Abstract

BackgroundThis study aims to describe the role of mobility in malaria transmission by discussing recent changes in population movements in the Brazilian Amazon and developing a flow map of disease transmission in this region.Methodology/Principal findingsThis study presents a descriptive analysis using an ecological approach on regional and local scales. The study location was the municipality of Porto Velho, which is the capital of Rondônia state, Brazil. Our dataset was obtained from the official health database, the population census and an environmental database. During 2000–2007 and 2007–2010, the Porto Velho municipality had an annual population growth of 1.42% and 5.07%, respectively. This population growth can be attributed to migration, which was driven by the construction of the Madeira River hydroelectric complex. From 2010 to 2012, 63,899 malaria-positive slides were reported for residents of Porto Velho municipality; 92% of the identified samples were autochthonous, and 8% were allochthonous. The flow map of patients' movements between residential areas and areas of suspected infection showed two patterns of malaria transmission: 1) commuting between residential areas and the Jirau hydropower dam reservoir, and 2) movements between urban areas and farms and resorts in rural areas. It was also observed that areas with greater occurrences of malaria were characterized by a low rate of deforestation.ConclusionsThe Porto Velho municipality exhibits high malaria endemicity and plays an important role in disseminating the parasite to other municipalities in the Amazon and even to non-endemic areas of the country. Migration remains an important factor for the occurrence of malaria. However, due to recent changes in human occupation of the Brazilian Amazon, characterized by intense expansion of transportation networks, commuting has also become an important factor in malaria transmission. The magnitude of this change necessitates a new model to explain malaria transmission in the Brazilian Amazon.

Highlights

  • Malaria disease events in the Brazilian Amazon present a spatial pattern defined by environmental and socio-spatial factors, including vector density, land cover dynamics, population dynamics and economic activities such as mining and the construction of hydroelectric dams, and the capacity of health services to control the disease [1] [2]

  • Due to recent changes in human occupation of the Brazilian Amazon, characterized by intense expansion of transportation networks, commuting has become an important factor in malaria transmission

  • population mobility (PM) plays an important role in disease transmission by increasing the number of susceptible people, enabling the transfer of previously unexposed population groups to an endemic area, which results in a greater occurrence of severe disease or death [3]

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Summary

Introduction

Malaria disease events in the Brazilian Amazon present a spatial pattern defined by environmental and socio-spatial factors, including vector density, land cover dynamics, population dynamics and economic activities such as mining and the construction of hydroelectric dams, and the capacity of health services to control the disease [1] [2]. PM plays an important role in disease transmission by increasing the number of susceptible people, enabling the transfer of previously unexposed population groups to an endemic area, which results in a greater occurrence of severe disease or death [3]. PM contributes to the circulation and introduction or reintroduction of new variants (strains) of parasites in endemic areas, and such new exposures or increased levels of exposure may cause outbreaks and increase the frequency of more severe cases. This study aims to describe the role of mobility in malaria transmission by discussing recent changes in population movements in the Brazilian Amazon and developing a flow map of disease transmission in this region

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