Caracterização epidemiológica e clínica da leishmaniose Visceral humana no município de Cajazeiras - PB.

Abstract

Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is a slowly evolving infectious disease caused by trypanosomatid protozoa of the genus Leishmânia, being popularly known as kala azar and water belly. It is considered as a public health problem, because it is among the six priority endemic diseases in the world. The objective was to characterize the epidemiological and clinical aspects of Human Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) in Municipality of Cajazeiras - PB, from the description of the temporal and spatial distribution of the LV, in the period from 1999 to 2009, correlating with the socioeconomic aspects, environmental and clinical. For this purpose, an exploratory descriptive study of quantitative approach in the urban area of ​​the Municipality of Cajazeiras - PB, whose sample was constituted by the 39 notified cases, being used as instruments of collection records of SINAN's Visceral Leishmaniasis investigation records and a structured questionnaire applied to localized individuals. 39 were notified cases of LVH in the Municipality of Cajazeiras - PB, from 1999 to 2009. The neighborhoods Alto da Bela Vista, Vila Nova and Esperança presented the highest numbers of cases with values ​​of 8 (20.5%), 7 (18%) and 6 (15%) respectively. In relation to socioeconomic and environmental conditions, it was identified that people with VL are inserted in precarious sanitary conditions; with low family income, the highest observed income being equivalent to 2 minimum wages, and many people co-inhabit a single small environment. The most affected age group was around 0 to

10 years (54.2%), and the most prevalent sex was male with 70.8% of cases. As for the clinical aspects, fever and weakness were the signs and symptoms presented by all the analyzed cases, and the treatment adopted was the basis of the pentavalent antimonial. Thus, it was found that LVH is present in countless neighborhoods in the Municipality of Cajazeiras - PB, mainly in areas with little infrastructure and low purchasing power. In addition, it was identified that the clinical picture was characteristic of the disease. Thus, based on these findings, it becomes necessary to have training of health professionals, to enable them to early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of the disease.