Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: RUBENS FABIANO SOARES PRADO

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de DOUTORADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : RUBENS FABIANO SOARES PRADO
DATE: 22/02/2022
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: GOGLE MEET - Videoconferência
TITLE:

Unique health and occupational aspects of Rickettsia spp and their molecular diagnosis in ticks and mammals from military training areas in southeastern Brazil

KEY WORDS:

military training areas, occupational risk, tick-borne diseases, rickettsiae

PAGES: 60
BIG AREA: Ciências Agrárias
AREA: Medicina Veterinária
SUBÁREA: Medicina Veterinária Preventiva
SPECIALTY: Doenças Parasitárias de Animais
SUMMARY:

Tick-borne diseases constitute a major biological occupational hazard, and military personnel are among those at greater risk. There are few studies of acarological fauna and occupational risk in military areas in Brazil. This study aimed to analyze the occupational hazard related to the exposure of military personnel to tick vectors of spotted fever group rickettsiae in the training areas of military organizations (MOs) in the southeast region of Brazil. In Chapter I, the diversity of ticks present in 66 areas within six MOs from different municipalities and biomes was analyzed from August to November, which is the epidemiological peak period for spotted fever.  Ticks were collected by using a dragging and flagging technique and then harvesting them from the cloths. A total of 9,374 ticks were collected spanning five genera and nine species: Amblyomma sculptum, Amblyomma dubitatum, Amblyomma brasiliense, Amblyomma longirostre, Amblyomma aureolatum, Amblyomma spp., Dermacentor spp., Riphicephallus spp., Ixodes spp., and Haemaphisalys spp. The high prevalence of vector tick species associated with the presence of capybaras and the detection of ticks positive for Rickettsia spp. via PCR demonstrate the occupational risk of exposure to tick vectors of spotted fever group rickettsiae and the possible occurrence of human cases in the MOs. In Chapter II, the diversity of ticks parasitizing wild and domestic animals and humans in and around an MO in the municipality of Resende, Rio de Janeiro, was analyzed, verifying the prevalence of Rickettsia spp. infection in the vectors. Ticks were collected from 13 dogs, one feline, and seven wild animals apprehended in the military area; 15 horses for military use; 31 soldiers; and 70 small wild animals and five collared peccaries captured in traps. In Chapter III, an exploratory survey was developed and administered to military personnel serving in MOs of the municipalities studied in Chapter I. The questionnaire was answered by 655 volunteer military personnel and revealed that ticks are the type of “plague” that most frequently affects military personnel; ticks have already infested 61.55% of those in the region where they serve; 39.9% of the military have little to no knowledge about the effects of tick infestations; and 42.4% never received specific instruction within the military about ticks, the diseases transmitted by them, and the protective measures against them. An initial overview and first baseline regarding the target community’s knowledge, perceptions, attitudes, and practices concerning the topic were established through this survey. Research on the diversity of ticks infesting military training environments, the study of ticks present on multiple hosts in an MO, and the detection of rickettsial infections in these ticks, in association with evaluations of the socio-cultural aspects of the subject in the military, will contribute to a better understanding of the epidemiological situation and occupational risks in MOs.

BANKING MEMBERS:
Presidente - 475.018.557-49 - ADIVALDO HENRIQUE DA FONSECA - UFRRJ
Externa ao Programa - 3103528 - CLAUDIA BEZERRA DA SILVA
Externa ao Programa - 3103478 - MARISTELA PECKLE PEIXOTO
Externo à Instituição - ADLILTON PACHECO DE OLIVEIRA - UES
Externa à Instituição - NATHALIE COSTA DA CUNHA - UFF