Search

Following the large outbreak of Zika virus in the Western Hemisphere, many infants have been born with congenital Zika virus infection. It is important to describe the functional outcomes seen with congenital infections to allow for their recognition and appropriate interventions. We evaluated 120 children conceived during the 2015–2016 Zika virus outbreak in Paraíba, Brazil, who were approximately 24 months old, to assess functional outcomes. All children met either anthropometric criteria or laboratory criteria suggestive of possible congenital Zika virus infection. We collected results of previous medical evaluations, interviewed parents, and performed physical examinations and functional assessments, for example, the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE). We compared patterns of neurologic outcomes and developmental delay at age 24 months by whether children met anthropometric or laboratory criteria, or both. Among children meeting both criteria, 60% (26/43) were multiply affected (had severe motor impairment, severe developmental delay, and suboptimal HINE scores), compared with 5% (3/57) meeting only laboratory criteria and none (0/20) meeting only anthropometric criteria. Of the remaining 91 children, 49% (45) had developmental delay, with more severe delay seen in children meeting both criteria. Although children meeting physical and laboratory criteria for potential congenital Zika virus infection were more severely affected, we did identify several children with notable adverse neurologic outcomes and developmental delay with no physical findings but potential laboratory evidence of Zika virus infection. Given this, all children who were potentially exposed in utero to Zika virus should be monitored in early childhood for deficits to allow for early intervention.

OBJECTIVE: Evidence suggests that caring for a child with special health care needs can affect many domains of family life, including caregiver mental health. However, few studies have examined these outcomes among families impacted by the Zika virus (ZIKV). This study examines depressive symptom severity and care demands among primary caregivers of children, aged 15 to 26 months, with evidence of congenital Zika virus infection (ZVI). METHODS: A sample of primary caregivers of children with evidence of congenital ZVI in northeastern Brazil (n = 150) reported on depressive symptoms, care demands, and their children’s development. Children were categorized into groups according to their developmental delay status. Bivariate analyses were run to test for differences between groups. A path analysis model was used to examine the indirect effects of developmental delay on depressive symptoms through economic challenges and time spent providing health care at home and whether these associations varied by child care support. RESULTS: Compared to primary caregivers of children without developmental delay, primary caregivers of children with developmental delay had higher depression scores (p = 0.002), reported more economic (p < 0.001) and child care (p < 0.001) challenges, and spent more time providing health care at home (p < 0.001). Among primary caregivers who did not have child care support, developmental delay had a significant indirect effect on depressive symptoms through economic challenges but not through time spent providing health care at home. CONCLUSION: For families impacted by the ZIKV outbreak in Brazil, economic and child care challenges may be associated with primary caregiver mental health.

BACKGROUND: Despite the well-known role of parents as caregivers, few studies have addressed their health outcomes related to the Zika virus epidemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out with 146 primary caregivers of children 15–26 months of age, with laboratory and/or clinical evidence of Zika infection between August and October 2017 in three Brazilian municipalities: João Pessoa and Campina Grande in the state of Paraíba and Fortaleza in the state of Ceará. Caregivers reported on their child’s life and health, family circumstances and underwent screening for stress using the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form. Children were evaluated for developmental delays and clinical outcomes. Differences in the prevalence of risk factors between caregivers with high or clinically relevant stress and those with normal stress were evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 146 participants, 13% (n=19) were classified as having high or clinically relevant stress, all of them mothers. The two risk factors significantly and independently associated with high levels of stress, compared with individuals with normal stress levels, were “reporting difficulty in covering basic expenses” (adjusted OR 3.6 (95% CI 1.1–11.8; p = 0.034)) and “having a child with sleep problems” (adjusted OR 10.4 (95% CI 1.3–81.7; p = 0.026)). CONCLUSIONS: Some factors seem to contribute significantly more than others to the level of stress experienced by caregivers of children with evidence of Zika virus congenital infection. Interventions and preventive strategies should also target caregivers, who in turn will be able to respond to the unique characteristics of their child.

