The impact of imported malaria by gold miners in Roraima: characterizing the spatial dynamics of autochthonous and imported malaria in an urban region of Boa Vista

Louzada, Jaime; Almeida, Nathalia Coelho Vargas de; Araujo, Joao Luiz Pereira de; Silva, Júlio Augusto Mendes da; Carvalho, Thiago Morato de; Escalante, Ananías A.; Oliveira-Ferreira, Joseli

doi:10.1590/0074-02760200043

Cited by 21 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…As opposed to the Venezuelan case, most of the cross-border malaria cases originating in Guyana are Brazilians who cross the border back-and-forth to work on gold mining. This dynamic is supported in the literature, and the results from this study corroborate the importance of Boa Vista as a hub for mobile mining populations seeking medical care [ 42 ]. Ultimately, the response to cross-border cases is inextricably linked to the demographic profiles of each population.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

“…5 b), cross-border cases are predominantly Brazilian nationals travelling for economic opportunity (mainly gold mining, mostly illegal) [ 44 ]. These movements are likely to occur repeatedly and present a challenge to both Brazil and Guyana [ 42 , 44 ]. In Guyana, 94% of malaria cases reported occurred in major gold mining regions, and the malaria scenario in Venezuela demonstrates the potential for small, isolated, malaria-dense populations with minimal resources to spur outbreaks of the disease and reverse progress toward elimination.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cross-border malaria in Northern Brazil

Arisco

Peterka

Castro

2021

Malar J

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Background Cross-border malaria is a major barrier to elimination efforts. Along the Venezuela-Brazil-Guyana border, intense human mobility fueled primarily by a humanitarian crisis and illegal gold mining activities has increased the occurrence of cross-border cases in Brazil. Roraima, a Brazilian state situated between Venezuela and Guyana, bears the greatest burden. This study analyses the current cross-border malaria epidemiology in Northern Brazil between the years 2007 and 2018. Methods De-identified data on reported malaria cases in Brazil were obtained from the Malaria Epidemiological Surveillance Information System for the years 2007 to 2018. Pearson’s Chi-Square test of differences was utilized to assess differences between characteristics of cross-border cases originating from Venezuela and Guyana, and between border and transnational cases. A logistic regression model was used to predict imported status of cases. Results Cross-border cases from Venezuela and Guyana made up the majority of border and transnational cases since 2012, and Roraima remained the largest receiving state for cross-border cases over this period. There were significant differences in the profiles of border and transnational cases originating from Venezuela and Guyana, including type of movement and nationality of patients. Logistic regression results demonstrated Venezuelan and Guyanese nationals, Brazilian miners, males, and individuals of working age had heightened odds of being an imported case. Furthermore, Venezuelan citizens had heightened odds of seeking care in municipalities adjacent Venezuela, rather than transnational municipalities. Conclusions Cross-border malaria contributes to the malaria burden at the Venezuela-Guyana-Brazil border. The identification of distinct profiles of case importation provides evidence on the need to strengthen surveillance at border areas, and to deploy tailored strategies that recognize different mobility routes, such as the movement of refuge-seeking individuals and of Brazilians working in mining.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cross-border malaria in Northern Brazil

Arisco

Peterka

Castro

2021

Malar J

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“…Considering that most patients involved in gold mining do so out of the local legal framework (illegal miners), a close follow-up of the effect of such activities on malaria will require a prospective study that does not rely solely on self-reporting. Although this study cannot test the hypothesis that gold mining is an important driver of malaria transmission, the results presented here are consistent with the notion that gold mining is a malaria risk factor in this area [ 5 ] and likely, for other countries in the region [ 21 – 23 ]. Of interest is the significant association between the occurrence of P. falciparum malaria and Sifontes; this is consistent with the importance of this area with gold mining in this parasite incidence [ 5 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 58%

“…It has been hypothesized that human mobility to and from the mining areas has been a critical factor in the current malaria epidemic [ 5 , 10 , 11 , 21 – 23 ]. Considering that most patients involved in gold mining do so out of the local legal framework (illegal miners), a close follow-up of the effect of such activities on malaria will require a prospective study that does not rely solely on self-reporting.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The clinical–epidemiological profile of malaria patients from Southern Venezuela, a critical hotspot in Latin America

