Metal loads and biomarker suite responses in a tropical carnivorous fish indicative of anthropogenic impacts in a Southeastern Brazilian lagoon.

Tropical coastal lagoons are highly productive environments exhibiting high biodiversity. However, the use of these ecosystems by local communities is of concern, since this generally leads to environmental degradation. The Imboassica coastal lagoon, located in Macaé city, in Northern Rio de Janeiro, is an important ecosystem in the state, however, already displaying signs of anthropogenic impacts. Carnivorous fish Hoplias malabaricus specimens were sampled from this impacted site, as well as from a reference area. Fish from Imboassica Lagoon presented lower condition factor, lower cholinesterase activity, and higher percentage of erythrocyte micronuclei when compared to fish from the reference site. Metals in fish from Imboassica Lagoon were always higher than Encantada Lagoon, with some seasonal differences, where some metals were higher in the rainy season compared to the dry season in muscle tissue, with the exception of Cu, Fe, Sr, and Zn; and in the liver, except for Ba, Cd, Cr, Ni, and Sr. Cr and Mn in the edible muscle portion of the fish were higher than the limits established by Brazilian and International legislations as permissible for human consumption, thus leading to concerns regarding public health risks for the local population that use fish as their main protein source.

Epidemiological patterns of foot-and-mouth disease worldwide.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) is a clinical syndrome in animals due to FMD virus that exists in seven serotypes, whereby recovery from one sero-type does not confer immunity against the other six. So when considering intervention strategies in endemic settings, it is important to take account of the characteristics of the different serotypes in different ecological systems. FMD serotypes are not uniformly distributed in the regions of the world where the disease still occurs. For example, the cumulative incidence of FMD serotypes show that six of the seven serotypes of FMD (O, A, C, SAT-1, SAT-2, SAT-3) have occurred in Africa, while Asia contends with four sero-types (O, A, C, Asia-1), and South America with only three (O, A, C). Periodically there have been incursions of Types SAT-1 and SAT-2 from Africa into the Middle East. This paper describes the global dynamics for the seven sero-types and attempts to define FMD epidemiological clusters in the different regions of the world. These have been described on a continent by continent basis. The review has reaffirmed that the movement of infected animals is the most important factor in the spread of FMD within the endemically infected regions. It also shows that the eco-system based approach for defining the epidemiological patterns of FMD in endemic, which was originally described in South America, can apply readily to other parts of the world. It is proposed that any coordinated regional or global strategy for FMD control should be based on a sound epidemiological assessment of the incidence and distribution of FMD, identifying risk sources as either primary or secondary endemic eco-systems.

The role of ultrasound biomicroscopy in predicting the result of temporal artery biopsy in temporal arteritis patients: a preliminary study.

PURPOSE: Temporal artery biopsy is considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of temporal arteritis (TA). However, complications following this procedure may occur. The goal of this study is to evaluate if ultrasound biomicroscope (UBM) findings are useful in predicting the result (positive or negative) of temporal artery biopsy in patients with TA. METHODS: Twenty-six consecutive patients with clinical diagnosis of TA seen at the Department of Ophthalmology, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Canada, were involved in this study. All patients were submitted to UBM before temporal artery biopsy. Eight patients presented histopathologic findings consistent with the diagnosis of TA. Thus, UBM findings of these patients were compared with those from 18 patients with negative biopsy. On UBM we searched for the presence of a hypoechoic effect surrounding the walls of the temporal arteries, the so-called halo sign, as well as an intra-arterial middle reflexive filling, the so-called intra-arterial filling. RESULTS: The halo sign and/or the intra-arterial filling were found in 8 (100%) of 8 patients with biopsy-proven TA. However, 10 (55.5%) of 18 patients with a negative biopsy presented one or both of these two UBM findings. On the other hand, the absence of these two parameters on the UBM of a patient with TA strongly suggests that the temporal artery biopsy will be negative (negative predictive value=100%). CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary work suggests that UBM may play a role in predicting a negative result of the temporal artery biopsy in patients with TA. In the present series approximately 30% of the patients could be spared this surgical procedure and its possible complications.

Cost considerations of the new fixed combinations for glaucoma medical therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the costs of the new fixed combinations for glaucoma medical therapy. METHODS: The studied drugs were: Cosopt (5-mL bottle), Combigan (5-mL bottle) and Xalacom (2.5-mL bottle). Five bottles of each drug were obtained from pharmacies, and the medications lot numbers were recorded. To calculate the drop volume, 10 drops and 1 mL of each bottle were weighed with a digital precision scale. Drop volume was calculated by the relation between volume and weight. The cost of each bottle of medication was determined from the average retail price in Canada. The prices were obtained in Canadian dollars (dollars). RESULTS: The drops of Cosopt (39.60 +/- 0.45 microL) were considerably larger than the drops of Combigan (33.75 +/- 0.60 microL) and Xalacom (30.87 +/- 0.37 microL). The average number of drops per millilitre varied from 25.25 +/- 0.29 (Cosopt) to 32.40 +/- 0.39 microL (Xalacom). Combigan presented the lowest daily cost (dollars 0.87 +/- 0.02) followed by Xalacom (dollars 1.09 +/- 0.01) and Cosopt (dollars 1.22 +/- 0.01). The average cost by year varied from dollars 316.75 +/- 5.59 (Combigan) to dollars 445.96 +/- 5.16 (Cosopt), with a total difference of dollars 129.21 per year of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: There was a statistically significant difference in average drop size and cost among the three studied drugs. Combigan presented the lowest daily cost followed by Xalacom and Cosopt.