This article describes novel methods of applying the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3rd edition (ASQ-3) to assess and quantify developmental delay among children following the 2015-2016 Zika virus outbreak in Brazil. Many of the children with Zika virus infection were expected to have severe developmental delay. However, administering the ASQ-3 to caregivers of these children according to standard protocol would have screened for the overall presence of delay but not the severity of delay. We adopted an amended protocol for administration of the ASQ-3 to quantify the developmental functioning of children severely affected by Zika virus infection in this investigation. Protocols for administering the ASQ-3 among this population were drafted in consultation with developmental measurement experts and are presented here. Specific developmental estimates are discussed, including developmental age equivalents, developmental quotients, and developmental quotient z scores. The calculations of these estimates are presented with examples in the context of the 2015-2016 Zika virus outbreak and associated microcephaly among prenatally infected children from 2 states in northeastern Brazil. Potential applications of these methods for estimating developmental ability among similar pediatric populations are discussed.

Introduction The Curitiba (Brazil)-based Project, A Hora é Agora (AHA), evaluated a comprehensive HIV control strategy among men who have sex with men (MSM) aimed at expanding access to HIV rapid testing and linking HIV-positive MSM to health services and treatment. AHA’s approach included rapid HIV Testing Services (HTC) in one mobile testing unit (MTU); a local, gay-led, non-governmental organization (NGO); an existing government-run health facility (COA); and Internet-based HIV self-testing. The objectives of the paper were to compare a) number of MSM tested in each strategy, its positivity and linkage; b) social, demographic and behavioral characteristics of MSM accessing the different HTC and linkage services; and c) the costs of the individual strategies to diagnose and link MSM to services. Methods We used data for 2,681 MSM tested at COA, MTU and NGO from March 2015 to March 2017. This is a cross sectional comparison of the demographics and behavioral factors (age group, race/ethnicity, education, sexually transmitted diseases, knowledge of AHA services and previous HIV test). Absolute frequencies, percentage distributions and confidence intervals for the percentages were used, as well as unilateral statistical tests. Results and discussion AHA performed 2,681 HIV tests among MSM across three in-person strategies: MTU, NGO, and COA; and distributed 4,752 HIV oral fluid tests through the self-testing platform. MTU, NGO and COA reported 365 (13.6%) HIV positive diagnoses among MSM, including 28 users with previous HIV diagnosis or on antiretroviral treatment for HIV. Of these, 89% of MSM were eligible for linkage-to-care services. Linkage support was accepted by 86% of positive MSM, of which 66.7% were linked to services in less than 90 days. The MTU resulted in the lowest cost per MSM tested ($137 per test), followed by self-testing ($247). Conclusions AHA offered MSM access to HTC through innovative strategies operating in alternative sites and schedules. It presented the Curitiba HIV/AIDS community the opportunity to monitor HIV-positive MSM from diagnosis to treatment uptake. Self-testing emerged as a feasible strategy to increase MSM access to HIV-testing through virtual tools and anonymous test kit delivery and pick-up. Cost per test findings in both the MTU and self-testing support expansion to other regions with similar epidemiological contexts.

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Center for Global Health. Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria. Malaria Branch. Atlanta, GA USA. Acre State Health Secretariat. Cruzeiro do Sul, AC, Brazil. Acre State Health Secretariat. Cruzeiro do Sul, AC, Brazil. Acre State Health Secretariat. Cruzeiro do Sul, AC, Brazil. Minist?rio da Sa?de. Secretaria de Vigil?ncia em Sa?de. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Center for Global Health. Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria. Malaria Branch. Atlanta, GA USA. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Center for Global Health. Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria. Malaria Branch. Atlanta, GA USA. Brazilian Ministry of Health. National Malaria Control Program. Brasilia, DF, Brazil. Minist?rio da Sa?de. Secretaria de Vigil?ncia em Sa?de. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil. Funda??o Oswaldo Cruz. Escola Nacional de Sa?de P?blica S?rgio Arouca. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Center for Global Health. Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria. Malaria Branch. Atlanta, GA USA. We evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of artemether?lumefantrine (AL) fixed-dose combination to treat uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre State, in the Amazon region of Brazil. Between December 2015 and May 2016, we enrolled 79 patients, 5?79 years old with fever or history of fever in the previous 48 hours and P. falciparum monoinfection confirmed by microscopy. Attempts were made to provide direct observation or phone reminders for all six doses of AL, and patients were followed-up for 28 days. AL was well tolerated, with no adverse events causing treatment interruption. All but one of the 74 patients who completed the 28-day follow-up had an adequate clinical and parasitologic response = 98.6% (95% CI: 93.2-100%). We could not amplify the one isolate of the case with recurrent infection to differentiate between recrudescence and reinfection. Five (6.3%) patients demonstrated persistent asexual parasitemia on Day 3, but none met definition for early treatment failure. We found no mutations in selected kelch13 gene domains, known to be associated with artemisinin resistance in P. falciparum isolates from Day 0. These results strongly support the continued use of AL as a first-line therapy for uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in Acre. Routine monitoring of in vivo drug efficacy coupled with molecular surveillance of drug resistance markers remains critical.

