title: Malaria in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, an Atlantic Forest area: an assessment using the health surveillance service.
abstract: The lethality of malaria in the extra-Amazonian region is more than 70 times higher than in Amazonia itself. Recently, several studies have shown that autochthonous malaria is not a rare event in the Brazilian southeastern states in the Atlantic Forest biome. Information about autochthonous malaria in the state of Rio de Janeiro (RJ) is scarce. This study aims to assess malaria cases reported to the Health Surveillance System of the State of Rio de Janeiro between 2000-2010. An average of 90 cases per year had parasitological malaria confirmation by thick smear. The number of malaria notifications due to Plasmodium falciparum increased over time. Imported cases reported during the period studied were spread among 51% of the municipalities (counties) of the state. Only 35 cases (4.3%) were autochthonous, which represents an average of 3.8 new cases per year. Eleven municipalities reported autochthonous cases; within these, six could be characterised as areas of residual or new foci of malaria from the Atlantic Forest system. The other 28 municipalities could become receptive for transmission reintroduction. Cases occurred during all periods of the year, but 62.9% of cases were in the first semester of each year. Assessing vulnerability and receptivity conditions and vector ecology is imperative to establish the real risk of malaria reintroduction in RJ.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Renata Bortolasse
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Miguel
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Paulo Cesar
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Peiter
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Hermano
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: de Albuquerque
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: José Rodrigues
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Coura
authors.affiliation: Gerência de Doenças Transmitidas por Vetores e Zoonoses, Secretaria de Saúde e Defesa Civil do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Patrícia Ganzenmüller
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Moza
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Evandro Chagas-Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Anielle de Pina
authors.initials: Ade P
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Evandro Chagas-Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brasil
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Martha Cecília
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Suárez-Mutis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D065928:Forests; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000453:epidemiology; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010965:Plasmodium malariae; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D055815:Young Adult