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Objectives: Encephalitis is a severe neurological syndrome for which herpesvirus and enteroviruses are the most common etiological agents. Arboviruses, a wildly diverse group of pathogens, are also critical epidemiological agents associated with encephalitis. In Brazil, little is known about the causative agents of encephalitis., Methods: We conducted a hospital surveillance for encephalitis between 2020 and 2022. Molecular (RT-PCR and qPCR) and serological (virus-specific IgM and viral antigens) techniques were performed in cerebrospinal fluid and serum samples obtained from study participants., Results: In the 43 participants evaluated, the etiologic agent or the presence of IgM was detected in 16 (37.2%). Nine (20.9%) cases were positive for chikungunya virus (CHIKV), three (7.0%) for dengue virus, two (4.7%) for human adenovirus, one (2.3%) for varicella-zoster virus, and one (2.3%) for enterovirus. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that the CHIKV identified belongs to the East/Central/South African lineage., Conclusion: Herein, CHIKV is a common pathogen identified in encephalitis cases. Our results reinforce previous evidence that chikungunya represents a significant cause of encephalitis during CHIKV outbreaks and epidemics and add to existing information on the epidemiology of encephalitis in Brazil., Competing Interests: Declarations of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Dengue fever is among the most significant public health concerns in Brazil. To date, the highest number of Dengue notifications in the Americas has been reported in Brazil, with cases accounting for a total number of 3,418,796 reported cases as of mid-December 2022. Furthermore, the northeastern region of Brazil registered the second-highest incidence of Dengue fever in 2022. Due to the alarming epidemiological scenario, in this study, we used a combination of portable whole-genome sequencing, phylodynamic, and epidemiological analyses to reveal a novel DENV-1 genotype V clade and the persistence of DENV-2 genotype III in the region. We further report the presence of non-synonymous mutations associated with non-structural domains, especially the NS2A (non-structural protein 2A), as well as describe synonymous mutations in envelope and membrane proteins, distributed differently between clades. However, the absence of clinical data at the time of collection and notification, as well as the impossibility of monitoring patients in order to observe worsening or death, restricts our possibility of correlating mutational findings with possible clinical prognoses. Together, these results reinforce the crucial role of genomic surveillance to follow the evolution of circulating DENV strains and understand their spread across the region through inter-regional importation events, likely mediated by human mobility, and also the possible impacts on public health and outbreak management.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe and discuss the epidemiological indicators of lip and oral cavity cancer in Brazil, in 2017, according to data from the Global Burden of Disease data., Methods: This is a descriptive study reported according to STROBE guidelines. We identified epidemiological indicators using the Global Burden of Disease results tool. Mortality/incidence rates were described per 100,000 population. Global Burden of Disease 2017 reviews were completed using Python version 2.7, Stata version 13.1, and R version 3.3., Results: In 2017, there were 5,237 deaths from the lip or oral cavity cancer in Brazil, most of them were males aged between 50 and 69 years (2,730 cases, which was equivalent to 52% of the universe of deaths resulting from this cause). Regarding the burden of lip and oral cavity cancer, per 100,000 Brazilians, we observed an incidence of 3.99, prevalence of 15.46, and mortality of 2.29 (with higher indicators in the South and Southeast regions of the country)., Conclusions: Epidemiological indicators of lip and oral cavity cancer were higher in men, with higher mortality indicators in individuals aged 50-69 years, and higher rates (incidence, prevalence, and mortality) in the South and Southeast regions of Brazil. From 2002-2015, there was a reduction in mortality; however, in the period from 2015-2017, there was a resumption in the growth of this indicator.