In November 2015, the Brazilian Ministry of Health (MOH) declared the Zika virus outbreak a public health emergency after an increase in microcephaly cases was reported in the northeast region of the country (1). During 2015-2016, 15 states in Brazil with laboratory-confirmed Zika virus transmission reported an increase in birth prevalence of microcephaly (2.8 cases per 10,000 live births), significantly exceeding prevalence in four states without confirmed transmission (0.6 per 10,000) (2). Although children with microcephaly and laboratory evidence of Zika virus infection have been described in early infancy (3), their subsequent health and development have not been well characterized, constraining planning for the care and support of these children and their families. The Brazilian MOH, the State Health Secretariat of Paraiba, and CDC collaborated on a follow-up investigation of the health and development of children in northeastern Brazil who were reported to national surveillance with microcephaly at birth. Nineteen children with microcephaly at birth and laboratory evidence of Zika virus infection were assessed through clinical evaluations, caregiver interviews, and review of medical records. At follow-up (ages 19-24 months), most of these children had severe motor impairment, seizure disorders, hearing and vision abnormalities, and sleep difficulties. Children with microcephaly and laboratory evidence of Zika virus infection have severe functional limitations and will require specialized care from clinicians and caregivers as they age.

Brazil, a country of continental proportions, presents three profiles of malaria transmission. The first and most important numerically, occurs inside the Amazon. The Amazon accounts for approximately 60% of the nation’s territory and approximately 13% of the Brazilian population. This region hosts 99.5% of the nation’s malaria cases, which are predominantly caused by Plasmodium vivax (i.e., 82% of cases in 2013). The second involves imported malaria, which corresponds to malaria cases acquired outside the region where the individuals live or the diagnosis was made. These cases are imported from endemic regions of Brazil (i.e., the Amazon) or from other countries in South and Central America, Africa and Asia. Imported malaria comprised 89% of the cases found outside the area of active transmission in Brazil in 2013. These cases highlight an important question with respect to both therapeutic and epidemiological issues because patients, especially those with falciparum malaria, arriving in a region where the health professionals may not have experience with the clinical manifestations of malaria and its diagnosis could suffer dramatic consequences associated with a potential delay in treatment. Additionally, because the Anopheles vectors exist in most of the country, even a single case of malaria, if not diagnosed and treated immediately, may result in introduced cases, causing outbreaks and even introducing or reintroducing the disease to a non-endemic, receptive region. Cases introduced outside the Amazon usually occur in areas in which malaria was formerly endemic and are transmitted by competent vectors belonging to the subgenus Nyssorhynchus (i.e., Anopheles darlingi, Anopheles aquasalis and species of the Albitarsis complex). The third type of transmission accounts for only 0.05% of all cases and is caused by autochthonous malaria in the Atlantic Forest, located primarily along the southeastern Atlantic Coast. They are caused by parasites that seem to be (or to be very close to) P. vivax and, in a less extent, by Plasmodium malariae and it is transmitted by the bromeliad mosquito Anopheles (Kerteszia) cruzii. This paper deals mainly with the two profiles of malaria found outside the Amazon: the imported and ensuing introduced cases and the autochthonous cases. We also provide an update regarding the situation in Brazil and the Brazilian endemic Amazon.

