Epidemiologia de malária em cidades da Paraíba, Brasil.

Abstract

Malaria is a complex disease that is related to the interaction between the parasite, the vector, the human host and the environment, in number of deaths is only surpassed by AIDS. The present study aims to notify cases of malaria in twelve cities in the State of Paraiba, Brazil, in the period 2002-2012. The data were provided by the Fundation National of Health, FUNASA - Malaria, where research criteria consisted in observing the notification forms of the disease. Were performed 100 examinations, 46% were positive and 54% negative. The year 2012 showed the highest disease registry, eleven cases (23.9%). The disease had predominant in inales, forty-one cases (89.1%). The age group affected by the disease varied in 2 to 68 years. The city with the highest prevalence of infection was Patos, with nineteen cases (41.3%). In relation to the species Plasmodium, 93.4% of reported cases were caused by Plasmodium vivax, 4.3% by Plasmodium falciparum and 2.1% by the association of two (P. vivax + P. falciparum). Of the cases analyzed in no deaths occurred. However, studies starting from the notification tokens is of great importance, because they show the reality epidemic site, acting as a waming system so that health professionals can treat, prevent and control the disease in the correct way.