Oswaldo Cruz Foundation

About: Oswaldo Cruz Foundation is a facility organization based out in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Trypanosoma cruzi. The organization has 18673 authors who have published 36752 publications receiving 802378 citations. The organization is also known as: Fundação Oswaldo Cruz & FIOCRUZ.

Use of a Simplified Polymerase Chain Reaction Procedure to Detect Trypanosoma cruzi in Blood Samples from Chronic Chagasic Patients in a Rural Endemic Area

Abstract: The feasibility of using DNA amplification by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for specific detection of Trypanosoma cruzi in human blood specimens was investigated. One hundred blood samples were collected in an endemic area of Minas Gerais, Brazil. They were submitted to DNA extraction and PCR amplification with kinetoplast DNA-specific primers using a simplified boiling procedure that linearized most minicircle molecules without the aid of chemical reagents. Samples that gave negative results were checked for possible inhibition of amplification using primers derived from a human-specific sequence, and those showing some level of inhibition were retested after a new DNA extraction. Of 86 patients previously diagnosed as chagasic by serologic techniques, 83 were positive in our PCR test (sensitivity = 96.5%), including all the xenodiagnosis-positive patients and 21 (87.5%) of 24 xenodiagnosis-negative individuals. In addition, four of six patients with doubtful serologic results were confirmed as positive by PCR. Our results suggest that the PCR may be a useful complement to serology in the diagnosis of Chagas' disease, and that it is the most powerful technique available for parasite detection in patients with chronic disease.

Cat-Transmitted Sporotrichosis Epidemic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Description of a Series of Cases

Abstract: Sporotrichosis is the most common subcutaneous mycosis in South America. Classic infection is associated with traumatic inoculation of soil, vegetables, and organic matter contaminated with Sporothrix schenckii. Zoonotic transmission has been described in isolated cases or in small outbreaks. Since 1998, we have been observing an increasing number of cases of sporotrichosis in persons from the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and surroundings. From 1998 to 2001, 178 cases of culture-proven sporotrichosis had been diagnosed. Female patients predominated, and the median age was 39 years. The most frequent clinical presentation was lymphocutaneous disease. Of the 178 patients, 156 reported domiciliary or professional contact with cats with sporotrichosis, and 97 of these patients had a history of receipt of cat scratch or bite. The patients received itraconazole as first-line treatment. This study suggests that feline transmission of sporotrichosis was associated with a large and long-lasting outbreak of the disease in Rio de Janeiro.

Assessment of the anthelmintic efficacy of albendazole in school children in seven countries where soil-transmitted helminths are endemic.

Abstract: Background: The three major soil-transmitted helminths (STH) Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura andNecator americanus/Ancylostoma duodenale are among the most widespread parasites worldwide. Despite the global expansion of preventive anthelmintic treatment, standard operating procedures to monitor anthelmintic drug efficacy are lacking. The objective of this study, therefore, was to define the efficacy of a single 400 milligram dose of albendazole (ALB) against these three STH using a standardized protocol. Methodology/Principal Findings : Seven trials were undertaken among school children in Brazil, Cameroon, Cambodia, Ethiopia, India, Tanzania and Vietnam. Efficacy was assessed by the Cure Rate (CR) and the Fecal Egg Count Reduction (FECR) using the McMaster egg counting technique to determine fecal egg counts (FEC). Overall, the highest CRs were observed for A. lumbricoides (98.2%) followed by hookworms (87.8%) and T. trichiura (46.6%). There was considerable variation in the CR for the three parasites across trials (country), by age or the pre-intervention FEC (pre-treatment). The latter is probably the most important as it had a considerable effect on the CR of all three STH. Therapeutic efficacies, as reflected by the FECRs, were very high for A. lumbricoides (99.5%) and hookworms (94.8%) but significantly lower for T. trichiura (50.8%), and were affected to different extents among the 3 species by the pre-intervention FEC counts and trial (country), but not by sex or age. Conclusions/Significance: Our findings suggest that a FECR (based on arithmetic means) of >95% for A. lumbricoidesand >90% for hookworms should be the expected minimum in all future surveys, and that therapeutic efficacy below this level following a single dose of ALB should be viewed with concern in light of potential drug resistance. A standard threshold for efficacy against T. trichiura has yet to be established, as a single-dose of ALB is unlikely to be satisfactory for this parasite.