ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Human leptospirosis (HL) in the Federal District (DF), Brazil, is endemic and requires studies to characterize the socio-epidemiological profile of the vulnerable population. METHODS: Seventy-nine autochthonous cases of HL between 2011-2015 were analyzed based on the databases of the Epidemiological and Environmental Health Surveillance Department, DF. RESULTS: The male population aged 31-45 years represented 86% of the leptospirosis cases; most belonged to the social classes D and E. CONCLUSIONS: In the DF, preventive measures should be concentrated on economically active male adults of social classes C, D, and E with the aim of promoting health.
Subject(s)
Endemic Diseases , Leptospirosis/epidemiology , Adolescent , Adult , Brazil/epidemiology , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Middle Aged , Socioeconomic Factors , Young AdultABSTRACT
Abstract INTRODUCTION: Human leptospirosis (HL) in the Federal District (DF), Brazil, is endemic and requires studies to characterize the socio-epidemiological profile of the vulnerable population. METHODS: Seventy-nine autochthonous cases of HL between 2011-2015 were analyzed based on the databases of the Epidemiological and Environmental Health Surveillance Department, DF. RESULTS: The male population aged 31-45 years represented 86% of the leptospirosis cases; most belonged to the social classes D and E. CONCLUSIONS: In the DF, preventive measures should be concentrated on economically active male adults of social classes C, D, and E with the aim of promoting health.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Infant, Newborn , Infant , Child, Preschool , Child , Adolescent , Adult , Young Adult , Endemic Diseases , Leptospirosis/epidemiology , Socioeconomic Factors , Brazil/epidemiology , Middle AgedABSTRACT
Abstract INTRODUCTION: Leptospirosis is an infectious disease that affects more than 5,000 people per year in Brazil. The Federal District (FD) lacks epidemiological studies of human leptospirosis and presents concerning rates of this disease, especially considering its lethality. METHODS: Seventy-nine autochthonous human cases of leptospirosis between 2011 and 2015 were analyzed, with the probable infection location serving as a basis for the collection and analysis of the environmental and epidemiological variables. RESULTS: The incidence of the disease ranged from 0.68-13.39 per 100,000 inhabitants in 21 of the 31 administrative regions that compose the FD. The local profile of human leptospirosis was predominantly associated with urban areas during the rainy season, population access to the sewage network, the treated water network, and the public garbage collection service. The vast majority of cases had a strong association with synanthropic rodents at the infection sites. CONCLUSIONS: In order to prevent and control potentially lethal human leptospirosis infection, the eco-epidemiological characterization of this disease is a valuable tool for public policies of prevention, control, and surveillance. In addition to population awareness, the systematized control of synanthropic rodents could be the main health action to reduce the incidence of this disease in the FD.
Subject(s)
Humans , Environment , Leptospirosis/epidemiology , Seasons , Brazil/epidemiology , Incidence , Risk Factors , Spatio-Temporal AnalysisABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Leptospirosis is an infectious disease that affects more than 5,000 people per year in Brazil. The Federal District (FD) lacks epidemiological studies of human leptospirosis and presents concerning rates of this disease, especially considering its lethality. METHODS: Seventy-nine autochthonous human cases of leptospirosis between 2011 and 2015 were analyzed, with the probable infection location serving as a basis for the collection and analysis of the environmental and epidemiological variables. RESULTS: The incidence of the disease ranged from 0.68-13.39 per 100,000 inhabitants in 21 of the 31 administrative regions that compose the FD. The local profile of human leptospirosis was predominantly associated with urban areas during the rainy season, population access to the sewage network, the treated water network, and the public garbage collection service. The vast majority of cases had a strong association with synanthropic rodents at the infection sites. CONCLUSIONS: In order to prevent and control potentially lethal human leptospirosis infection, the eco-epidemiological characterization of this disease is a valuable tool for public policies of prevention, control, and surveillance. In addition to population awareness, the systematized control of synanthropic rodents could be the main health action to reduce the incidence of this disease in the FD.
Subject(s)
Environment , Leptospirosis/epidemiology , Brazil/epidemiology , Humans , Incidence , Risk Factors , Seasons , Spatio-Temporal AnalysisABSTRACT
Animal cruelty is a known behavior of psychopaths, and although the serial killing of humans is widely acknowledged worldwide, this type of crime against animals is seldom discussed. This report describes the necropsy and toxicological findings of 37 dogs and cats, which were found dead in plastic bags in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The animals had all been in the care of an alleged animal rescuer and were to be referred for adoption before being found dead. In the necropsy, the animals showed varying degrees of putrefaction, indicating different periods of death, as well as single or multiple perforations on the thorax. The perforations reached the heart, lungs or large thoracic vessels, culminating in hemopericardium and hemothorax that led to death by circulatory failure and cardiac tamponade. Blood from the heart and thoracic cavity was analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and tested positive for ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic. The suspect declared that she had killed only five of the animals and that they had all been fatally sick. The necropsy proved that all 37 animals were killed in the same way, that none of the animals had any terminal diseases and that a restricted drug was used. The suspect was sentenced to 12 years, 6 months and 14days of prison for the killing of the 37 animals. This was the first conviction for the crime of animal cruelty in Brazil. The combined role of police, forensic veterinary pathologists and prosecutors were essential to the conviction, which was a great historical occasion in the fight against animal cruelty.
