Diversity and prevalence of intestinal parasites of zoonotic potential in animal hosts from different biomes in the central region of Brazil.

The Brazilian state of Mato Grosso comprises the biomes Cerrado, Pantanal, and Amazon rainforest. The animals that make up the biodiversity of these biomes have an ongoing relationship with domestic animals. This study aimed to describe the prevalence and diversity of intestinal parasites in different class of animal hosts, domestic and wild, from the three biomes of Brazil's central region, during 2019. We analyzed animal faecal samples by sedimentation tests and centrifugal flotation in sucrose. The Shannon index test to calculate diversity and equitability, was used. In the 280 samples analyzed, 79.64% was positive. Domestic animals showed positivity of 87% and wild animals of 51%, being mammals the most prevalent, with 81%. Blastocystis sp. was the most prevalent protozoan, and Ascaris sp. of the helminths. Shannon's indexes were higher for the Pantanal. Overall, pigs, cows, and chickens had high prevalence values and diversity and equitability of enteroparasites. Due to the great diversity of parasites found in pigs, cows and chickens, these animals can play an important role in the transmission and maintenance of the infection to other mammals, including humans.

Diversity, geographical distribution, and prevalence of Entamoeba spp. in Brazil: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The genus Entamoeba includes a variety of widely distributed species adapted to live in the digestive tracts of humans and a large variety of animals of different classes. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence, distribution, and molecular epidemiology of Entamoeba spp. in different classes of hosts in Brazil. Studies that analyzed hosts from several classes, including humans and domestic, wild, or captive animals, were considered. The pooled prevalence of Entamoeba spp. was calculated using the random-effects model. A total of 166 studies on humans and 16 on animals were included. The prevalence of Entamoeba spp. in the Brazilian population was 22% (95% CI: 21-24). The state with the highest prevalence was Paraiba with 72%, followed by Federal District with 53%, and Rondonia with 50%. In immunocompromized patients, the prevalence was 18%, and cancer (36%) was the most prevalent cause of immunosuppression. The prevalence of Entamoeba spp. in animal hosts was 12% (95% CI: 7-17). Captive wild animals and domestic farm animals showed the highest prevalence, with 16% and 15%, respectively. The species found more often were E. coli (86.5%), E. dispar (7.9%), and E. histolytica (3.1%). In conclusion, a high prevalence (22%) of Entamoeba spp. was found in the Brazilian population, with a prevalence of up to 50% mainly in the northern, northeastern, and central-western regions. The pathogenic species E. histolytica is distributed in most Brazilian regions, with significant prevalence percentages. Among animals, unidentified Entamoeba species were most prevalent in mammals.

TITLE: Diversité, répartition géographique et prévalence d'Entamoeba spp. au Brésil : revue systématique et méta-analyse. ABSTRACT: Le genre Entamoeba comprend une variété d'espèces largement distribuées, adaptées à vivre dans le tube digestif des humains et une grande variété d'animaux de différentes classes. L'objectif de cette étude était d'étudier la prévalence, la distribution et l'épidémiologie moléculaire d'Entamoeba spp. dans différentes classes d'hôtes au Brésil. Les études qui ont analysé les hôtes de plusieurs classes, y compris les humains et les animaux domestiques, sauvages ou captifs, ont été prises en compte. La prévalence combinée d'Entamoeba spp. a été calculée à l'aide du modèle à effets aléatoires. Au total, 166 études sur l'homme et 16 sur les animaux ont été incluses. La prévalence d'Entamoeba spp. dans la population brésilienne était de 22 % (IC à 95 % : 21­24). L'état avec la prévalence la plus élevée était Paraiba avec 72 %, suivi du District fédéral avec 53 % et Rondonia avec 50 %. Chez les patients immunodéprimés, la prévalence était de 18 % et le cancer (36 %) était la cause la plus fréquente d'immunosuppression. La prévalence d'Entamoeba spp. chez les hôtes animaux était de 12 % (IC à 95 % : 7­17). Les animaux sauvages en captivité et les animaux domestiques d'élevage ont affiché la prévalence la plus élevée, avec respectivement 16 % et 15 %. Les espèces trouvées le plus souvent étaient E. coli (86,5 %), E. dispar (7,9 %) et E. histolytica (3,1 %). En conclusion, une prévalence élevée (22 %) d'Entamoeba spp. a été trouvée dans la population brésilienne, allant jusqu'à 50 % principalement dans les régions du nord, du nord-est et du centre-ouest. L'espèce pathogène E. histolytica est répartie dans la plupart des régions du Brésil, avec des pourcentages de prévalence importants. Parmi les animaux, les espèces d'Entamoeba non identifiées étaient les plus répandues chez les mammifères.

