Background

Accurate malaria diagnosis is mandatory for the treatment and management of severe cases. Moreover, individuals with asymptomatic malaria are not usually screened by health care facilities, which further complicates disease control efforts. The present study compared the performances of a malaria rapid diagnosis test (RDT), the thick blood smear method and nested PCR for the diagnosis of symptomatic malaria in the Brazilian Amazon. In addition, an innovative computational approach was tested for the diagnosis of asymptomatic malaria.

Methods

"Currently it is the rainy season in Brazil, so it is normal to experience a lot of rain," said Marcelo Cardoso, ADRA director for the South Brazil region. "However, lately, it seems that every year the rains become more intense and cause more damage."

Persistent rainfall in the southeastern region of Brazil has caused widespread flooding and mudslides heavily affecting the State of Rio de Janeiro (Angra dos Reis)

The Civil Defense reports 74 deaths and more than 1,000 people evacuated and placed in shelters. There is still high risk of further mudslides likely to occur should rainfall persist in some areas. No damage on health facilities reported.

Firefighters and the Civil Defense are coordinating search and rescue operations, distribution of relief items and shelters for the affected population.

Authorities say the bridge over the River Jacui gave way Tuesday in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

Heavy rains have battered Brazil's southeastern region, where mudslides have killed at least 80 people. In Rio Grande do Sul, flooding has forced more than 1,000 people from their homes.

Brazil's coastal region has steep hillsides that gave way in many areas after days of rain.

Authorities say more rain forecast for

* Weather improves, helping rescue efforts

* Sao Paulo, Minas states also hit by heavy rain

By Pedro Fonseca

RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Rescue crews on Saturday intensified the search for victims at a plush Brazilian beach resort ravaged by mudslides and flooding that have killed at least 64 people in three states.

Firefighters waded through mountains of mud and sifted through the remains of a lodge and homes that were destroyed in the early hours of Friday when a hillside collapsed in the luxury beach

Over half of the 240,000 hectares of flooded rice farms in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul had not been planted yet, Rio Grande do Sul Rice Institute (Irga) said Friday.

The state produces nearly two thirds of the total rice output in Brazil.

The planting season, which was due to be over by Dec. 10, has been extended until Dec. 20. However, the planting

Most of the victims, including five children aged 5-14, perished under landslides triggered by rain-soaked terrain, while three people were dragged out of a house that collapsed in the eastern part of Sao Paulo city, the officials said.

Another person died when his house collapsed in the central part of Sao Paulo, they added.

The region of Sao Paulo has been hit

Moreover, the bad weather has led to a total of 11 deaths in the entire southern region.

On Friday, the authorities of 15 municipalities decided to declare a state of emergency, raising the number of states which have declared states of emergency due to floods and mudslides among 496 municipalities to 81.

Over 20,000 people were forced to leave

The towns of Tres Rios, Tangua, Belford Roxo and Duque de Caxias have declared state of emergency due to the deluge. Tres Rios, in the state's southern region, has the highest number of homeless people, about 1,540, followed by Belford Roxo, Tangua, and Valenca. The