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The incidence of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) varies in Latin America, and it is influenced by environmental factors. This study evaluated the distribution of PCM acute/subacute form (AF) cases and their correlation with geoclimatic factors in the Mato Grosso do Sul (MS) state. The study included 81 patients diagnosed with the PCM/AF at the University Hospital of the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul between January 1980 and February 2022. Geographic coordinates, health microregion of patient's residence, compensated average temperature, relative air humidity (RH), El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and average global temperature were analyzed. The highest incidence was observed in the Aquidauana (7/100,000 inhabitants), while Campo Grande, the state's capital, had the highest number (n = 34; 42.4%) and density (4.4 cases/km 2 ) of cases. The number of cases increased during extended periods of the El Niño phenomenon. A positive correlation was found between higher RH and PCM/AF cases. Most PCM/AF cases were found in areas with loamy soils and RH ranging from 60.8 to 73.6%. In MS, the health microregions of PCM/AF patients are characterized by deforestation for agricultural and pasture use, coupled with loamy soils and specific climatic phenomena leading to higher soil humidity.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is one of the pillars of a combination prevention strategy for reducing the risk of new infections caused by HIV. The daily use of antiretroviral drugs by individuals who are not infected with HIV is required to prevent infection. Although its efficacy has been well established in the literature, in recent years, the decreased supply of antiretroviral drugs has been associated with an increase in the incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STI) and changes in the social determinants of health. An ecological study was conducted covering a five-year period (2018-2022), starting from the year of initiation of PrEP administration in Brazilian state capitals., Principal Findings: Descriptive analysis was performed, and the spatial distribution of study data was taken into account. Correlation analysis was used to assess the association between PrEP administration, the incidence and detection rate of STI, and socioeconomic data. The southern region showed the highest incidence rates of STI, but the northern and northeastern regions demonstrated the worst socioeconomic indicators, especially those related to illiteracy and basic sanitation. PrEP administration was significantly correlated with illiteracy (ρ = -0.658), per capita income (ρ = 0.622), public garbage collection (ρ = 0.612), syphilis (ρ = 0.628) and viral hepatitis (ρ = 0.419) incidences. Further, all STI were significantly associated with illiteracy and per capita income., Significance: Our findings highlight the need to continue exploring PrEP use and rising syphilis rates. In terms of policy, PrEP administration appears to be inversely associated with regions of greater social vulnerability. Further efforts should focus on the social determinants and health needs of this population to improve access to PrEP and reduce social disparities., Competing Interests: I have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: EFO is an Academic Editor of PLOS One and PLOS Global Public Health., (Copyright: © 2023 Mendonça Gil et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Brazil's Midwest is composed of four biomes: the Cerrado, predominant in the region; the Pantanal, the largest wetland in the world; the Amazon, which occupies part of Mato Grosso; and the Atlantic Forest. The objective of this study was to identify the evolution of occupation and use of land in the rural settlements of the Brazilian Midwest depending on the biome of location. A total of 54 settlements distributed in the four biomes of the region were analyzed using direct observation and Landsat images from the years 2004 and 2014. Using the software QGIS 2.8 Wien, the vegetation indices NDVI and NDWI were used to classify agricultural, pasture and forest areas by biome. Native vegetation is declining in most of the analyzed settlements and pastures, for milk production, occupied the largest area. Between 2004 and 2014, pasture areas expanded to the detriment of forests. Although they have the highest percentage of environmental preservation areas, the settlements we analyzed in the Amazon biome do not comply with legislation. Part of the forest in these settlements was transformed into areas of bushy cerrado. However, there was an increase in forests in the settlements of the Atlantic Forest biome.