Chronic heart diseases as the most prevalent comorbidities among deaths by COVID-19 in Brazil.

Age, sex and presence of comorbidities are risk factors associated with COVID-19. Hypertension, diabetes and heart disease are the most common comorbidities in patients with COVID-19. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of patients with comorbidities who died of COVID-19 in Brazil. Searches of data were carried out on the official pages of the 26 State health departments and the federal district. The random-effect method was used to calculate the prevalence of patients with comorbidities who died. From the beginning of the pandemic in Brazil until May 20, 2020, 276,703 cases of COVID-19 were notified in Brazil, 6.4% died, 58.6% of whom were male. The prevalence of comorbidities among deaths was 83% (95% CI: 79 - 87), with heart disease and diabetes being the most prevalent. To our knowledge, this study represents the first large analysis of cases of patients with confirmed COVID-19 in Brazil. There is a high prevalence of comorbidities (83%) among patients who died from COVID-19 in Brazil, with heart disease being the most prevalent. This is important considering the possible secondary effects produced by drugs such as hydroxychloroquine.

Prevalence of comorbidities in patients and mortality cases affected by SARS-CoV2: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The new coronavirus, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. Risk factors associated with this disease are age, sex, and the presence of comorbidities, the most common being hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. The aim of this meta-analysis was to calculate the prevalence and geographical distribution of comorbidities in all patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs), and the mortality rate of COVID-19. We selected studies based upon epidemiological and clinical descriptions of the patients and mortality from the disease to determine the pooled prevalence of comorbidities in all patients and in mortality cases due to COVID-19. The pooled prevalence was estimated using the random effects model, and odds ratios were used to measure the probability of death for a patient with a comorbidity. The total prevalence of comorbidities in patients with COVID-19 was 42% (95% CI: 25-60), 61% (95% CI: 42-80) in those admitted to the ICU, and 77% (95% CI: 68-86) among death cases; males were the most affected. Hypertension was the most prevalent comorbidity in all three groups studied, accounting for 32%, 26%, and 35%, respectively. The odds ratio of death for a patient with a comorbidity compared to one with no comorbidity was 2.4 (P < 0.0001). The higher the prevalence of comorbidities the higher the odds that the COVID-19 patient will need intensive care or will die, especially if the pre-existing disease is hypertension, heart disease, or diabetes.

