Acute pulmonary histoplasmosis is rarely diagnosed and is often confused with tuberculosis. Most knowledge of the disease has been derived from descriptions of epidemics in which a number of individuals were exposed to the same source of infection. Isolation of Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum from soil samples is conclusive evidence of an epidemic focus. This is the first report of an outbreak of histoplasmosis, in which two cases were reported and the fungus was isolated at the focus of the epidemic, in the state of Santa Catarina. Further epidemiological studies are needed in order to determine the prevalence of the infection statewide.

Keywords: Histoplasmosis/diagnosis; Histoplasmosis/epidemiology; Histoplasma/isolation & purification; Lung disases, fungal; Disease outbreaks; Case reports [publication type]

Objetivo: Estimar a carga de doença por tuberculose no estado de Santa Catarina em 2009. Métodos: Estudo epidemiológico de delineamento ecológico. Dados sobre a incidência e mortalidade de tuberculose foram coletados de bancos de dados específicos do Ministério da Saúde do Brasil. A carga de doença por tuberculose baseou-se no cálculo de disability-adjusted life years (DALYs, anos de vida perdidos ajustados por incapacidade). Os DALYs foram estimados pela soma de years of life lost (YLLs, anos de vida perdidos) e years lived with disability (YLDs, anos vividos com incapacidade). Os valores absolutos foram transformados em taxas por 100 mil habitantes. As taxas foram calculadas por sexo, faixa etária e macrorregião de saúde. Resultados: A carga de doença por tuberculose foi de 5.644,27 DALYs (92,25 DALYs/100 mil habitantes), dos quais 78,77% foram YLLs e 21,23% foram YLDs. As maiores taxas foram encontradas no sexo masculino nas faixas etárias de 30-44 e 45-59 anos, com distribuição desigual por macrorregião de saúde. A maior carga foi estimada na macrorregião do Planalto Norte (179,56 DALYs/100 mil habitantes), seguida pela do Nordeste (167,07 DALYs/100 mil habitantes). Conclusões: A carga de doença por tuberculose concentrou-se em homens adultos, com distribuição desigual nas macrorregiões de saúde de Santa Catarina.

Keywords: Tuberculosis/epidemiology; Life expectancy; Cost of illness.

The objective of this study was to describe temporal trends in tuberculosis morbidity and mortality in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, between 2002 and 2009. Data regarding mortality and incidence were obtained from the Brazilian Mortality Database and National Case Registry Database, respectively. Crude rates were calculated and standardized by age using the direct method. We estimated annual variation by joinpoint regression, identifying the points at which there were changes in the trends. There was a significant (3.7%) annual decrease in the mortality rate. In the study period, two distinct temporal trends were identified: one between 2002 and 2007, showing a significant (5.9%) annual decrease in the mortality rate; and one between 2007 and 2009, showing an insignificant (2.0%) annual increase. There was also a significant (0.9%) annual reduction in tuberculosis incidence.

Keywords: Tuberculosis/epidemiology; Tuberculosis/mortality; Brazil.

Background: Asthma is the most common chronic disease among adolescents. Objective: To determine the prevalence of asthma and asthma-related symptoms using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) protocol to evaluate adolescents in the city of Santa Maria, located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Method: A cross-sectional study evaluating 3066 schoolchildren from 13 to 14 years of age, selected by random sampling, as indicated in the ISAAC protocol. Data were collected from March to June of 2003 using the standardized ISAAC questionnaire, which was completed by the adolescents in the classroom and under the supervision of the researchers. Results: A total of 3066 valid questionnaires (95.5%) were collected. Among the asthma-related symptoms evaluated, the following prevalences were determined: history of wheezing: 42.1%; wheezing within the last 12 months: 16.7%; four or more wheezing attacks within the last 12 months: 1.9%; sleep disturbance on one or more nights a week within the last 12 months: 3.8%; impaired speech within the last 12 months: 3.8%; history of asthma: 14.9%; wheezing after exercise within the last 12 months: 19%; dry cough at night within the last 12 months: 32.4%. Values were significantly higher among females. Conclusion: The prevalence of asthma-related symptoms among adolescents living in the city of Santa Maria was high, predominantly among the females. However, the rate was comparable to the international average and was lower than those observed in larger metropolitan areas in Brazil. These findings underscore the need for regional studies in order to better understand the prevalence of asthma in Brazil.

Keywords: Asthma. Adolescent. Epidemiology.