ZIKV - CDB: A Collaborative Database to Guide Research Linking SncRNAs and ZIKA Virus Disease Symptoms.

Background: In early 2015, a ZIKA Virus (ZIKV) infection outbreak was recognized in northeast Brazil, where concerns over its possible links with infant microcephaly have been discussed. Providing a causal link between ZIKV infection and birth defects is still a challenge. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs (sncRNAs) that regulate post-transcriptional gene expression by translational repression, and play important roles in viral pathogenesis and brain development.

Development and validation of PCR-based assays for diagnosis of American cutaneous leishmaniasis and identification of the parasite species.

In this study, PCR assays targeting different Leishmania heat-shock protein 70 gene (hsp70) regions, producing fragments ranging in size from 230-390 bp were developed and evaluated to determine their potential as a tool for the specific molecular diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). A total of 70 Leishmania strains were analysed, including seven reference strains (RS) and 63 previously typed strains. Analysis of the RS indicated a specific region of 234 bp in the hsp70 gene as a valid target that was highly sensitive for detection of Leishmania species DNA with capacity of distinguishing all analyzed species, after polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).

Species diversity causing human cutaneous leishmaniasis in Rio Branco, state of Acre, Brazil.

Objective: Information on Leishmania species diversity in western Brazilian Amazon and the clinical picture of human cutaneous leishmaniasis it causes is scarce. We describe clinical findings, diagnostic procedures and identification of Leishmania species in patients from that region.

Methods: The sample consisted of 50 patients, prospectively evaluated for epidemiological and clinical characteristics by means of a structured questionnaire.

Use of PCR-RFLP to identify Leishmania species in naturally-infected dogs.

Tissue imprints on Giemsa stained slides from dogs were used to investigate the presence of Leishmania amastigotes by either optical microscopy (OM) or Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection of DNA. Samples from skin, spleen, lymph node, liver and bone marrow from a Leishmaniasis endemic area dogs where Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi and Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis are sympatric were studied. Dogs were initially diagnosed by Indirect Immunofluorescence (IIF), as which 39 were IIF positive (> or = 1:40) and 16 negative.