The serological status to cytomegalovirus (CMV) was examined for 616 Brazilians and 399 Japanese immigrants living in the North-East of Brazil. The sera were screened for IgG antibodies to CMV by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The overall prevalence of CMV antibodies was higher in the Japanese population (83.7%) than in the Brazilian population (69.8%). The seropositivity was analyzed by factors of age, sex, ethnic background, and socioeconomic status. Mother-baby contact seems to be a factor of significance in the seroepidemiology of CMV infection.Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a ubiquitous herpesvirus which exclusively infects humans. CMV can spread vertically as well as horizontally. Because CMV is unstable in the environment, close or intimate contact is required for its spread. Sources of CMV include saliva, urine, tears, breast milk, cervical excretions, semen, and blood. Thus, seroepidemiological features of CMV infection reflect the hygienic practice or the way of life of the population. Generally, socioeconomic status is a major determinant of the prevalence of CMV infection. In fact, the age at which primary CMV infection occurs is much younger in developing countries than in developed countries (12, 13). Race, sex, sexual activity, and blood group are also suggested to be factors of significance in the prevalence of CMV infection (6, 7,15,16,18,19).CMV infection is usually asymptomatic in normal hosts. However, CMV may produce severe diseases in fetuses and immunocompromised hosts (2,9,14,20). Since symptomatic CMV infections mostly occur in seronegative individuals, serological status of a population is of great importance. In Brazil, a serological survey revealed that 47% of Brazilians of 0 to 60 years of age in Sao Paulo in the South of Brazil were positive for CMV antibodies (3). However, this survey was done by the relatively insensitive complement fixation (CF) test. In the present study, we determined the serological status to CMV of healthy individuals in the North-East of Brazil by sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Subjects included Brazilians and Japanese immigrants living in Recife and other

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The seroprevalence of human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection was investigated in Brazilians (570): native inhabitants (298) and descendants from Japanese (272) living in Recife and its neighborhoods-North-east of Brazil. Furthermore, polytransfused renal transplanted patients (54) were also examined for the serological status to this virus. The seropositivity to HTLV-1, screened by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), was low: 1.34% for the local population and 0.73% for the descendants from Japanese. However, the seropositivity for the renal transplanted patients was found to be 11.1%. This higher value suggests that this retrovirus infection seems to be of importance in this clinical condition.

The age distribution of antibody to simian rotavirus (SA-11) was studied in serum specimens obtained from 399 children aged to 5 years and living in the city of Recife (PE), located in the north eastern region of Brazil. Sera were examined for group-specific rotavirus antibody using a blocking enzyme immunoassay (bELISA) and a hemagglutination inhibition antibody (HIA) test, and for anti-VP2, anti-VP4, anti-VP6, and anti-VP7 antibodies using an immunoblotting assay (IBA). Antibody prevalence was similar in all bELISA and HIA assays, showing a steep rise in the 6-to 17-month-old age groups. The results indicate early acquisition of antibody to rotavirus. The majority of children aged 2 to 4 years had bELISA (50% to 60%) and HIA (70% to 81%) antibodies. There was an association in prevalence data obtained by HIA and bELISA with immunoblotting (IBA), revealing four serologic profiles. Children with profiles I and II (60%) respectively had HAI and ELISA antibody or HAI antibody alone and all had immunoprotective antibodies to VP4 and/or VP7. These children were regarded as "immune," resembling convalescent patients with a rotavirus infection. Children with profile III (4%) had no HIA antibody and only non-protective anti-VP6 and/or VP7 antibody, and were considered to be "partially immune." Children with profile IV (36%) had no detectable antibody and were classified as "nonimmune." These children should be considered to be susceptible to rotavirus infection, with the risk of developing clinically severe diarrhea.

INTRODUÇÃOA detecção e controle de portadores de Staphylococcus aureus assume significativa importância quando se trata de profissionais da área de saúde e manipuladores de alimentos, devido a existência de cepas produtoras de enterotoxinas 1,5,7,13 .De forma geral, o grande número de pesquisas dirigidas a esse propósito preocupa-se, principalmente, com a detecção de portadores desse microrganismo nas fossas nasais e na pele 2,8,10,11,14,23,30 . Todavia, trabalhos de Knighton 16 (1962), Piochi e Zelante 22 (1973) e Zelante e col. 34 (1983) demonstraram que a cavidade oral se comporta com magnitude semelhante, como armazenadora e disseminadora de Staphylococcus aureus. Foi demonstrado, também, que as cepas que colonizam a mucosa lingual do homem diferem, quanto ao seu padrão fágico, daquelas isoladas das fossas nasais de um mesmo indivíduo, fator que potencializa a importância do estado de portador 29,33 .Dameto e Zelante 7 (1981), acompanhando durante quatro anos um mesmo grupo de portadores nasais, demonstraram a variação do padrão fágico das cepas isoladas, de sorte que somente um, dentre os integrantes daquele grupo, albergou o mesmo fagótipo durante toda a vigência do estudo. Tais observações reforçam a necessidade do controle constante nos indiví-duos considerados de elevado risco para a disseminação desse microrganismo.O isolamento de Staphylococcus aureus de fezes, relatado por Laurell e