Risk Factors to Schistosomiasis in Communities from Minas Gerais State, Brazil: The Importance of Baseline Studies for Evaluations in the Endemic Area

 

Erica Barbosa Magueta, Alessandra Miranda, Rosiane Araujo S Carvalho2, Alda Maria Soares Silveira, Elizabeth Castro Moreno and Lucia Alves de Oliveira Fraga

 

Research Paper I Published August,2015

 

Journal of Medical and Biological Science Research Vol. 1 (6), pp. 62-70

 

ABSTRACT

This cross-sectional study was designed to determine the extent of schistosomiasis and to identify the risk factors associated in an endemic area well-known for its high prevalence called Córrego do Bernardo (CB) and Córrego do Melquíades (MQ), located in the East part of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Structured and pre-coded questionnaires were used to explore individual and household characteristics. Although geographically close, CB and MQ have shown distinct patterns of infection. The prevalence in CB was estimated in 12.5% (95% CI=8.4-17.8) and 31.9% (95% CI= 25.3-38.5) in MQ (p<0.005). In CB, males are more likely to be infected (OR=4.6, 95%CI=1.6-13.3) while public water supply (OR=0.3, 95%CI=0.1-0.7) and family history of infection with Schistosoma mansoni (OR=0.3, 95%CI=0.1-0.9) are characteristics associated with a lower chance of infection. In MQ the characteristics associated with the disease were co-infection with other helminthes (OR=4.3, 95%CI=1.6-11.5) and the use of water from cisterns (OR=2.1, 95%CI=1.1-4.2). The disease remains a problem in these communities. Investment in basic sanitation and education remains an important strategy for the control of the disease and should be directed towards the specific factors. The characterization of these communities could be useful for temporal analyses and reevaluations of resistance and susceptibility to infection.

Key words: Cross-sectional study, Endemic area, Epidemiology, Prevalence, risk factors, Schistosoma mansoni.

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