Atividades preliminares do programa de controle e tratamento da oncocercose no território Yanomâmi, Roraima, Brasil / Preliminary activities of control and treatment programme of onchocerciasis in Yanomami territory, Roraima, Brazil

After to characterize the clinic and epidemiological picture of the onchocerciasis in Yanomâmi region, RR, Brazil, begun in 1993, the National Health Foundation (FNS) implemented a Control and Treatment Pilot Project in Tootobi and Balawaú. Here, it was studied skin biopsies from 426 inhabitants. In the nodules of 86.7 per cent from patients was encountered Onchocerca volvulus. The over-all prevalence in the examined population was 66.2 per cent . The treatment with ivermectin covered 80.1 per cent of total population. Adverse reactions, light and moderate, of the medicament were reported in 12.3 per cent of the patients. These results agreeing with the medical literature and suggesting the viability of to increase of the programme for all Yanomâmi area in the next phase.