Chagas disease (CD) is still a neglected disease. Infected individuals are diagnosed late, being treated in worse clinical conditions. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the prevalence and the factors associated with new confirmed cases of CD identified by serological screening in an endemic region of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. This is an analytical cross-sectional study with data from a project of the Research Center in Tropical Medicine of Sao Paulo- Minas Gerais (SaMi-Trop) conducted in two municipalities. Data collection included a questionnaire with closed questions, a venous blood collection and an ELISA serological test for CD. A total of 2,038 individuals with no previous diagnosis of CD participated in the study. The result of the serological test for CD was adopted as the dependent variable. The independent variables addressed personal issues, health conditions and lifetime housing. A descriptive analysis of individual variables was performed. Subsequently, a bivariate analysis was performed using the Pearson’s chi-square test. Households sheltering individuals positive for CD were georeferenced, and the analysis of spatial distribution was performed using the quartic function to estimate the density of the nucleus. Among the participants, 188 (9.2 %) were positive for CD. The profile of participants with CD was associated with place of residence, age, relative/family member with CD and living conditions. It is noteworthy that there are still patients with CD who are unaware of their diagnosis in both, rural and urban areas.

Triatoma sordida is a native South American species and the most frequently captured triatomine in artificial environments in Brazil. Although considered a secondary vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, it is typically associated with low infection rates. To investigate its role in an endemic area for Chagas disease in northern Minas Gerais, Brazil, we employed a multidimensional approach that combined triatomine capture data with quantitative and qualitative analyses of T. cruzi. A total of 1861 T. sordida specimens were captured, of which 1455 were examined and 210 (14.4%) were found to be infected with T. cruzi. The most prevalent discrete typing unit (DTU) was TcI (80%), followed by TcII (8%), TcV (5%), and TcIII (3%). Molecular techniques provided new insights into the ecology of T. sordida, revealing a higher infection rate than previously reported and a parasitic load lower than that observed in other quantified species. Chickens were confirmed as the primary food source, playing an epidemiological role in maintaining infected insects with four T. cruzi DTUs. The observed diversity of T. cruzi DTUs suggests a lack of environmental segregation, likely due to the extensive movement of various host species between wild and domestic habitats, resulting in overlapping transmission cycles.

The soil seed bank is an important natural regeneration strategy for plant communities and can determine floristic composition after disturbances. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the seed bank richness and abundance at different soil depths and under different light conditions in a dry forest. Litter and soil samples were collected at depths of 0-5 and 5-10 cm and submitted to two light conditions (light and shady). In total, 1,725 individuals from 85 species and 19 families emerged. Significant differences in richness between soil depths were observed, being greater at 0-5 cm, while abundance was similar. There were no variations in richness or abundance of germinated seeds between light conditions. Malvaceae and Verbenaceae families were the most representative in this study.

Objetivo: Avaliar o sucesso da restauração de trecho de floresta ciliar do rio Pandeiros (Januária, MG) após 10 anos de implantação. Metodologia: Na área, foram implantados diferentes modelos de restauração, utilizando plantio de mudas (espaçamentos 2 m × 2 m e 2 m × 4 m), com e sem semeadura direta. Avaliou-se a regeneração natural em quatro áreas de 1 ha cada. Para isso, em cada área foram alocadas 12 parcelas de 4 m2 em dois transectos, sendo seis parcelas próximas a vegetação remanescente e seis próximas à pastagem (zonas). Nestas parcelas, foram amostrados os indivíduos e espécies lenhosas, categorizados (guildas de regeneração e dispersão) e coletadas amostras de serapilheira e solo (0-5 cm) para avaliação do banco de sementes do solo. Resultados: Nas parcelas, foram amostrados 60 indivíduos de sete famílias, 13 gêneros, 14 espécies e três morfotipos, e das amostras do banco de sementes emergiram 3.297 plântulas, distribuídas em 23 espécies, 23 gêneros, 18 famílias e seis morfotipos. Verificou-se para a o estrato regenerante maior riqueza de espécies nas parcelas próximas a mata e para o banco de sementes maior riqueza no estrato solo, além de diferenças na composição de espécies tanto para as zonas, quanto para os estratos do banco de sementes. Conclusão: A regeneração está ocorrendo e é influenciada pela proximidade da fonte de colonização, mas o processo de restauração está lento e demostra grande influência do distúrbio passado e atual na área.