The state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil is an important region of South America regarding leishmaniasis, with the great diversity of sandflies reported since 1938 and wide biodiversity represented by its biomes (Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, and Pantanal). A checklist of sandflies is presented here for the state and respective biomes. The data base was compiled from primary and secondary data. The primary data collection involved automatic light traps at Miranda-Abobral Pantanal subregion and in subregion Baixa Nhecolância of Pantanal. The secondary data were obtained from entomology scientific collections and a literature review of articles from 1938 to 2019, including entomological museum collections. A total of 71 species were reported, belonging to 14 genera and 13 subgenera, in 61 municipalities of the state, including the type locality of 9 species, and the first report of Lutzomyia cruzi (Mangabeira 1938), vector of Leishmania infantum (Nicolle 1937), in the Pantanal region of Miranda-Abobral. Other vector species, Bichromomyia flaviscutellata (Mangabeira 1942), Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva 1912), Nyssomyia antunesi (Coutinho 1939), Nyssomyia intermedia (Lutz & Neiva 1912), Nyssomyia neivai (Pinto 1926), and Nyssomyia whitmani (Antunes & Coutinho 1939), are reported in the entire area of the state. Maps containing the distribution of sandflies on Mato Grosso do Sul biomes were produced. The eclecticism of the species in relation to their ecotypes was observed, with several species using the three biome types as habitats and breeding sites., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Brazil's Midwest is composed of four biomes, the Cerrado (Brazilian savannah), predominant in the region; the Pantanal, the largest irrigated plain on the planet; the Amazon biome; and the Atlantic Forest. The Midwest is the largest producer of grains and livestock in Brazil, activities that have a negative impact on environmental preservation. Agrarian reform redistributes land and reinforces small family farming, which many authors consider as favorable to environmental protection. The objective of this study is to characterize the impact of agrarian reform on environmental preservation and agriculture on each biome of the Brazilian Midwest. Fifty-four settlements were surveyed using direct observation and Landsat images available for the year 2014. QGIS software 2.8 Wien was applied to calculate NDVI and NDWI vegetation indices to classify areas of agriculture, pasture, and environmental preservation. Pasture and savannah land occupy the largest areas in all biomes, with the main human activity based on livestock. Most settlements in the Midwest lead to small-scale activities such as dairy farming and polyculture, practices that differ from large-scale farming based on monoculture, and are more favorable to environmental protection.

The Midwest region of Brazil has a high concentration of land and is the primary producer of grains and livestock in the country, activities with a negative impact on environment. Agrarian reform allows redistribution of land and reinforces family agriculture, which is considered to be favorable to environmental protection. The aim of this study was to use field and remote observations to verify the evolution of environmental preservation and land use in rural settlements in the Midwest region of Brazil. 54 settlements distributed in the region were analyzed. We used images from Landsat 5 satellite obtained by the Thematic Mapper sensor in 2004 and images from Landsat 8 satellite from 2014. The NDVI and NDWI vegetation indexes were used to classify urban, agricultural, pasture, savannah and forest areas. Forests declined in all states, however Mato Grosso, the only one with Amazonian forest, where settlements presented lowest compliance with environmental legislation. The evolution indicates the transformation of forest areas into savannah. Settlers predominantly engage in dairy farming, which requires large areas of land and thus exerts significant pressure on the environment. Productive areas are poorly exploited, and better technical assistance could have a significant impact on environmental protection.

Background: Leishmaniases are considered a major public health problem in South America, specifically in Brazil. Moreover, the transmission and epidemiology of leishmaniasis are possibly associated with climatic and environmental variations., Objective: This study aimed to assess the association between the extreme climatic phenomenon El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the maximum and minimum variations of temperature, precipitation, and soil moisture and the incidence of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Mato Grosso do Sul (MS), Brazil, from 2002 to 2015., Methods: The Niño 3.4 index was used for the ENSO variation. The other climatic data were obtained from the climatic tool TerraClimate. Records regarding VL were obtained from the Notification of Injury Information System., Findings: From 2002 to 2015, there were 3,137 cases of VL recorded in MS. The annual incidence of the disease was negatively associated with the ENSO index and soil moisture in MS. The VL incidence increased during the negative phase of ENSO and decreased during the positive phase., Main Conclusions: The results demonstrated that the interannual cycles of incidence of human VL are significantly associated with the occurrence of the ENSO phenomenon and its phases, El Niño and La Niña.

