title: Using satellite data to study the relationship between rainfall and diarrheal diseases in a Southwestern Amazon basin.
abstract: The North region is the second region in Brazil with the highest incidence rate of diarrheal diseases in children under 5 years old. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between rainfall and water level during the rainy season principally with the incidence rate of this disease in a southwestern Amazon basin. Rainfall estimates and the water level were correlated and both of them were correlated with the diarrheal incidence rate. For the Alto Acre region, 2 to 3 days' time-lag is the best interval to observe the impact of the rainfall in the water level (R = 0.35). In the Lower Acre region this time-lag increased (4 days) with a reduction in the correlation value was found. The correlation between rainfall and diarrheal disease was better in the Lower Acre region (Acrelândia, R = 0.7) and rainfall upstream of the city. Between water level and diarrheal disease, the best results were found for the Brasiléia gauging station (Brasiléia, R = 0.3; Epitaciolândia, R = 0.5). This study's results may support planning and financial resources allocation to prioritize actions for local Civil Defense and health care services before, during and after the rainy season.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, AM, Brasil, pamorellifonseca@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Paula Andrea Morelli
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.affiliation: Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Sandra de Souza
authors.initials: Sde S
authors.lastname: Hacon
authors.affiliation: Secretaria de Estado de Meio Ambiente, Rio Branco, AC, Brasil.
authors.forename: Vera Lúcia
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.affiliation: College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Duarte
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Woods Hole Research Center, Falmonth, Massachusetts, United States.
authors.forename: Irving Foster
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D011891:Rain; D012621:Seasons; D014505:Urban Population; D014872:Water Movements