Algunas notas sobre el desarrollo histórico de la fiebre tifoidea en Chile / Some information regarding the historical development of typhoid fever in Chile

Resumen En el desarrollo histórico de la fiebre tifoidea en Chile, destaca su confusión con otras patologías infecciosas, especialmente con el tifus exantemático, problema que se resolvió mayormente con ocasión de la epidemia de 1918 de dicha enfermedad. Además se resalta la importancia del tratamiento con cloranfenicol, que significó una mejoría extraordinaria de las fiebres tifo-paratíficas, además de las acciones de salud pública y educación sanitaria, que permitieron prácticamente terminar con dichas patologías infecciosas en el país.

During the historical development of typhoid fever in Chile, its confusion with other infectious diseases is particularly noteworthy, especially with murine typhus, a problem that was mainly resolved during the 1918 epidemic. The importance of chloramphenicol treatment is also highlighted, which meant an enormous improvement in typhoid/paratyphoid fevers, in combination with public health and health education actions that allowed to almost eliminate these infectious diseases in our country.

An update on the epidemiological situation of spotted fever in Brazil

Spotted fever is a tick-borne rickettsial disease. In Brazil, its notification to the Ministry of Health is compulsory. Since 2007, cases of spotted fever have been integrated to the Notifiable Diseases Information System, and epidemiological analyzes are part of the routines on surveillance programs. Methods This descriptive study updates epidemiological information on cases of spotted fever registered in Brazil between 2007 and 2015. Results In Brazil, 17,117 suspected cases of the disease were reported and 1,245 were confirmed in 12 states, mainly in São Paulo (550, 44.2 %) and Santa Catarina (276, 22.2 %). No geographic information was registered for 132 cases (10.6 %). Most of the infected people were men (70.9 %), mainly in rural areas (539, 43.3 %), who had contact with ticks (72.7 %). A higher number of suspected cases were registered between 2011 and 2015, but the number of confirmed cases and the incidence were relatively low. Moreover, 411 deaths were registered between 2007 and 2015, mainly in the southeastern region of the country, where the case-fatality rate was 55 %. Lack of proper filling of important fields of notification forms was also observed. Conclusions The results showed expansion of suspected cases of spotted fever and high case-fatality rates, which could be related to diagnostic difficulties and lack of prompt treatment. These factors may comprise limitations to the epidemiological surveillance system in Brazil, hence improvement of notification and investigation are crucial to reduce morbidity and mortality due to spotted fever in Brazil.

Investigações das riquetsioses: contribuições de cientistas brasileiros / Rickettsiosis investigations: contributions of Brazilian scientists

Justificativa e objetivos: Um crescente interesse em História da Medicina motivou uma investigação de cientistas brasileiros que tenham se destacado em pesquisas médicas. O objetivo do presente estudo foi descrever a história destes cientistas, que muito contribuíram para o conhecimento das riquetsioses. Conteúdo: Durante pesquisa a respeito da descoberta do agente causal do tifo exantemático, doença que por séculos dizimaram viajantes e populações aglomeradas de vilas e cidades europeias encontrou-se o nome de Henrique da Rocha Lima. Este brilhante cientista, além de descobrir o agente causal do tifo, revelou ao mundo um novo gênero de bactérias, as Rickettsias. No Brasil, uma riquetsiose adquiriu relevância epidemiológica a partir da década de 1920: a febre maculosa. Vários brasileiros se destacam em suas pesquisas, dentre eles Amílcar Viana Martins, Octávio de Magalhães e Jose Toledo Piza. Conclusão: Se atualmente há conhecimento e possibilidade de combater as riquetsioses, deve-se a estes pesquisadores, que com muito trabalho e dedicação desvendaram seus aspectos etiológicos, clínicos e fisiopatológicos.

Background and objectives: A special interest in History of Medicine led us to investigate the role of Brazilians who excelled in medical research. In the present study, we describe the contributions of such scientists in nriching the medical knowledge about rickettsiosis. Contents: We have found in the discovery of the causal agent of epidemic exanthematous typhus, a disease that for centuries afflicted travelers and overcrowded European cities and villages, the name of Henrique da Rocha Lima. This brilliant scientist, besides discovering the causal agent of epidemic exanthematous typhus, revealed to the world a new genus of bacteria, the rickettsia. In Brazil, a rickettsial disease acquired epidemiological relevance after the decade of 1920: the Brazilian spotted fever. Several outstanding researchers were involved in this pioneer research, especially Amílcar Viana Martins, Octávio de Magalhães and Jose Toledo Piza. Conclusion: If today we know about rickettsiosis and we can treat them, we owe this fact to these investigators who, with much work and dedication, solved its etiological, clinical and physiopatological aspects.