EPIDEMIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF SCHISTOSOMIASIS MANSONI IN MUNICIPALITIES IN THE MARANHÃO STATE, BRAZIL

Abstract

Schistosomiasis is a serious parasitic infectious disease, one of the most important waterborne diseases, which is closely related to poverty, lack of health education and basic sanitation. It is a public health problem in Brazil, presenting endemic in some municipalities in the Maranhão State. In this way, this study aimed to evaluate the research profile of schistosomiasis mansoni in some endemic municipalities in the Maranhão State. A descriptive, retrospective and quantitative study was carried out with data obtained in “Programa de Controle da Esquistossomose (PCE) – MA” (Program for Schistosomiasis Control) between 2005 and 2015. We evaluated 42, 40 and 25 municipalities in the years 2005, 2010 and 2015, respectively. In 2005 the population evaluated was 184787, in 2010 162220 and in 2015 they were only 48484. The highest number of people evaluated in the year 2015 was in São Luís (8068) and the lowest was in Tutoia (83). The municipalities of Bacurituba, Guimarães, Guimaraes, Mirinzal, Paulino Neves and São João Batista presented a survey coverage of schistosomiasis major in the year 2015, compared to 2005 and 2010. Schistosomiasis remains a public health problem in the Maranhão State, however, its scope of research is still low, taking into account the number of endemic municipalities, sites susceptible to infection and the number of people examined.

Key words: Schistosomiasis; Schistosoma mansoni; Maranhão.