Epidemiological aspects of schistosomiasis in workers of the Movement of Landless Rural Workers

Abstract

Introduction: Schistosomiasis is endemic in 74 countries and is considered a serious public health problem in some locations. Methods: A transverse study was performed of 13 landless settlements in southern Sergipe from February to December 2009. The study included 822 settlers, of whom 601 underwent stool testing. Results: The prevalence of schistosomiasis in landless workers was 4.3%. The population has a low education level, and basic sanitation services are not available to all residents. Conclusions: The prevalence of schistosomiasis was low in the population and among different settlements, possibly because of different forms of water use by the settlers.Keywords: Schistosomiasis. Intestinal parasites. Settlements.Schistosomiasis is caused by Schistosoma mansoni infection and is registered in 74 countries. Schistosomiasis is considered a serious public health problem in many areas of Brazil. Government actions are required to improve sanitation, control snails with molluscicides, treat infected persons, and educate at-risk populations 1 .Schistosomiasis is a disease with global impact that remains difficult to control centuries after its discovery because it involves interactions between government agencies, the planning and implementation of sanitation, the use of molluscicides to combat snails, drugs to treat infected people, and education regarding the deposition of feces 1 .The Brazilian social movement known as the Movement of Landless Rural Workers was created in the 1980s with the aim of promoting agrarian reform for landless peasants relying on unproductive properties. However, these settlements do not have an adequate health infrastructure, favoring the emergence of waterborne diseases 2 .To verify the presence of Schistosoma mansoni in the stools of landless settlers in riverside towns of southern Sergipe, Brazil, to evaluate the effect of socio-environmental factors on the spread of this parasite, and to characterize the clinical forms of the infected patients, we developed a cross-sectional study of 13 settlements within the region from February to December 2009 (Figure 1).The study population included those aged 2 to 65 years and encompassed 227 households from 13 settlements. The clinical epidemiological survey was conducted in situ through home visits. For the study of Schistosoma mansoni eggs, the fi rst 3 stool samples collected on alternate days were packed in a TFTest® Kit (Three Fecal Test; Imunoassay Ltd, Brazil). This set comprises three tubes, and the fecal samples were preserved under analytical conditions for 30 days 3 . The samples were sent for analysis at the laboratory of the University Hospital of the Federal University of Sergipe. All infected patients were treated.From the 601 examinations, a prevalence rate of 4.3% was obtained for S. mansoni. Of the 13 settlements, 8 (61.5%) were positive for S. mansoni, and the positivity rate varied from 0 to 22.2% among settlements.Among infected individuals aged 3 to 48 years, 69.2% were male subjects, and there were no differ...

Burden of schistosomiasis‐related mortality in Brazil: epidemiological patterns and spatial–temporal distribution, 2003–2018

“…Due to Brazil’s large territory and the marked socioeconomic inequalities among its regions, together with the existing environmental and epidemiological scenarios, control of the disease has become increasingly complex. The long periods of drought in the Brazilian Northeast region, as well as the presence of inadequate infrastructure for water and sanitation, perpetuate poverty, thus amplifying the major social problems associated with higher rates of schistosomiasis in Brazil [13–15].…”