Background
More than 95% of malaria transmission in Brazil occurs in the Legal Amazon Region, which in 2010 recorded around 333,429 cases reported in the Epidemiological Surveillance Information System-Malaria (Sivep_malaria), presenting an annual parasitic incidence (IPA) of 13.1 cases/1000 inhabitants.
Methods
This was a descriptive study that measured the community prevalence of
Plasmodium
infection and its relationship with land use in Três Fronteiras District, Colniza Municipality, Mato Grosso State. Data were collected during household visits in July 2011, with blood collection from finger pricks for the preparation of thick smear slides, and completion of a standardized case notification form. A georeferenced database was analysed, with land use evaluated as categorical variables. A kernel density map was built to show the density of cases and their location.
Results
Of the 621 respondents, 68(11%) had
Plasmodium
infection: 39 (57.4%) with
Plasmodium vivax
, 27(39.7%) with
Plasmodium falciparum
and two (2.9%) with mixed infections. Among infected individuals, 49 (72.1%) were men. Cases of malaria were distributed over the district, with greater occurrence of cases per household in open areas close to the mining company and artisanal mining sites. The was a greater density of cases located in the gold mining region.
Conclusion
Transmission of malaria in Três Fronteiras District has a heterogeneous distribution. Individuals residing in mining and timber extraction sites have increased occurrence of
Plasmodium
infection.