title: [Object-oriented remote sensing image classification in epidemiological studies of visceral leishmaniasis in urban areas].
abstract: This study explored the use of object-oriented classification of remote sensing imagery in epidemiological studies of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in urban areas. To obtain temperature and environmental information, an object-oriented classification approach was applied to Landsat 5 TM scenes from the city of Teresina, Piauí State, Brazil. For 1993-1996, VL incidence rates correlated positively with census tracts covered by dense vegetation, grass/pasture, and bare soil and negatively with areas covered by water and densely populated areas. In 2001-2006, positive correlations were found with dense vegetation, grass/pasture, bare soil, and densely populated areas and negative correlations with occupied urban areas with some vegetation. Land surface temperature correlated negatively with VL incidence in both periods. Object-oriented classification can be useful to characterize landscape features associated with VL in urban areas and to help identify risk areas in order to prioritize interventions.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Social, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
authors.forename: Andréa Sobral de
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Social, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
authors.forename: Guilherme Loureiro
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Werneck
authors.affiliation: Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde de Nova Iguaçu, Nova Iguaçu, Brasil.
authors.forename: Ana Paula da Costa
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Resendes
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D063809:Satellite Imagery / Q000379:methods*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population