title: Spatial analysis of visceral leishmaniasis in the municipality of Rondonópolis, in the Brazilian State of Mato Grosso, from 2003 to 2012: human, canine and vector distribution in areas of disease transmission.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a zoonosis of great importance to public health and is considered a neglected disease by the World Health Organization. The disease has expanded and become more prevalent in urban areas in Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  Geospatial analyses were performed and thematic maps of the triad of the disease were produced for the study period (2003-2012) in the urban area of the municipality of Rondonópolis in the midwestern State of Mato Grosso (MT), Brazil, TerraView 4.2.2 software was used for the analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 87.9% of the 186 confirmed human cases of VL were cured. Children between the ages of 1 and 4 were the most affected. Registered deaths were predominant among adults aged 60 years or older. The urban area of the municipality consists of eight strata and 12 census districts include 237 neighborhoods. All sectors had confirmed cases of VL. During the study period, human cases of the disease were recorded in 90 neighborhoods. The 23 deaths from the disease were distributed in 21 neighborhoods. Sandflies carrying the parasite were captured in 192 out of 200 neighborhoods evaluated for the presence of the VL vector. The presence of dogs carrying the parasite was confirmed in, 140 out of 154 surveyed neighborhoods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data demonstrated the endemic nature of VL, with a high percentage of infected children, a high distribution of canine infection, and a wide adaptation and dispersal of the vectors in the urban environment. These results, illustrate the process of urbanization of VL in the municipality of Rondonópolis, MT, Brazil.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu em Ciências Ambientais e Saúde, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alexander Gonçalves Ferreira
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Geoprocessamento, Programa de Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu em Geografia, Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso, Rondonópolis, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gustavo Benedito Medeiros
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia, Rede Pró-Centro Oeste, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
authors.forename: Anita de Moura
authors.initials: Ade M
authors.lastname: Pessoa
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu em Ciências Ambientais e Saúde, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nelson Jorge da Silva
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Junior
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000145:classification*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary; D015995:Prevalence; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000145:classification*; D062206:Spatial Analysis; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult