Programa de controle vetorial da doenca de Chagas no Estado do Ceará- 1975 a 2002 : histórico e avaliação

Abstract

The program for control of Chagas disease (PCCD) was implemented in the State of Ceara in 1975. The cities involved had a follow-up concerning the capture of triatomines, initially by a triatominic survey followed by several evaluations in periodic cycles between 1975 and 2002. During this period there was no systematic evaluation of the program activities or about its impact on the vectorial control, exiting, therefore, a shortage of scientific production regarding the epidemiology of the vectorial control of Chagas disease. It was necessary to have an updated evaluation of the epidemiological situation in the State of Ceara. The research aimed at describing the actions carried out to evaluate indicators of structure-process and of impact of the PCCD in the period from 1975 to 2002. Moreover, another objective of this investigation is to describe some epidemiological characteristics of the disease vector (main species found, index of natural infection of vector and its geographic distribution). We conducted an ecological-descriptive epidemiological study through the survey of the information collected in the routine of the control program recorded in the annual reports of activities of the PCCD of the National Foundation of Health ? FUNASA at the State of Ceara in the period from 1975 to 2002. The indicators relevant for the study were: the indexes of dispersion (positive places), vectorial infestation (at the domiciliary units and in the intradomiciliary environments), coverage of places and domiciliary units in the activities of research and spraying, index of infection by triatomines and major species captured. The methodology of PCCD applied at Ceara State was presented by a description of the program activities. The secondary data presented outline a profile of the current situation of the mentioned program at Ceara State. The major species are: Triatoma brasiliensis, Triatoma pseudomaculata, Panstrongylus megistus, Rhodnius nasutus e Panstrongylus lutzi. Until 2002 it was implemented the Epidemiological Watch (EW) in 13 towns: Aracoiaba, Baturite, Guaramiranga, Mulungu, Pacoti, Maranguape, Pacatuba, Camocim, Martinopole, Chaval, Sobral, Meruoca e Alcantara. We conclude that during the 27 years of activities of the PCCD, there was a high coverage of the program activities in all of Ceara State. There was a significant reduction in the index of infestation in some towns and we found a smaller number of specimens naturally infected by Trypanosoma cruzi among the major species captured in Ceará.