Congenital Zika virus infection impacts on male mouse offspring's reproductive biology.

In Brief: Congenital ZIKV infection promotes alarming effects on male offspring's reproductive biology. This study showed the presence of the ZIKV antigen in the testis parenchyma, decreased testosterone levels, and sperm abnormalities in male offspring born to infected mothers.

Abstract: Infection with ZIKV during pregnancy is associated with fetal developmental problems.

CD8 T cell response promotes viral clearance and reduces chances of severe testicular damage in mouse models of long-term Zika virus infection of the testes.

Zika virus (ZIKV) causes human testicular inflammation and alterations in sperm parameters and causes testicular damage in mouse models. The involvement of individual immune cells in testicular damage is not fully understood. We detected virus in the testes of the interferon (IFN) α/β receptor A129 mice three weeks post-infection and found elevated chemokines in the testes, suggesting chronic inflammation and long-term infection play a role in testicular damage.

Testicular pathological alterations associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the etiologic agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which caused one of the pandemics with the highest mortalities with millions of deaths and hundreds of millions of cases to date. Due to its potential for airborne transmission, many studies have focused on SARS-CoV-2 primarily as a respiratory disease. However, the spread of SARS-CoV-2 to non-respiratory organs has been experimentally demonstrated and clinically observed.

Nitazoxanide in Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Multicentre, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Background: Nitazoxanide exerts antiviral activity and and anti-inflammatory effects, but its impact on patients hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia is uncertain.

Methods: A multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in 19 hospitals in Brazil. Hospitalized adult patients requiring supplemental oxygen, with COVID-19 symptoms and a chest computed tomography scan suggestive of viral pneumonia or positive RT-PCR test for COVID-19 were enrolled.

SARS-CoV-2 Infects Hamster Testes.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect millions of people worldwide. Although SARS-CoV-2 is a respiratory virus, there is growing concern that the disease could cause damage and pathology outside the lungs, including in the genital tract. Studies suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infection can damage the testes and reduce testosterone levels, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown and evidence of virus replication in testicular cells is lacking.

Epidemic Alphaviruses: Ecology, Emergence and Outbreaks.

Over the past century, the emergence/reemergence of arthropod-borne zoonotic agents has been a growing public health concern. In particular, agents from the genus pose a significant risk to both animal and human health. Human alphaviral disease presents with either arthritogenic or encephalitic manifestations and is associated with significant morbidity and/or mortality.

Assays with recombinant soluble isoforms of DC-SIGN, a dengue virus ligand, show variation in their ability to bind to mannose residues.

The DC-SIGN glycoprotein is responsible for the initial adhesion of dengue virus (DENV) to immune cells by the carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD). There are thirteen soluble and membrane-bound DC-SIGN isoforms, but the role of soluble isoforms in the DENV internalization process is not known. Five isoforms with an altered or absent CRD were identified, and three different soluble isoforms were used to confirm the interactions with mannose residues.

Blood donation in a large urban centre of southeast Brazil: a population-based study.

Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and characterise potential blood donors and non-donors in a well-populated and representative urban area of Southeastern Brazil.

Background: Studies on blood donation usually evaluate individuals who donate. Population-based studies may contribute to characterise those who never reach the blood centre, trying to increase the range of donors.

Dengue outbreaks in Divinopolis, south-eastern Brazil and the geographic and climatic distribution of Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti in 2011-2012.

Objective: To entomologically monitor Aedes spp. and correlate the presence of these vectors with the recent epidemic of dengue in Divinopolis, Minas Gerais State, Brazil.

Methods: Ovitraps were installed at 44 points in the city, covering six urban areas, from May 2011 to May 2012.

[Individual characteristics associated with perception of the local neighborhood's territory].

There is a growing interest in evaluating the impact of neighborhood characteristics on health. The definition of neighborhood involves two main strategies, one using artificial boundaries, usually created for administrative purposes, and the other based on the individual's definition, namely the perceived neighborhood. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with heterogeneity in the perceived neighborhood among participants in a health survey in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil.

Influence of context in social participation of people with disabilities in Brazil.

Objective: To identify environmental and personal factors associated with social participation in adults with various diseases/health conditions residing in the urban areas of the Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Region, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Methods: Individual characteristics, social participation, and perception of environmental barriers of 226 patients treated at a public rehabilitation referral service were evaluated. Regression analyses with hierarchical entry of data were performed to verify the association of personal and environmental factors with social participation.

[A systematic social observation tool: methods and results of inter-rater reliability].

Systematic social observation has been used as a health research methodology for collecting information from the neighborhood physical and social environment. The objectives of this article were to describe the operationalization of direct observation of the physical and social environment in urban areas and to evaluate the instrument's reliability. The systematic social observation instrument was designed to collect information in several domains.

[Multiple imputation and complete case analysis in logistic regression models: a practical assessment of the impact of incomplete covariate data].

Researchers in the health field often deal with the problem of incomplete databases. Complete Case Analysis (CCA), which restricts the analysis to subjects with complete data, reduces the sample size and may result in biased estimates. Based on statistical grounds, Multiple Imputation (MI) uses all collected data and is recommended as an alternative to CCA.

Predictors of 10-year hospital use in a community-dwelling population of Brazilian elderly: the Bambuí Cohort Study of Aging.

We use data from a population-based cohort of elderly Brazilians to assess predictors of hospitalizations during ten years of follow-up. Participants were 1,448 persons aged 60 years and over at baseline (1997). The outcome was self-reported number of hospitalizations per year.

[10-year trends in the health of Brazilian elderly: evidence from the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD 1998, 2003, 2008)].

Data from a representative national household survey were used to examine 10-year trends (1998-2008) in health conditions of Brazilian elderly. A random sample of 105,254 individuals aged > 60 years participated. The mean age was 69 years and 56% were women.

Aging and Urbanization: The Neighborhood Perception and Functional Performance of Elderly Persons in Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Area-Brazil.

Currently, half of the world population resides in cities. The percentage of world population that is elderly is expected to double from 11% to 22% by 2050 and will be concentrated in urban areas of developing countries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the functional status of elderly who live in the Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Area, Minas Gerais State, Brazil.

[Urban health: "the city is a strange lady, smiling today, devouring you tomorrow"].

More than half of the world's population is living in cities and the world is turning more and more urbanized. This literature review explores the ramifications of urban transformation, showing how cities take shape and impact human health in our times. While cities can offer positive opportunities, their negative impacts related to the lack of social organization, precarious urban living and working conditions, lack of governance and opportunities as well as the lack of strategies for promoting social equity tend to increase the adverse effects on the health of the urban communities.