Brazil is the largest country of Latin America, with a considerable portion of its territoritory within the malaria-endemic Amazon region in the North. Furthermore, a considerable portion of its territory is located within the Amazon region in the north. As a result, Brazil has reported half of the total malaria cases in the Americas in the last four decades. Recent progress in malaria control has been accompanied by an increasing proportion of Plasmodium vivax, underscoring a need for a better understanding of management and control of this species and associated challenges. Among these challenges, the contribution of vivax malaria relapses, earlier production of gametocytes (compared with Plasmodium falciparum), inexistent methods to diagnose hypnozoite carriers, and decreasing efficacy of available antimalarials need to be addressed. Innovative tools, strategies, and technologies are needed to achieve further progress toward sustainable malaria elimination. Further difficulties also arise from dealing with the inherent socioeconomic and environmental particularities of the Amazon region and its dynamic changes.

Resumo OBJETIVO: avaliar a completude e oportunidade das notificações, do diagnóstico e do tratamento da malária na Amazônia Legal Brasileira. MÉTODOS: estudo descritivo, com dados de 23 campos das fichas de notificação registradas no Sistema de Informação de Vigilância Epidemiológica da Malária (Sivep-Malária) no período de 2003 a 2012. RESULTADOS: em 86,0% dos campos da ficha de notificação, a completude foi boa (≥90,0% de preenchimento); nas Secretarias Municipais de Saúde, 40,6% das notificações tiveram registro oportuno (0-7 dias após a notificação), e no Ministério da Saúde, 75,6% (0-30 dias após a notificação); o diagnóstico e o tratamento oportunos ocorreram em 44,6% e 45,4% dos pacientes, respectivamente. CONCLUSÃO: a maioria das notificações apresentou boa completude; a oportunidade no registro das notificações ficou aquém dos padrões internacionais; e a oportunidade no diagnóstico e no tratamento revelou-se abaixo das recomendações do Ministério da Saúde. Resumen OBJETIVO: evaluar la integridad de los datos y reporte oportuno de las notificaciones, de diagnóstico y tratamiento de malaria en la Amazonía brasileña. MÉTODOS: estudio descriptivo, con datos de 23 ítems de las fichas de notificación registradas en el Sistema de Información de Malaria(Sivep-Malária), en el periodo 2003-2012. RESULTADOS: el 86,0% de los ítems de la ficha de notificación fueron completados adecuadamente (≥90,0% completado); en las secretarias municipales de salud, 40,6% de las notificaciones tuvieron registro oportuno (0-7 días después de la notificación) y en el Ministerio de Salud, 75,6% (0-30 días después de la notificación); el diagnóstico y tratamiento oportunos ocurrieron en 44,6% y 45,4% de los pacientes, respectivamente. CONCLUSIÓN: la mayoría de las notificaciones mostró una buena integridad; la tasa de registro oportuno de las notificaciones fue inferior a los estándares internacionales y el diagnóstico y tratamiento oportuno fue inferior a lorecomendado por el Ministerio de Salud. Abstract OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the completeness and timeliness of malaria case reporting, diagnosis and treatment in the Brazilian Amazon. METHODS: this is a descriptive study using data from 23 fields of notification forms recorded on the Malaria Epidemiological Surveillance Information System (Sivep-Malaria) between 2003 and 2012. RESULTS: data completeness was good in 86.0% of fields (≥90.0% filled in); there was timely recording of 40.6% of notifications at the Municipal Health Departments (0-7 days following notification) and 75.6% at the Ministry of Health (0-30 days following notification); timely diagnosis and timely treatment occurred in 44.6% and 45.4% of patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: most notification forms had good completeness; timeliness in recording notifications was below international standards; timeliness of diagnosis and treatment was below the Ministry of Health recommendations.

