title: Geographical and occupational aspects of leptospirosis in the coffee-triangle region of Colombia, 2007-2011.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are few studies occupationally profiling as well as using Geographic information system (GIS) to map human leptospirosis. There are no detailed, municipality-level, epidemiological maps in Colombia neither in South America. We developed such maps for the Coffee-triangle region, Colombia and assess some occupational issues.
  
  
  METHODS
  surveillance cases data (2007-2011) were used to estimate the annual incidence rates (cases/100,000 population) of leptospirosis to develop the first maps of disease in the 53 municipalities of the Coffee-triangle region of Colombia. GIS used was Kosmo(®) 3.1. Five thematic maps were developed according to municipalities and years. Using labor official information, analyses between agriculture (harvested areas) with disease occurrence was done (linear regression).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 2007 and 2011, 786 cases were reported (77.8% from one department, Risaralda), for a cumulated rate of 32.18 cases/100,000 population. The highest rate was reported in the less developed municipality of one department (Pueblo Rico, Risaralda) with 1535.05 cases/100,000 population (187 cases, 2009). Armenia (Quindio department capital city), reported 23.41 cases/100,000pop (2011). In those patients with identified occupations, 33.3% were agriculture workers, finding a significant relationship between the number of cases in 2008 and the harvested area by municipality (r(2)=0.48; p=0.0083).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  one of the 53 municipalities contributed with almost a quarter of the cases. Agriculture was significantly associated with the incidence. Use of GIS-based epidemiological maps allow to focus actions in prevention and control for risk zones for leptospirosis which still represents a significant issue in the region and Colombia, particularly in agriculture workers.
authors: Laura M
authors: LM
authors: García-Ramírez
authors: Jasmin Y
authors: JY
authors: Giraldo-Pulgarin
authors: Nelly
authors: N
authors: Agudelo-Marín
authors: Yeimer A
authors: YA
authors: Holguin-Rivera
authors: Sebastián
authors: S
authors: Gómez-Sierra
authors: Paola V
authors: PV
authors: Ortiz-Revelo
authors: Néstor J
authors: NJ
authors: Velásquez-Bonilla
authors: Yohama
authors: Y
authors: Caraballo-Arias
authors: Alvaro
authors: A
authors: Mondragon-Cardona
authors: Carlos O
authors: CO
authors: Lozada-Riascos
authors: Committee on Zoonoses and Haemorrhagic Fevers, Asociacion Colombiana de Infectologia (ACIN), Bogota, DC, Colombia. arodriguezm@utp.edu.co.
authors: Alfonso J
authors: AJ
authors: Rodríguez-Morales
mesh_terms: D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D040503:Coffea; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D018556:Crops, Agricultural; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D000067565:Farmers; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007587:Job Description; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D016272:Occupational Health; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors