Detecção de áreas vulneráveis ​​ao escorpionismo e sua associação com fatores ambientais em São Paulo, Brasil / Detection of areas vulnerable to scorpionism and its association with environmental factors in São Paulo, Brazil

Accidents caused by scorpions are considered a neglected condition and represent a major health problem in most tropical countries, especially for children and elderly people. In Brazil, scorpionism is recurrent in the southeast region, mainly in the state of Sao ˜ Paulo, due to the progressive increase in scorpions found in urban habitats. Thus, our study aimed to provide better insights into the geographic and epidemiological characteristics of scorpion envenomation in Sao ˜ Paulo state and identify the environmental factors that are associated with these accidents. This is an ecological and retrospective study with secondary data on scorpion accidents in the state of Sao ˜ Paulo from 2008 to 2018 obtained from the Notifiable Disease Information System. The SatScan software was used to identify the higher- and lower-risk spatiotemporal clusters. A total of 145,464 scorpion sting cases were recorded in the state of Sao Paulo, between 2008 and 2018; there was a four-fold increase in the incidence rate. Accidents occurred more frequently in the spring season, wherein higher-risk clusters were in the north and northwest regions of the state. High temperatures, low precipitation, and poor natural vegetation are associated with higher risk areas. Our study mapped vulnerable areas for scorpion accidents that can aid in the design ofefficient public health policies, which should be intensified during the spring season.

Effect of social isolation in dengue cases in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil: An analysis during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background Studies have shown that human mobility is an important factor in dengue epidemiology. Changes in mobility resulting from COVID-19 pandemic set up a real-life situation to test this hypothesis. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of reduced mobility due to this pandemic in the occurrence of dengue in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Method It is an ecological study of time series, developed between January and August 2020. We use the number of confirmed dengue cases and residential mobility, on a daily basis, from secondary information sources. Mobility was represented by the daily percentage variation of residential population isolation, obtained from the Google database. We modeled the relationship between dengue occurrence and social distancing by negative binomial regression, adjusted for seasonality. We represent the social distancing dichotomously (isolation versus no isolation) and consider lag for isolation from the dates of occurrence of dengue. Results The risk of dengue decreased around 9.1% (95% CI: 14.2 to 3.7) in the presence of isolation, considering a delay of 20 days between the degree of isolation and the dengue first symptoms. Conclusions We have shown that mobility can play an important role in the epidemiology of dengue and should be considered in surveillance and control activities.

Use of an Extended Premise Condition Index for detection of priority areas for vector control actions

The Premise Condition Index (PCI), proposed by Tun-Lin and colleagues in 1995, is a score that considers the conditions of a premise as well its yards and degree of shading. They hypothesized that the higher its value the greater the probability of the premise having the presence of Aedes aegypti. This study aimed to evaluate if there is a correspondence between PCI and Ae. aegypti infestation in four areas of a large city in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, if the inclusion of new categories related to the presence of animals in premises would increase the probability of detecting predictive areas for vector control actions and, if so, to propose an expanded PCI. The positivity of the premises for the presence of Ae. aegypti was modeled considering a Bernoulli probability distribution, in a Bayesian context using the Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation. The study showed that, in general, the higher the value of the PCI of a premise, the more likely it is to have the presence of Ae. aegypti, and the inclusion of information on the animals' presence can increase the discriminatory power of PCI. These results support the proposition of an extended PCI that would consider, in addition to the conditions of the premise, the presence of animals to classify it regarding the risk of the presence of Ae. aegypti.

Tuberculose e análise espacial: revisão da literatura / La tuberculosis y análisis espacial: revisión de la literatura / Tuberculosis and spatial analysis: literature review

