Resumo Ácaros ectoparasitos de morcegos são reportados pela primeira vez para os Estados do Ceará e Mato Grosso. Os espécimes de morcegos com seus ectoparasitos foram coletados em áreas dos biomas Caatinga e Pantanal. Foi coletado o total de 450 espinturnicídeos representados por dois gêneros e dez espécies sobre 15 espécies de morcegos na Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Serra das Almas, Ceará, Nordeste Brasileiro e em sete espécies de morcegos coletadas na Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Sesc Pantanal, Mato Grosso, Centro-Oeste Brasileiro foram encontrados 138 espinturnicídeos representados por dois gêneros e quatro espécies. A ocorrência do gênero Cameronieta e da espécie Mesoperiglischrus natali, além de quatro novas associações (P. iheringi - Chiroderma vizottoi; Periglischrus micronycteridis - Micronycteris sanborni; P. paracutisternus – Trachops cirrhosus; Spinturnix americanus - Myotis riparius) são registradas pela primeira vez no Brasil.

Abstract A first survey of mite species that ectoparasitize bats in the states of Ceará and Mato Grosso was conducted. The specimens of bats and their mites were collected in areas of the Caatinga and Pantanal biomes. A total of 450 spinturnicids representing two genera and ten species was collected from 15 bat species in the Private Reserve of the Natural Patrimony Serra das Almas, Ceará State, Northeast Brazil and 138 spinturnicids represented by two genera and four species were found in seven bats species collected in Private Reserve of the Natural Patrimony Sesc Pantanal, Mato Grosso State, Central-Western Brazil. The occurrence of Cameronieta genus and the species Mesoperiglischrus natali as well as four new associations (Periglischrus iheringi - Chiroderma vizottoi; P. micronycteridis - Micronycteris sanborni; P. paracutisternus – Trachops cirrhosus; Spinturnix americanus - Myotis riparius) are registered for the first time in Brazil.

O objetivo do estudo foi identificar os ácaros plumícolas em aves do cerrado. O mesmo foi realizado na Fazenda Água Limpa (FAL), Distrito Federal, Brasil, entre janeiro e agosto de 2002. As aves foram capturadas com rede de neblina e anilhadas. Foram amostradas 696 aves pertencentes a 83 espécies e 25 famílias de Passeriformes e não-Passeriformes. Foram encontrados ácaros plumícolas pertencentes a cinco famílias: Analgidae, Trouessartiidae, Proctophyllodidae, Avenzoariidae e Psoroptoididae. O presente trabalho contribui com novos registros de ácaros plumícolas nos hospedeiros capturados. A família Proctophyllodidae e o gênero Pterodectes foram os mais prevalentes grupos de ácaros plumícolas coletados. Considerando todas as aves capturadas, a prevalência foi de 44,98%. As maiores prevalências (>50%) de ácaros plumícolas foram encontradas para as famílias Trochilidae, Conopophagidae, Furnariidae, Tityridae, Turdidae, Mimidae, Cardinalidae e Parulidae.

The goal of this study was to identify feather mites on Cerrado birds. This study was conducted at Fazenda Água Limpa (FAL), Distrito Federal, Brazil, between January and August 2002. Birds were captured with mist nets and banded. Were sampled 696 birds, belonging to 83 species and 25 bird families of Passeriformes and non-Passeriformes. Feather mites were found on five families: Analgidae, Trouessartiidae, Proctophyllodidae, Avenzoariidae and Psoroptoididae. The present work reports new occurrences of feather mites on captured hosts. The family Proctophyllodidae and the genus Pterodectes were the most prevalent group of feather mites collected. Tyrannidae, Pipridae, Emberizidae and Thraupidae were the bird families with most host numbers, with parasites from three taxa: Trouessartiidae, Proctophyllodidae and Analgidae. Considering the birds captured the prevalence was 44.98%. Trochilidae, Conopophagidae, Furnariidae, Tityridae, Turdidae, Mimidae, Cardinalidae, and Parulidae were the families with major feather mites prevalence (>50%).

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a prevalência dos atendimentos por crises de asma nos serviços públicos de Juiz de Fora (MG), no período de 01/02/2002 a 31/01/2003. MÉTODOS: Realizou-se estudo seccional, mensalmente, avaliando-se os atendimentos por crises de asma. As variáveis analisadas foram sexo, idade, local de residência dos pacientes, diferenças no perfil dos atendimentos segundo a faixa etária e o local de atendimento, além da correlação das crises asmáticas com temperatura e umidade relativa do ar. RESULTADOS:Foram atendidos 25.243 pacientes com crises asmáticas, representando 11,1% do total de consultas da clínica pediátrica e 2,7% do total de consultas da clínica médica. A média de idade dos pacientes foi de 11,6 anos e a mediana de quatro anos. Eram do sexo masculino 52,9% dos pacientes. A análise da distribuição anual evidenciou um aumento do número de atendimentos por crises asmáticas nos meses de maio (11,5%), junho (10,8%) e julho (10,9%), com correlação inversa e forte para temperatura (-0,86) e inversa e fraca para umidade relativa (-0,27). Houve diferença estatisticamente significativa entre as médias de idade e sexo, quando se compararam os serviços de urgência e as unidades básicas de saúde. A avaliação segundo a faixa etária demonstrou predomínio do sexo masculino nos pacientes menores de doze anos e do feminino nos maiores ou com doze anos. CONCLUSÃO: Observou-se a importância da asma como problema de saúde pública no município, o qual necessita de estratégias locais urgentes que permitam aumentar os investimentos em tratamentos profiláticos.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of asthma attacks treated in public health facilities in the city of Juiz de Fora, Brazil from February 1, 2002 to January 31, 2003. METHODS:This was a cross-sectional study involving monthly analyses performed in order to evaluate the asthma attacks treated. The variables analyzed were patient gender, age, and place of residence, as well as the profile of the visits by age bracket and by the site of the visit. In addition, we attempted to determine whether asthma attacks correlated with temperature or relative humidity. RESULTS: A total of 25,243 patients were treated for asthma attacks, accounting for 11.1% of the total number of visits to pediatric clinics and 2.7% of the total number visits to medical clinics. The mean age of the patients was 11.6 years (median, 4 years), and 52.9% of the patients were male. The analysis of the annual distribution revealed an increase in the number of asthma attacks treated in the months of May (11.5%), June (10.8%), and July (10.9%). Asthma attack presented a strong inverse correlation with temperature (-0.86) and a weak inverse correlation with relative humidity (-0.27). Statistically significant differences, in terms of mean age and gender, were found between patients with asthma attacks treated in emergency rooms and those treated in basic health clinics. The evaluation by age bracket revealed a predominance of males among patients younger than 12 years of age and a predominance of females among those aged 12 or older. CONCLUSION: We found that asthma represents a significant public health problem in this city. Local strategies are urgently needed in order to increase in the availability of prophylactic treatment.

