Abstract
The Yanomami are one of the last primitive groups of Indians living in Brazil. They have almost no contact with other cultures. The epidemiology of eye disease among Yanomami is virtually unknown. For the first time, a trachoma survey was conducted among Yanomami Indians in the State of Amazonas near the Venezuelan border of the Brazilian rain forest. Ophthalmic examination was carried out on a total of 613 individuals (338 males and 275 females) from eight Yanomami villages along the Maraui River located in the upper Rio Negro Basin. Age was classified into three categories (children, adults, and elderly) and trachoma was classified into five grades: follicular, inflammatory intense, cicatricial, trichiasis, and corneal opacity. Trachoma was endemic in all villages visited. Overall, 30.3% of the subjects had trachoma. Females were significantly more affected (37.4%) than males (23.9%). The inflammatory trachoma rate reached 24.9% in children and the cicatricial form increased with age, reaching 13.9% among adults and 35.21% among the elderly. Trichiasis or corneal opacities were not detected and treatment of the entire population was initiated with 1 g azithromycin. The detection of endemic trachoma among the Yanomami is relevant for the understanding of the epidemiology of this disease in the Brazilian rain forest and underscores the necessity for a program of trachoma control in this region.
Highlights
The Yanomami are hunter-farmer Indians that live within the South American tropical forest as aboriginals, with autonomous culture and economy
A trachoma survey was conducted among Yanomami Indians in the State of Amazonas near the Venezuelan border of the Brazilian rain forest
Age was classified into three categories and trachoma was classified into five grades: follicular, inflammatory intense, cicatricial, trichiasis, and corneal opacity
Summary
The Yanomami are hunter-farmer Indians that live within the South American tropical forest as aboriginals, with autonomous culture and economy They are divided into four different groups according to linguistic divisions (Yanomam, Yanomami, Yanam and Sanima) (1) and occupy a vast territory in one of the most remote regions of the Amazon rain forest along the borders between Brazil and Venezuela. The Brazilian military government launched the so-called National Integration Plan, which included the construction of a road along the northern borders of Brazil. This fact plus the discovery of gold in the eighties attracted 30,000-40,000 nonIndians to the Yanomami territory, with profound consequences for the local indigenous population (1).
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Schedule a callMore From: Brazilian journal of medical and biological research = Revista brasileira de pesquisas medicas e biologicas
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