The prevalence of intestinal parasites in 921 schoolchildren from nine schools in Ciudad Bolivar, Bolivar State, Venezuela during the period 2009-2013 was determined and compared with that obtained in the same city in the period 1995-1996 in seven schools and 446 children. At the first opportunity the fecal samples were analyzed by direct examination and Willis technical; while for the second, feces were submitted to direct, Kato and spontaneous sedimentation. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasites for the periods 1995-1996 and 2009-2013 was 52% and 62.9% respectively. In the first period, the helminths prevailed and the second, the Chromistas-Protozoa group turned more prevalent. For 1995-1996, the helminths Trichuris trichiura (24.2%) and Ascaris lumbricoides (19.5%) were more common; while for the period 2009-2013, the Chromista Blastocystis spp. was the most prevalent (47.6%), followed by protozoan Endolimax nana (17.7%). In all these cases the difference was significant (p <0.05) when the prevalence of both periods being compared. We conclude that there was a change in the prevalence of intestinal parasites in the study population: in the first period (1995-1996) dominated the helminths and the second (2009-2013) the Chromista Blastocystis spp. and protozoa

Between April and July 2013 a cross sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of headlice in children aged 6-15 years enrolled in four schools in Ciudad Bolívar, Bolivar State, Venezuela. The parasitological diagnosis was made by direct observation of eggs, nymphs and/or adults on the scalp and/or hair. After signing the informed consent, we filled a clinical and epidemiologic record to each participant. 697 children (40.3%) of the 1730 school enrollment were evaluated, determining a prevalence of 25.1% (175/697). Girls were significantly more infected (42.4%) (OR: 9.35 p<0.05). All age groups were affected (?2 (Yates correction) = 6.90 d.f.: 4 p> 0.05), but the group of 8-11 years was predominant (70.3%). Factors associated with a higher prevalence of headlice were female (OR: 9.35 p<0.05), having previously had the disease (OR: 5.76 p<0.05) and have long hair (OR: 7.12 p<0.05) and dirty (OR: 2.20 p<0.05). In conclusion, although the headlice prevalence was relatively low (25.1%), we verified that this parasitoses remains a major medical problem in schoolchildren in Ciudad Bolivar

Legionella species are recognized worldwide as important etiologic agents of pneumonia. In Venezuela the incidence is unknown. The purpose of this study was to standardize and implement methodologies (culture and Urinary Antigen) in our environment detect the presence of Legionella spp. in patients with suspected pneumonia who attended the emergence of adults at the University Hospital of Maracaibo (SAHUM). To do this, 75 samples of urine and sputum were studied. Sputum was cultured on selective and nonselective media for Legionella. Specific urinary antigen Legionella pneumophila serogrupo 1 was determined, by rapid immunochromatographic technique (Binax Now®). In cultured sputum samples, only one (1.33%) was positive and 7 (9.33%) were positive urine samples. Standardized methodologies used in this investigation showed high sensitivity and allowed the implementation of these methodologies in the Laboratory of Bacteriology Reference

Staphylococcus aureus has been a problem in the area of health, for their behavior in immunosuppressed patients and bacterial resistance has developed in recent decades. It is common that the source of infection be health personnel, hence the knowledge of risk factors and the presence of allergic diseases could prevent nasal colonization of health personnel and subsequent transmission to hospitalized patients. It was a descriptive, not experimental and cross section research to assess the frequency of nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in nursing staff of health center from Carabobo state. The sample consisted of 30 nurses, where 50% (15) were not carriers of this organism, 27% (8) carriers SAMS, and 23% (7) carriers of MRSA, 8 patterns of antibiotic resistance were detected, of which highlights resistance, to oxacillin, cefoxitin, clindamycin, erythromycin, ciprofloxacin, statistically significant association (p = 0.0001) between Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage and the presence of a history of allergic diseases is obtained, thus can be considered that the presence of these pathologies is a risk factor of nasal colonization

The use of mobile phones is widespread in health institutions, including areas with defined microbiological risk as clinical laboratories. In this study, the presence of potentially pathogenic bacteria was investigated in mobile phones of laboratory personnel of four hospitals of Maracaibo, Venezuela. Qualitative microbiological culture of swabs from the surface of 200 mobile phones was performed. A questionnaire was applied, to evaluate adherence of staff to standard hygiene practices during the workday. In 83% of phones bacterial contamination was evidenced, and 29% had bacteria with defined pathogenic potential, predominantly Enterococcus spp., strict anaerobes bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and enterobacteria. Some pathogenic strains showed resistance patterns suggestive of nosocomial bacteria. A high percentage of staff refused to apply minimal hygiene measures to manipulate their phones during the workday. Microbiological results, analyzed together with the low level of adherence of personnel to the standard hygienic practices, allow attributing an important hazard to mobiles phone use in clinical laboratories, which could involve not only owners of such devices and usual manipulators, but also could extend to his occasional manipulators in the community

The diagnosis of schistosomiasis phase is complex. The murine IgM and IgG response against excretory-secretory products of Schistosoma mansoni males (PESGM), females (PESGH) and eggs (PESH), its relation to histopathology and expression of IL-10 and TNF-a was assessed by ELISA in serum of Balb / c mice with 8 and 20 weeks of infection (RI8 and RI20) and healthy mice, RS. In RI8, were observed granulomas consisting of plasma cells, macrophages and neutrophils, deposits of collagen around the granulomas and internal area of the egg. In R20SI, fibroblasts around the egg and accumulation of macrophages and plasmocito, increased collagen deposits in areas of granuloma were observed.RI8 serum IgM had a higher percentage of positivity PESGH (35%), while the highest percentage of IgG positivity was PESGH (60%) and PESH (30%). In R20SI, was 20% IgM positive and IgG against PESH PESGM 10% against and 25% positive with PESGH. No differences in IL-10 between the RS and RI8 were observed. TNF-a in RS vs RI8 and RS vs RI20 was different and statistically significant. The PESGH could detect phase acute while PESH chronic phase. The use of several antigens would be useful in the diagnosis phase.