Since the work of John Snow, scientists and medical professionals have understood that individuals develop cholera by means of consuming contaminated water. Despite the knowledge of cholera's route of infection, many countries have experienced and still experience endemic cholera. Cholera is caused by the Vibrio cholerae (V. cholerae) bacterium and presents with acute diarrhea and vomiting. If untreated, infected individuals may die due to dehydration. Cholera is a disease that most commonly affects countries with poor infrastructure and water sanitation. Despite efforts to control cholera in such countries, the disease persists. One such example is Haiti which has been experiencing a cholera outbreak since 2010. While there has been much research in the field of microbiology to understand V. cholerae, there has been comparably less research in the field of mathematical biology to understand the dynamics of V. cholerae in the environment. A mathematical model of V. cholerae incorporating a phage population is coupled with a SIRS disease model to examine the impact of vibrio and phage interaction. It is shown that there might exist two endemic equilibria, besides the disease free equilibrium: one in which phage persist in the environment and one in which the phage fail to persist. Existence and stability of these equilibria are established. Disease control strategies based on vibrio and phage interactions are discussed.

Vibrio vulnificus, an emergent human pathogen, causes septicemia with a mortality rate over 50%. Additionally, symptom onset occurs rapidly, with the incubation time for ingestion cases being around 26 hours. This, combined with the severity of symptoms has led to V. vulnificus being considered the deadliest seafood-associated pathogen, claiming responsibility for 95% of seafood-related deaths. Currently, the molecular mechanisms through which some strains of this bacteria emerge to become pathogens are unknown. The main focus of this study is to expand upon the base of knowledge surrounding this question through comparing virulence phenotypes in environmentally collected strains of V. vulnificus. Specifically, this study will evaluate the pathogenic potential of environmental isolates collected from water and oyster sources in Lee County, Florida, in lieu of the outbreak that occurred in October 2022. To test this, a variety of assays were performed. First, a phylogenetic tree was built to establish the relationships between strains. Next, to study in vitro responses, serum resistance assays and sialic acid growth curves were performed. Then, to further classify the pathogenic potential of these environmental strains, they were tested against THP-1 monocytes differentiated into macrophages for their ability to resist phagocytosis and induce apoptosis. This study found differential responses amongst the environmental isolates, with some exhibiting significant pathogenic potential and others being sensitive to all tested assays. Understanding which strains emerge as pathogens will help determine the prevalence of key virulence factors within natural populations of bacteria and provide critical data on the phenotypic outcomes of differing genotypes.

No description available.

Orientador: Helio Langoni / Resumo: Atualmente dentre as doenças emergentes a maioria são zoonoses, e os morcegos desempenham papel importante como fonte de infecção e transmissão de agentes infecciosos. Histoplasmose e criptococose são doenças fúngicas relatadas em diversas espécies animais, podendo seus agentes serem isolados de grutas, cavernas, solo e fezes de animais. Paracoccidioidomicose, doença fúngica mais importante no Brasil, acomete principalmente populações de baixa renda, na zona rural e já foi relatada em animais silvestres e domésticos. Desta forma, o objetivo do presente estudo foi realizar a detecção molecular dos fungos Histoplasma capsulatum, Cryptococcus spp. e Paracoccidioides brasiliensis em quirópteros no município de Botucatu e região, SP. O delineamento do estudo foi de série de casos, a partir de morcegos recolhidos e enviados pela Vigilância Epidemiológica municipal de 12 cidades da região Centro-Oeste de São Paulo para o diagnóstico de raiva, no período de abril de 2015 a maio de 2016. Foram coletados pulmão, baço, fígado e intestino de 172 quirópteros, e avaliados pelas técnicas de nested-PCR e cultivo microbiológico. A prevalência encontrada para H. capsulatum foi de 8,14% (14/172), com um morcego positivo somente no cultivo microbiológico, 12 na técnica de nested-PCR, e um animal positivo em ambos os métodos. Dois morcegos foram positivos para Cryptococcus spp. e dois para P. brasiliensis pela técnica de nested-PCR. Como auxílio do software Autocad® foi realizado georreferenciame... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Mestre