The study was set up to evaluate the impact of two commercial larvicide formulations, Bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis base (Bti) at 15 ppm/1 min and temephos at 0.03 ppm of active ingredient, used to control Simulium pertinax populations, on associated non-target entomofauna occupying the same breeding sites. The experiments were carried out on the Pedra Branca and Muricana rivers, on the slopes of Serra do Mar massif, municipality of Paraty, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Bti was applied to the river Pedra Branca and temephosto theriver Muricana. On both rivers, treatment and control sections were labeled as such, each one with two observation posts: slow moving water and fast water regions respectively. Artificial substrata was used to evaluate the abundance of associated entomofauna. Attached immature stages of arthropods were removed from both of its surfaces fortnightly. Were collected, from the two rivers, 28 477 specimens of the entomofauna associated with S. pertinax. The families Hydropsychidae, Chironomidae, Bactidae, Simuliidae, Blephariceridae and Megapodagrionidae were represented. These was an impact of temephos on the entomofauna associated with S. pertinax only in Simuliidae and Chironomidae, and to Bti only in Simuliidae. However, the reduction in their numbers was not statistically significant.

Ácaros da família Cheyletidae são de grande importância na veterinária, por estarem associados com parasitismo em aves e mamíferos. Permanecem, contudo, pouco estudados como fatores etiológicos em dermatites humanas, apesar de serem encontradas referências a esse respeito desde o início do século 20. O objetivo dos autores foi o de analisar, em paciente de seis meses de idade, um caso clínico de dermatite por ácaros da família Cheyletidae. O achado de três espécies dessa família no ecossistema domiciliar desse paciente, associado às manifestações cutâneas e cura definitiva após higienização do ambiente, faz acreditar na necessidade de se considerar essa hipótese diagnóstica nas dermatites humanas.

Cheyletidae mites are of great importance in the veterinary sciences, as they are associated with parasitism in birds and mammals. Yet they are barely studied as etiological factors to human dermatitis in spite of being referred to since the beginning of the 20th century. The authors propose to analyze a clinical case of dermatitis caused by mites of the Cheyletidae family in a six-month old patient. The discovery of three species of that family in the patient's domiciliary ecosystem, associated to the cutaneous manifestations correlated with its definitive cure after this environment was sanitized, leads the authors to believe in the need to consider this diagnostic hypothesis for human dermatitis

Eleven species of fleas were collected from 601 small rodents, from November 1995 to October 1997, in areas of natural focus of bubonic plague, including the municipalities of Nova Friburgo, Sumidouro and Teresópolis, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Among 924 fleas collected, Polygenis (Polygenis) rimatus (Rhopalopsyllidae) was the predominant species regarding the frequency, representing 41.3% (N:382), followed by P. (Neopolygenis) pradoi, representing 20% (N:185) and Craneopsylla minervaminerva (Stephanocircidae), representing 18.9% (N:175). The host Akodon cursor harbored 47.9% of these fleas. Other six host species were infested by 52.1% of the remaining fleas. Fleas were found on hosts and in places within the focus not previously reported by the literature.

Chrysomya albiceps specimens were derived from colonies kept under laboratory conditions. The oviposition period, total number of eggs-mass and the weight of the eggs-mass (average/female) presented significant differences between colonies regarding the sexual ratio of 1male/1female (situation I), when compared to the other ratios (1male/3female, situation II), (1male/5female, situation III), (3male/1female, situation IV) and (5 male/1female, situation V). It was ascertained that the increase in the proportion of females, resulted in higher weight and greater number of ovipositions and lenghtening of the period of oviposition, leads to a decrease in their lifespan.

Molecular cloning of components of protective antigenic preparations have suggested that related parasite fatty acid binding proteins could form the basis of the well documented protective, immune cross reactivity between the parasitic trematode worms Fasciola hepatica and Schistosoma mansoni. We have now confirmed the cross protective potential of parasite fatty acid binding proteins and suggest that it may be possible to produce a single vaccine that would be effective against at least two parasites, F. hepatica and S. mansoni of veterinary and human importance respectively.