LICIA NATAL FERNANDES
Projetos de Pesquisa
Unidades Organizacionais
Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina
LIM/49 - Laboratório de Protozoologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina - Líder
LIM/49 - Laboratório de Protozoologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina - Líder
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Resultados de Busca
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- Clustering symptoms of non-severe malaria in semi-immune Amazonian patients(2015) MARTINS, Antonio C.; ARAUJO, Felipe M.; BRAGA, Cassio B.; GUIMARAES, Maria G. S.; NOGUEIRA, Rudi; ARRUDA, Rayanne A.; FERNANDES, Licia N.; CORREA, Livia R.; MALAFRONTE, Rosely dos S.; CRUZ, Oswaldo G.; CODECO, Claudia T.; SILVA-NUNES, Monica daMalaria is a disease that generates a broad spectrum of clinical features. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical spectrum of malaria in semi-immune populations. Patients were recruited in Mancio Lima, a city situated in the Brazilian Amazon region. The study included 171 malaria cases, which were diagnosed via the use of a thick blood smear and confirmed by molecular methods. A questionnaire addressing 19 common symptoms was administered to all patients. Multiple correspondence analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis were performed to identify clusters of symptoms, and logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with the occurrence of symptoms. The cluster analysis revealed five groups of symptoms: the first cluster, which included algic- and fever-related symptoms, occurred in up to 95.3% of the cases. The second cluster, which comprised gastric symptoms (nausea, abdominal pain, inappetence, and bitter mouth), occurred in frequencies that ranged between 35.1% and 42.7%, and at least one of these symptoms was observed in 71.9% of the subjects. All respiratory symptoms were clustered and occurred in 42.7% of the malaria cases, and diarrhea occurred in 9.9% of the cases. Symptoms constituting the fifth cluster were vomiting and pallor, with a 14.6% and 11.7% of prevalence, respectively. A higher parasitemia count (more than 300 parasites/mm(3)) was associated with the presence of fever, vomiting, dizziness, and weakness (P < 0.05). Arthralgia and myalgia were associated with patients over the age of 14 years (P < 0.001). Having experienced at least eight malaria episodes prior to the study was associated with a decreased risk of chills and fever and an increased risk of sore throat (P < 0.05). None of the symptoms showed an association with gender or with species of Plasmodium. The clinical spectrum of malaria in semi-immune individuals can have a broad range of symptoms, the frequency and intensity of which are associated with age, past exposure to malaria, and parasitemia. Understanding the full spectrum of nonsevere malaria is important in endemic areas to guide both passive and active case detection, for the diagnosis of malaria in travelers returning to non-endemic areas, and for the development of vaccines aimed to decrease symptom severity.
- Characterization of insect-specific Culex flavivirus (Flaviviridae) nucleotide sequences in mosquitoes from urban parks in Sao Paulo, Brazil(2022) COLETTI, Thais de Moura; ROMANO, Camila Malta; URBINATTI, Paulo Roberto; TEIXEIRA, Renildo Souza; PEDROSA, Leila Weiss de Almeida; NARDI, Marcello Schiavo; NATAL, Delsio; COSTA, Antonio Charlys da; JESUS, Jaqueline Goes de; CLARO, Ingra Morales; SABINO, Ester Cerdeira; WITKIN, Steven S.; MARRELLI, Mauro Toledo; FERNANDES, Licia NatalBackground: Despite their worldwide occurrence, the distribution and role of insect-specific flaviviruses (ISFs) remain unclear. Methods: We evaluated the presence of ISFs in mosquitoes collected in Sao Paulo, Brazil, using reverse transcription and semi-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Some of the positive samples were subjected to nanopore sequencing. Results: Twelve mosquito pools (2.8%) tested positive for flavivirus infection. Nanopore sequencing was successfully performed on six samples. Phylogenetic analysis grouped these sequences into genotype 2 of Culex flavivirus (CxFV). Conclusions: The identification of CxFV genotype 2 at new locations in Sao Paulo highlights the importance of understanding the role of ISFs in mosquito vector competence.
