Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39724139›Full record

ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2024

Spatial associations of Hansen's disease and schistosomiasis in endemic regions of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Jessica L Stephens, Lucia A O Fraga, José A Ferreira, Laura De Mondesert, Uriel Kitron, Julie A Clennon, Jessica K Fairley

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Jessica L StephensDepartment of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
Lucia A O FragaUniversidade Federal Juiz de Fora-Campus Governador Valadares, Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
José A FerreiraFaculdade da Saúde e Ecologia Humana (FASEH), Vespasiano, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Laura De MondesertHubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
Uriel KitronDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
Julie A ClennonDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
Jessica K FairleyHubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.ORCID 0000-0003-4086-9272

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBrazil has the second highest case count of Hansen's disease (leprosy, HD), but factors contributing to transmission in highly endemic areas of the country remain unclear. Recent studies have shown associations of helminth infection and leprosy, supporting a biological plausibility for increased leprosy transmission in areas with helminths. However, spatial analyses of the overlap of these infections are limited. Therefore, we aimed to spatially analyze these two diseases in a co-endemic area of Minas Gerais, Brazil, in order to identify potential epidemiologic associations.

methodsAn ecological study using public health surveillance records and census data was conducted to investigate whether the occurrence of HD -and specifically multibacillary (MB) disease- was associated with the presence of schistosomiasis in a community of 41 municipalities in eastern Minas Gerais, Brazil from 2011 to 2015. Multivariate logistic regression and spatial cluster analyses using geographic information systems (GIS) were performed.

resultsThe average annual incidence of HD in the study area was 35.3 per 100,000 while Schistosoma mansoni average annual incidence was 26 per 100,000. Both HD and schistosomiasis were spatially distributed showing significant clustering across the study area. Schistosomiasis was present in 10.4% of the tracts with HD and thirteen high-high clusters of local bivariate autocorrelation for HD and schistosomiasis cases were identified. A multivariate non-spatial analysis found that census tracts with MB disease were more likely to have schistosomiasis when adjusted for population density, household density, and household income (aOR = 1.7, 95% CI 1.0, 2.7). This remained significant when accounting for spatial correlation (aOR = 1.1, 95% CI (1.0, 1.2)).

conclusionWe found clustering of both HD and schistosomiasis in this area with some statistically significant overlap of multibacillary HD with S. mansoni infection. Not only did we provide an effective approach to study the epidemiology of two endemic neglected tropical diseases with geographic spatial analyses, we highlight the need for further clinical and translational studies to study the potential epidemiologic associations uncovered.

Indexed as

Endemic DiseasesLeprosySchistosomiasisSchistosomiasis mansoniAdolescentAdultAgedAnimalsBrazilChildChild, PreschoolFemaleGeographic Information SystemsHumansIncidenceMale

Identifiers

PMID39724139
PMCPMC11753700

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.