Epidemiological profile of malaria in the state of Tocantins, Brazil, from 2003 to 2008

Abstract

SUMMARYThis study describes the epidemiological profile of malaria in the State of Tocantins, in the period [2003][2004][2005][2006][2007][2008], investigates the association between the frequency of malaria and population growth, classifies the cases by 'autochthonous' and 'imported', reports the indices of the disease and analyses the distribution of the cases by Plasmodium species, age and gender. The retrospective study was based on secondary data, stored in SIVEP-malaria and analyzed using the software Epi-Info 3.5.1. and Bioestat 5.0. 19,004 samples were investigated for malaria, 19% of them were positive, 73.32% with Plasmodium vivax, 21.80% with Plasmodium falciparum, 4.79% with mixed infections and only 0.08% with Plasmodium malariae. Male individuals accounted for 76.95% and predominated in all years and age groups, especially in the 15 to 49 years old group. From the overall cases, 34.27% were autochthonous and 65.73% were imported (χ 2 = 356.8, p = 0.0001). The frequency of malaria decreased significantly during the entire series (rp = 0.96, p = 0.002) and the number of municipalities with autochthonous transmission also diminished. It was found that malaria is predominantly imported, related to land activities, which confirms the need for effective measures to maintain vigilance throughout the state and enhance educational activities in order to guide the population towards early treatment-seeking.

Factors associated with malaria in indigenous populations: A retrospective study from 2007 to 2016

“…Here the authors shed light on the factors associated with the occurrence of malaria in indigenous populations and cases that occurred in indigenous villages, as well as the description of the profile of deaths recorded by malaria in these populations in the state of Amazonas, by analyzing a period of 10 years (2007 to 2016). The predominance of malaria in indigenous males is similar to the results found in other studies conducted in the Amazon Region [2,[11][12][13][14], which justify such predominance based on indigenous behavior and a lifestyle based on extractivism and family farming, which is predominantly performed by men who consequently are more exposed to contact with the vector and the parasite [15,16].…”

Severe and benign Plasmodium vivax malaria in Emberá (Amerindian) children and adolescents from an endemic municipality in Western Colombia

“…In this series, although the frequency was low, the number of mixed malaria cases (due to P. vivax and P. falciparum, 5.4%) was quite high compared to other studies in Latin America, which usually have reported less than 2% [7,[26][27][28]. However, the mixed malaria cases were those that most frequently presented complications and required the patient to be hospitalized in this study (crude OR = 5.535; 95%CI 1.81-16.9).…”

Insecticide-Treated Bed Nets in Rondônia, Brazil: Evaluation of Their Impact on Malaria Control

“…A new wave of immigrants moved to the region at the beginning of 2008, due to the construction of two hydroelectric power plants in municipalities of the state's capital city of Porto Velho. A new epidemic cycle of malaria was expected in this endemic region 16 , due to its epidemiology, presence of individuals with asymptomatic infections 1 , 6 , and the combination of large water collections and malaria vectors 14 , 21 , 22 .…”