Prevalence of Blastocystis sp. infection in several hosts in Brazil: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Blastocystis sp. affects a wide variety of animals and is the most common protozoan in human fecal samples with potential pandemic distribution. In the present study, a systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to determine the prevalence and distribution of Blastocystis sp. in different classes of hosts in Brazil. METHODS: Studies that analyzed hosts of various classes, including humans, domestic animals, wild animals or captive animals, were considered. The pooled prevalence of Blastocystis sp. infection was estimated by random effects models. RESULTS: For humans, similar prevalence rates were found for males (31.0%, 95% CI: 17.0-45.0%; weight 10%) and females (28.0%, 95% CI: 16.0-41.0%; weight 10%); the state of Mato Grosso do Sul showed the highest prevalence, with 41.0% positivity (95% CI: 36.0-46.0%; weight 2.9%). The prevalence among immunocompromised patients was 5.0% (95% CI: 3.0-7.0%; weight 10%), and the most common cause of immunosuppression was hemodialysis, with 23.0% (95% CI: 17.0-29.0%; weight 12.4%). Among classifications according to interaction with humans, wild and domestic animals presented values of 19.0% (95% CI: 7.0-31.0%; weight 42.6%) and 17.0% (95% CI: 13.0-21.0%; weight 29.6%), respectively. Among these animals, mammals (39.0%, 95% CI: 21.0-56.0%; weight 47.3%) and birds (18.0%, 95% CI: 10.0-27.0%; weight 39.3%) exhibited the highest prevalence. Phylogenetic analysis of Blastocystis sp. revealed greater genetic diversity for clades of subtypes (STs) ST1, ST2 and ST3. CONCLUSIONS: The overall prevalence of Blastocystis sp. in the Brazilian human population was 24%, which reflects the reality in the South, Southeast and Midwest regions, where prevalence rates of up to 40% were found. Among animals, mammals and birds exhibited the highest prevalence.

Diagnostic accuracy of Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays to detect anti-Leishmania antibodies in patients with American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis: a systematic review.

American Tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL) is an infectious disease caused by several species of Leishmania . Even though the direct detection of parasites has low sensitivity, it is still the gold standard for the laboratory diagnosis of ATL. Recent studies have shown promising results of Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays ( ELISAs) using recombinant antigens. The aim of this study is to compare the accuracy of ELISAs using novel antigens with the standard ELISA based on soluble antigens of Leishmania (SLA) to diagnose ATL. Studies that analyzed patients with ATL and studies that evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of ELISAs using novel antigens and SLA were included. The Fourteen studies from PubMed, Regional Portal of the Virtual Health Library (BVS), Brazilian Society of Dermatology, Virtual Health Library (IBECS), Literature in the Health Sciences in Latin America and the Caribbean (LILACS), Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (Medline), Elsevier Embase, Cochrane Library, The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) were included. The novel ELISA antigens showed a high sensitivity (93.8%-100%) and specificity (82.5-100%), a better diagnostic performance than SLA-based ELISAs (1-97.4% and 57.5-100%, respectively). Only 10 studies analyzed cross-reactions in serum samples from patients with Chagas disease, and only two studies reported a percentage of cross-reactivity. In this systematic review, the novel ELISA antigens showed better sensitivity and specificity with respect to SLA-based ELISAs. However, a meta-analysis should be performed to confirm this finding.

Phytomonas (Euglenozoa: Trypanosomatidae): Phylogenetic analyses support infrageneric lineages and a new species transmitted to Solanaceae fruits by a pentatomid hemipteran.

The genus Phytomonas includes trypanosomatids transmitted to the fruits, latex, and phloem of vascular plants by hemipterans. We inferred the phylogenetic relationships of plant and insect isolates assigned to the previously defined genetic groups A-F and H of Phytomonas, particularly those from groups A, C and E comprising flagellates of Solanaceae fruits. Phylogenetic analyses using glycosomal Glyceraldehyde Phosphate Dehydrogenase (gGAPDH) and Small Subunit rRNA (SSU rRNA) genes strongly supported the monophyly of the genus Phytomonas and its division into seven main infrageneric phylogenetic lineages (Phy clades). Isolates from fruit or latex do not constitute monophyletic assemblages but disperse through more than one lineages. In this study, fruit flagellates were distributed in three clades: PhyA, formed by isolates from Solanaceae and phytophagous hemipterans; PhyC comprising flagellates from four plant families; and PhyE, which contains 15 fruit isolates from seven species of Solanaceae. The flagellates of PhyE are described as Phytomonas dolleti n. sp. according to their positioning in phylogenetic trees, complemented by data about their life cycle, and developmental and morphological characteristics in cultures, fruits of Solanum spp., and salivary glands of the vector, the phytophagous hemipteran Arvelius albopunctatus (Pentatomidae).