Abstract
Aiming to optimize and adjust leishmaniasis prevention and control measures for the resident population of Pains, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, a structured questionnaire containing conceptual questions and questions about household characteristics was used to evaluate knowledge level and exposure risk. A total of 396 individuals were interviewed revealing unscientific and fragmented knowledge about the subject for most of the studied population. The female population was found to have 1.68 times more chance of knowing about the disease than the male population, while highly educated individuals were found to have 2.92 times more chances of knowing about leishmaniasis compared to basic educated individuals. All of the respondents reported the presence of, at least, one risk factor, while ages ≥40 years were considered a protective factor compared to younger ages, indicating that older individuals are more likely to recognize risks and protect themselves against leishmaniasis. These results will contribute to the production of didactic materials for the population with respect to their previous knowledge and will provide a basis for control and prophylactic measures.
Highlights
Leishmaniasis is considered a globally neglected disease with high morbidity and mortality, with the Americas being one of the main centers of both visceral (VL) and tegumentary forms (ATL)
A total of 55,530 human VL cases were reported in the Americas during 2001–2016, representing an annual average of 3,457 cases, with 96% occurring in Brazil [1]. e number of deaths caused by VL by in Brazil has increased since 2012, reaching a lethality rate of 7.9% in 2016—the highest rate compared to other countries of the Americas1. e disease manifestations mainly affect both marginalized and impoverished populations and, present a challenge for control programs since great technical-operational and political efforts are required to systematically maintain surveillance actions. e first human case of VL in Brazil was identified in Bahia in 1934 during studies to diagnose yellow fever
35.6% of respondents never heard about canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL), and 44.4% were unaware of the procedures recommended by the Ministry of Health (MS) in relation to a case of CVL
Summary
Leishmaniasis is considered a globally neglected disease with high morbidity and mortality, with the Americas being one of the main centers of both visceral (VL) and tegumentary forms (ATL). The disease was considered endemic only to the Northeast Region of the country, where it was restricted to rural and wild environments. Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Infectious Diseases (PCVL), established in 1963, was based on this context observed in the 19th century and aimed to fight the disease in Brazil. It focused on early diagnosis and treatment of human cases, phlebotomine population control, elimination and/or treatment of infected dogs, and environmental management. VL expanded into other previously unreached regions, such as the state of Rio Grande do Sul, with its first autochthonous case being recorded in 2009; the state of Parana, with its first human case in 2015; and the state of Santa Catarina, with the first human and canine cases in 2017 [3, 4]
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