Acre State Health Secretariat. Acre, AC, Brazil. Acre State Health Secretariat. Acre, AC, Brazil. Minist?rio da Sa?de. Secretaria de Vigil?ncia em Sa?de. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Center for Global Health. Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria. Malaria Branch. Atlanta, GA, USA / Atlanta Research and Education Foundation. Decatur, GA, USA. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Center for Global Health. Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria. Malaria Branch. Atlanta, GA, USA Acre State Health Secretariat. Acre, AC, Brazil. Brazilian Ministry of Health. National Malaria Control Program. Brasilia, DF, Brazil. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Center for Global Health. Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria. Malaria Branch. Atlanta, GA, USA Minist?rio da Sa?de. Secretaria de Vigil?ncia em Sa?de. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil. Brazilian Ministry of Health. National Malaria Control Program. Brasilia, DF, Brazil. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Center for Global Health. Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria. Malaria Branch. Atlanta, GA, USA. We evaluated the efficacy of chloroquine and primaquine on uncomplicated Plasmodium vivax malaria in Cruzeiro do Sul, Brazil, in 2014. Patients ? 5 years of age with either fever or history of fever, and laboratoryconfirmed P. vivax monoinfection received chloroquine (total dose = 25 mg/kg) and primaquine (total dose = 3.5 mg/kg), and were followed up for 168 days (24 weeks). We used microsatellite genotyping to differentiate recurrent infections caused by heterologous parasites from those caused by homologous ones. No new P. vivax episode occurred by Day 28 among 119 enrolled patients, leading to Day 28, with adequate clinical and parasitological response (ACPR) of 100% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 96.7?100%). Twenty-eight P. vivax episodes occurred by Day 168, with uncorrected ACPR of 69.9% (95% CI = 59.5?79.0%). Fifteen of these episodes were caused by either homologous haplotypes or haplotypes that could not be determined. Excluding the 13 recurrent episodes caused by heterologous parasites, Day 168 microsatellite-corrected ACPR was estimated at 81.2% (95% CI = 71.0?89.1%). Chloroquine and primaquine remain efficacious to treat acute uncomplicated P. vivax infection, but moderate recurrence rates were observed within 24 weeks of follow-up.

to evaluate the completeness and timeliness of malaria case reporting, diagnosis and treatment in the Brazilian Amazon.this is a descriptive study using data from 23 fields of notification forms recorded on the Malaria Epidemiological Surveillance Information System (Sivep-Malaria) between 2003 and 2012.data completeness was good in 86.0% of fields (≥90.0% filled in); there was timely recording of 40.6% of notifications at the Municipal Health Departments (0-7 days following notification) and 75.6% at the Ministry of Health (0-30 days following notification); timely diagnosis and timely treatment occurred in 44.6% and 45.4% of patients, respectively.most notification forms had good completeness; timeliness in recording notifications was below international standards; timeliness of diagnosis and treatment was below the Ministry of Health recommendations.

Background Studies in South-East Asia have suggested that early diagnosis and treatment with artesunate (AS) and mefloquine (MQ) combination therapy may reduce the transmission of Plasmodium falciparum malaria and the progression of MQ resistance. Methods The effectiveness of a fixed-dose combination of AS and MQ (ASMQ) in reducing malaria transmission was tested in isolated communities of the Juruá valley in the Amazon region. Priority municipalities within the Brazilian Legal Amazon area were selected according to pre-specified criteria. Routine national malaria control programmatic procedures were followed. Existing health structures were reinforced and health care workers were trained to treat with ASMQ all confirmed falciparum malaria cases that match inclusion criteria. A local pharmacovigilance structure was implemented. Incidence of malaria and hospitalizations were recorded two years before, during, and after the fixed-dose ASMQ intervention. In total, between July 2006 and December 2008, 23,845 patients received ASMQ. Two statistical modelling approaches were applied to monthly time series of P. falciparum malaria incidence rates, P. falciparum/Plasmodium vivax infection ratio, and malaria hospital admissions rates. All the time series ranged from January 2004 to December 2008, whilst the intervention period span from July 2006 to December 2008. Results The ASMQ intervention had a highly significant impact on the mean level of each time series, adjusted for trend and season, of 0.34 (95%CI 0.20 – 0.58) for the P. falciparum malaria incidence rates, 0.67 (95%CI 0.50 – 0.89) for the P. falciparum/P. vivax infection ratio, and 0.53 (95%CI 0.41 – 0.69) for the hospital admission rates. There was also a significant change in the seasonal (or monthly) pattern of the time series before and after intervention, with the elimination of the malaria seasonal peak in the rainy months of the years following the introduction of ASMQ. No serious adverse events relating to the use of fixed-dose ASMQ were reported. Conclusions In the remote region of the Juruá valley, the early detection of malaria by health care workers and treatment with fixed-dose ASMQ was feasible and efficacious, and significantly reduced the incidence and morbidity of P. falciparum malaria.

