Leptospirose humana no município de Fortaleza, Ceará, Brasil : abordagem socio-ambiental

Abstract

Leptospirosis is a zoonosis of increasing interest within the Public Health area, caused by microorganisms of Leptospira gender. In this study, clinical and epidemiological features of infections transmitted by leptospira were reviewed, as well as the environmental and social factors included in Fortaleza?s urban space, from 2001 to 2004, according to data obtained from the notifications and obit reports information systems (SINAN and SIM). The research verified that this disease is more likely to affect male people, in productive age (20 to 49 years-old), and with low professional qualification. Most common clinical features were: fever, myalgia, headache, jaundice, nausea and vomit, diarrhea, and renal failure. April was the month when leptospirosis and its resulting obits most occurred, which can be associated to the high pluviometric index. State hospitals were responsible for 79.6% of hospitalizations. The disease was spread in 69.7% of the districts, and among these 31.3% registered obits. All of the six Region Executive Departments (SER?s) registered the illness, and SER V showed the higher number of cases. Socio-economic aspects of the population, district environmental degradation over time, uncontrolled urbanization process, mostly in the areas where infrastructure lacks, and basic sanitation, and unsuitable habitations collaborated to increase the disease in Fortaleza.