Spatio-temporal analysis of Leptospirosis in Belém do Pará, Brazil

Considering that leptospirosis is a cosmopolitan disease, this cross-sectional, retrospective, population-based, descriptive study, without the collection of biological material, aimed to analyze the spatio-temporal distribution of 241 cases of the disease using geoprocessing and fuzzy logic techniques, in addition to identifying possible socio-environmental components for its transmission. This study showed a concentration of leptospirosis cases in male individuals, living in areas of high population density, without adequate waste treatment and drainage systems. It was also possible to identify a significant number of homes in a situation of socio-environmental vulnerability related to the cases, which deepens the concept of the occurrence of leptospirosis as a health inequity. Cleaning the existing canals and culverts in the study area would facilitate the flow of water, preventing flooding; the collection and proper disposal of waste would prevent its accumulation, contributing to the reduction of this serious public health problem.