Abstract

SOUZA, Verena Maria Mendes de et al. Communitary assay for assessment of effectiveness of strategies for prevention and control of human visceral leishmaniasis in the Municipality of Feira de Santana, State of Bahia, Brazil. Epidemiol. Serv. Saúde [online]. 2008, vol.17, n.2, pp.97-106. ISSN 1679-4974.  http://dx.doi.org/10.5123/S1679-49742008000200003.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate strategies of prevention and control of human visceral leishmaniasis in a cohort of infants between 0 and 12 years of age in an endemic area in The Municipality of Feira de Santana, State of Bahia, Brazil. The incidence of infection was evaluated through seroepidemiologic surveys in three areas identified as: a) control area; b) area submitted to insecticide spraying; and c) area submitted to the combination of insecticide spraying with screening and elimination of seropositive dogs. Overall, 2,362 infants were evaluated: 688 in the first area, 782 in the second one and 892 in the third area. The density incidence rate of the infection was of 2.74, 2.51 and 1.94 cases/100 child-year, in the controls areas, in the areas submitted to insecticide spraying, and in the areas where both insecticide spraying and screening and elimination of dogs were performed, respectively. Using the controls areas as reference, the relative risk for infection in the areas with one intervention was 0.99 (CI_95%: 0.46-2.10); and with the combination of two interventions, of 0.74 (CI_95%: 0.34-1.62). Although the data suggest a reduction of the incidence of infection in the intervention areas, this difference was not statistically significant.

Keywords : epidemiology; cohort study; visceral leishmaniasis; incidence.

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