RESUMO
The present study is an update review on the occurrence and diagnosis of rickettsial diseases in Brazil and Portugal, aiming at promoting their epidemiological surveillance in both countries. A literature review was carried out and unpublished data of laboratories and surveillance systems were presented. The results described the occurrence of rickettsial diseases and infections in Brazil and Portugal, including other new and still poorly understood rickettsial infections. Current diagnostic methods were discussed. As in many other countries, rickettsial diseases and infections seem to be an emerging public health problem. Treated as a minor problem for many decades, the interest in these infections has increased in both countries but further studies are needed to establish their role as a public health problem.
Assuntos
Testes Imunológicos/métodos , Infecções por Rickettsia/epidemiologia , Animais , Vetores Artrópodes/parasitologia , Brasil/epidemiologia , Humanos , Incidência , Portugal/epidemiologia , Rickettsia/classificação , Rickettsia/imunologia , Infecções por Rickettsia/diagnóstico , Infecções por Rickettsia/transmissão , Carrapatos/parasitologiaRESUMO
O presente artigo é uma atualização sobre a ocorrência e diagnóstico das riquetsioses existentes no Brasil e Portugal, com o objetivo de incentivar e incrementar a vigilância epidemiológica dessas doenças nos dois países. Realizou-se levantamento bibliográfico e foram apresentados dados não publicados de laboratórios e serviços de epidemiologia. Os resultados descreveram a ocorrência das riquetsioses no Brasil e Portugal, inclusive aquelas recém-descritas, advindas de riquétsias de potencial patogênico ainda incerto. Os métodos diagnósticos atualmente empregados foram discutidos. Como em outros países, as riquetsioses parecem assumir crescente importância em saúde pública. Relegadas a um plano secundário por muitas décadas, o interesse por essas infecções tem aumentado nos dois países, mas ainda carece de investigação para esclarecer seu real significado em saúde pública.
Assuntos
Carrapatos , Doenças Transmitidas por Carrapatos/diagnóstico , Doenças Transmitidas por Carrapatos/epidemiologia , Febre Botonosa/diagnóstico , Febre Botonosa/epidemiologia , Incidência , Infecções por Rickettsia/diagnóstico , Infecções por Rickettsia/epidemiologia , Brasil , PortugalRESUMO
Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) rickettsiosis is the most common and recognized of the human rickettsioses in Brazil. It is difficult to establish the diagnosis of human rickettsiosis infection by routine microbiologic methods, creating a false idea that Rickettsia and Ehrlichia infections are rare and without importance. New tick-borne diseases, like human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) and human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME), have been described in many countries. These diseases can present symptoms similar to rickettsioses of the spotted fever group, and they are transmitted by ixodid ticks. The first two suspected cases of human ehrlichiosis in Brazil were first considered to be cases of BSF. The differential diagnosis was made at the Minas Gerais Rickettsiosis Public Health Laboratory. The clinical and laboratory findings, with positive serology for the HME agent, indicated suspected cases of human ehrlichioses in Brazil.
Assuntos
Antibacterianos/uso terapêutico , Cloranfenicol/uso terapêutico , Ehrlichiose/epidemiologia , Adulto , Anticorpos Antibacterianos/sangue , Brasil/epidemiologia , Ehrlichia chaffeensis/imunologia , Ehrlichiose/diagnóstico , Ehrlichiose/tratamento farmacológico , Humanos , MasculinoRESUMO
Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) rickettsiosis is the most common and recognized of the human rickettsioses in Brazil. It is difficult to establish the diagnosis of human rickettsiosis infection by routine microbiologic methods, creating a false idea that Rickettsia and Ehrlichia infections are rare and without importance. New tick-borne diseases, like Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis (HGA) and Human Monocytic Ehrlichiosis (HME), have been described in many countries. These diseases can present symptoms similar to rickettsioses of the spotted fever group, and they are transmitted by ixodid ticks. The first two suspected cases of human ehrlichiosis in Brazil were first considered to be cases of BSF. The differential diagnosis was made at the Minas Gerais Rickettsiosis Public Health Laboratory. The clinical and laboratory findings, with positive serology for the HME agent, indicated suspected cases of human ehrlichioses in Brazil.