title: The spatial distribution of Schistosoma mansoni infection before and after chemotherapy in the Jequitinhonha Valley in Brazil.
abstract: Schistosomiasis prevalence and egg counts remained low one year after chemotherapy in most households in a hyperendemic rural area in northern Minas Gerais but several distinct spatial patterns could be observed in relation to IgE levels and to a lesser extent to exposure risk (TBM) and type of water supply. An inverse relationship between pre-treatment household prevalence and egg counts on the one hand and post-treatment IgE levels on the other were noted in two of the five communities. Low exposure risk was associated with the low pre-treatment infection rates in the central village but did not contribute to the decline of infection rates after chemotherapy in the study area, as indicated by the significant increase in water contact during the posttreatment period (p < 0.0001). Distance between households and the streams and socioeconomic factors were also unimportant in predicting the spatial distribution of infection. These results are consistent with the production and antiparasitic effect of high levels of IgE in Schistosoma mansoni infection.
authors.affiliation: Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 30130-100 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. andreag@enf.ufmg.br
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gazzinelli
authors.forename: Allen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hightower
authors.forename: Philip T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: LoVerde
authors.forename: João Paulo Amaral
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Haddad
authors.forename: Wesley Rodrigues
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bethony
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Correa-Oliveira
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kloos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015766:Albendazole / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D011223:Praziquantel / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D014867:Water / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D014867:Water; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D011223:Praziquantel; D015766:Albendazole