Phlebotomines have been recorded from a wide variety of habitats, and some of these vector species have shown preference for human environments, with high levels of adaptation. This study evaluated the degree of preference of these vectors for urban, rural, and forested environments (synanthropic behavior), as well as the diversity of these species, in three areas (forested, rural, and urban, exhibiting different degrees of anthropogenic changes) in a region of intense transmission of visceral leishmaniasis in Corumbá county, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Using light traps, sand fly specimens were collected from the three environments simultaneously, from May 2015 to April 2017, totaling 7 213 sand flies of 14 species in eight genera. Nuorteva's synanthropy index was determined for the species Lutzomyia cruzi, Brumptomyia brumpti, Micropygomyia peresi, Lu. forattinii, Martinsmyia oliveirai and Evandromyia corumbaensis. Lutzomyia cruzi, the vector of Leishmania infantum in Corumbá, was the most abundant vector species, recorded from all three areas and sampling plots, on all 24 months investigated. This species exhibited the highest synanthropic index (+75.09), indicating a strong preference for urban environments. Brumptomyia brumpti, Micropygomyia peresi, Lu. forattinii, and Martinsmyia oliveirai showed preference, albeit not strong, for urban environments. Overall, males were more abundant than females (W = 490; p < 0.0001). High density, high synanthropic index, and sustained indoor presence were found for Mi. peresi in the rural area. Monitoring changes in the ecological behavior of sand flies is of vital importance, as these changes may indicate an increased likelihood of leishmaniasis emergence or reemergence., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Pantanal da Nhecolândia is one of the most well-preserved areas in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul. Located in the southern part of the Taquari River megafan, it is in tectonic contact with the fault escarpments of the Maracaju-Campo Grande plateaus to the east and with the fault escarpments of the Bodoquena plateau to the west, which continue to north. To the south and to the north, the limits are marked respectively by the lineaments of the Negro and Taquari Rivers. Nhecolândia is characterized by the existence of at least 17,631 lagoons, 17,050 (96.70 %) of which are of fresh water (baías) and 577 (3.3 %) of salty water (salinas). Studies based on (Landsat) satellite images and use of free software (QGIS, version 2.8.3) and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) revealed that the major axes of the lagoons are aligned along two directions, NE (62.49 %) and NW (37.51 %), with modes concentrated between N30-40E and N30-40W, suggesting in both cases the role played by tectonic control (neotectonics) in their formation. Evidences of fluvial origin are presented for these groups of lagoons, as well as for their tectonic alignment.

Recording the nycthemeral rhythm of sand flies allows the evaluation of the daily activity in different ecotypes, the period of greatest activity, and their degree of anthropophily. We investigated the fauna and the rhythm of sand fly activity in an ecotourism region in Mato Grosso do Sul (MS) state, Brazil. Sand flies were captured monthly, using a Shannon trap for 24 h periods between July 2012 and June 2014. We collected 1,815 sand flies, in which Lutzomyia whitmani (=Nyssomyia whitmani, sensu Galati) and Lutzomyia longipalpis were the most abundant species during the dry season, with activity from 5 p.m.-7 a.m. and 6 p.m.-5 a.m., respectively. Both species require particular attention as vectors of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis and Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum in several regions of Brazil, including MS. However, Lutzomyia dispar was more anthropophilic, and was most active between January and March, from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. Lutzomyia misionensis (=Pintomyia misionensis, sensu Galati) was present throughout both years, active from 4 p.m. to 5 a.m. Other species were active from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. Due to intense tourism in the months that coincide with a high number of vectors for leishmaniases in Piraputanga, it is essential to determine vector-monitoring strategies in the area by investigating sand fly rhythm while not neglecting other periods of the year when the insects are present., (© The Authors 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