Forero‐Peña¹,

Carrión‐Nessi

Chavero³

et al. 2021

Malar J

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Background Venezuela accounted for 55% of the cases and 73% of the malaria deaths in the Americas in 2019. Bolivar state, in the southeast, contributes > 60% of the country's Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum cases every year. This study describes the clinical–epidemiological characteristics of clinical malaria patients in this high-transmission area. Methods A prospective study was conducted on patients seeking medical attention in three medical centres in the state capital, Ciudad Bolivar, between June and October 2018. Malaria diagnosis was carried out using microscopy following national standards. Malaria-positive patients were examined for clinical symptoms, and haematological tests were performed at the time of diagnosis. Patients were followed up by telephone to evaluate malaria recurrences. Results Out of 287 patients, 200 (69.7%) were positive for P. vivax, 69 (24%) for P. falciparum, and 18 (6.3%) had mixed (P. vivax/P. falciparum) infections. Patients' median age was 33 years (IQR 20), 168 (69%) were men, and 40% practiced gold mining as the main occupation. Fever (96.5%), chills (91.3%), and headaches (90.6%) were the most frequent symptoms. At least one symptom associated with severe malaria was observed in 69 out of 161 patients with complete clinical evaluation (42.9%). Plasmodium vivax infections were found in 42 out of 69 (60.9%) severe cases; by contrast, P. falciparum and mixed malaria caused 34.8% (24/69) and 4.4% (3/69) of infections, respectively. Two patients died of cerebral malaria. Mean hemoglobin was lower in the patients infected with P. falciparum than those infected with P. vivax. Regardless of the parasite causing the infection, patients presented high levels of total bilirubin, aminotransferases (AST, ALT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Out of the 142 patients followed up by phone for three months (49.5% of the 287 patients), 35 (24.7%) reported recurrences. Conclusions The high malaria prevalence among young male adults practicing gold mining suggests that this occupation is a significant risk factor. The unexpected high prevalence of P. vivax patients with at least one criteria of severe clinical disease is a matter of concern. Whether it is the result of a lack of timely diagnosis and effective treatment should be explored.

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“…Gold mining plays a major role in malaria maintenance worldwide. In the Americas and Brazil, most of the malaria cases are registered in the Amazon region, with transmission restricted to rural hotspot areas, mainly with the presence of gold mining activity; in the states of Acre and Amazonas; and the cities of Porto Velho (State of Rondônia), Itaituba and Anajás (State of Pará) [ 8 , 15 , 16 ]. In 2019, Pará state was the second in the number of malaria cases (32,752 cases) with 75.5% occurring in rural areas, 13% in mining areas, 8.1% in indigenous areas and only 2.7% in urban areas [ 5 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Socio-Epidemiological Features and Spatial Distribution of Malaria in an Area under Mining Activity in the Brazilian Amazon Region

Ueno

Lima

Sardinha

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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Malaria is an acute febrile infectious disease that represents an important public health problem in the Brazilian amazon region. The present study described the socio-epidemiological and spatial characteristics of malaria in a population from the Tapajós mining areas, Pará, Brazilian Amazon. A cross-sectional study, including individuals from Itaituba city, an area under mining activity influence, was conducted. The geographic coordinates were obtained in the field using the Global Positioning System (GPS) Garmin 78csx; for spatial analysis, we used the Kernel Density Estimator with the application of scanning statistics with the SaTScan software. Of the 908 individuals, 311 were positive for malaria. Most of the malaria cases were associated with male individuals, gold miners and with a monthly income of 4-6 salaries. Binary logistic regression analysis demonstrated that gold miners were nearly five times more likely to acquire malaria. In addition, a context of risk for sexually transmitted infections, substance abuse and poor support conditions was observed, worsening the healthcare scenario in this endemic area for malaria. The spatial distribution of malaria cases is irregular in the municipality with hotspot areas located in the Amana Flona that coincide with areas of illegal mining and high human mobility. Finally, the presented socio-epidemiological and spatial distribution data may aid in the development of more effective control measures for malaria in the area.

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The impact of imported malaria by gold miners in Roraima: characterizing the spatial dynamics of autochthonous and imported malaria in an urban region of Boa Vista

Cited by 21 publications

References 22 publications

Cross-border malaria in Northern Brazil

Cross-border malaria in Northern Brazil

The clinical–epidemiological profile of malaria patients from Southern Venezuela, a critical hotspot in Latin America

Socio-Epidemiological Features and Spatial Distribution of Malaria in an Area under Mining Activity in the Brazilian Amazon Region

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