title: Assessment of schistosomiasis in the semi-arid Northeast region of Brazil: the São Francisco River large-scale water transposition project.
abstract: INTRODUCTION Risk of schistosomiasis expansion to semi-arid northeastern Brazil under the influence of the Integration Project of the São Francisco River (IPSFR) was assessed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stool examinations of schoolchildren, epidemiological investigation, and survey of the local host snail Biomphalaria straminea were performed in five IPSFR municipalities. RESULTS Six of 4,770 examined schoolchildren were egg-positive for Schistosoma mansoni. Biomphalaria straminea was widespread, but not naturally infected with S. mansoni. Snails experimentally exposed to two laboratory S. mansoni strains yielded infection indices of 1-4.5%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is evidence of active schistosomiasis transmission in the area; thus, intensive surveillance actions are required.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Educação em Ambiente e Saúde, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tereza Cristina
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Favre
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Malacologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Monica Ammon
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Educação em Ambiente e Saúde, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lilian Christina Nóbrega Holsbach
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Geoprocessamento, Instituto Evandro Chagas, Ministério da Saúde, Ananindeua, Pará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo José de Paula Souza
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Educação em Ambiente e Saúde, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Otávio Sarmento
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Pieri
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Malacologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Silvana Aparecida Carvalho
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Thiengo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D001700:Biomphalaria / Q000469:parasitology*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D045483:Rivers; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*