Submitted by Giselle Souza da Paz null (giselle.spaz@yahoo.com.br) on 2017-02-24T03:10:34Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação.pdf: 1081711 bytes, checksum: 854b92b0e4655258cb81dd326f478bd5 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by LUIZA DE MENEZES ROMANETTO (luizamenezes@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2017-03-02T18:12:52Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 paz_gs_me_bot.pdf: 1081711 bytes, checksum: 854b92b0e4655258cb81dd326f478bd5 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-02T18:12:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 paz_gs_me_bot.pdf: 1081711 bytes, checksum: 854b92b0e4655258cb81dd326f478bd5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-02-16 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Atualmente dentre as doenças emergentes a maioria são zoonoses, e os morcegos desempenham papel importante como fonte de infecção e transmissão de agentes infecciosos. Histoplasmose e criptococose são doenças fúngicas relatadas em diversas espécies animais, podendo seus agentes serem isolados de grutas, cavernas, solo e fezes de animais. Paracoccidioidomicose, doença fúngica mais importante no Brasil, acomete principalmente populações de baixa renda, na zona rural e já foi relatada em animais silvestres e domésticos. Desta forma, o objetivo do presente estudo foi realizar a detecção molecular dos fungos Histoplasma capsulatum, Cryptococcus spp. e Paracoccidioides brasiliensis em quirópteros no município de Botucatu e região, SP. O delineamento do estudo foi de série de casos, a partir de morcegos recolhidos e enviados pela Vigilância Epidemiológica municipal de 12 cidades da região Centro-Oeste de São Paulo para o diagnóstico de raiva, no período de abril de 2015 a maio de 2016. Foram coletados pulmão, baço, fígado e intestino de 172 quirópteros, e avaliados pelas técnicas de nested-PCR e cultivo microbiológico. A prevalência encontrada para H. capsulatum foi de 8,14% (14/172), com um morcego positivo somente no cultivo microbiológico, 12 na técnica de nested-PCR, e um animal positivo em ambos os métodos. Dois morcegos foram positivos para Cryptococcus spp. e dois para P. brasiliensis pela técnica de nested-PCR. Como auxílio do software Autocad® foi realizado georreferenciamento dos pontos de recolhimento dos animais, verificando quirópteros positivos em escolas, praças, residências e hospitais. Conclui-se que a presença de morcegos positivos para fungos patogênicos em áreas urbanas, é um risco para a saúde pública, visto que estes animais podem favorecer a manutenção e transmissão de patógenos em ambientes caseiros. Medidas de manejo ambiental devem ser orientadas a população pelo Serviço de Vigilância Epidemiológica Municipal, visando diminuir a população de morcegos em ambientes domésticos e minimizar os riscos de transmissão de fungos patogênicos. / Currently, among the emerging diseases, most are zoonosis, and baths play an important role as source of infection and transmission of infectious agents. Histoplasmosis, criptococcosis and paracoccidioidomicosis are fungal diseases reported in several animal species, and their agents can be isolated in grottos, caverns, soils and feces of animals. Paracoccidioidomycosis, the most important fungal disease in Brazil, affects mainly low-income populations in rural areas and has been reported in wild and domestic animals. Thus, the objective of the present study was performing the molecular detection of the fungi Histoplasma capsulatum, Cryptococcus spp. and Paracoccidioides brasiliensis in bats from the city of Botucatu and region, state of São Paulo.The study was delineated with a series of cases, from bats collected and sent by the Municipal Epidemiologic Surveillance of 12 cities from the Midwest region of São Paulo for the rabies diagnosis, within the time period from April 2015 to May 2016. Lung, spleen, liver and intestine were collected from 172 bats and assessed by nested-PCR and microbiological cultive techniques.The prevalence found for H. capsulatum was 8.14% (14/172), with one positive bath only by culturing the fungus, 12 in the nested-PCR technique and a positive animal in both methods. Two bats were positive for Cryptococcus spp. and two for P. brasiliensis by nested-PCR. With the aid of Autocad® software, the georeferencing of the animals’collection spots was performed, verifying positive bats in schools, squares, residences and hospitals. We conclude that the presence of positive baths for pathogenic fungi in urban areas is a risk to public health, since these animals can help on the maintenance and transmission of pathogens in domestic environments. Environmental management measures must be conducted to the population by the Municipal Service of Epidemiologic Surveillance, with the purpose of decreasing the baths population in domestic environments and minimizing the risk of transmitting pathogenic fungi. / FAPESP: 2014/23234-0

