The path of canine visceral leishmaniasis versus the path of Center for Zoonoses Control: contributions of spatial analysis to health

Cad Saude Publica. 2022 Jan 12;38(1):e00272020. doi: 10.1590/0102-311X00272020. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a public health problem in Brazilian municipalities. As much as there is a planning of public policies regards VL in São Paulo State, new cases have been reported and spread. This paper aims to discuss how the Center for Zoonoses Control conducts its actions spatially in endemic city of Presidente Prudente, São Paulo State. Data are from the Municipal Health Department of Presidente Prudente, Adolfo Lutz Institute, and Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. We spatially estimated the dog population per census tract and used geoprocessing tools to perform choropleth maps, spatial trends, and spatial autocorrelation. We found a spatial pattern of higher prevalence in the city's outskirt and a positive statistically significant spatial autocorrelation (I = 0.2, p-value < 0.000) with clusters of high-high relationships in the Northwest part of the city. Moreover, we identified a different direction in the path of the conducted serosurveys versus the canine VL trend, which stresses the fragility of the Center for Zoonoses Control actions to control the disease. The Center for Zoonoses Control always seems to chase the disease. The spatial analysis may be useful for rethinking how the service works and helps in public policies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brazil / epidemiology
  • Dog Diseases* / epidemiology
  • Dog Diseases* / prevention & control
  • Dogs
  • Humans
  • Leishmaniasis, Visceral* / epidemiology
  • Leishmaniasis, Visceral* / prevention & control
  • Leishmaniasis, Visceral* / veterinary
  • Spatial Analysis
  • Zoonoses / epidemiology
  • Zoonoses / prevention & control