Screening efforts and genomic surveillance are essential tools to evaluate the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and assist the public healthcare system in dealing with an increasing number of infections. For the analysis of COVID-19 cases scenarios in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil, we performed a diagnosis of positive cases, coupled with genotyping, for symptomatic and asymptomatic members of the Federal University of Paraná. We achieved over 1000 samples using RT-qPCR for diagnosis. The posterior genotyping allowed us to observe differences in the spread of strains in Curitiba, Brazil. The Delta variant was not associated with an infection wave, whereas the rapid Omicron variant spread became dominant in less than one month. We also evaluated the general vaccination coverage in the state, observing a striking reduction in lethality correlated to the vaccinated fraction of the population; although lower lethality rates were not much affected by the Omicron variant wave, the same effect was not translated in the number of infections. In summary, our results provide a general overview of the pandemic’s course in Paraná State and how there was reduction in lethality after a combination of multiple infection waves and a large-scale vaccination program.

The historical background of studies on Brazilian Orchidaceae dates back almost 400 years. In this review, we provide an overview of the current knowledge on Brazilian Orchidaceae across three thematic axes: 1. diversity, distribution, and endemism; 2. taxonomy and systematics; and 3. structural, genetic, and ecological characterization. Brazil harbors five naturalized and 202 native genera, of which 23 are endemic to the country. There are currently 2515 accepted species (out of 9907 species names). Among the 7218 synonyms, 3915 are heterotypic, yielding a synonymy rate of 60.9%. Brazil is the second country in orchid endemism with 1540 endemic species. Apostasioideae is not present in Brazil, but the remaining four orchid subfamilies are represented by 16 tribes and 23 subtribes. The richest phytogeographic domain is the Atlantic Forest (1398 spp.), followed by the Amazon Forest (784 spp.) and Cerrado (656 spp.). The richest subtribes are Pleurothallidinae (642 spp.), Laeliinae (397 spp.), and Oncidiinae (283 spp.). Moving beyond a purely taxonomic and phylogenetic framework, this work offers a comprehensive synthesis of Brazilian Orchidaceae, encompassing the state of the art in cytogenetics, anatomy, population genetics, reproductive biology, and pollination. Despite these advances, there are pronounced disparities among regions, taxa, and research approaches. The persistence of these shortfalls highlights the urgent need for integrative research frameworks. Future progress in Brazilian orchidology depends on the strengthening of collaborative networks and interdisciplinary approaches.

Resumo Zygostates consiste de ca. 26 espécies, das quais 15 ocorrem no Brasil. Através de consultas a herbários nacionais e estrangeiros, além da realização de trabalho de campo, oito espécies de Zygostates foram encontradas no Paraná: Zygostates alleniana, Z. bradei, Z. cornuta, Z. dasyrhiza, Z. lunata, Z. multiflora, Z. pellucida e Z. pustulata. O gênero é registrado para 36 dos 399 municípios paranaenses, principalmente na Floresta Ombrófila Densa e Floresta Ombrófila Mista, localizadas na Serra do Mar, Primeiro e Segundo Planaltos. De acordo com os critérios da IUCN, Z. alleniana, com ampla distribuição no estado, é a espécie de menor risco de extinção, enquanto Z. bradei, Z. pellucida e Z. multiflora, presentes somente em uma localidade, são as mais ameaçadas. Zygostates bradei encontra-se "Possivelmente Extinta" no estado; Z. pellucida e Z. multiflora foram avaliadas como "Criticamente em Perigo". São apresentados uma chave para identificação das espécies, descrições, ilustrações, lista de material examinado, dados sobre distribuição geográfica e estado de conservação dos táxons.

After over a decade of minimal circulation, DENV-3 reemerged in Brazil in 2023, driven by the newly detected lineage 3III_B.3.2. Elucidating the patterns of DENV-3 spread and impact on public health, is critically important in the context of Brazil’s hyperendemic dengue scenario. Here, we aimed to investigate the spatiotemporal dispersion of this new lineage and its epidemiological impact in Brazil. We generated 87 near-complete DENV-3 genomes, sampled in nine different Brazilian states, that were analysed with publicly available sequences. Phylogeographic reconstructions inferred introduction events and spatial dispersion of lineage 3III_B.3.2. In parallel, dengue cases notifications (2023–2025) were used to fit multiple logistic regression models assessing associations between DENV serotypes and severity, adjusting for demographic and spatiotemporal covariates. We detected at least 14 introductions of lineage 3III_B.3.2 into Brazil during 2023–2024, followed by diversification into six region-specific clades. Epidemiological analyses applied to the RT-qPCR dengue confirmed cases showed an adjusted odds ratios for severe dengue ranging from 1.24 to 1.71 for DENV-2 and from 1.47 to 1.94 for DENV-3, across different settings and using DENV-1 infection as the reference category. Sensitivity analysis to evaluate potential recent heterotypic infection among infants ≤2 years adjusted by confunders showed an association between DENV-2 and severe dengue, while DENV-3 estimates were not statistically significant. Our results reveal a dynamic pattern of multiple introductions and regionally structured spread of 3III_B.3.2, which may represent a general feature as a similar reconstructed history has also been observed for other DENV serotypes/lineages in Brazil. Although the association observed between DENV-2 and DENV-3 and dengue severity may be influenced by secondary infections, our findings underscore that the co-circulation of multiple serotypes contributes to more severe epidemic outcomes and emphasize the need for ongoing DENV genomic surveillance. DECIT, CGLAB, Fiocruz, CNPq, and FAPES.

A partir de consultas a herbários nacionais e estrangeiros, cinco espécies e duas variedades de Phymatidium Lindl. foram encontradas no Paraná: Phymatidium aquinoi, P. delicatulum, P. delicatulum var. curvisepalum, P. falcifolium, P. hysteranthum, P. microphyllum e P. microphyllum var. herteri. O gênero é registrado em 35 dos 399 municípios paranaenses, principalmente na Floresta Ombrófila Densa e Floresta Ombrófila Mista, localizadas na Serra do Mar, Primeiro e Segundo Planaltos. Segundo os critérios da IUCN, a maioria dos táxons encontra-se classificada na categoria vulnerável para o estado. Phymatidium delicatulum é a espécie mais comum, com ampla distribuição, e P. hysteranthum a espécie mais restrita, registrada pela primeira vez no estado. Chave de identificação dos táxons, descrições, ilustrações, dados sobre distribuição geográfica e conservação, além de uma lista de materiais representativos, são apresentados.