Inorganic contamination in roadkill birds in Northeast Brazil / Contaminação inorgânica em aves atropeladas no Nordeste do Brasil

Abstract Wildlife roadkill surveys in Brazil often focus on birds, as they are one of the main groups affected by road accidents. In addition roadkill, anthropogenic litter also contributes to a significant number of bird fatalities every year. The present study aimed to investigate the stomach contents and possible contamination by inorganic material of birds killed on a federal highway that crosses the Serra de Itabaiana National Park in the state of Sergipe, Brazil. Monitoring and data collection were carried out from January to June 2022, with a motorcycle at an average speed of 60 km/h. The collected animals were transported to the Institute of Technology and Research, located at the Tiradentes University, Sergipe, Brazil, and a plastic material was identified. The plastic material found was subjected to Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), which showed a similar wavenumber to a polymer in the polypropylene chain, very common in plastic packaging. The presence of plastics and metals in the intestinal contents of Caracara plancus and Crotophaga ani is noteworthy, as they have a greater tendency to ingest plastics due to their generalist diet. Plastic contamination in Progne chalybea and Nyctidromus albicollis probably occurred through bioaccumulation, from the consumption of insects contaminated by microplastics.

Resumo As pesquisas sobre atropelamentos de animais silvestres no Brasil geralmente se concentram nas aves, pois elas são um dos principais grupos afetados por acidentes rodoviários. Além dos atropelamentos, o lixo antropogênico também contribui para um número significativo de mortes de aves todos os anos. O presente estudo teve como objetivo investigar o conteúdo estomacal e possível contaminação por material inorgânico de aves atropeladas em uma rodovia federal que atravessa o Parque Nacional da Serra de Itabaiana, no estado de Sergipe, Brasil. O monitoramento e a coleta de dados foram realizados no período de janeiro a junho de 2022, com uma motocicleta a uma velocidade média de 60 km/h. Os animais coletados foram transportados para o Instituto de Tecnologia e Pesquisa situado na Universidade Tiradentes, Sergipe, Brasil, onde foi identificado um material plástico. O material plástico encontrado foi submetido à espectroscopia no infravermelho com transformada de Fourier (FTIR), que mostrou número de onda semelhante a um polímero da cadeia do polipropileno, muito comum em embalagens plásticas. Chama a atenção a presença de plásticos e metais no conteúdo intestinal de Caracara plancus e Crotophaga ani, pois apresentam maior tendência à ingestão de plásticos devido à dieta generalista. A contaminação plástica em Progne chalybea e Nyctidromus albicollis provavelmente ocorreu por bioacumulação, a partir do consumo de insetos contaminados por microplásticos.

Phlebotominae Fauna (Diptera: Psychodidae) and the Spatial Distribution of Species in Sergipe, Brazil.

Some sand fly species are the vectors responsible for the transmission of Leishmania spp. (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae), the etiological agent of leishmaniasis, and in the state of Sergipe, the two main forms of the disease (visceral and cutaneous) are recorded. Few works show information about the species that form the Phlebotominae fauna in Sergipe. This study aimed to update and determine how they are distributed throughout the state. The study used data from surveys about phlebotomines in Sergipe, from the Program of Surveillance and Control of Visceral Leishmaniasis, carried out by the Central Public Health Laboratory of Sergipe, from 2008 to 2018, along with review and original data from 2022. The commentary on this information was developed with focus on the species that can be vectors for the disease. Sergipe has, up to now, 27 registered species of phlebotomines from 12 genera, 15 of them are of sanitary relevance. Twenty two of these species are in the mesoregion East, 19 in the Agreste, and 11 in the Sertão of Sergipe. The species with the greatest distribution was Evandromyia lenti (Mangabeira, 1938), present in 74.6% of the municipalities of Sergipe, followed by Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva, 1912), the main vector of the etiological agent of visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil, present in 68% of the municipalities studied. This study expands the number and distribution of species recorded in the state. This information can contribute to disease containment plans and support health education actions aimed at the control of leishmaniasis in Sergipe.

