Re-emergence of rabies virus maintained by canid populations in Paraguay.

Paraguay has registered no human cases of rabies since 2004, and the last case in dogs, reported in 2009, was due to a variant maintained in the common vampire bat "Desmodus rotundus". In 2014, a dog was diagnosed as positive for rabies with aggression towards a boy and all required measures of control were successfully adopted. Epidemiological investigation revealed that the dog was not vaccinated and had been attacked by a crab-eating fox, "zorro" (Cerdocyon thous). The sample was diagnosed by the Official Veterinary Service of the Country and sent to the Center on Rabies Research from the University of São Paulo, Brazil, for antigenic and genetic characterization. A second sample from a dog positive for rabies in the same region in 2015 and 11 samples from a rabies outbreak from Asuncion in 1996 were also characterized. The antigenic profile of the samples, AgV2, was compatible with one of the variants maintained by dogs in Latin America. In genetic characterization, the samples segregated in the canine (domestic and wild species)-related group in an independent subgroup that also included samples from Argentina. These results and the epidemiology of the case indicate that even with the control of rabies in domestic animals, the virus can still circulate in wildlife and may be transmitted to domestic animals and humans, demonstrating the importance of continuous and improved surveillance and control of rabies, including in wild species, to prevent outbreaks in controlled areas.

Towards an ankle neuroprosthesis for hybrid robotics: Concepts and current sources for functional electrical stimulation.

Hybrid rehabilitation robotics combine neuro-prosthetic devices (close-loop functional electrical stimulation systems) and traditional robotic structures and actuators to explore better therapies and promote a more efficient motor function recovery or compensation. Although hybrid robotics and ankle neuroprostheses (NPs) have been widely developed over the last years, there are just few studies on the use of NPs to electrically control both ankle flexion and extension to promote ankle recovery and improved gait patterns in paretic limbs. The aim of this work is to develop an ankle NP specifically designed to work in the field of hybrid robotics. This article presents early steps towards this goal and makes a brief review about motor NPs and Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) principles and most common devices used to aid the ankle functioning during the gait cycle. It also shows a current sources analysis done in this framework, in order to choose the best one for this intended application.

Brote inusitado de neumonía de la comunidad durante una epidemia de influenza en el Paraguay / Unusual outbreak of pneumonía in the community during an influenza epidemic in Paraguay

La pandemia de influenza por el virus H1N1 afectó a la población del Paraguay a partir de la primera semana de julio de 2009. La misma se acompañó de un brote inusitado de neumonía de la comunidad. Describe las características demográficas y clínicas de un brote de neumonía de la comunidad durante la pandemia. Se realizó un estudio observacional descriptivo, prospectivo, que incluyó a sujetos adultos portadores de clínicos de enfermedad tipo influenza acompañada de neumonía aguda de la comunidad, internados en el Departamento de Medicina Interna del Hospital Nacional (Itauguá) durante los meses de julio y agosto de 2009. .Este brote determinó gran morbilidad pero baja mortalidad...

Detección de infección por VIH a través de test rápido en mujeres embarazadas: una estrategia exitosa para disminuir su transmisión vertical / Detection of HIV infection in pregnant women by rapid testing: a successful strategy to reduce its vertical transmission

En Uruguay existe un gran porcentaje de mujeres que no controlan su embarazo y donde la transmisión vertical de la infección por VIH alcanza al 50 por ciento. Objetivo: conocer la prevalencia de infección por VIH en mujeres embarazadas que desconocen su estado serológico, y que no controlan o controlan mal su gestación, y disminuir la transmisión vertical. Pacientes y métodos: entre enero de 2002 y enero de 2004 se realizó el test rápido para detectar infección por VIH a toda mujer embarazada que no supiera su condición serológica y que consultara en el Servicio Gineco-Obstétrico del Centro Hospitalario Pereira Rossell. De acuerdo a la edad gestacional se tomaban las medidas profilácticas consideradas más adecuadas. Se calculó la prevalencia de infección por VIH en esas mujeres y el porcentaje de transmisión a sus hijos. Resultados: hubo 34.338 consultas obstétricas y se realizaron 4.599 tests rápidos. Se detectaron 58 mujeres positivas, 8 de ellas conocían previamente su condición serológica. La prevalencia de infección por VIH fue de 1,1 por ciento (IC95 por ciento 0,8-1,4). Hubo un falso positivo y cuatro abortos. Diez mujeres abandonaron los controles. Doce recibieron antiretrovirales durante el embarazo por más de una semana. Se controlaron 39 niños y 2 fueron infectados. El porcentaje de transmisión fue de 5,1 por ciento. Como algunas mujeres y niños se perdieron en el seguimiento, es necesario complementar la estrategia de un screening de test rápido para infección por VIH con otras medidas como consejería y entrevista con asistente social para optimizar estos resultados.

