title: Incidence of Leptospirosis infection in the East Zone of Sao Paulo City, Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Leptospirosis is a zoonosis which is spread through contamined running water. This contaminations is seriously affected by the flooding which occurs in the area surrounding the Aricanduva river. The transmission of the disease results mainly from the contact of water with soil contaminated by the urine of infected animals. We aimed to conduct an epidemiological survey on Leptospirosis cases in Sao Paulo East Zone area.
  
  
  METHODS
  The analysis conducted in this study was based on data collected from the health authorities of that region close the Aricanduva river between 2007 and 2008 years, which give the rates of confirmed cases, mortality and death from human Leptospirosis. Other information concerned with the relationships among rainfall index, points of flooding and incidence of Leptospirosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed a direct and important water contamination. Records of flooding points and dates of the reported cases in the region showed a direct relationship from which the period of higher rainfall also recorded an increase in cases. The annual record of the city and the region and rainfall regions also presented correlation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The association between the indices of flooding and Leptospirosis cases indicates that preventive measures are necessary to avoid exposing the community.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências Químicas, Ambientais e Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, UNIFESP, Rua Prof, Artur Riedel, 275, Diadema 09972-270, Brazil. profferfonseca@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kátia Eiko
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Miyazato
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: Luciana Z
authors.initials: LZ
authors.lastname: Caputto
authors.forename: Katya C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.forename: Ligia A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Azzalis
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Junqueira
authors.forename: Edimar C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Loide C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Chaves
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Feder
authors.forename: Roseli
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Corazzini
authors.forename: Luiz Carlos
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: De Abreu
authors.forename: Vitor E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Valenti
authors.forename: Sheylla Nadjane
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Batista Lacerda
authors.forename: Flávia C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Goulart
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fonseca