Geo-technologies in the identification of environmental factors related to the occurrence of american visceral leishmaniasis in Conde, Bahia, Brazil

Abstract

This study had as a goal to use geo-technologies in the identification of environmental factors associated with the space distribution of American visceral leishmaniasis in the municipality of Conde, Bahia, Brazil. During the period of study, 42.6% of the reported cases occurred in localities with normalized difference vegetation indexes of 0.67 to 0.75. The digital elevation model showed an inverse relationship between altitude and disease, suggesting that there is a higher concentration of flebotomines in the low-lying areas of the municipality. The land cover and land use map illustrated the predilection of the vector for areas with sparse vegetation and the tendency of this disease urbanization. This study points out the necessity for the development of multidisciplinary research regarding landscape epidemiology in association with geo-technologies for the identification of the factors associated to endemics and its risk areas.