New epidemiological profile of schistosomiasis from an area of low prevalence in Brazil

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Main Authors: Israel Gomes de Amorim Santos, Letícia Pereira Bezerra, Tatyane Martins Cirilo, Laryssa Oliveira Silva, João Paulo Vieira Machado, Pedro Dantas Lima, Martha Rejane Souza Bispo, Sheilla da Conceição Gomes, Glória Isabel Lisboa da Silva, Vitória Jordana Bezerra Alencar, Ivisson Abreu Damasceno, Mikaelly Maria Vieira de Carvalho, Dharliton Soares Gomes, Rosália Elen Santos Ramos, Edmilson Genuíno Santos Júnior, Luiz Carlos Alves, Fábio André Brayner
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2020
• Subjects: Epidemiology; Parasitic diseases; Schistosoma mansoni; Spatial analysis; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0335-2020; https://doaj.org/article/fc606168fd5a48718607971f0c0f1fd5

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Schistosomiasis, caused by infection from Schistosoma mansoni, is a disease that represents an important public health problem for Brazil, especially for states in the Northeast region. Thus, the aim of this study is to present a new epidemiological profile for the disease in a municipality with low prevalence in the state of Alagoas, Brazil. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted through a coproparasitological and malacological survey. A structured questionnaire was applied to the study participants to survey possible risk factors and a spatial analysis (kernel density) was used to measure the risk of infection. RESULTS: Of the 347 participants, 106 (30.5%) were infected by Schistosoma mansoni, most of them from the urban area of the municipality (68.9%; 73/106). A 3-fold risk of infection was found for individuals living in the urban area and a risk of 2.15 times for self-declared farmers. Biomphalaria glabrata and B. straminea were the species found in the municipality, but no animals were diagnosed as infected by the parasite. Spatial analysis showed a random distribution of vectors and human cases of the disease, and the formation of two clusters of human cases in the urban area was seen. CONCLUSIONS: A new epidemiological profile for schistosomiasis from S. mansoni infection was presented in a municipality of low endemicity: a high proportion of positive individuals in the urban area; presence of snails without positive diagnosis for S. mansoni infection; random distribution of vectors and human cases; and absence of association between classical risk factors and human infection.