1Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, São Luís, Brazil.
2Departamento de Biologia, Laboratório de Biodiversidade Molecular, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Recursos Aquáticos e Pesca, Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, São Luís, Brazil.
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2020 Sep;103(3):1111-1117. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.18-0302.
Schistosomiasis is a serious public health issue in the world infecting more than 200 million people. In Maranhão state, Brazil, the disease has a high prevalence in the Baixada Maranhense microregion, where the socioeconomic conditions, high prevalence of freshwater snails, elevated incidence of human infection, and large rodent populations make the area highly conducive to the life cycle and persistence of schistosomiasis. The objective of this study was to record the perception of residents and health/public education professionals regarding this parasitosis and also understand their knowledge of the relationship between schistosomiasis and the environment. We conducted 53 interviews addressing the socioeconomic, behavioral, and environmental issues surrounding schistosomiasis. It was recorded that the population believed the environment is the main cause of the disease and the fisherman may be stigmatized by their chance of having the disease. Health/public educational professionals in the region indicated that there were no regular educational campaigns, which contributed to the high rates of reinfection and the difficulties in preventing and controlling the spread of the disease. These data clearly demonstrate the need for interdisciplinary work that engages the community in gathering and disseminating knowledge and developing solutions to minimize the occurrence of this major health issue in the region.
血吸虫病是全球严重的公共卫生问题，感染了超过 2 亿人。在巴西马拉尼昂州，该疾病在巴伊亚马兰豪微区的流行率很高，该地区的社会经济条件差、淡水螺类高发、人类感染的发病率高以及大量啮齿动物种群，使该地区非常有利于血吸虫病的生命周期和持续存在。本研究的目的是记录居民和卫生/健康教育专业人员对这种寄生虫病的认知，了解他们对血吸虫病与环境之间关系的认识。我们进行了 53 次访谈，涉及与血吸虫病相关的社会经济、行为和环境问题。记录显示，居民认为环境是该疾病的主要原因，渔民可能会因患病而受到污名化。该地区的卫生/健康教育专业人员表示，没有定期的教育活动，这导致了高比例的再感染，也增加了疾病传播的防控难度。这些数据清楚地表明，需要开展跨学科工作，让社区参与收集和传播知识，并制定解决方案，以尽量减少该地区这一主要健康问题的发生。
