Space-time analysis of the incidence of human visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and prevalence of canine VL in a municipality of southeastern Brazil: Identification of priority areas for surveillance and control

Visceral leishmaniasis control actions: epidemiological indicators for its effectiveness evaluation in a Brazilian urban area

“…This study infers that, despite the difficulties on implementation of VLSCP 25 , workable and sustainable proposals 26 are essential in order to continue the search for control of the disease, for both humans and animals 4,27 . The growth of animal populations requires integrated actions increasingly focused on one health, with respect for animals and the precepts of public health, responsible ownership and management of animal populations 28 .…”

“…The implementation of the surveillance and control program is inconsistent, even in municipalities experiencing major problems resulting from HVL incidence and lethality 25 . However, Belo Horizonte invested in disease control with positive results, which require continuity to avoid reversion of the situation 5,6,26 . Finally, one of the limitations of this study is with its reproducibility, mainly regarding the information on seropositive animals and canine census survey testing coverage in urban areas reporting the disease, in contrast to Belo Horizonte, where the secondary reservoir quality data used here are available.…”

Epidemiological aspects and spatial patterns of human visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil

“…Leishmaniasis occupies the ninth position in the world ranking among the priority infectious diseases (World Health Organization., 2015; Machado et al ., 2016; Carvalho et al ., 2018). Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is present in more than 80 countries (Mehrjou et al ., 2016), nevertheless 90% of these cases are concentrated in 10 of them (Brazil, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, China, Kenya, Nepal, India, Sudan, Somalia and South Sudan) (World Health Organisation, 2009; Arruda et al ., 2019). In the Americas, it is present in 12 countries, and 95% of the cases are reported in Brazil (Mehrjou et al ., 2016).…”

“…The Secretariat of Health Surveillance of Ministry of Health coordinates the VL control and surveillance activities in Brazil (Mehrjou et al ., 2016). However, the control strategies currently applied were not successful in decreasing the incidence of the disease to acceptable levels (Costa et al ., 2013), exposing the vulnerabilities of such measures (Araújo et al ., 2013; Arruda et al ., 2019).…”

“…Using spatial analysis tools and those from Geographic Information System (GIS) allows the creation of thematic maps that assist in the checking and offer a better understanding of the spatial patterns of data distribution, making it possible to detect risk areas and associated factors, as well as indicate the regions with greater need to intensify and/or prioritize control measures, in addition to implementing control strategies, both for the disease and the limited financial resources (Arruda et al ., 2019).…”