Abstract
Fish farming in the Amazon has been stimulated as a solution to increase economic development. However, poorly managed fish ponds have been sometimes associated with the presence of Anopheles spp. and consequently, with malaria transmission. In this study, we analyzed the spatial and temporal dynamics of malaria in the state of Acre (and more closely within a single county) to investigate the potential links between aquaculture and malaria transmission in this region. At the state level, we classified the 22 counties into three malaria endemicity patterns, based on the correlation between notification time series. Furthermore, the study period (2003–2013) was divided into two phases (epidemic and post-epidemic). Higher fish pond construction coincided both spatially and temporally with increased rate of malaria notification. Within one malaria endemic county, we investigated the relationship between the geolocation of malaria cases (2011–2012) and their distance to fish ponds. Entomological surveys carried out in these ponds provided measurements of anopheline abundance that were significantly associated with the abundance of malaria cases within 100 m of the ponds (P < 0.005; r = 0.39). These results taken together suggest that fish farming contributes to the maintenance of high transmission levels of malaria in this region.
Highlights
Malaria has reemerged in the Amazon region following the introduction of large-scale agricultural colonization projects [1, 2]
Within one malaria endemic county, we investigated the relationship between the geolocation of malaria cases (2011–2012) and their distance to fish ponds
S1 Fig shows the variation of Gross Domestic Product per capita from 2000 to 2012 in Mâncio Lima municipality
Summary
Malaria has reemerged in the Amazon region following the introduction of large-scale agricultural colonization projects [1, 2]. An average of 310,390 malaria cases have been reported annually in the Brazilian Amazon during the last 14 years, but with a clear reduction in the last 4 years. In Brazil, practically all (99.9%) malaria cases are concentrated in the Amazon region, and within this region, distribution is highly focal: only 37 counties, out of 808, reported 80% of all cases in 2013 [2]. Four of these counties are located in the State of Acre: Cruzeiro do Sul, Mâncio Lima, Rodrigues Alves and Tarauacá
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