important information for public health authorities. This study identified a total ARI incidence rate (IR) of 4.5 per 100 child-weeks at risk and 0.78 for lower respiratory tract infections (LRI). Disease duration averaged less than one week and produced a total time ill with ARI of 5.8 por cento and for LRI 1.2 por cento. No clear seasonal variation was observed, the sex-specific IR showed a higher proportion of boys becoming ill with ARI and LRI and the peak age-specific IR occurred in infants of 6-11 months. Correlation with risk factors of the child (breastfeeding, vaccination, diarrheal disease, undernourishment) and the environment (crowding, living conditions, maternal age and education) showed marginal increases in the rate ratios, making it difficult to propose clear-cuts targets for action to lower the ARI and LRI morbidity. The importance of an integral maternal-child health care program and public education in the early recognition of LRI is discussed.

Influenza surviellance in Rio de Janeiro between 1980-1981: a virological and serological study

Dados laboratoriais indicam que a atividade do vírus influenza durante os anos de 1980 e 1981 foi limitada no Rio de Janeiro. Poucas amostras de vírus influenza A (H3N2) foram isoladas durante o inverno em ambos os anos. Estudos sorológicos indicam que esta variante do vírus H3N2 circulou principalmente entre crianças menores de 10 anos. Nenhum vírus H1N1 foi isolado mas sua circulaçäo foi detectada pelo aumento dos titulos de anticorpos específicos nos soros de adultos coletados em 1981. O vírus influenza B foi isolado de crianças durante a primavera de 1981, e nos soros de adultos coletados em 1981 houve uma elevaçäo nos titulos de anticorpos também para este vírus