The monthly distribution and abundance of sand flies are influenced by both biotic and abiotic factors. The present study aimed to evaluate the seasonal distribution of sand flies and the relation between their abundance and environmental parameters, including vegetation and climate. This study was conducted over a 2-year period (April 2012 to March 2014). Monthly distribution was evaluated through the weekly deployment of CDC light traps in the peridomicile area of 5 residences in an urban area of the municipality of Corumbá in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Meteorological data were obtained from the Mato Grosso do Sul Center for Weather, Climate, and Water Resources. The spectral indices were calculated based on spatial resolution images (GeoEye) and the percentage of vegetal coverage. Differences in the abundance of sand flies among the collection sites were assessed using the Kruskal-Wallis test, and the strength of correlations between environmental variables was determined by calculating Spearman's correlation coefficients. Lutzomyia cruzi, Lu. forattinii, and Evandromyia corumbaensis were the most frequently found species. Although no significant association was found among these sand fly species and the tested environmental variables (vegetation and climate), high population peaks were found during the rainy season, whereas low peaks were observed in the dry season. The monthly distribution of sand flies was primarily determined by Lu. cruzi, which accounted for 93.94% of the specimens collected each month throughout the experimental period. The fact that sand flies were detected year-round indicates a continuous risk of infection to humans, demonstrating the need for targeted management and education programs., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Inundation and fire can affect the structure of riparian vegetation in wetlands. Our aim was to verify if there are differences in richness, abundance, basal area, composition and topographic preference of woody species in riparian forests related to the fire history, flooding duration, or the interaction between both. The study was conducted in the riparian forests of the Paraguay River some of which were burned three times between 2001 and 2011. We sampled trees with a girth of at least 5 cm at breast height in 150 5 × 10 m plots (79 burned and 71 unburned). We also measured height of the flood mark and estimated the flooding duration of each plot. We performed Generalized Linear Mixed Models to verify differences in richness, basal area, and abundance of individuals associated to interaction of fire and inundation. We used an analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) and indicator species analysis to identify differences in composition of species and the association with burned and unburned area according to different levels of inundation. Finally, we used a hierarchical set of Generalized Linear Models (GLM), the so-called HOF models, to analyse each species' specific response to inundation based on topography and to determine their preferred optimal topographic position for both burned as well as unburned areas. Richness was positively associated with elevation only in burned areas while abundance was negatively influenced by inundation only in burned areas. Basal area was negatively associated with time of inundation independent of fire history. There were 15 species which were significant indicators for at least one combination of the studied factors. We found nine species in burned areas and 15 in unburned areas, with response curves in HOF models along the inundation gradient. From these, five species shifted their optimal position along the inundation gradient in burned areas. The interaction of fire and inundation did not appear to affect the basal area, but it did affect the richness, number of individuals, success of some species, and seemed to shape the boundary of these forests as shown by the difference in the positioning of these species along the inundation gradient.

The increasing incidence of chronic renal failure in Brazil and the consequential expansion of hemodialysis as a choice for treatment in final stage have to be taken into account to guarantee access to those in need. The ecological study conducted in Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil, in 2012, using data from the Brazilian Health Informatics Department (DATASUS) and from the analysis of medical records in 12 clinics, identified and mapped patients on hemodialysis, the distance they travelled and the estimated number of patients. The prevalence of hemodialysis patients in Mato Grosso do Sul State, about 55 per 100,000 inhabitants, is similar to the national average. The analyses indicated concentration of patients in counties with clinics and also geographical gaps that generate displacement of over 100km for more than 16% of patients. The results point to the necessity of strengthening public policies that consider, for decision-making, the decentralization of service, the expansion of home care and the follow-up education for professionals.

Objective: To analyze the situation of sexual violence against adolescents., Methods: Cross-sectional study with spatial analysis, covering 172 reporting forms, from January 2009 to January 2013, in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul. Data were grouped by neighborhood for spatial analysis. The statistical analysis was descriptive., Results: Adolescents in situations of violence were mostly girls (94.8%) and white (37.8%). Domestic violence prevailed (51.7%) and with one perpetrator (66.9%). Pregnancy (8.7%) was one of the consequences. The cases were evenly distributed in the city without a preferential spatial pattern and regardless of social background., Conclusions: Despite the underreporting of sexual violence cases, the frequency and the individual and collective consequences of this are serious enough to make it a public health issue.