- Aedes aegyptifrom Amazon Basin Harbor High Diversity of Novel Viral Species(2020) RIBEIRO, Geovani de Oliveira; MORAIS, Vanessa S.; MONTEIRO, Fred Julio Costa; RIBEIRO, Edcelha Soares D'Athaide; REGO, Marlisson Octavio da S.; SOUTO, Raimundo Nonato Picanco; VILLANOVA, Fabiola; TAHMASEBI, Roozbeh; HEFFORD, Philip Michael; DENG, Xutao; DELWART, Eric; SABINO, Ester Cerdeira; FERNANDES, Licia Natal; COSTA, Antonio Charlys da; LEAL, ElcioViruses are the most diverse and abundant microorganisms on earth, highly adaptive to a wide range of hosts. Viral diversity within invertebrate hosts has gained notoriety in recent years in public health as several such viruses have been of medical importance.Aedes aegyptiserves as a vector for several viruses that have caused epidemics within the last year throughout Brazil; including Dengue, Zika and Chikungunya. This study aimed to identify new viral agents withinAedes aegyptimosquito in a city of the Amazonian region, where it is highly endemic. Metagenomic investigation was performed on 60 mosquito pools and viral RNA sequences present in their microbiota were characterized using genomic and phylogenetic tools. In total, we identified five putative novel virus species related to theSobemovirusgenus,Iflavirusgenus andPermutatetraviridaefamily. These findings indicate a diverse taxonomy of viruses present in the mosquito microbiota of the Amazon, the region with the greatest invertebrate diversity in the world.
- Ecological characterisation and infection of Anophelines (Diptera: Culicidae) of the Atlantic Forest in the southeast of Brazil over a 10 year period: has the behaviour of the autochthonous malaria vector changed?(2018) BUERY, Julyana Cerqueira; REZENDE, Helder Ricas; NATAL, Licia; SILVA, Leonardo Santana da; MENEZES, Regiane Maria Tironi de; FUX, Blima; MALAFRONTE, Rosely dos Santos; FALQUETO, Aloisio; CERUTTI JUNIOR, CrispimBACKGROUND In southeastern Brazil, autochthonous cases of malaria can be found near Atlantic Forest fragments. Because the transmission cycle has not been completely clarified, the behaviour of the possible vectors in those regions must be observed. A study concerning the entomological aspects and natural infection of anophelines (Diptera: Culicidae) captured in the municipalities of the mountainous region of Espirito Santo state was performed in 2004 and 2005. Similarly, between 2014 and 2015, 12 monthly collections were performed at the same area of the study mentioned above. METHODS Center for Disease Control (CDC) light traps with CO2 were set in open areas, at the edge and inside of the forest (canopy and ground), whereas Shannon traps were set on the edge. FINDINGS A total of 1,414 anophelines were collected from 13 species. Anopheles (Kerteszia) cruzii Dyar and Knab remained the most frequently captured species in the CDC traps set in the forest canopy, as well as being the vector with the highest prevalence of Plasmodium vivax/simium infection, according to molecular polymerase chain reaction techniques. CONCLUSIONS P. vivax/simium was found only in abdomens of the mosquitoes of the subgenus Nyssorhynchus, weakening the hypothesis that this subgenus also plays a role in malaria transmission in this specific region.
- Reassessment of asymptomatic carriers of Plasmodium spp. in an endemic area with a very low incidence of malaria in extra-Amazonian Brazil(2017) ALENCAR, Filomena E. C. de; MALAFRONTE, Rosely dos Santos; CERUTTI JR., Crispim; FERNANDES, Licia Natal; BUERY, Julyana Cerqueira; FUX, Blima; REZENDE, Helder Ricas; MIRANDA, Angelica EspinosaBackground: Regions with residual transmission are potential obstacles to the elimination of malaria. It is, therefore, essential to understand the factors associated with the maintenance of endemic malaria in these areas. The objective was to investigate whether the status of asymptomatic carriers of Plasmodium spp. DNA is maintained in the long term in an extra-Amazonian region of Brazil with low incidence, residual malaria transmission. Methods: Asymptomatic carriers of Plasmodium DNA detected in a survey carried out between 2001 and 2004 were reassessed between 2010 and 2011 using questionnaires, PCR and thick and thin blood smear tests three times at 3-month intervals. Results: Of the 48 carriers detected between 2001 and 2004, 37 were located. Of these, only two had positive PCR results and, as in the first survey, Plasmodium malariae DNA was detected. Conclusion: The findings suggest that untreated dwellers from this extra-Amazonian region, who initially harbour malaria parasites, may become negative without ever developing apparent symptoms of the disease. Although the possibility of re-infection cannot be ruled out, the finding of two individuals harbouring P. malariae, both in the first and in the second survey, may be compatible with a long-term carrier state for this parasite. Since most clinical cases of malaria in the region are a consequence of infection by Plasmodium vivax, the epidemiological impact of such long-term carriage would be limited.