@article{29707,
  keywords = {schistosomiasis, leprosy, Geographic Information Systems, Coinfection, Brazil},
  author = {Phillips DA and Ferreira JA and Ansah D and Teixeira HS and Kitron U and Filippis T and Alcântara M and Fairley J},
  title = {A tale of two neglected tropical infections: using GIS to assess the spatial and temporal overlap of schistosomiasis and leprosy in a region of Minas Gerais, Brazil.},
  abstract = {<p><strong>BACKGROUND: </strong>Despite public health efforts to reduce the global burden of leprosy, gaps remain in the knowledge surrounding transmission of infection. Helminth co-infections have been associated with a shift towards the lepromatous end of the disease spectrum, potentially increasing transmission in co-endemic areas.</p>

<p><strong>OBJECTIVES: </strong>Using this biologically plausible association, we conducted a geographic information systems (GIS) study to investigate the spatial associations of schistosomiasis and leprosy in an endemic area of Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil.</p>

<p><strong>METHODS: </strong>Data on new cases of Mycobacterium leprae and Schistosoma mansoni infections from 2007-2014 were retrieved from the Brazilian national notifiable diseases information system for seven municipalities in and surrounding Vespasiano, MG. A total of 139 cases of leprosy and 200 cases of schistosomiasis were mapped to a municipality level. For one municipality, cases were mapped to a neighborhood level and a stratified analysis was conducted to identify spatial associations.</p>

<p><strong>FINDINGS: </strong>A relative risk of 6.80 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.46 - 31.64] of leprosy was found in neighborhoods with schistosomiasis. Incidence rates of leprosy increased with corresponding incidence rates of schistosomiasis, and the temporal trends of both infections were similar.</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSIONS: </strong>The associations found in this project support the hypothesis that helminth infections may influence the transmission of leprosy in co-endemic areas.</p>
},
  year = {2017},
  journal = {Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz},
  volume = {112},
  pages = {275-280},
  issn = {1678-8060},
  url = {http://www.scielo.br/pdf/mioc/v112n4/0074-0276-mioc-112-4-0275.pdf},
  doi = {10.1590/0074-02760160395},
  language = {eng},
}