This study was supported by federal funds from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq; grants 303539/2004?6 and 303475/2005?6), Oswaldo Cruz Institute? FIOCRUZ. Ministry of Health. Secretariat of Health Surveillance. Field Epidemiology Training Program. Bras?lia, DF, Brazil. Ministry of Health. Secretariat of Health Surveillance. Field Epidemiology Training Program. Bras?lia, DF, Brazil. Ministry of Health. Secretariat of Health Surveillance. Field Epidemiology Training Program. Bras?lia, DF, Brazil. Ministry of Health. Secretariat of Health Surveillance. Field Epidemiology Training Program. Bras?lia, DF, Brazil. Ministry of Health. Secretariat of Health Surveillance. Field Epidemiology Training Program. Bras?lia, DF, Brazil / Ministry of Health. Secretariat of Health Surveillance. Waterborne and Foodborne Infectious Diseases Coordination. Bras?lia, DF, Brazil. Ministry of Health. Secretariat of Health Surveillance. Field Epidemiology Training Program. Bras?lia, DF, Brazil / Ministry of Health. Secretariat of Health Surveillance. Waterborne and Foodborne Infectious Diseases Coordination. Bras?lia, DF, Brazil. Ministry of Health. Secretariat of Health Surveillance. Field Epidemiology Training Program. Bras?lia, DF, Brazil. Ministry of Health. Secretariat of Health Surveillance. Waterborne and Foodborne Infectious Diseases Coordination. Bras?lia, DF, Brazil. Acre State Secretariat of Health. Department of Epidemiological Surveillance. Rio Branco, AC, Brazil. Acre State Secretariat of Health. Department of Epidemiological Surveillance. Rio Branco, AC, Brazil. Ministry of Health. Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. Oswaldo Cruz Institute. Laboratory of Comparative Virology. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. Ministry of Health. Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. Oswaldo Cruz Institute. Laboratory of Comparative Virology. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. Minist?rio da Sa?de. Secretaria de Vigil?ncia em Sa?de. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil. Ministry of Health. Secretariat of Health Surveillance. Public Health Laboratory Network. Bras?lia, DF, Brazil. Minist?rio da Sa?de. Secretaria de Vigil?ncia em Sa?de. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil. Ministry of Health. Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. Oswaldo Cruz Institute. Laboratory of Comparative Virology. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. Ministry of Health. Secretariat of Health Surveillance. Field Epidemiology Training Program. Bras?lia, DF, Brazil / Ministry of Health. Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. Gon?alo Moniz Institute. Salvador, BA, Brazil. Ministry of Health. Secretariat of Health Surveillance. Field Epidemiology Training Program. Bras?lia, DF, Brazil / Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Coordinating Office for Global Health. Division of Global Public Health Capacity Development. Atlanta, Georgia, USA. An epidemic of acute gastroenteritis occurred in Rio Branco City, Acre State, in Brazil's Amazon region in 2005. An investigation was conducted to confirm the etiology and identify possible risk factors for death. Methods: Rio Branco municipality surveillance data for the period May to October 2005 were reviewed. In a case?control study, children who died following acute gastroenteritis were compared to age-matched controls with acute gastroenteritis who survived. Rotavirus A (RV-A) was investigated in 799 stool samples and genotyped by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: The cumulative incidence of diarrhea in children aged 5 years was 21 percent. A fatal outcome was significantly associated with uncovered household water storage containers. RV-A was identified in 88 percent of samples and G9 was the prevalent genotype (71 percent). Conclusions: Oral rehydration solution and boiling or chlorinating drinking water likely limited mortality. This epidemic was caused by RV-A genotype G9. After the outbreak, a rotavirus vaccine was introduced into the official childhood immunization schedule in Brazil.

