The Estrada Real project and endemic diseases: the case of schistosomiasis, geoprocessing and tourism.
Geographical Information System (GIS) is a tool that has recently been applied to better understand spatial disease distributions. Using meteorological, social, sanitation, mollusc distribution data and remote sensing variables, this study aimed to further develop the GIS technology by creating a model for the spatial distribution of schistosomiasis and to apply this model to an area with rural tourism in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais (MG). The Estrada Real, covering about 1,400 km, is the largest and most important Brazilian tourism project, involving 163 cities in MG with different schistosomiasis prevalence rates. The model with three variables showed a R(2) = 0.34, with a standard deviation of risk estimated adequate for public health needs. The main variables selected for modelling were summer vegetation, summer minimal temperature and winter minimal temperature. The results confirmed the importance of Remote Sensing data and the valuable contribution of GIS in identifying priority areas for intervention in tourism regions which are endemic to schistosomiasis.
Carvalho
Omar S
OS
Laboratório de Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto de Pesquisas René Rachou-Fiocruz, Av. Augusto de Lima 1715, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil. omar@cpqrr.fiocruz.br
Scholte
Ronaldo G C
RG
Guimarães
Ricardo J P S
RJ
Freitas
Corina C
CC
Drummond
Sandra C
SC
Amaral
Ronaldo S
RS
Dutra
Luciano V
LV
Oliveira
Guilherme
G
Massara
Cristiano L
CL
Enk
Martin J
MJ
D000818:Animals; D001700:Biomphalaria; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002980:Climate; D004199:Disease Vectors; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012499:Sanitation; D017215:Satellite Communications; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012621:Seasons; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014195:Travel