Geographical Analysis for Detecting High-Risk Areas for Bovine/Human Rabies Transmitted by the Common Hematophagous Bat in the Amazon Region, Brazil

The common hematophagous bat, Desmodus rotundus, is one of the main wild reservoirs of rabies virus in several regions in Latin America. New production practices and changed land use have provided environmental features that have been very favorable for D. rotundus bat populations, making this species the main transmitter of rabies in the cycle that involves humans and herbivores. In the Amazon region, these features include a mosaic of environmental, social, and economic components, which together creates areas with different levels of risk for human and bovine infections, as presented in this work in the eastern Brazilian Amazon.We geo-referenced a total of 175 cases of rabies, of which 88% occurred in bovines and 12% in humans, respectively, and related these cases to a number of different geographical and biological variables. The spatial distribution was analyzed using the Kernel function, while the association with independent variables was assessed using a multi-criterion Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique.The spatiotemporal analysis of the occurrence of rabies in bovines and humans found reduction in the number of cases in the eastern state of Pará, where no more cases were recorded in humans, whereas high infection rates were recorded in bovines in the northeastern part of the state, and low rates in the southeast. The areas of highest risk for bovine rabies are found in the proximity of rivers and highways. In the case of human rabies, the highest concentration of high-risk areas was found where the highway network coincides with high densities of rural and indigenous populations.The high-risk areas for human and bovine rabies are patchily distributed, and related to extensive deforested areas, large herds of cattle, and the presence of highways. These findings provide an important database for the generation of epidemiological models that could support the development of effective prevention measures and controls

Flow-by-flow chemical stratigraphy and evolution of thirteen Serra Geral Group basalt flows from Vista Alegre, southernmost Brazil

The geochemical characterization of thirteen Serra Geral Group flows in the Vista Alegre region (RS-SC), southern Brazil, displays the homogeneous basaltic composition near 50 wt.% SiO2. Each of the five basal flows (Pitanga-type, high-Ti/Y ~600, TiO2 > 3 wt.%) and eight upper flows (Paranapanema-type, medium Ti/Y ~400, TiO2 > 2 wt.%) can be identified from their chemical composition; sets of flows have parallel variation in chemical composition. The flow-by-flowcorrelation in four sections shows the horizontal position of the flows in three profiles and an approximately 200-m downdrop of the Itapiranga block with respect to the Frederico Westphalen block. The world-class amethyst geode mineralization and the systematic presence of native copper in the basalts make the correlation of great geological and economic significance.<br>A caracterização geoquímica de treze derrames do Grupo Serra Geral na região de Vista Alegre (RS e SC), sul do Brasil, exibe uma composição basáltica homogênea próxima a 50% de SiO2. Os cinco derrames basais são classificados quimicamente como tipo Pitanga (alto Ti/Y ~600 e TiO2 > 3 em peso percentual), os demais oito derrames possuem médio Ti/Y ~400 com TiO2 ~2.5 em peso percentual, sendo classificados como magma tipo Paranapanema. Cada derrame pode ser identificado através de sua composição química e correlacionado, com variação paralela entre os perfis estudados. A correlação derrame a derrame nos quatro perfis demonstra uma posição horizontal em três perfis e um rejeito vertical de aproximadamente 200 m do bloco Itapiranga em relação ao bloco Frederico Westphalen. A presença de jazidas de ametista em geodos e a sistemática ocorrência de cobre nativo nos basaltos da região tornam a correlação de grande significado geológico e econômico