Background: Environmental changes caused by urbanization can cause alterations in the ecology and behavior of sandflies and in the epidemiology of leishmaniasis. Geotechnological tools allow the analysis and recognition of spatiotemporal patterns by monitoring and mapping risk areas of this vector-borne disease. This study aims to describe the sandfly fauna in the municipality of Corumbá and to compare it with the data described in a three-year period from 1984 to 1986 by Galati. A further aim was to analyze the influence of environmental changes on the composition of the fauna., Methods: Captures were conducted weekly from April 2012 to March 2013, in intra and peridomicile areas with automatic light traps, from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am. The following indices were calculated for both periods analyzed: Standardized Index of Species Abundance (SISA), Shannon's diversity index (H) and Pielou's index (J). The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was extracted from a remote sensing LANDSAT-5 image., Results: In total, 7,370 specimens (6,169 males and 1,201 females) were collected, distributed among 12 species. Lutzomyia cruzi was the most frequent species (93,79%) and the first in the ranking of standardized species abundance index in both studies. The dominance of the species Lu. cruzi in the neighborhoods of Maria Leite and Centro was demonstrated by the low equitability index. The neighborhood of Cristo Redentor had the greatest diversity of sandflies in the present study and the second greatest in the study performed by Galati et al. (Rev Saúde Pública 31:378-390, 1997). Analyzing the satellite images and the NDVI from 1984 and 2010, the largest amount of dense vegetation was found in the neighborhood of Cristo Redentor., Conclusions: It was, therefore, possible to show how changes caused due to urbanization have affected the density and distribution of Lu. cruzi and other species over time. Moreover, the data suggest that different populations of sandflies adapt in different ways according to environmental conditions and the adaptation does not necessarily depends on the presence of high vegetation cover.

This paper presents a study of the structural lineaments of the Pantanal extracted visually from satellite images (CBERS-2B satellite, Wide Field Imager sensor, a free image available in INTERNET) and a comparison with the structural lineaments of Precambrian and Paleozoic rocks surrounding the Cenozoic Pantanal Basin. Using a free software for satellite image analysis, the photointerpretation showed that the NS, NE and NW directions observed on the Pantanal satellite images are the same recorded in the older rocks surrounding the basin, suggesting reactivation of these basement structural directions during the Quaternary. So the Pantanal Basin has an active tectonics and its evolution seems to be linked to changes that occurred during the Andean subduction.

The study of some of the behavioral aspects of the main vector of Leishmania infantum chagasi Cunha & Chagas in the Americas, Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva), such as dispersion, population size, and vector survival rates, is important for the elucidation of the mechanisms of visceral leishmaniasis transmission. These parameters were studied by means of capture-mark-release-recapture experiments in an urban area of Campo Grande municipality, an endemic area of visceral leishmaniasis, situated in Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil. Six capture-mark-release-recapture experiments were undertaken between November 2009 and November 2010 and once in January 2012 with a view to assessing the population size and survival rate of Lu. longipalpis. The insects were released in a peridomicile surrounded by 13 residences. The recaptures were undertaken with automatic light traps for four consecutive weeks after release in the surrounding area. In total, 3,354 sand flies were captured, marked, and released. The overall recapture rate during the capture-mark-release-recapture experiments was 4.23%, of which 92.45% were recaptured at the release site, indicating limited dispersal. The greatest distance recorded from the release site was 165 m for males and 241 m for females. The male daily survival rate, calculated on the basis of regressions from the numbers of marked recaptured insects during the 15 successive days after release was 0.897. The estimated male population size measured by the Lincoln Index was 10,947.127. Though Lu. longipalpis presented a limited dispersion the physical barriers typical of urban environments did not prevent the sand flies from flying long distances.

