Socio-geographical factors and vulnerability to leptospirosis in South Brazil

Abstract

Background Leptospirosis, caused by the Leptospira bacteria, is an acute infectious disease that is mainly transmitted by exposure to contaminated soil or water, thereby presenting a wide range of subsequent clinical conditions. This study aimed to assess the distribution of cases and deaths from leptospirosis and its association with social vulnerability in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, between 2010 and 2019. Methods The lethality rates and incidence of leptospirosis and their association with gender, age, education, and skin color were analyzed using chi-square tests. The spatial relationship between the environmental determinants, social vulnerability, and the incidence rate of leptospirosis in the different municipalities of Rio Grande do Sul was analyzed through spatial regression analysis. Results During the study period, a total of 4,760 cases of leptospirosis, along with 238 deaths, were confirmed. The mean incidence rate was 4.06 cases/100,000 inhabitants, while the mean fatality rate was 5%. Although the entire population was susceptible, white-colored individuals, males, people of the working-age group, along with less-educated individuals, were more affected by the disease. Lethality was higher in people with dark skin, and the prime risk factor associated with death was the direct contact of the patients with rodents, sewage, and garbage. The social vulnerability was positively associated with the incidence of leptospirosis in the Rio Grande do Sul, especially in municipalities located in the center of the state. Conclusions It is evident that the incidence of the disease is significantly related to the vulnerability of the population. The use of the health vulnerability index showed great relevance in the evaluation of leptospirosis cases and can be used further as a tool to help municipalities identify disease-prone areas for intervention and resource allocation.

Relação entre COVID-19, saneamento e indicadores do perfil municipal do estado do Ceará

“…Diante dessas iniciativas, e além dos estudos que buscam acompanhar a evolução, a magnitude da circulação do vírus por investigações de tendências espaciais e temporais, têm-se os fatores sociogeográficos 11,12,13 . Além de traçar o perfil epidemiológico e realizar o controle sanitário, outras percepções podem ser consideradas para contribuir com a gestão da saúde pública, tais como as relações entre as variáveis que traçam o perfil municipal e mesorregional.…”

Incidence of leptospirosis in non-human primates at the santarém zoo, Pará, Brazil

“…Leptospirosis is an infectious disease that affects practically all domestic and wild animals, the most affected being carnivores, rodents, primates and marsupials that can become carriers and, as a consequence, will contribute to the spread of the microorganism in nature, but rodents make up for one of the main reservoirs of spirochetes, transmitting the disease to humans and different species of animals (Oliveira, Arsky, & Caldas, 2013;Freitas, Seleski, Menezes Chalkidis, Silva, & Junior, 2021;Souza Júnior et al, 2006;Teles et al, 2023). Despite the efforts of professionals to keep up with strict sanitary management, the zoo environment continues to be suitable to the spread of a range of diseases, many of them zoonotic (Basso et al, 2022;Galarce et al, 2021;Santos et al, 2021).…”