Presença de caramujos e aspectos ambientais que favorecem a ocorrência da esquistossomose no Sá Viana, bairro de periferia de São Luís, Maranhão – Brasil

• DOI: 10.22533/at.ed.95423150817

• Palavras-chave: Biomphalaria glabrata – Schistosoma mansoni – Bairros de Periferia

• Keywords: Biomphalaria glabrata - Schistosoma mansoni - Outskirts Neighborhoods.

• Abstract: The present study was conducted in Sá Viana, a neighborhood on the outskirts of São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil, between May 2009 and April 2011, encompassing the dry and rainy periods of those years. The aim was to verify the occurrence of snails infected with Schistosoma mansoni (Sambon, 1907) while observing the environmental aspects that contribute to the maintenance of the disease in the area. Although the locality is an urban and densely populated area, 3,230 mollusks of the species Biomphalaria glabrata (Say, 1818) were found. Among them, fifty-one (0.75%) were found to be parasitized by S. mansoni. Regarding the environmental aspects, relationships were established between the number of collected mollusks and the amount of rainfall. In general, the abundance of snails varied over time, following the periodicity of rainfall. A high degree of statistical association was also observed between the number of infected mollusks and the amount of rainfall, indicating that infection predominated during the considered rainy months. The lack of infrastructure and basic sanitation was identified as relevant factors in the transmission of this parasitosis in the area.