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The teaching laboratories of microbiology and parasitology in Brazilian universities are places where the integrated activities of teaching, research and extension are performed and require the coexistence in the same space, persons, biological agents and samples, equipment, reagents and waste, and where is inevitable the exposure of people to the different risks. The laboratorial activities practiced in Brazilian universities require the need for safety standards, since the human factor is likely the causes of accidents in laboratories, educational programs in biosafety become indispensable to the prevention of risks. However, for an education program become effective is necessary that the users are fully informed about the biosafety principles, as well as able to practice them properly to ensure the safety of all professionals, academics and the environment. This article compiles the main aspects related to the principles of biosafety, risk classification of biological agents and levels of biocontainment, and addresses the issues regarding safety equipment and good laboratory practices applied to the teaching laboratories in microbiology and parasitology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to verify the presence of leukocyte changes indicative of stress, secondary to the management for parasitological evaluation in sheep. Seventeen wooled beef ewes were followed fortnightly by clinical and laboratory assessment from September of 2009 to March of 2010. Clinical evaluations consisted of FAMACHA© and body condition score (EC). The degree FAMACHA© was obtained by the comparison of the colour of the conjunctiva membrane with a standard card, while the body condition score was considered from 1 (very thin) to 5 (very fat) by lumbar palpation. For laboratory evaluations, it was collected from each sheep, a stool sample to determine fecal egg counts (FEC) and an EDTA blood sample to perform the leukogram. The mean of total leukocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes and eosinophils declined gradually during the lactation period of sheep. After weaning, there was an increase in the average of these variables. The averages of neutrophils, lymphocytes and monocytes remained within the reference value for sheep. The average of eosinophils counts on 01/12th/2010 (1813 ± 1310); 02/01st/2010 (2337 ± 2195); and 03/03rd/2010 (1229 ± 563) were higher than the higher value of reference to sheep. Despite the changes reported, no single animal showed signs of acute stress, characterized by neutrophilia and lymphocytosis, indicating that the management practices used to monitor gastrointestinal parasites and the blood collection performed for this study were all well tolerated by the animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work was to evaluate parasitologicaly the vegetables that are consumed raw and are marketed in the Food Supply Center of Maringá City (Paraná State-Brazil), the hygienic-sanitary conditions of the place and of the merchants. Thirty samples of curly lettuce, 30 of rocket-salad, 27 of spinach and 24 of watercress were analyzed by Oliveira & Germano technique, in duplicate, and by Ziehl-Neelsen method modified by Henriksen-Polenz. The evaluation of the hygienic-sanitary conditions of the place and of the merchants' habits was made by an epidemiological data collection instrument. Watercress and rocket salad, which contamination index was upper than 80%, show the major number of contaminants. Coccidian oocysts, Superfamily Rhabdiasoidea and Ancylostomatoidea eggs and larvae were the mainly parasites found. There were no green vegetables parasited by Cryptosporidium sp. The hygienic-sanitary conditions of the place and of the merchants' habits showed irregularities. The vegetables were exposed to dust and to trucks traffic, the distributors were not appropriately dressed and 40% of the merchants handled green vegetables and money at the same time. The horticulture conditions, transport, distribution and manipulation of vegetables need to be constantly appraised and the population directly involved enlighten in order to improve the quality of green vegetables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim was to study the occurrence of canine hepatozoonose in rural area municipality of Teresina, Piauí. Were used 384 dogs without distinction of breed, sex and age, from the rural area of Teresina-PI, of which samples were collected for parasitological examination. Of blood smears examined Hepatozoon canis was detected in 0.26% (1/384) of animals. The present study reports the first occurrence of H. canis in dogs from rural areas of Teresina, Piauí. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]