Giardiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) are parasitic diseases that are among the major health concerns observed in economically disadvantaged populations of developing countries, and have clear social and environmental bases. In Brazil, there is a lack of epidemiologic data concerning these infections in the study area, whose inhabitants have plenty of access to health care services, including good dwelling and adequate sanitary conditions. In this survey we investigated the risk factors for giardiasis and STH in three municipalities with good sanitation, situated in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the municipalities of Piau, Coronel Pacheco and Goianá, in both urban and rural areas. The fieldwork consisted of a questionnaire and the examination of 2,367 stool samples using the Hoffmann, Pons and Janer method. Of all individuals from the population sample, 6.1% were found infected with the parasitic diseases included in this work. Hookworm infection was the most prevalent disease, followed by giardiasis, trichuriasis and ascariasis. Infection was more prevalent in males (8.1%, p < 0.001; odds ratio [OR] = 1.975) and in individuals living in rural areas (8.6%, p = 0.003; OR = 1.693). Multivariate analysis showed that variables such as inadequate sewage discharge (p < 0.001), drinking of unsafe water (p < 0.001), lack of sanitary infrastructure (p = 0.015), and host sex (p < 0.001) were the risk factors more strongly associated with infection status (95% confidence interval [CI]). In this study we demonstrate that giardiasis and STH still persist, infecting people who have good housing conditions and free access to public health care and education.

Schistosomiasis was the most prevalent parasitic infection found. Our findings show that the occurrence of this disease has been underestimated by the local health care service, and highlight the importance of epidemiological surveillance in areas of low prevalence for schistosomiasis.

This study focuses on the geographic distribution of the snail of the genus Biomphalaria and evaluates its infectivity byOf the state's 853 municipalities distributed in the 12 political-administrative mesoregions, 283 have been studied for the snail's prevalence. B. glabrata has been reported in 65.3% of the municipalities studied; B. straminea in 43.8%; B. tenaghophila in 20.4%; B. peregrina in 20.1%; B. schrammi in 9.2%; B. intermedia in 7%, and B. occidentalis in 0.7% . The municipality in Brazil is the local political-administrative division, corresponding roughly to a county or prefecture. It is governed by a mayor and municipal council. Some municipalities are almost completely urbanized, others almost totally rural, and some, like Juiz de Fora, a mixture of the two.The most recent scientific report on the occurrence of Biomphalaria in Juiz de Fora municipality, the main social and economic center in the state's Zona da Mata So, this work focuses on the geographic distribution of Biomphalaria in Juiz de Fora municipality with identification of the species found, possibility of infectivity, and main types of related habitats. This updated study of the occurrence of intermediate hosts in the region confirms, for the first time, the presence of B. straminea in the municipality, with the study of this snail susceptibility of the Juiz de Fora strain to S. mansoni. MATERIALS AND METHODSLocation under study -This study was carried out in the municipality of Juiz de Fora (21S14/42W14), in the mesoregion known as the Zona da Mata Mineira, Minas Gerais, Brazil (Fig. 1). This municipality is located 280 km from Belo Horizonte, the state capital, and 184 km from the city of Rio de Janeiro. Juiz de Fora has a land area of 1,429.875 km 2 , with a population of 419,226 inhabitants according to the 2000 census. The municipality, with an average altitude of 800 m, has an ample hydrographic basin rich in lakes, ponds, and irrigation ditches. The spatial localization of the foci was determined by instant positioning from a GPS (Global Positioning System) apparatus.Malacological survey -These surveys were performed in collaboration with technicians from DADS/Juiz de Fora (Directorate for Decentralized Health Actions, an organ of the State Health Secretariat). The specimens were collected from lotic and lentic ecosystems in the municipality, predominantly around the urban perimeter, where the characteristics are favorable to the occurrence and spatial dispersion of snails near human populations. We captured the specimens with the aid of tongs and nets. The study was conducted in 2003 to 2004.Snails -After collection, the snails were taken to the laboratory where the living specimens were measured. After examination under artificial light for S. mansoni cercarie, the snails were submitted to squeezing between glass plates to detect the presence of cercariae. Some specimens were separated for morphological identification (Paraense 1975). Another sample of specimens was packed and sent to the René-Rachou Research Center for mole...

Introduction:The increasing practice of ecotourism and rural tourism in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, highlights the importance of studies concerning the occurrence of potential intermediate hosts of Schistosoma mansoni. This study aimed to identify species of Biomphalaria snails in municipalities along the Estrada Real, an important Brazilian tourism project. Methods: The specimens were collected in different water collections of 36 municipalities along the Estrada Real in the southeast of the State of Minas Gerais. Biomphalaria species were characterized using both morphological and molecular approaches. The research was conducted between August 2005 and September 2009 and all the sites visited were georeferenced using GPS. Results: Six Biomphalaria species were found in 30 of the 36 municipalities studied: glabrata, tenagophila, straminea, peregrina, occidentalis and schrammi. The first three species of Biomphalaria, recognized as intermediate hosts of S. mansoni, were present in 33.3%, 47.2% and 8.3% of the municipalities studied, respectively. The mollusks were found in different types of water collections and no infection by S. mansoni was detected. The highest occurrence of Biomphalaria concentration was verified in the area covered by the Caminho Novo route (Diamantina/MG to Rio de Janeiro/RJ). Conclusions: Considering the occurrence of schistosomiasis in the State of Minas Gerais and the socioeconomic repercussions involved in the Estrada Real Project, this work focuses on the vulnerability of water collections due to the presence of Biomphalaria mollusks and emphasizes the need for epidemiological surveillance and sanitary and educational measures integrated with the local community and tourism sectors.

No abstract