Thèse d'exercice : Médecine. Médecine générale : Paris 12 : 2007. / Titre provenant de l'écran-titre. 65 f. ill. Bibliogr. f. 52-65.

published_or_final_version / Medical Sciences / Master / Master of Medical Sciences

The LD50 of Vibrio parahaemolyticus ATCC 17803 for 13- to 18-g male mice, strain ICR, as determined by the 50% endpoint method, was found to be an estimated 7 x 107 CFU, when administered intraperitoneally in 0.5 ml of 24-h broth culture, O. D. 0.5 at 650 nm, diluted to 10-0.72. The elicitation of protective antibody by this bacterium in male New Zealand White rabbits was demonstrated by testing control, baseline, and hyperimmune rabbit sera for their protective effect against 2 LD50 of the bacterium administered intraperitoneally in 13- to 18-g male mice, strain ICR. A comparison of these sera showed that there was a highly significant difference, at the 0.01 level, between the protection conferred by the hyperimmune sera and the protection conferred by the baseline or control area. Significant protection was demonstrated by hperimmune sera at dilutions as high as 1/32. Comparison of results of in vitro tests for preciptins and agglutinins in hyperimmune rabbit sera with results of in vivo tests for protective effect of hyperimmune rabbit sera led to a tentative conclusion that this passive protection afforded by the hyperimmune rabbit sera is probably conferred more by precipitins than by agglutinins.

Orientador: Cristiane Yumi Koga Ito / Coorientador: Prof. Konstatin Georgiev Kostov / Banca: Ivanildes Vasconcelos Rodrigues / Banca: Fernanda Lourenção Brighenti / Banca: Janete Dias Almeida / Banca: Mônica Fernandes Gomes / Resumo: As doenças fúngicas representam grande desafio para a área médica e odontológica devido à crescente prevalência e aumento da resistência aos antifúngicos. O plasma frio sob pressão atmosférica (PFPA) é uma mistura gasosa contendo partículas carregadas, radicais livres e radiação. Sua potencial aplicação em doenças infecciosas foi relatada, contudo a literatura carece de estudo sistemático sobre o efeito antifúngico, mecanismos de ação e potencial citotóxico. Neste trabalho foi avaliado o efeito antifúngico do PFPA sobre Candida albicans através de ensaios em células planctônicas e biofilmes, efeitos sobre a integridade de parede celular e membrana plasmática, morfogênese, produção de exoenzimas, aderência às células epiteliais e efeito no tratamento in vivo de lesões de candidose oral induzida em modelo murino. Ainda, avaliou-se o efeito do PFPA sobre culturas de Trichophyton rubrum, além de efeitos sobre capacidade de adesão de conídios. Ainda, o potencial citotóxico foi investigado usando células epiteliais. PFPA em modo de tensão contínuo (MC) foi capaz de reduzir a aderência de C. albicans às células epiteliais, modular a transição levedura-hifa na cepa SC 5314 e comprometer a viabilidade de biofilmes. PFPA-MC se mostrou citotóxico em parâmetros efetivos frente a biofilmes de C. albicans. Porém, não foi observado efeito citotóxico quando o PFPA foi utilizado em modo de tensão pulsada (MP). A exposição ao PFPA-MP reduziu a invasão de C. albicans no epitélio in vivo. O PFPA... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / ABSTRACT Fungal diseases represent a great challenge to the medical and dental areas, due to the increasing prevalence and antifungal resistance. Atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) is a gaseous mixture containing charged particles, free radicals and radiation. Its potential application in infectious disease has been reported, however there is still a lack of a systematic study on the antifungal effect, mechanism of action and citotoxicc potential. The general aim of this project was to evaluate the antifungal effect of APPJ on Candida albicans in planktonic and biofilm cultures, effects on cell wall and cell membrane integrity, morphogenesis, exoenzymes production, adherence to epithelial cells and in vivo effect in the treatment of oral candidosis in murine model will be performed. The effect of APPJ on Trichophyton rubrum cultures and on adherence capability were also evaluated. The cytotoxic potential was evaluated in vitro. APPJ in continuous tension mode (CM) was able to reduce the adherence and yeast-hyphae transition in C. albicans SC 5314 and to decrease biofilm viability. APPJ-CM showed cytotoxic effect in the parameters effective to C. albicans biofilm. Conversely, no cytotoxic effect on epithelial cells were observed when pulsed (PM) plasma jet was used. In vivo tests showed that APPJ-PM was able to prevent C. albicans invasion to the epithelium. T. rubrum cultures were affectd by APPJ-PM after 15 minutes of exposure and conidia adherence was impaired by 10 minutes exposure. In conclusion, APPJ showed antifungal effect against C. albicans and T. rubrum and can also impair virulence factors in both microorganisms / Doutor

