The endemisation of schistosomiasis in Porto de Galinhas, Pernambuco, Brazil, 10 years after the first epidemic outbreak

ABSTRACT

In 2000, after heavy rains and floods in Porto de Galinhas, Pernambuco, Brazil, an outbreak of schistosomiasis was recorded, of which 62.2 percent (412 cases) were of the acute clinical form. Between 2001-2009, occasional findings of Biomphalaria snails parasitised by Schistosoma mansoni indicated that disease transmission was still occurring. This motivated a new epidemiological survey between August-December 2010 to provide an update of the occurrence of this health hazard and to investigate the process of disease endemisation at this locality. This survey gathered parasitological, clinical and malacological data. The results of this survey, compared with data from the year 2000 survey, showed the following (i) over these 10 years, there were declines in the total percentage of cases and the percentage of acute forms, (ii) the acute clinical form now represents 23.3 percent in contrast with the 62.2 percent detected in 2000 and (iii) the current prevalence of schistosomiasis is 15.7 percent, while in 2000 32.1 percent of the individuals were diagnosed as parasitised. Today, the chronic clinical form represents 76.7 percent of the total number of cases diagnosed, thus showing that over the 10-year period the occurrences of clinical forms became inverted. These findings, together with visual observation of insalubrious environmental conditions, indicate that schistosomiasis has become endemic in Porto de Galinhas.