Revisiting the dengue epidemic of 2011 in Paraguay: molecular epidemiology of dengue virus in the Asuncion metropolitan area.

Background: Dengue is one of the most important re-emerging viral diseases and the most common human arthropod-borne viral infection worldwide. Any of the four Dengue virus serotypes (DENV-1 to 4) can cause asymptomatic infections or clinical manifestations that range in severity from a mild, self-limited illness, to a severe disease characterized by a shock syndrome that can lead to death. Paraguay suffers periodic epidemic outbreaks of dengue since 1988 when the DENV-1 was introduced in the country.

Factors associated with high-risk human papillomavirus infection and high-grade cervical neoplasia: A population-based study in Paraguay.

Background: Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality among women from Paraguay, with high incidence and mortality rates (31.2 and 16 per 100 000 women, respectively). Although the risk factors associated with high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infection and preneoplastic cervical lesions are widely studied, population-based characteristics of particular settings may influence the feasibility of HPV-based CC screening implementation.

Distribution of human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes and bacterial vaginosis presence in cervical samples from Paraguayan indigenous.

Objective: To determine the frequency of human papillomavirus (HPV) types and to assess bacterial vaginosis (BV) possible associations with cervical infections in indigenous Paraguayan women of the Department of Presidente Hayes.

Methods: This study included 181 sexually active women without cervical lesions. HPV typing was performed by polymerase chain reaction with primers PGMY 09/11 followed by reverse line hybridization.

Viral infections of the central nervous system in Brazil.

Objective: Epidemiological studies have shown that most central nervous system (CNS) infections are viral. The objective of this study is to contribute to the knowledge base concerning viral CNS infections in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.

Methods: Two hundred cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were taken from patients with clinically suspected viral CNS infection and analyzed for herpesvirus, enterovirus, alphavirus and flavivirus using PCR assays.