Submitted by Irene Nascimento (irene.kessia@ufpe.br) on 2016-08-18T18:50:03Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) TESECouto,FMMBIBLIOTECA.pdf: 2624941 bytes, checksum: bb7fcea419304e7ea3eff4866c1b56e8 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-18T18:50:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) TESECouto,FMMBIBLIOTECA.pdf: 2624941 bytes, checksum: bb7fcea419304e7ea3eff4866c1b56e8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-02-13 / CAPES / Fungemia, presença de fungos no sangue, tem incidência crescente nas últimas décadas, acarretando sério problema em pacientes hospitalizados, sobretudo com câncer. Novos compostos antifúngicos e antitumorais têm sido propostos para tratamento destas doenças. Assim, o propósito desta pesquisa foi diagnosticar e traçar dados epidemiológicos de fungemia, assim como avaliar a ação antifúngica e antitumoral de isoflavonas da soja (daidzeína e genisteína) e hidroxipiridonas (ciclopirox olamina e octopirox olamina). Foram analisadas amostras de sangue de pacientes internados em hospital universitário de Recife-PE, Brasil e realizado antifungigrama dos agentes etiológicos com fluconazol, anfotericina B, isoflavonas da soja e hidroxipiridonas. Ainda, as isoflavonas e hidroxipiridonas foram avaliadas quanto à citotoxicidade às células neoplásicas (pulmão, laringe e cólon) e a ação da octopirox olamina contra candidemia e tumor sarcoma 180 em análises experimentais. Oito casos de fungemia foram diagnosticados tendo Candida, Histoplasma, Trichosporon, Cryptococcus e um fungo demáceo como agentes etiológicos. A maioria dos pacientes pertencia a idade adulta, sexo masculino e eram portadores da síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida. Nenhuma das isoflavonas apresentou atividade antifúngica, contudo, a genisteína foi efetiva para câncer de laringe. Em contrapartida, as hidroxipiridonas, sobretudo, octopirox olamina, apresentaram já em baixas concentrações, ação antifúngica e antitumoral in vitro e in vivo. Para tratamento de neoplasias associadas à candidemia, octopirox olamina pode ser uma alternativa promissora. / Fungemia, presence of fungi in the blood, has a rising incidence in recent decades, causing serious problem in hospitalized patients, especially cancer. New antifungal and antitumor compounds have been proposed for treating these diseases. Thus, the purpose of this research was to diagnose and trace epidemiological data fungemia as well as evaluate the antifungal and antitumour of soy isoflavones (daidzein and genistein) and hydroxypyridones (ciclopirox olamine and octopirox olamine). We analyzed blood samples from patients admitted to a university hospital in Recife-PE, Brazil and performed in vitro the antifungal susceptibility of the etiologic agent fluconazole, amphotericin B, and soy isoflavones hydroxypyridones. Still, isoflavones and hydroxypyridones were evaluated for cytotoxicity to tumor cells (lung, larynx and colon) and the action of candidemia and octopirox olamine against sarcoma 180 tumor in experimental analyzes. Were diagnosed eight cases of fungemia with Candida, Histoplasma, Trichosporon, Cryptococcus and a dematiaceous fungus as etiological agents. Most patients belonged to adulthood, males and were carriers of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. None of isoflavones showed antifungal activity, however, genistein was effective for larynx cancer. In contrast, hydroxypyridones especially octopirox olamine in already at low concentrations has antifungal and antitumor in vitro and in vivo. For treatment of malignancies associated with candidemia, octopirox olamine may be a promising alternative.