Schistosomiasis Mansoni in Areas of Low Transmission. Epidemiological Characterization of Venezuelan Foci

Severe schistosomiasis is a rare event in Venezuela nowadays, after a successful national campaign by the Schistosomiasis Control Program. Unfortunately, this program has practically disappeared, and snail surveillance in field is not a priority, anymore. Thus, schistosomiasis has become a neglected...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz 2002-01, Vol.97 (suppl 1), p.5-10
Main Authors: Alarcón de Noya, B, Ruiz, R, Colmenares, C, Losada, S, Cesari, I M, Toro, J, Noya, O
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Animals
Biomphalaria - physiology
Child
Disease Vectors
Endemic Diseases - statistics & numerical data
Feces - parasitology
Humans
Parasite Egg Count
PARASITOLOGY
Prevalence
Schistosoma mansoni - isolation & purification
Schistosoma mansoni - prevalence - low transmission - Venezuela
Schistosomiasis mansoni - epidemiology
Schistosomiasis mansoni - parasitology
Schistosomiasis mansoni - transmission
Snails - parasitology
TROPICAL MEDICINE
Venezuela - epidemiology
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Summary:Severe schistosomiasis is a rare event in Venezuela nowadays, after a successful national campaign by the Schistosomiasis Control Program. Unfortunately, this program has practically disappeared, and snail surveillance in field is not a priority, anymore. Thus, schistosomiasis has become a neglected disease in this country. However, surveys in different populations from the endemic area have shown particular epidemiological features described herein. In five communities we evaluated 2,175 persons and searched for the presence of Biomphalaria glabrata snails. Some markers were used for classifying schistosomiasis foci: mean age of the persons with Schistosoma mansoni eggs in the stools, serological tests, presence of B. glabrata snails, and intensity of infection. Places without B. glabrata snails and with few schistosomiasis cases were defined as "past transmission sites"; a site with abundant snails but few cases was defined as "potential risk"; "new transmission" foci were characterized by the presence of infected snails and young people passing eggs in the stools. A "re-emergent" focus has shared these last features, showing in addition a place where schistosomiasis had been reported before. Recent evidences of active transmission with the increasing dispersion of B. glabrata snails, point out the necessity for the re-establishment of the Schistosomiasis Control Program in Venezuela.
ISSN:1678-8060
0074-0276
0074-0276
DOI:10.1590/S0074-02762002000900002