The vulnerabilities of lives: Zika, women and children in Alagoas State, Brazil.

Until 2015, Zika was mostly unknown in Brazil and in the world. Since then, the Zika virus has been found to be vertically transmitted and to cause congenital Zika syndrome (CZS). This study aims to describe and analyze the vulnerabilities of the women and children most affected by the Zika epidemic in Brazil. Alagoas has the lowest Human Development Index in Brazil and one of the highest rates of adolescent pregnancy. Between December 2016 and March 2017, interviews were conducted with 54 women with children affected by Zika. The interviews had two components: a narrative-oriented conversation and a semi-structured questionnaire. This comprehensive mixed methods case study represented 45% of the confirmed CZS cases and 20% of the cases under investigation in the state at that time. The women are predominantly Afro-Brazilian; most experienced their first pregnancy during adolescence, and had little education. Many were not covered by social protection programs and were not receiving adequate health care. The rights and needs of these women and children are impacted by a systemic lack of access to services and medications. There is inadequate transportation to services that many families depend on. Discrimination against their children with disabilities is a new and complex concept in their lives. The Zika epidemic has compounded rights violations in their lives and worsened their social and economic layers of vulnerability. There is an urgent need for a robust public response to guarantee the rights of these women and children and to implement mechanisms to prevent and eliminate their vulnerabilities.

The vulnerabilities of lives: Zika, women and children in Alagoas State, Brazil / As vulnerabilidades das vidas: Zika, mulheres e crianças no Estado de Alagoas, Brasil / Vulnerabilidades en vidas: Zika, mujeres y niños en el Estado de Alagoas, Brasil

Abstract: Until 2015, Zika was mostly unknown in Brazil and in the world. Since then, the Zika virus has been found to be vertically transmitted and to cause congenital Zika syndrome (CZS). This study aims to describe and analyze the vulnerabilities of the women and children most affected by the Zika epidemic in Brazil. Alagoas has the lowest Human Development Index in Brazil and one of the highest rates of adolescent pregnancy. Between December 2016 and March 2017, interviews were conducted with 54 women with children affected by Zika. The interviews had two components: a narrative-oriented conversation and a semi-structured questionnaire. This comprehensive mixed methods case study represented 45% of the confirmed CZS cases and 20% of the cases under investigation in the state at that time. The women are predominantly Afro-Brazilian; most experienced their first pregnancy during adolescence, and had little education. Many were not covered by social protection programs and were not receiving adequate health care. The rights and needs of these women and children are impacted by a systemic lack of access to services and medications. There is inadequate transportation to services that many families depend on. Discrimination against their children with disabilities is a new and complex concept in their lives. The Zika epidemic has compounded rights violations in their lives and worsened their social and economic layers of vulnerability. There is an urgent need for a robust public response to guarantee the rights of these women and children and to implement mechanisms to prevent and eliminate their vulnerabilities.

Resumo: Até 2015, o Zika vírus era praticamente desconhecido no Brasil e no mundo. Desde então, descobriu-se que o vírus é transmitido verticalmente, da gestante para o feto, e que causa a síndrome congênita do Zika vírus (SCZV). O estudo tem como objetivo descrever e analisar as vulnerabilidades das mulheres e crianças mais afetadas pela epidemia do Zika no Brasil. Alagoas é o estado do Brasil com o Índice de Desenvolvimento Humano mais baixo, e com uma das maiores taxas de gravidez na adolescência. Entre dezembro de 2016 e março de 2017, foram realizadas entrevistas com 54 mulheres com crianças afetadas pelo Zika. As entrevistas tinham dois componentes: uma conversa orientada por narrativa e um questionário semiestruturado. Este estudo de casos com métodos mistos representa 45% dos casos confirmados de SCZV e 20% dos casos investigados no estado na época. As mulheres eram predominantemente afro-brasileiras, a maioria primigesta durante a adolescência e com baixa escolaridade. Muitas não estavam inscritas em programas de proteção social e não recebiam cuidados de saúde adequados. Os direitos e necessidades dessas mulheres e crianças são impactados pela falta sistemática de acesso a serviços e medicamentos. Há deficiências no transporte público até os serviços de saúde, dos quais dependem muitas famílias. A discriminação contra os filhos com a síndrome é um conceito novo e complexo na vida dessas mulheres. A epidemia do Zika agravou as violações de seus direitos e os fatores sociais e econômicos de sua vulnerabilidade. Há uma necessidade urgente de uma resposta pública robusta para garantir os direitos dessas mulheres e crianças e para implementar mecanismos para prevenir e eliminar as vulnerabilidades.

Resumen: Hasta el 2015, Zika era desconocido para la mayoría, tanto en Brasil, como en el resto del mundo. Desde entonces, se ha descubierto que el virus del Zika se trasmite verticalmente y causa el síndrome congénito por el virus Zika (SCZ). El objetivo de este estudio es describir y analizar las vulnerabilidades de las mujeres y niños más afectados por la epidemia de Zika en Brasil. Alagoas cuenta con el índice más bajo de desarrollo humano y una de las más altas tasas de embarazo adolescente. Entre diciembre de 2016 y marzo de 2017, se realizaron entrevistas a 54 mujeres con niños afectados por el Zika. Las entrevistas estuvieron compuestas por: una conversación orientada al relato y un cuestionario semiestructurado. En aquel momento este estudio de casos con métodos combinados integrales representó un 45% de los casos confirmados de SCZ, y un 20% de los casos en investigación, dentro del estado. Las mujeres eran predominantemente afrobrasileñas, la mayoría vivieron su primer embarazo durante la adolescencia, y contaban con poca formación educativa. Muchas no estaban inscritas en los programas de protección social y no estaban recibiendo cuidados de salud adecuados. Los derechos y necesidades de estas mujeres y niños estaban afectados por una carencia sistémica de acceso a servicios y medicamentos. Existe un transporte inadecuado a los servicios de los que dependen muchas familias. La discriminación contra sus hijos con discapacidades es una nueva y compleja vicisitud en sus vidas. La epidemia de Zika ha agravado las violaciones de derechos en sus vidas y empeorado varios de sus factores de vulnerabilidad social y económica. Existe una necesidad urgente de una respuesta pública rotunda, con el fin de garantizar los derechos de esas mujeres y niños, así como implementar mecanismos, con el fin de prevenir y eliminar sus vulnerabilidades.

Polarized apical sorting of guanylyl cyclase C is specified by a cytosolic signal.

Receptor guanylyl cyclases respond to ligand stimulation by increasing intracellular cGMP, thereby initiating a variety of cell-signaling pathways. Furthermore, these proteins are differentially localized at the apical and basolateral membranes of epithelial cells. We have identified a region of 11 amino acids in the cytosolic COOH terminus of guanylyl cyclase C (GCC) required for normal apical localization in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. These amino acids share no significant sequence homology with previously identified cytosolic apical sorting determinants. However, these amino acids are highly conserved and are sufficient to confer apical polarity to the interleukin-2 receptor alpha-chain (Tac). Additionally, we find two molecular weight species of GCC in lysates prepared from MDCK cells over-expressing GCC but observe only the fully mature species on the cell surface. Using pulse-chase analysis in polarized MDCK cells, we followed the generation of this mature species over time finding it to be detectable only at the apical cell surface. These data support the hypothesis that selective apical sorting can be determined using short, cytosolic amino acid motifs and argue for the existence of apical sorting machinery comparable with the machinery identified for basolateral protein traffic.