The relationships between environmental exposure to risk agents and health conditions have been studied with the aid of remote sensing imagery, a tool particularly useful in the study of vegetation cover. This study aims to evaluate the influence of environmental variables on the spatial distribution of the abundance of Lutzomyia longipalpis and the reported canine and human visceral leishmaniasis (VL) cases at an urban area of Campo Grande, state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The sandfly captures were performed in 13 residences that were selected by raffle considering four residences or collection station for buffer. These buffers were generated from the central house with about 50, 100 and 200 m from it in an endemic area of VL. The abundance of sandflies and human and canine cases were georreferenced using the GIS software PCI Geomatica. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and percentage of land covered by vegetation were the environmental variables extracted from a remote sensing IKONOS-2 image. The average NDVI was considered as the complexity of habitat and the standard deviation as the heterogeneity of habitat. One thousand three hundred sixty-seven specimens were collected during the catch. We found a significant positive linear correlation between the abundance of sandflies and the percentage of vegetation cover and average NDVI. However, there was no significant association between habitat heterogeneity and the abundance of these flies.

The Pantanal of Nhecolândia, the world's largest and most diversified field of tropical lakes, comprises approximately 10,000 lakes, which cover an area of 24,000 km(2) and vary greatly in salinity, pH, alkalinity, colour, physiography and biological activity. The hyposaline lakes have variable pHs, low alkalinity, macrophytes and low phytoplankton densities. The saline lakes have pHs above 9 or 10, high alkalinity, a high density of phytoplankton and sand beaches. The cause of the diversity of these lakes has been an open question, which we have addressed in our research. Here we propose a hybrid process, both geochemical and biological, as the main cause, including (1) a climate with an important water deficit and poverty in Ca(2+) in both superficial and phreatic waters; and (2) an elevation of pH during cyanobacteria blooms. These two aspects destabilise the general tendency of Earth's surface waters towards a neutral pH. This imbalance results in an increase in the pH and dissolution of previously precipitated amorphous silica and quartzose sand. During extreme droughts, amorphous silica precipitates in the inter-granular spaces of the lake bottom sediment, increasing the isolation of the lake from the phreatic level. This paper discusses this biogeochemical problem in the light of physicochemical, chemical, altimetric and phytoplankton data.

The implementation and strengthening of initiatives on physical activity and health are needed to guide and propose body practice in a conscious and autonomous way. Given the relevance of the investigation of places to the practice of physical activity in the development of public policies and practices of intervention, it is necessary knowledge about where and how this activity is developed, and the characteristics of the people interested. The objective of this study was characterize practitioners of physical activity in the Campus of Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS); identifying ways and reasons that led these people to seek for that space and the importance of vocational guidance for the practice. Data was collected by observation and interview with 75 people in November 2006. The results indicated that most were men, adults, practiced mostly to walk without professional guidance. It is hoped that studies is encouraging the development of projects in recognition of where and how physical activity is developed and characteristics of who the search. This information can collaborate to interpretations based, interventions and initiatives in public policy, as they may drive development of programs to encourage physical activity, such as municipal Atlas of Sports, in operation.

Objectives: To map American Visceral Leishmaniasis (AVL) in Mato Grosso do Sul State (Central Brazil)., Methods: The distribution of AVL was mapped, using the Geographic Information System., Results: The disease was endemic to the Corumbá Region from 1913 to 1998. Spatial and temporal analysis indicated that the expansion route and dissemination through the State of the disease has been from west to east, coinciding with three different human interventions; two of them, a federal highway and a rail-road, were constructed in the early twentieth century, from east to west, from Bauru city, in São Paulo State, to Corumbá city, in Mato Grosso do Sul State. The third anthropogenic intervention was the construction of a gas pipeline that started in 1998, and attracted thousands of workers. This construction route has the same direction, west to east, and timescale as the observed expansion and dissemination of AVL., Conclusions: The results relate the expansion of the disease to intense human traffic along the route of spread.