Bancroftian filariasis: the spatial representation of social inequality

Abstract

Lymphatic filariasis is considered as a major health problem in the world. There are 1.2 billion people that live in endemic areas. At least 120 million of these people are infected. In Brazil, the cities of Recife, Maceio, and Belem, with 49 thousand infected. New strategies of control made lymphatic filariasis a disease that could be eliminated. The environment risk indicator is one of the most important planning tools in the fight against its diffusion. The aim of this dissertation is to study the occurrence of the microfilaremia in the district of Cavaleiro in Jaboatao dos Guararapes – estate of Pernambuco – and its relation with socio economic indicators. The study will be also useful in identifying risk areas in that district, by the way of building a Synthetic Environmental Indicator. The district was subdivided in 22 sub-areas and 9,520 people were examined, 213 were microfilaremic (2.2% prevalence). There were positive cases in 17 of the 22 sub-areas. Circa 73% of the cases were found in the areas that show the larger risk indicator. This demonstrates the importance of the Synthetic Indicator as a planning tool to cope with the problem of lymphatic filariasis in a spatial perspective.