Impact of a research-action on vaccination indicators in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Objective: Analyze the impact of the state research-action project on immunization indicators (vaccination coverage - VC, homogeneity of vaccination coverage - HVC, dropout rate - DR, and risk rating) before and after the intervention in municipalities and priority Regional Health Administrations/Regional Health Superintendencies (RHA/RHS).

Methods: The state research-action project was a before-after community clinical trial conducted in 212 municipalities belonging to eight RHA/RHS in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The study sample comprised RHA/RHS with a decreasing trend for routine vaccination coverage in children under one year from 2015 to 2020.

Physiological characterization of the hematophagy of Ornithodoros rostratus (Acari: Argasidae) on live hosts.

Ornithodoros rostratus is an argasid tick and its importance is based on its hematophagy and the resulting transmission of pathogens such as Rickettsia rickettsii and Coxiella burnetii to its vertebrate hosts. In the face of a lack of physiological studies related to hematophagy in argasid ticks, this paper aims to identify and characterize the events that occur throughout the feeding by O. rostratus on live hosts.

Triatomines (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) blood intake: Physical constraints and biological adaptations.

In order to efficiently obtain blood from their vertebrate hosts, bloodsucking arthropods have undergone an evolutionary selection process leading to specialist adaptations in their feeding apparatus (mouthparts and suction pumps) and salivary molecules. These adaptations act to counteract haemostasis, inflammation, and immune responses in their vertebrate hosts. The association of haematophagous arthropods with vertebrate hosts during a blood feed allows the transmission of pathogens between their hosts and vectors in a tripartite interaction.

Life cycle of Ornithodoros rostratus (Acari: Argasidae) ticks feeding on mice under laboratory conditions.

Ornithodoros rostratus Aragão is an argasid tick found in Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. Only limited studies about O. rostratus have been conducted and several aspects of their life cycle differ among studies or remain unexplored.

Intravital microscopy and image analysis of Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) hematophagy: the challenge of blood intake from mouse skin.

Hematophagous insects transmit many of the most dangerous parasitic diseases. The transmission usually occurs during hematophagy or just after as this is when the vector and the host are in contact. The contact time is determined by the feeding performance of the insect in each host.

Salivation pattern of Rhodnius prolixus (Reduviidae; Triatominae) in mouse skin.

The objective of this work was to study the pattern of salivation of triatomines during feeding in mouse skin. Rhodnius prolixus was fed with a solution of the dye acridine orange or fluorescein. The saliva was efficiently labelled with acridine orange, probably due to the difference in pH between the salivary gland (6.