Paraguay has registered no human cases of rabies since 2004, and the last case in dogs, reported in 2009, was due to a variant maintained in the common vampire bat "Desmodus rotundus". In 2014, a dog was diagnosed as positive for rabies with aggression towards a boy and all required measures of control were successfully adopted. Epidemiological investigation revealed that the dog was not vaccinated and had been attacked by a crab-eating fox, "zorro" (Cerdocyon thous). The sample was diagnosed by the Official Veterinary Service of the Country and sent to the Center on Rabies Research from the University of São Paulo, Brazil, for antigenic and genetic characterization. A second sample from a dog positive for rabies in the same region in 2015 and 11 samples from a rabies outbreak from Asuncion in 1996 were also characterized. The antigenic profile of the samples, AgV2, was compatible with one of the variants maintained by dogs in Latin America. In genetic characterization, the samples segregated in the canine (domestic and wild species)-related group in an independent subgroup that also included samples from Argentina. These results and the epidemiology of the case indicate that even with the control of rabies in domestic animals, the virus can still circulate in wildlife and may be transmitted to domestic animals and humans, demonstrating the importance of continuous and improved surveillance and control of rabies, including in wild species, to prevent outbreaks in controlled areas.

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The objective of this study is to discuss selected viruses including COVID-19 and their potential elimination processes in hot springs. Studies in Colombia are limited and this scientific discussion provides necessary information regarding these viruses. This includes studies both in Colombia and international levels on the following subjects: i) the presence of viruses in hot springs, ii) the non-oxidative water treatment in hot springs, iii) the elimination strategies of viruses; and iv) the influence of COVID-19 in hot springs. The results of this discussion indicate that in order for thermal waters to guarantee the elimination of the viruses originating from faecal and nonfaecal derived, and the COVID-19 virus, a monitoring scheme is required to identify an effective disinfection of waters to control these pathogens.

Este artículo puede compartirse bajo la licencia CC BY-ND 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/) V. Álvarez-Narvaez, E. Quiñones-Bolaños, M.E Huertas-Bolaño, C.A. Suárez, J. Berdugo-Arrieta y D. Ramírez-Rivas. "Metodología para la selección de sitios de monitoreo atmosférico en zonas urbanas afectada por las emisiones de fuentes móviles", UIS Ingenierias, vol. RESUMENEl monitoreo atmosférico es una de las etapas fundamentales en la identificación de estrategias para minimizar, prevenir y controlar los impactos de la dispersión de contaminantes en el aire, sobre la salud pública y el ambiente. Por tanto, el objetivo principal de este artículo consiste en proponer una metodología para la selección de sitios de monitoreo atmosférico en zonas urbanas afectadas por las emisiones de fuentes móviles. Primero se identificaron los sitios que presentaban mayor flujo vehicular y se priorizaron según los siguientes criterios de selección: seguridad, influencia de otras fuentes, facilidad del montaje de los equipos, accesibilidad al sitio, identificación de barreras y obstáculos, registro histórico de datos y grado de concentración del contaminante, en este caso monóxido de carbono, usando el software CALINE 3. La modelación agrupó datos característicos de las vías, meteorológicos y de flujo vehicular de un año típico de la zona en estudio. A cada uno de estos parámetros le es asignada una valoración cuantitativa, que define los sitios donde se realizará el monitoreo. Como resultado se desarrolló una guía para seleccionar los lugares en donde se puedan desarrollar campañas de monitoreo atmosférico, asociadas a fuentes móviles. La metodología fue aplicada en la ciudad de Cartagena de Indias haciendo uso del modelo de calidad del aire CALINE3.Palabras Clave: CALINE 3; contaminantes atmosféricos; fuentes móviles; sitios de monitoreo atmosférico. ABSTRACTAtmospheric monitoring is one of the fundamental steps in identifying strategies to minimize, prevent and control the impact of the dispersion of pollutants in the air, on public health and the environment. Therefore, the main objective of this article is to propose a methodology for selecting air monitoring sites in urban areas affected by emissions from mobile sources. First, the places with the highest vehicular flow were identified and prioritized according to the following selection criteria: safety, influence of other sources, ease of assembly of equipment, accessibility to the site, identification of barriers and obstacles, historical record of data and degree concentration of the pollutant: in this case carbon monoxide, using CALINE 3 software. The modeling grouped characteristic data related with roads, meteorology and vehicular flow of a typical year of the zone under study. A quantitative assessment is assigned to each of these parameters, which defines the sites where the monitoring will be performed. As a result, it was developed a guide to select those places where atmospheric monitoring campaigns related with mobile sources can be held. This method...

In recent decades, the scientific community has noted that the pollutants released into atmosphere produced by road traffic is one of the most significant causes in the deterioration of air quality in cities. Therefore, it is important to estimate the emission factors associated with road traffic, which turns out to be the theoretical basis for estimating the emissions of air pollutants in a precise way. The emissions of atmospheric pollutants generated by mobile sources may produce severe impacts on human health because these pollutants are generally produced in areas with a high density of inhabitants and at ground level. The present study aims to estimate the concentration of air pollutants generated by road traffic on the main roads of the city of Cartagena, which were selected while taking into account the critical points of highest traffic congestion. The emission factors for PM2.5, using the inverse modeling technique, were estimated taking into account the average concentrations measured over 24-hour period and the pollutants that represent the greatest threat to public health were determined. This study is a starting point to determine the magnitude of the emissions associated with road traffic in Cartagena, and it also provides technical support to be able to identify in an approximate way the impact of different vehicle sources in the city.