Publications by authors named "Alexandre Silva Neto"

Snakebites caused by snakes are the most prevalent in the Amazon region, causing local and systemic complications. Local complications are mostly represented by necrosis, secondary bacterial infection and compartment syndrome. There are reports of long-term disabilities, but their burden is poorly investigated.

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A 9-year-old male with autism and a history of well-controlled epilepsy presented with acute headache, fever, and generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Initial diagnostics, including imaging and cerebrospinal fluid analysis, were inconclusive. However, further serological testing suggested the presence of the chikungunya virus, establishing a diagnosis of chikungunya-associated neurological manifestation.

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This study analyzed a total of 260 confirmed scorpion stings reported in the city of Manaus, in the Brazilian Amazon, from 1990 to 2020. Cases were mapped according to the GPS location of their occurrence and plotted on a satellite image of the city. The stings generally occurred close to green areas, and the hotspots of stings moved north as city grew into that direction over time.

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Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a critical systemic complication caused by Bothrops envenoming, a neglected health problem in the Brazilian Amazon. Understanding the underlying mechanisms leading to AKI is crucial for effectively mitigating the burden of this complication. This study aimed to characterize the urinary protein profile of Bothrops atrox snakebite victims who developed AKI.

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Article Synopsis
  • The paper discusses the significant health crisis caused by snakebites in indigenous communities in the Brazilian Amazon, highlighting the need for greater access to antivenom in community health centers (CHCs).
  • Researchers created a checklist to evaluate the capacity of CHCs to manage antivenom treatment, which was tested with healthcare workers from 16 CHCs.
  • The study found that most CHCs can provide antivenom, but face challenges related to staffing and resources, suggesting that decentralizing antivenom access in these areas is both feasible and necessary for proper care.
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Article Synopsis
  • Indigenous populations in Brazil face significant health challenges, particularly with neglected tropical diseases like snakebite envenomations, leading to high case-fatality rates.
  • A study surveying 187 individuals in two indigenous health districts revealed that while 87.7% had access to healthcare, many still chose not to seek help, primarily due to reliance on traditional medicine, financial constraints, and transportation issues.
  • To improve healthcare access, the study suggests enhancing emergency transport systems, increasing hospital availability, and promoting cross-cultural care practices to reduce indigenous resistance to seeking medical treatment for snakebites.
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Envenomation caused by venomous animals may trigger significant local complications such as pain, edema, localized hemorrhage, and tissue necrosis, in addition to complications such as dermonecrosis, myonecrosis, and even amputations. This systematic review aims to evaluate scientific evidence on therapies used to target local effects caused by envenomation. The PubMed, MEDLINE, and LILACS databases were used to perform a literature search on the topic.

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The high incidence of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in the period of 2015-2016 in Brazil may have affected linear height growth velocity (GV) in children exposed in utero to ZIKV. This study describes the growth velocity and nutritional status based on the World Organization (WHO) standards of children exposed to ZIKV during pregnancy and followed up in a tertiary unit, a reference for tropical and infectious diseases in the Amazon. Seventy-one children born between March 2016 and June 2018 were monitored for anthropometric indices: z-score for body mass index (BMI/A); weight (W/A); height (H/A) and head circumference (HC/A); and growth velocity.

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Article Synopsis
  • Difficulties in assessing glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PDd) in remote areas pose risks for safely using malaria treatments like primaquine and tafenoquine, due to potential hemolysis.
  • A study conducted in the Brazilian Amazon from 2014 to 2018 screened nearly 15,000 males for G6PDd, revealing a 5.6% prevalence overall, with the highest rates in Acre and Amapá.
  • The findings suggest that many individuals could suffer hemolysis if treated with certain anti-malarial drugs, highlighting the need for G6PDd screening to protect patients and support malaria elimination efforts.
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Background: Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency testing is not routinely performed before primaquine treatment in most endemic areas, despite the risk of primaquine-associated hemolysis. This is due to the operational challenges associated with pragmatic G6PD testing and as such needs to be addressed.

Methods And Findings: This mixed-methods operational study was aimed at implementing the quantitative point-of-care Standard G6PD (SD Biosensor, Korea) screening test in malaria treatment units (MTUs) in the municipalities of Rio Preto da Eva and Mâncio Lima, in the Brazilian Amazon, between mid-January 2020 and December 2020.

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Snakebite envenomings (SBEs) and other envenomings triggered by venomous animals (VAEs) represent a significant disease burden in Brazil, with 29,152 SBEs reported in 2021 alone with nearly half of those occurring in the remote Brazilian Amazon. In 2021, Brazil recorded 240,294 envenomings from snakes, scorpions, spiders, and caterpillars. Therefore, there is an unequal distribution of SBEs with high morbidity and mortality in the Brazilian Amazon.

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The Brazilian Amazon has high rates of snakebite envenomings (SBEs), with ∼90% caused by Bothrops atrox. Envenomings by this species can trigger local and systemic effects, such as acute kidney injury (AKI). Our aim was to identify predictors of AKI in Bothrops SBEs in patients from Manaus, Western Brazilian Amazon.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focused on understanding malaria epidemiology in three peri-urban communities in Manaus, Brazil, specifically targeting the blood-stage infection of Plasmodium vivax and its transmission patterns.
  • Researchers collected monthly samples from 1,274 individuals over a year and found that a significant portion of the population remained free of P. vivax and P. falciparum, with P. vivax infections primarily being monoclonal.
  • The findings indicated that seasonal factors and previous malaria episodes influenced infection rates, with those owning bed nets being at a higher risk for P. vivax molecular force of blood (molFOB).
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Globally, malaria and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are both independently associated with a massive burden of disease and death. While their co-infection has been well studied for Plasmodium falciparum, scarce data exist regarding the association of P. vivax and HIV.

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Background: Although primaquine (PQ) is indicated for G6PD-deficient patients, data on weekly PQ use in Brazil are limited.

Methods: We aimed to investigate malaria recurrences among participants receiving daily and weekly PQ treatments in a real-life setting of two municipalities in the Amazon between 2019 and 2020.

Results: Patients receiving weekly PQ treatment had a lower risk of recurrence than those receiving daily PQ treatment (risk ratio: 0.

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Background: As quantitative glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PDd) screening tools are evaluated in operational studies, questions remain as to whether they are cost-effective. Here, a cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) was performed to estimate the Incremental Cost-effectiveness Ratio (ICER) of the introduction of quantitative screening test to detect G6PDd among P. vivax carriers in two municipalities in the Brazilian Amazon.

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Background: Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) has demonstrated efficacy in the reduction of sexually transmitted HIV infections. The prolonged use of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and emtricitabine (FTC) co-formulation (TDF/FTC), however, may result in augmented risk of renal toxicity. We aimed to evaluate changes in the estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) in a real-world population setting of participants enrolled in PrEP Brazil, a 48-week prospective, open-label, demonstration study to assess the feasibility of daily oral TDF/FTC used by men who have sex with men and transgender women at high-risk of HIV infection, all over 18 years old.

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Background: Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency greatly hinders Plasmodium vivax malaria radical cure and further elimination due to 8-aminoquinolines-associated hemolysis. Although the deleterious health effects of primaquine in G6PD deficient individuals have been known for over 50 years, G6PD testing is not routinely performed before primaquine treatment in most P. vivax endemic areas.

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Access to antivenoms is not guarranteed for vulnerable populations that inhabit remote areas in the Amazon. The study of therapeutic itineraries (TI) for treatment of snakebites would support strategies to provide timely access to users. A TI is the set of processes by which individuals adhere to certain forms of treatment, and includes the path traveled in the search for healthcare, and practices to solve their health problems.

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