Acute conjunctivitis with episcleritis and anterior uveitis linked to adiaspiromycosis and freshwater sponges, Amazon region, Brazil, 2005.

We conducted an epidemiologic investigation of an outbreak of ocular disease among children to determine whether the disease was linked to Emmonsia sp., a rarely-reported fungus and an agent of adiaspiromycosis. Using an unmatched case-control study design, we compared case-patients with asymptomatic controls randomly selected from the population.

[Anthropogenic air pollution and respiratory disease-related emergency room visits in Rio Branco, Brazil--September, 2005].

Air pollution is a major public health problem in the Amazon forest and in large Brazilian cities. During September of 2005, high concentrations of smoke from biomass burning were observed in the city of Rio Branco. An ecological study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between daily concentrations of particulate matter < 2.

Pyrogenic reactions and hemorrhage associated with intrinsic exposure to endotoxin-contaminated intravenous solutions.

Objective: An epidemiological investigation was conducted to determine risk factors for adverse reactions among patients in hospitals and the possibility of extrinsic or intrinsic contamination of intravenous solutions.

Design: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to identify solutions associated with adverse reactions. Implicated lots were cultured for bacteria, and endotoxin concentrations were measured.

Dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever, Brazil, 1981-2002.

In the last 5 years, Brazil has accounted for approximately 70% of reported dengue fever cases in the Americas. We analyzed trends of dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) from the early 1980s to 2002 by using surveillance data from the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Two distinct epidemiologic patterns for dengue were observed: localized epidemics (1986-1993), and endemic and epidemic virus circulation countrywide (1994-2002).