Aspectos epidemiológicos determinantes na manutenção da leishmaniose visceral no Estado do Maranhão - Brasil

Abstract

The authors analysed the visceral leishmaniasis (VL) aspects in the state of Maranhão, Brazil, from 1982 to 1993. The disease happens to occur predominantly in São Luís Island (MA) and during the epidemic period, town of São Luís was pointed out as the main endemic area. The greatest frequency of cases occurred in 1993, despite the use of insecticide and dogs control. There was predominance of age between 0- to 4-year-old population with 58.04% of cases. Neither the human disease nor the rainfall index had significant seasonal variation. However they were correlated moderately, with high number of cases after the period of great precipitation of rain. After this study, the data obtained will allow a better control of the disease, despite some factors such as: the urbanization, localization and dynamic of transmission in endemic areas in the Maranhão state.

Impact of canine control on the epidemiology of canine and human visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil.

“…The models of Dye 48 and Burattini and others 47 the latter based on data gathered by the National Foundation of Health (FNS) control program in Maranhão (Brazil), 49 infer that the dog population in endemic areas is composed of four mutually exclusive groups: those susceptible, those, resistant, those susceptible that become latent after a sand fly bite (asymptomatic), and those infectious to sand flies that emerge from latent dogs at a constant rate. 48 Dogs born resistant would not become infectious for sand flies or develop the disease, but they would become seropositive after a sand fly bite.…”

Flebotomíneos (Diptera, Psychodidae) de área endêmica de leishmaniose na região dos cerrados, Estado do Maranhão, Brasil

“…Fato inusitado, quando comparado com o número de casos nas décadas de 50 e 60 no Brasil (Nascimento et al, 1996).…”

Avaliação do nível de conhecimento que populações residentes em áreas endêmicas têm sobre leishmaniose visceral, Estado do Maranhão, Brasil

“…Embora seja uma doença predominantemente rural, os registros têm revelado um processo de urbanização da LV no Brasil, fato já previsto por Alencar, desde a década de 50. Atualmente, este comportamento tem-se mantido, especialmente nas cidades de São Luís/MA, Teresina/PI, Fortaleza/CE, Aracajú/SE e Rio de Janeiro/RJ (Alencar, 1983;Nascimento et al, 1996).…”