Background Angola's malaria case-management policy recommends treatment with artemether-lumefantrine (AL). In 2006, AL implementation began in Huambo Province, which involved training health workers (HWs), supervision, delivering AL to health facilities, and improving malaria testing with microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). Implementation was complicated by a policy that was sometimes ambiguous. Methods Fourteen months after implementation began, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in 33 outpatient facilities in Huambo Province to assess their readiness to manage malaria and the quality of malaria case-management for patients of all ages. Consultations were observed, patients were interviewed and re-examined, and HWs were interviewed. Results Ninety-three HWs and 177 consultations were evaluated, although many sampled consultations were missed. All facilities had AL in-stock and at least one HW trained to use AL and RDTs. However, anti-malarial stock-outs in the previous three months were common, clinical supervision was infrequent, and HWs had important knowledge gaps. Except for fever history, clinical assessments were often incomplete. Although testing was recommended for all patients with suspected malaria, only 30.7% of such patients were tested. Correct testing was significantly associated with caseloads < 25 patients/day (odds ratio: 18.4; p < 0.0001) and elevated patient temperature (odds ratio: 2.5 per 1°C increase; p = 0.007). Testing was more common among AL-trained HWs, but the association was borderline significant (p = 0.072). When the malaria test was negative, HWs often diagnosed patients with malaria (57.8%) and prescribed anti-malarials (60.0%). Sixty-six percent of malaria-related diagnoses were correct, 20.1% were minor errors, and 13.9% were major (potentially life-threatening) errors. Only 49.0% of malaria treatments were correct, 5.4% were minor errors, and 45.6% were major errors. HWs almost always dosed AL correctly and gave accurate dosing instructions to patients; however, other aspects of counseling needed improvement. Conclusion By late-2007, substantial progress had been made to implement the malaria case-management policy in a setting with weak infrastructure. However, policy ambiguities, under-use of malaria testing, and distrust of negative test results led to many incorrect malaria diagnoses and treatments. In 2009, Angola published a policy that clarified many issues. As problems identified in this survey are not unique to Angola, better strategies for improving HW performance are urgently needed.

OBJETIVO: Descrever a situação epidemiológica da malária na região amazônica brasileira entre 2003 e 2012. MÉTODOS: Este estudo ecológico retrospectivo utilizou dados do Sistema de Informação de Vigilância Epidemiológica e Notificação de Casos de Malária, Sistema de Internações Hospitalares e Sistema de Informações de Mortalidade. Determinaram-se o percentual de Plasmodium falciparum,o número de internações e óbitos e a letalidade por malária em cada ano. Para a infecção pelo P. falciparum, foi avaliada a distribuição dos casos por estado. Os dados de 2012 foram comparados aos de 2005, ano em que a região amazônica notificou um maior número de casos, e aos do ano anterior, 2011. RESULTADOS: Em 2012, foram registrados 241806 casos de malária, representando uma redução de 60,1% em relação a 2005 e de 9,1% em relação a 2011. Entre 2003 e 2005, houve um aumento de 48,3% no número de casos, com registro de 606 069 casos em 2005. Desde 2006, observa-se tendência à redução do número de casos, principalmente na transmissão do P. falciparum, com 155 169 casos notificados em 2005 e 35 385 casos em 2012 (redução de 77,2%). Entre 2005 e 2012, houve redução no número de internações (74,6%) e nos óbitos (54,4%) por malária. CONCLUSÕES: Apesar da redução no número de casos de malária no período analisado, o possível surgimento de parasitos resistentes às drogas e a menor frequência de casos de malária por P. falciparum indicam a necessidade de novas estratégias de vigilância, com utilização de ferramentas de diagnóstico mais sensíveis e manejo integrado de vetores, visando à ousada, mas não impossível, eliminação do P. falciparum.