Fatores de risco para a ocorrência da Esquistossomose mansoni em uma comunidade quilombola em área de alta endemicidade no nordeste brasileiro

Abstract

Schistosomiasis has a complex epidemiological profile and its transmission is due to multiple causal factors, sanitary, environmental, political, economic, social, cultural and biological, in addition to factors related to the way of life and social organization. Brazilian quilombola communities are population groups that historically have more restricted access to sanitary services, health care and quality of life. In this sense, the objective of this study was to identify the risk factors related to schistosomiasis mansoni in an area of high endemicity in northeastern Brazil. The epidemiological study of the ecological type was carried out in the quilombola village of Patioba, located in the municipality of Japaratuba-SE. The evaluation was carried out through the application of a questionnaire containing questions related to socioeconomic conditions, demographics and risk practices and habits. Of the 593 residents, 497 (83.81%) were assessed using self-reported responses, 53.92% women and 46.07% men. The age of participants ranged from 4-90 years (median: 34 years) and 26.55% of these are school-age individuals. The majority of the population (43.25% and 58.35%, respectively) have incomplete primary education, have a family income between 1 and 3 minimum wages, and about 35.41% of respondents claim to receive help from the federal government. About 81.69% live in their own house and 83.29% have a bathroom. The village does not have water supply and sanitary sewage service, as a result, the majority of the population (49.89%) dumps sewage from their homes on the street, on the other hand, 95.97% of residents declare that they are served with sewage collection. household waste. The community's water supply is done through a well, most residents (88.93%) claim to consume water from this well, the others claim to consume water from cisterns and/or other sources. The town studied already has a history of cases of the disease. About 26.15% declared that they had already performed the diagnostic test for schistosomiasis mansoni and 15.69% had already tested positive for the disease. The patterns of contact with natural waters vary between families, about 65.19% declared having contact with natural waters, for various reasons related to household chores, personal hygiene, work and leisure activities. The results of this study demonstrate the precariousness of living conditions and basic sanitation in the studied community. The absence of water supply and sewage treatment, the low socioeconomic situation of the families studied and the marked presence of intermediate hosts of the parasite in the streets of the town are strong indicators that this population is exposed to the risk of contracting the disease. Most quilombola communitiesare in a situation of social vulnerability, and this fact associated with poor socioeconomic and environmental conditions demonstrates the risk character for transmission of the endemic disease, making it important to apply multifactorial prophylactic measures to reduce cases of the disease.