Epidemiological aspects of visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar) in Ceará in the period 2007 to 2011

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL; kala-azar) is a serious zoonosis that can be lethal, especially in untreated patients. Due to the fact that the State of Ceará is still an important area of transmission of VL, and based on the constant reports of the urbanization process of the disease in the country, it was necessary to monitor the occurrence of cases of leishmaniasis through epidemiological surveillance. OBJECTIVES: To describe the epidemiology of leishmaniasis cases in Ceará, Brazil. METHODS: We conducted an epidemiological survey of secondary data provided by SINAN/MS from January 2007 to December 2011. RESULTS: VL is an endemic disease in the State of Ceará, with cases notified in approximately 88% of the municipalities, with an average of 596.8 ± 29.6 cases, an incidence of 6.1 cases/100,000 inhabitants and prevalence of 7.1 cases/100,000 inhabitants. The Metropolitan Region of Fortaleza is the microregion with the largest number of cases reported in state (51.9% of cases), with the capital, Fortaleza, being the municipality with the highest number of cases in the country. Traditionally, the main age group affected by the disease are children; however, a reversal has been observed in the profile from 2008, when the population of adult patients exceeded the pediatric population. CONCLUSION: Ceará is still an endemic area for VL, and the city of Fortaleza reported the highest number of cases in the country. In the State, a change in the profile of patients with the disease has been observed, now affecting primarily adults.

Clinical and Epidemiological Features of Visceral Leishmaniasis among Children in Yemen : One Referral Hospital Review

“…Our results show that the VL predominating among under-five years children, is similar to other studies 1,2,11 . In the current study, the main clinical symptoms and signs were sweating and chills, anorexia, cough, vomiting , weight loss, fever, splenomegaly, pallor, hepatomegaly and abdominal distension,. These are similar to that described by other studies 16,1,8,9,15 . Lymphadenopathy was less frequent in our cases.…”

“…It is endemic in Yemen, particularly in the low-lying areas with high temperature 8 . VL is traditionally a rural disease in most of the developing countries 9 . However, the predominating features of the remote areas in our country are poverty, low education, little access to the health care services and lack of the diagnostic facilities.…”

Geographical Distribution of Visceral Leishmaniasis Among Children in Dhamar Governorate, Yemen

“…VL have developed for long time in the hot regions of Northern and Western plains where malarial infection is coexisted. The observed cases of VL in the central highlands suggest increasing spread of the disease to unusual sites as reported by several studies [12,1]. This could be explained at least in part by vectors adaptation to the changing climate observed recently.…”

Análise Espacial Dos Casos Humanos De Leishmaniose Visceral

“…A ampliação das áreas de ocorrência da LV é em decorrência das ações antrópicas que transformam o ambiente natural, sobretudo, pela substituição desses e locais para atividades industriais e agropecuárias. Além disso, a ocupação exponencial do espaço geográfico urbano por movimentos migratórios, somado à falta de planejamento e comutação sociais, também, altera significativamente o ambiente ecológico da doença (22)(23) . Estudos sobre a dinâmica de transmissão da LV enfatizam dois pontos a serem considerados pelos programas de vigilância/ controle: (1) a sazonalidade da variação da população de flebotomíneos; e (2) o número de cães infectados.…”