Neurocalcin-immunoreactive neurons in the mammalian dorsal root ganglia, including humans.

Neurocalcin (NC) is a recently characterized EF-hand calcium-binding protein present in a discrete population of sensory neurons and their peripheral mechanoreceptors, but its presence in peripheral nervous system neurons other than in the rat is still unknown. The present study was designed to investigate the occurrence of NC in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of several mammalian species (horse, buffalo, cow, sheep, pig, dog, and rat), including humans. DRG were fixed, embedded in paraffin, and processed for immunohistochemistry using a polyclonal antibody against NC. The size of the immunoreactive neurons was measured. In all species examined, NC immunoreactivity (IR) was restricted to neurons but the percentage, as well as the size of the immunoreactive neurons, varied among different species. As a rule, small neurons (diameter <20 microm) lack NC IR. In some species (pig, dog, buffalo, cow), only the largest neurons showed IR, whereas in others (sheep, horse, rat, and humans) they covered the entire range of neuron sizes. The pattern of immunostaining was cytoplasmic, although in some species (cow and buffalo), it formed a peripheral "ring." The present results demonstrate that mammalian DRG contain a subpopulation of NC-positive neurons, which varies from one species to another. Based on the neuron size, the possible function of the NC-containing neurons is discussed.

Immunohistochemical localization of neurocalcin in human sensory neurons and mechanoreceptors.

The localization of neurocalcin in the developing and adult human peripheral nervous system (dorsal root and sympathetic ganglia (DRG, SG), and enteric nervous system (ENS)) was investigated using immunohistochemistry. A subpopulation of large-sized neurons in DRG of 9 and 12 weeks old embryos showed immunoreactivity (IR), whereas the sympathetic ganglia or enteric neurons did not. In adults, neurocalcin IR was restricted to a subpopulation of large (13%) and intermediate (15%) sized neurons in DRG. The protein was also found in muscular (67%) and cutaneous (12%) nerve fibers, as well as in the axons supplying muscular (muscle spindles, Golgi's tendon organs, and perimysial Pacinian corpuscles) and cutaneous (Meissner's but not Pacinian corpuscles) mechanoreceptors, as well as motor end-plates. Present results demonstrate that neurocalcin in both developing and adult humans can be used as a specific marker for a subpopulation of sensory neurons coupled to proprioception and touch, and for axons of motoneurons forming motor end-plates.

Acute Chagas' disease in non-human primates. 1. Chronology of clinical events, clinical chemistry, ECG, radiology, parasitemia, and immunological parameters in the Cebus apella monkey.

Forty Cebus apella monkeys free from Chagas' disease were subcutaneously infected with 3 x 10(5) trypomastigotes of the Ypsilon strain of T. cruzi and followed-up for 6 months. Seventeen monkeys were controls. Body weight, temperature, direct parasitemia (DP), IgM and IgG were determined weekly. Hematology was performed weekly up to day 40 p.i. and monthly thereafter. Clinical chemistry was performed every two weeks up to day 33 p.i. and monthly thereafter. ECG was performed weekly up to day 47 p.i. and at 2,3, and 6 months p.i. Chest X-ray was done at 45 days, 4 and 6 months p.i. Xenodiagnosis was only performed after two negative DP. All infected monkeys developed fever, beginning 6.0 +/- 0.6 day p.i. and lasting 21.9 +/- 6.7 days, and lost 14% of their body weight the first month, 11% the third month and 7% the 6th month. DP was already detected 4.4 +/- 0.29 days after infection and it was detectable in all monkeys up to 96.0 +/- 6.9 days p.i. Cyclical peaks of parasitemia were observed throughout the study. IgM and IgG titers which permitted a diagnosis of T. cruzi infection occurred at 33.0 +/- 2.9 days p.i., respectively. Fifty-seven percent of infected monkeys presented ECG alterations one week after inoculation reaching a maximum of 86% at the third week. A normocytic, normochromic anemia was observed in all monkeys being significantly (p less than 0.02) more severe in the infected animals. No effects of T. cruzi on the clinical chemistry were observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)