The role of ultrasound biomicroscopy in predicting the result of temporal artery biopsy in temporal arteritis patients: A preliminary study.

PURPOSE: Temporal artery biopsy is considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of temporal arteritis (TA). However, complications following this procedure may occur. The goal of this study is to evaluate if ultrasound biomicroscope (UBM) findings are useful in predicting the result (positive or negative) of temporal artery biopsy in patients with TA. METHODS: Twenty-six consecutive patients with clinical diagnosis of TA seen at the Department of Ophthalmology, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Canada, were involved in this study. All patients were submitted to UBM before temporal artery biopsy. Eight patients presented histopathologic findings consistent with the diagnosis of TA. Thus, UBM findings of these patients were compared with those from 18 patients with negative biopsy. On UBM we searched for the presence of a hypoechoic effect surrounding the walls of the temporal arteries, the so-called halo sign, as well as an intra-arterial middle reflexive filling, the so-called intra-arterial filling. RESULTS: The halo sign and/or the intra-arterial filling were found in 8 (100%) of 8 patients with biopsy-proven TA. However, 10 (55.5%) of 18 patients with a negative biopsy presented one or both of these two UBM findings. On the other hand, the absence of these two parameters on the UBM of a patient with TA strongly suggests that the temporal artery biopsy will be negative (negative predictive value=100%). CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary work suggests that UBM may play a role in predicting a negative result of the temporal artery biopsy in patients with TA. In the present series approximately 30% of the patients could be spared this surgical procedure and its possible complications.

The use of vaccines in South American foot-and-mouth disease eradication programmes.

Since the beginning of organized campaigns in the 1960s, vaccination has been a major component of national FMD control and eradication programmes in South America. Aqueous vaccines were used in the 1960s and 1970s, and the introduction of oil vaccines in the mid 1980s helped to decrease endemism. Bi- and trivalent FMD vaccine production increased from 266 thousand doses in 1967 to 580 million doses in 2002. Currently, over 200 million cattle are vaccinated twice yearly throughout the continent. This massive vaccination programme, along with outbreak and animal movement control, helped eradicate FMD in sizeable areas in the 1990s. Outbreaks in the Southern Cone during 2000/2001 were curbed mostly by repeated massive vaccination of cattle. The Hemispheric FMD Eradication Plan, with its end date of 2009, relies on cyclic vaccinations as a major instrument. Vaccination as the major component will continue until when?

Vaccines and foot-and-mouth disease eradication in South America.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccines have been a component of disease control and eradication strategies in South America ever since the first national programmes were created in the 1960s. By the mid 1970s, with the aid of international loans, FMD control programmes were implemented in almost every country and control measures strengthened. Livestock production forms are still a determining factor in the spread and prevalence of FMD and regional control/eradication strategies based on these forms were developed during the 1980s, as part of the Hemispheric Plan for FMD Eradication, developed by Panaftosa-PAHO/WHO and the South American countries. The widespread use of oil-adjuvant vaccines and the development of strategic schemes of coverage were instrumental in decreasing clinical disease and in controlling FMD to a point that eradication could be sought. This resulted in the recognition of countries and regions as free with and without vaccination Reappearance of FMD in Argentina, Southern Brazil and Uruguay were controlled with the aid of mass vaccination of bovines and other susceptible species, under special circumstances. Clinical FMD has been absent from Uruguay since August 2001; from Argentina since January 2002 and from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil since July 2001. To prevent reintroduction of FMDV into free areas, national programmes must stress primary prevention activities with regional approaches and vaccination campaigns based on homogeneous coverage and timing, especially along international borders.

How to promote joint participation of the public and private sectors in the organisation of animal health programmes.

It is generally accepted that the first recorded outbreaks of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in South America occurred around 1870. The disease emerged almost simultaneously in the province of Buenos Aires (Argentina), in the central region of Chile, in Uruguay and in southern Brazil, due to the introduction of livestock from Europe. Argentina set up an agency for the control and eradication of FMD in 1961, Brazil began disease-control activities in Rio Grande do Sul in 1965, Paraguay and Uruguay initiated similar programmes in 1967, Chile in 1970 and Colombia in 1972. A common characteristic was observed in all early national FMD programmes, namely, they were developed, financed, operated and evaluated by the public sector, without major participation from the private sector, except when buying vaccines and abiding by the regulations. In 1987, the Hemispheric Foot and Mouth Disease Eradication Plan (PHEFA: Plan Hemisférico para la Erradicación de la Fiebre Aftosa) was launched and the private sector played a prominent role in achieving the eradication and control of FMD in several countries. However, this model of co-participation between the public and private sectors has suffered setbacks and a new approach is being developed to find ways in which local structures and activities can be self-sustaining.

