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Environmental Health Institute
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Hepatitis C antibody prevalence and behavioral correlates in people who inject drugs attending harm reduction services in Lisbon, Portugal
Publication . Curado, Adriana; Nogueira, Paulo Jorge; Virgolino, Ana; Santa Maria, João; Mendão, Luís; Furtado, Cristina; Antunes, Francisco
The hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is an important public health problem, affecting millions of people worldwide. People who inject drugs (PWID) are at increased risk of HCV infection due to, among other factors, widespread unsafe injecting practices, such as sharing of infected equipment or unprotected sexual practices. In Portugal, there is a lack of data regarding the proportion of infected persons through injecting drug use. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-HCV prevalence and behavioral correlates of infection in PWID attending harm reduction services in the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon, Portugal. A cross-sectional study with a purposive sample of PWID was undertaken between March 2018 and March 2020. Participants were recruited through the harm-reduction services of a nongovernmental organization. A rapid diagnostic test for anti-HCV screening was performed. Data on drug consumption history and current practices, past HCV testing, care and treatment history, and knowledge regarding hepatitis C were also collected through a questionnaire applied by trained inquirers. A total of 176 PWID participated in this study. An overall prevalence of 70.5% of anti-HCV positive in this population was found. Those with an anti-HCV positive testing result tended to start consuming at a younger age and have a higher consumption of benzodiazepines in the last 30 days. Sharing needles and other injecting material is a frequent risk behavior among this group. Also, they are more likely to have attended an opioid agonist treatment and to have undertaken previous hepatitis C and HIV tests in the past. This study represents an important effort to better understand the HCV prevalence and behavioral correlates of infection among PWID in Portugal, as well as to better estimate those in need of HCV treatment.
Monkeypox: From A Neglected Tropical Disease to a Public Health Threat
Publication . Antunes, Francisco; Cordeiro, Rita; Virgolino, Ana
Since the first case of human monkeypox was diagnosed in 1970, the disease remained endemic in several countries in West and Central Africa. In 1996, there was a sudden increase in cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and since 2017 an ongoing outbreak in Nigeria took place, probably related to the population growth, human invasion of MPXV animal habitat reservoirs, and the waning of the cross-protection offered from smallpox immunization, later ending in 1980. Since May 2022, an unprecedented outbreak of human monkeypox has rapidly spread around the world, outside endemic regions of Africa, through new modes of transmission, showing differences in clinical features compared with previous reports. The 2022 MPXV strain belongs to the clade of West Africa but diverges from the original strain, making the virus more transmissible. The authors review the main milestones in more than 50 years of history of human monkeypox, from a rare viral zoonotic infection to a public health emergency.
Phylogenetic Analysis of Massilia phlebovirus in Portugal
Publication . Amaro, F.; Zé-Zé, L.; Lourenço, J.; Giovanetti, M.; Becker, S.C.; Alves, M.J.
In the last two decades, molecular surveys of arboviruses have enabled the identification
of several new viruses, contributing to the knowledge of viral diversity and providing important
epidemiological data regarding possible new emerging viruses. A combination of diagnostic
assays, Illumina sequencing and phylogenetic inference are here used to characterize two new
Massilia phlebovirus strains isolated from sandflies collected in the Arrábida region, Portugal. Whole
genome sequence analysis enabled their identification as reassortants and the recognition of genomic
variants co-circulating in Portugal. Much is still unknown about the life cycle, geographic range,
evolutionary forces and public health importance of these viruses in Portugal and elsewhere, and
more studies are needed.
Towards a Global Perspective of Environmental Health: Defining the Research Grounds of an Institute of Environmental Health
Publication . Virgolino, A.; Antunes, F.; Santos, O.; Costa, A.; Gaspar de Matos, M.; Bárbara, C.; Bicho, M.; Caneiras, C.; Sabino, Raquel; Núncio, Sofia; Matos, O.; Santos, R. R.; Costa, J.; Alarcão, V.; Gaspar, T.; Ferreira, J.; Carneiro, A. V.
Environmental health is at the intersection between health and the environment. However, it still has a recent (and narrow) history as a scientific area, mainly addressing human biomonitoring and toxicological issues. Only recently additional environmental ‘layers’, other than the traditional chemical, biological and physical environmental determinants, have been considered. This broader perspective of environmental health also encompasses digital, psychosocial, political, socioeconomic and cultural determinants, all of them relevant when considering human health from a planetary health paradigm. This reflects the progressive adoption of a systemic perspective regarding the impact of gains for human health and well-being towards a sustainable environment. It also implies a multi-method and participatory approach to understand the intertwined relationship between environmental changes and human health. In this paper, the broader approach to environmental health is discussed in order to ‘set the stage’ for introducing the Institute of Environmental Health (ISAMB)oftheLisbonSchoolofMedicine,Portugal. Eachoftheresearchgroupsandlabsthatcompose ISAMB are presented, as well as their main lines of research. Present and planned contributions of ISAMB to advance knowledge on environmental health and for promoting human health gains in an environmentally sustainable way are also discussed.
Fatal Case of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, Portugal, 2024
Publication . Zé-Zé, Líbia; Nunes, Cristina; Sousa, Micaela; De Sousa, Rita; Gomes, Carla; Santos, Ana Sofia; Alexandre, Rui T.; Amaro, Fátima; Loza, Tiago; Blanco, Miriam; Alves, MJ; Tiago Loza, Miriam Blanco, Maria J Alves
We report a fatal case of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in Portugal. An 83-year-old man, initially suspected of having Mediterranean spotted fever, was later confirmed to have Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever by the detection of viral genome in the patient's serum and the presence of specific IgM antibodies.
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Funding agency
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Funding programme
6817 - DCRRNI ID
Funding Award Number
UIDP/04295/2020