Preservation of forensic traces by health professionals in a hospital in Northeast Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Health professionals who work in emergency services must be prepared for the recognition, collection, storage, preservation and documentation of all physical traces related to injuries or crime, because failures in these processes may compromise any forensic analysis. We, therefore, investigated emergency health professionals' levels of knowledge about these processes and their abilities to implement them in practice during the care of victims of violence in an emergency unit of a specialized trauma hospital. METHODS: This was a survey to describe the knowledge of professionals working in the emergency department of the Sergipe Urgent Care Hospital (HUSE) in Sergipe state, Northeast Brazil about the preservation of forensic traces and their ability to implement the necessary related processes in practice. Their knowledge of the preservation of forensic materials and their abilities to implement the processes related to their preservation were assessed using the Portuguese version of the Questionnaire on the Preservation of Forensic Traces in Victim Assistance. RESULTS: A total of 144 health professionals completed the questionnaire, of whom 23 (16 %) were physicians, 33 (22.9 %) nurses and 88 (61.1 %) nursing technicians. Most physicians (15/65.2 %) reported knowing between 50 and 70 % of the required procedures, and the majority of nurses and nursing technicians knew less than 50 % (15/45.5 % and 72/81.8 %, respectively). Regarding their actual implementation, most physicians and nurses reported performing between 50 % and 70 % of the procedures (22/95.7 % and 15/45.5 %, respectively), while nursing technicians reported performing less than 50 % (55/62.5 %). CONCLUSION: Most professionals in the three professions (physician, nurse and nursing technician) knew less than 50 % of the required procedures for the documentation, collection and preservation of forensic traces, which explains the low implementation of most of the actions, particularly those related to the collection and preservation of traces.

Biomphalaria species distribution and its effect on human Schistosoma mansoni infection in an irrigated area used for rice cultivation in northeast Brazil.

The role of irrigated areas for the spread of schistosomiasis is of worldwide concern. The aim of the present study was to investigate the spatial distribution of the intermediate snail host Biomphalaria in an area highly endemic for schistosomiasis due to Schistosoma mansoni, evaluating the relationship between irrigation and types of natural water sources on one hand, and the influence of place and time of water exposure on the intensity of human infection on the other. A geographical information system (GIS) was used to map the distribution of the intermediate snail hosts in Ilha das Flores, Sergipe, Brazil, combined with a clinical/epidemiological survey. We observed a direct correlation between the intensity of human infection with S. mansoni and irrigation projects. Malacological studies to identify snail species and infection rates showed that B. glabrata is the main species responsible for human schistosomiasis in the municipality, but that B. straminea also plays a role. Our results provide evidence for a competitive selection between the two snail species in rice fields with a predominance of B. glabrata in irrigation systems and B. straminea in natural water sources.

Time series of visceral leishmaniasis in Aracaju, state of Sergipe, Brazil (1999 to 2008): human and canine aspects.

INTRODUCTION: Considered as a neglected disease by the WHO, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has expanded and urbanized. Its transmission and expansion have been linked to several factors. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the epidemiological aspects of VL in the city of Aracaju/SE, through retrospective studies of the historical series of human and canine VL in the 1999-2008 period. METHODS: Secondary data from SINAN (Information System for Reportable Diseases) for human cases were used. Data from canine surveys and from the Zoonosis Control Center's (ZCC) passive demand were used for canine cases. RESULTS: 192 autochthonous cases of human VL were reported, and 63.5% were male. Children aged 1-4 years were the most affected (29.2%), followed by adults aged 20-29 years (15.6%) and children aged 5-9 years (15.1%). General mortality was 8.9%, and it was higher for the 60-69 year age group (60%); 32.3% of autochthonous cases performed serology for HIV, with a 6.9% positivity. Laboratory results were confirmed mostly by indirect isolated immunofluorescence (71.1%). 58,161 dogs were serologically tested for VL, with a positivity rate of 5.4%, while 87.0% of the surveys conducted annually by the ZCC, have a 4.4%positivity rate for VL. Of the 7,501 dogs that were brought to the ZCC for multiple complaints, the serological test was positive in 12.0%. CONCLUSION: Data show the endemicity of VL in the city, revealing the need for actions to reduce the risk of the population, mostly for the group with higher incidence and mortality, such as improvement in the diagnosis of VL and its HIV-associated infection, along with monitoring of the dog population, among others.