Young Researcher Award: Petrolina has high rates of human and animal leishmaniasis
Masters dissertation was the first epidemiological inquiry covering the whole territorial area
13/11/2015
More knowledge about how diseases and the places where they develop help identifying epidemiological patterns, which help controlling and predilection
In the city of Petrolina, in Pernambuco, Brazil, every year, around 11.6 cases of human visceral leishmaniasis (VL) are reported. The high prevalence is also found in the citys main domestic reservoir: the dog. This is shown in the masters dissertation by Andreina de Carvalho Araujo, who was 5th place in the 2015 Young Researcher Award. According to the study, 11.2% of over 1.2 thousand studied dogs were tested positive for Leishmania infantum chagasi.
The most interesting is that, despite the concerning data about canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL), the control measures have not produced any results in the city of nearly 300 thousand inhabitants, according to Andreina. She also said the dissertation is Petrolinas first epidemiological inquiry in over two decades.
Despite the large occurence of the disease, few studies were conducted in the city. Besides this, the works have evaluated only isolated regions, without any connection to factors inherent to the populational dynamic, transmission data and distribution, said the researcher.
The study was based in a serological inquiry from 1245 dogs from all regions of the city, including urban and rural areas. From the evaluated animals, 140 returned positive results for both used methods: indirect immunofluorescence and Elisa immunoassay.
Andreina stresses that researches like this are fundamental in places endemic for CVL , since they act as a tool to direct and priorize specific actions for each region of the city. More knowledge about how diseases and the places where they develop help identifying epidemiological patterns, which help controlling and predilection, she said.
The research was coordinated by Dr. Mauricio Claudio Horta, graduation professor of Veterinary Sciences in the semiarid at the Vale do São Francisco Federal University (UNIFASF). The team also counted with doctors, masters and undergraduate students and volunteers. The study took place from October, 2013 to February 2015, and counted with funding from the Science and Technology Support Foundation at the State of Pernambuco (FACEPE).…