Review of the status of foot and mouth disease in countries of South America and approaches to control and eradication.

Since the signing in 1987 of the Hemispheric Plan for the Eradication of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (PHEFA) by the countries of South America, clinical cases of foot and mouth disease (FMD) have decreased significantly throughout the continent. During the early 1990s, national laboratories diagnosed an average of 766 cases per year in South America. By the late 1990s, this continent-wide average had fallen to 130. By the end of the 1990s, the international community recognised Argentina, Chile, Guyana and Uruguay as free of FMD without vaccination. In 1999, clinical signs of FMD were absent in 60% of all cattle of the continent. These cattle represented 41% of all herds in South America and extended over 60% of the geographical area of the continent. However, in the spring of 2001, FMD re-appeared in certain countries of the Southern Cone. This widespread re-occurrence of the disease in Argentina, Uruguay and the State of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil called into question the basic premise of the PHEFA--that countries in South America can achieve and maintain FMD-free status, with or without vaccination. The authors suggest that these countries can regain their FMD-free status by supporting the PHEFA. A successful disease eradication strategy relies on high levels of vaccination, effectiveness of outbreak responses, and control of animal movement. This strategy must have a regional, not national, focus and must be based on risk analysis methodology. The multilateral administration of vaccination campaigns and field activities to ensure wide and simultaneous vaccine application, along with primary prevention and joint border activities, is the key to eradicating FMD and maintaining areas free of the disease.

Análisis descriptivo del riesgo de persistencia del virus "C"

[Histórico] La fiebre aftosa fue introducida al Continente Americano, a través de la importación de animales de Europa, por la necesidad de mejorar la productividad de la ganadería bovina, para atender a la creciente industria de procesamiento de productos de origen animal del Cono Sur del Subcontinente. La primera introducción registrada fue en la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina, alrededor de 1870. Desde entonces, la enfermedad se ha difundido a los países vecinos por las relaciones comerciales existentes entre ellos y con otros en el Continente Americano. Esta situación caracterizó a Sudamérica como endémica y provocó el embargo de países de Europa y de los Estados Unidos, a productos de origen animal, en especial de Argentina, Brasil y Uruguay, tradicionales exportadores.

Manutención y utilización de bases de datos: condición previa para la prevención de la fiebre aftosa y otras enfermedades de los animales. La aplicación SIVESA

Este trabajo aborda algunos aspectos estructurales del Sistema Integrado de Vigilancia en Salud Animal (SIVESA), software desarrollado por PANAFTOSA/OPS/OMS, para el manejo de los datos epidemiológicos en las unidades locales de atención veterinaria (ULAV) de los Servicios Veterinarios, como base metodológica de untilización de los datos del sistema de información en el desarrollo de mecanismos sensoriales, y la prevención basados en la vigilancia activa.

Risks of introducing foot and mouth disease through the importation of beef from South America.

The safety of beef with respect to foot and mouth disease (FMD) is determined by the level of risk which the exporting region poses through disease prevalence, the reliability of the surveillance system of the region, the efficacy of the prevention and control measures, the efficiency of the Veterinary Services and the support of the private sector. The South American continent has been regionalised in accordance with these criteria. Today there are approximately 90 million cattle in a territory of over 5 million km2 comprising regions classified as having a very low to low level risk for FMD with regard to the export of animals and animal products. Another 50 million cattle live in regions classified as posing a moderate risk. These risk categories reflect varying levels of risk. The harvest of beef in the meat-exporting regions of South America includes a series of risk mitigation measures, from the origin of the source herd to the final packing of the beef. These measures reduce the unrestricted risk estimate by almost six orders of magnitude. Therefore, the final risk of FMD for the global trade of beef originating from the low risk regions in South America is extremely small.

Regionalización en el análisis de riesgo de fiebre aftosa para América del Sur

En este trabajo se propone una evaluación de riesgo específica y regional de la fiebre aftosa en América del Sur para la exportación de productos animales basada en la situación de los programas de control, erradicación y prevención de la fiebre aftosa de cada país o región.

Observaciones sobre el riesgo de ocurrencia de Fiebre Aftosa

[Introducción] El objetivo de este trabajo es el de describir algunos tipos de datos y presentar algunas observaciones iniciales sobre el riesgo de enfermar por fiebre aftosa en sentido espacial y temporal, proveniente de los sistemas integrados de información obtenidos por procedimientos ocasionales (encuestas retrospectivas de Goiás, Mato Grosso, Rio de Janeiro y Sergipe) y continuos (Rio Grande do Sul, estado que estabeleció el primer sistema de información) como término de comparación.