Prevalence of neglected tropical diseases in rural productive villages of the São Francisco River Integration Project in Ceará: cross-sectional study, 2020.

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the prevalence of Chagas disease, Hansen disease and schistosomiasis among residents of rural productive villages of the São Francisco River Integration Project in Ceará and to verify the presence, species and positivity of triatomines for Trypanosoma cruzi.

METHODS

This is a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in the productive villages located in Jati, Brejo Santo and Mauriti, based on a clinical-epidemiological, serological and parasitological survey for schistosomiasis, Chagas disease and Hansen disease; and a triatomine survey. The descriptive analysis was composed by calculating absolute and relative frequencies with 95% confidence intervals.

RESULTS

The prevalence of schistosomiasis was 0.97% (2/206) by the Kato-Katz method and 11.54% (27/234) by the Immunochromatographic POC-CCA Test method. For Chagas disease, the prevalence was 0.27% (1/368). The suspected cases of Hansen disease through dermato-neurological examination comprised 2.67% (8/300) of the subjects, none of which were subsequently confirmed. Among the 245 household units investigated, triatomines were identified in 4 them (1.63%) (6 Triatoma pseudomaculata and 1 Panstrongylus megistus), but none with the presence of Trypanosoma cruzi.

CONCLUSIONS

Chagas disease and schistosomiasis persist as endemic in these study areas. Even without the identification of triatomines infected by T. cruzi and of Hansen disease cases, the context of the region reinforces the need for continuous surveillance. It is essential to implement integrated public health actions to combat different neglected tropical diseases in new territories of human occupation. Contexts of endemicity and vulnerability make it essential to strengthen this topic on municipal and state public agendas.