Malacological, socio-environmental evaluation, and evidence of local transmission and maintenance of schistosomiasis in an urban area of Northeast Brazil

• Published in: Acta tropica Vol. 252; p. 107145
• Main Authors: Gomes, Elainne Christine de Souza, da Silva, Iris Edna Pereira, de Araújo, Hallysson Douglas Andrade, Barbosa, Constança Simões
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01-04-2024
• Subjects: Biomphalaria; Ecological study; Neglected tropical disease; Schistosoma mansoni; Schistosomiasis; Transmission; Schistosomiasis; Schistosoma mansoni; Neglected tropical disease; Transmission; Biomphalaria; Ecological study
• ISSN: 0001-706X; 1873-6254
• DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107145

•Most breeding site and urban transmission foci were in the poorest.•The seasonal variation has influenced the snail density.•2236 individuals joined the prevalence survey and 8.4 % tested positive for Schistosoma mansoni.•Cases were more frequent among male individuals, aged 20 - 39 years, with low education level.•Coastal areas should be considered by health authorities as priority areas for health interventions.
To present the current epidemiological scenario of schistosomiasis related to urban transmission through an epidemiological risk assessment in Porto de Galinhas, a coastal area of Pernambuco, Brazil. Malacological and parasitological surveys were performed between the years 2018 and 2020. Snails were identified taxonomically and examined to confirm infection by Schistosoma mansoni, and so to identify Schistosomiasis Transmission Foci (STF) by the artificial light exposure technique. Stool samples were examined using the Kato-Katz method to identify schistosomiasis cases. Socioeconomic, environmental, behavioural and health data were collected by a questionnaire applied to participates in the survey and used to predict the schistosomiasis risk occurrence by multivariate logistic regression. In all, a total of 6466 snails of Biomphalaria glabrata were collected and 36 breeding sites were identified, of which 25 % were STF. A total of 2236 individuals took part of the survey which identified 187 cases of schistosomiasis, registering a positivity percentage of 8.36 %. The surveys identified the neighbourhoods with the highest risk for transmission while the socioenvironmental analysis identifies other risk factors for disease occurrence, such as gender, age range, level of education and absence of water drainage. We found that areas with poor sanitation, flooding during winter periods and dwellings located near mangroves should be treated by health authorities as priority areas for health interventions to minimize disease transmission. In addition, efforts to improve the population's educational level could certainly contribute to the adoption of measures to prevent and control this neglected tropical disease.
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