Objetivo: Analisar no meio científico os artigos que abordem a tuberculose com o uso de ferramentas de sistema de informação geográfica (SIG) e a análise espacial. Método: Trata-se de um estudo de revisão bibliográfica, cuja fonte de busca foi o portal eletrônico da Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS), as bases de dados Scopus e Web of Knowledge (ISI) pelo portal da Coordenação de aperfeiçoamento de pessoal de nivel superior (CAPES). Os descritores utilizados foram tuberculose e análise espacial, tuberculose e sistema de informação geográfica e, tuberculose e características de residência. Realizou-se o ordenamento e a análise da bibliografia científica, de modo a avaliar e discutir aspectos relacionados ao uso das técnicas de análise especial para o controle da tuberculose. Resultados: Em relação ao enfoque abordado/discutido, as principais categorias foram: "Situação epidemiológica" (51,0 por cento) e "área de risco de transmissão" (21,6 por cento). As principais conclusões referem-se às incidências elevadas de tuberculose em áreas de pobreza, aglomerado de casos, associação com superlotação, identificação de bacilo por genotipagem, associação com níveis socioeconómicos e demográficos, utilização de sistemas de informação geográfica (SIG) para melhoria da acessibilidade as ações de atenção primária a saúde. Conclusões: Análise espacial ajuda a evidenciar a subnotificação de agravos e obter taxas mais fidedignas por meio do mapeamento dos casos, contribuindo para o avanço na gestão pública e diminuição das iniquidades em saúde, além de permitir a otimização dos recursos materiais, financeiros e humanos. Os SIG e ferramentas de análise espacial representam grande avanço para o gerenciamento da tuberculose.

Objective: To evaluate in scientific articles addressing tuberculosis about using geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial analysis tools. Method: Literature review, whose search source was the Virtual Health Library (VHL), Scopus and Web of Knowledge (ISI) through the data portal of the Coordenação pessoal aperfeiçoamento de pessoal de nivel superior (CAPES). Key search terms, tuberculosis and spatial analysis, geographic information system and tuberculosis and characteristics of residence were used in combination with the MeSH search terms. Planning and analysis of the scientific literature in order to evaluate and discuss issues related to the use of spatial analysis techniques for the control of tuberculosis, were conducted. Results: Concerning the approach addressed/discussed, the main categories were "epidemiological situation" (51.0 percent) and "area with risk of tuberculosis transmission" (21.6 percent). The main findings are related to the high incidence of tuberculosis in areas of poverty, cluster of cases, association with overpopulation, identification of bacillus by genotyping, association with demographic and socioeconomic levels, and use of geographic information systems (GIS) to improve accessibility of actions of primary health care. Conclusions: We concluded that the spatial analysis helps to highlight the underreporting on health damages and to obtain more reliable rates through the mapping of cases. It also contributes to improve public management and reduction of inequities in health, and allows the optimization of material, financial and human resources in health. The geographic information systems and the spatial analysis tools represent a considerable improvement in the management of tuberculosis.

Objetivo: Examinar en los artículos científicos que se ocupan de la tuberculosis el uso de sistemas de información geográfica (SIG) y herramientas de análisis espacial. Material y métodos: Revisión bibliográfica, cuya fuente de busqueda fue la Biblioteca Virtual en Salud (BVS), Scopus y Web of Knowledge (ISI) a través del portal de datos de la Coordenação de aperfeiçoamento de pessoal de nivel superior (CAPES). Los descriptores utilizados fueron: tuberculosis y análisis espacial, tuberculosis y sistema de información geográfica, tuberculosis y características de residencia. Se llevó a cabo la planificación y análisis de la literatura científica con el fin de evaluar y discutir aspectos relacionados con el uso de técnicas de análisis espacial para el control de la tuberculosis. Resultados: En relación al enfoque dirigido/discutido las principales categorías fueron: "situación epidemiológica" (51,0 por ciento) y "zona de riesgo de transmisión" (21,6 por ciento). Los principales hallazgos se refieren a alta incidencia de tuberculosis en áreas de pobreza, grupo de casos asociados a superpoblación, identificación del bacilo por genotipo, asociación con niveles demográficos y socioeconómicos, uso de sistemas de información geográfica para mejorar la accesibilidad a acciones de atención primaria de salud. Conclusiones: El análisis espacial ayuda a resaltar el subregistro de lesiones y obtener tasas más fiables mediante la asignación de casos, contribuyendo al avance en la gestión pública y la reducción de inequidades en salud, y permite la optimización de los recursos materiales, financieros y humanos. Los SIG y herramientas de análisis espacial representan un gran avance para el tratamiento de la tuberculosis.