Risk Factors Associated with American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in an Endemic Area of Brazil

Brazil is among the top five countries worldwide regarding the number of cases of leishmaniasis, which are present in all of the regions of the country. The northeastern region continues to have higher numbers of cases every year and in the state of Pernambuco, 34% of the municipalities are endemic for this disease. The diversity of vectors, reservoirs and etiological agents, in association with socioeconomic and environmental conditions, gives rise to factors that can modify the behavior of American cutaneous leishmaniasis. Consequently, the aim of the present study was to determine the risk factors associated with American cutaneous leishmaniasis in the municipality of Timbaúba, Brazil. A case-control study was conducted. A validated questionnaire was used for data collection. The study included 58 cases and 174 controls, and they were serologically diagnosed at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ). Our results showed that some factors were associated with American cutaneous leishmaniasis: biological (gender), economic (work activity, hours spent away from home and water supply) and peridomestic (presence of animals). In our study, the associations of these variables with leishmaniasis were linked to precarious housing conditions and poverty, which are parameters that can be managed in order to prevent the disease in this region.