Spatio-temporal analysis of leptospirosis in Brazil and its relationship with flooding.

Leptospirosis is a serious public health problem in Brazil, which can be observed after flooding events. Using an exploratory mixed clustering method, this ecological study analyzes whether spatial-temporal clustering patterns of leptospirosis occur in Brazil. Data from the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) were used to calculate the prevalence of leptospirosis between 2007 and 2017 in all counties of the country. Clustering techniques, including spatial association indicators, were used for analysis and evaluation of disease yearly spatial distribution. Based on Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA) with Empirical Bayesian rates detected spatial patterns of leptospirosis ranging from 0.137 (p = 0.001 in 2009) to 0.293 (p = 0.001 in 2008). Over the whole period, the rate was 0.388 (p = 0.001). The main pattern showed permanence of leptospirosis clusters in the South and emergence and permanence of such clusters in northern Brazil. The municipalities with leptospirosis cases and at least one flood occurrence registered in the Brazilian Integrated Disaster Information System were incorporated into the LISA cluster map with Empirical Bayesian rates. These counties were expected to exhibit clustering, not all did. The results of the cluster analysis suggest allocation of health resources in areas with leptospirosis clustering.

Assessment of fire resilience in subtropical wetlands using high spatial resolution images.

Resilience is the ability of a system to absorb disturbances, rearrange itself, and adapt in order to maintain its functionality, structure, identity, and feedback. Research involving fire resilience in subtropical wetlands (SW) allows us to understand the dynamics of these ecosystems, measure impacts on fauna and flora, and promote policies for the management and protection. The aim of the present study is to assess the fire resilience of SW. The study was divided into three steps: (i) burned area classification, (ii) vegetation pattern classification, and (iii) temporal analysis of SW fire resilience based on NDVI calculation. Our results show that (a) high resilience potential of emerging plants, which developed green leaves in less than 90 days after the fire; (b) poor recovery of peatlands with underground fire history. Daily coverage of high spatial resolution PlanetScope images has great potential for classification and monitoring of land use in areas where there are rapid changes, such as after a fire event, explosions, and dam ruptures with ore tailings, for example.

Relationship between cases of hepatitis A and flood areas, municipality of Encantado, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. / Relação entre casos de hepatite A e áreas de inundação, município de Encantado, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.

The relationship between hydrometeorological disasters and the health of affected populations is still hardly discussed in Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil. Hepatitis A is a disease that involves health and urban environment issue and is an avoidable disease. This study aims to analyze the relationship between flood areas and waterborne diseases, in this case, Hepatitis A. A database of confirmed cases of Hepatitis A and flood events in the municipality of Encantado-RS, Brazil between 2012 and 2014 was structured. These data were analyzed spatially from the kernel estimator of the occurrence points of Hepatitis A cases and correlated to the urban perimeter. It was verified that 44 cases were registered in the three months following the occurrence of flood, an increase of almost 300% in the records of Hepatitis A. The results identified that all the confirmed cases are in the urban area located in the floodplain. This reaffirms the importance of encouraging the formulation and implementation of policies to prevent outbreaks of waterborne diseases post hydrometeorological disaster.

A relação entre os desastres de origem hidrometeorológicos e a saúde das populações atingidas ainda é pouco abordada no Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brasil. A Hepatite A é uma doença que envolve questões sanitárias e do meio urbano, sendo uma doença do tipo evitável. Esse estudo tem como objetivo analisar a relação entre áreas de inundação e a ocorrência de doenças de veiculação hídrica, neste caso, a Hepatite A. Foi estruturado um banco de dados dos casos confirmados de Hepatite A e de eventos de inundações no município de Encantado-RS entre os anos de 2012 e 2014. Esses dados foram analisados espacialmente a partir do estimador Kernel dos pontos de ocorrência de casos de Hepatite A e correlacionados para o perímetro urbano. Verificou-se que nos três meses posteriores à ocorrência de inundação, foram registrados 44 casos, um aumento de quase 300%, no registro de casos de Hepatite A. Os resultados identificaram que todos os casos confirmados estão na área urbana localizada na planície de inundação. O que reafirma a importância de incentivo a formulação e implementação de políticas de prevenção a surtos de doenças pós-desastres hidrometeorológicos.

Relação entre casos de hepatite A e áreas de inundação, município de Encantado, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil / Relationship between cases of hepatitis A and flood areas, municipality of Encantado, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Resumo A relação entre os desastres de origem hidrometeorológicos e a saúde das populações atingidas ainda é pouco abordada no Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brasil. A Hepatite A é uma doença que envolve questões sanitárias e do meio urbano, sendo uma doença do tipo evitável. Esse estudo tem como objetivo analisar a relação entre áreas de inundação e a ocorrência de doenças de veiculação hídrica, neste caso, a Hepatite A. Foi estruturado um banco de dados dos casos confirmados de Hepatite A e de eventos de inundações no município de Encantado-RS entre os anos de 2012 e 2014. Esses dados foram analisados espacialmente a partir do estimador Kernel dos pontos de ocorrência de casos de Hepatite A e correlacionados para o perímetro urbano. Verificou-se que nos três meses posteriores à ocorrência de inundação, foram registrados 44 casos, um aumento de quase 300%, no registro de casos de Hepatite A. Os resultados identificaram que todos os casos confirmados estão na área urbana localizada na planície de inundação. O que reafirma a importância de incentivo a formulação e implementação de políticas de prevenção a surtos de doenças pós-desastres hidrometeorológicos.

Abstract The relationship between hydrometeorological disasters and the health of affected populations is still hardly discussed in Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil. Hepatitis A is a disease that involves health and urban environment issue and is an avoidable disease. This study aims to analyze the relationship between flood areas and waterborne diseases, in this case, Hepatitis A. A database of confirmed cases of Hepatitis A and flood events in the municipality of Encantado-RS, Brazil between 2012 and 2014 was structured. These data were analyzed spatially from the kernel estimator of the occurrence points of Hepatitis A cases and correlated to the urban perimeter. It was verified that 44 cases were registered in the three months following the occurrence of flood, an increase of almost 300% in the records of Hepatitis A. The results identified that all the confirmed cases are in the urban area located in the floodplain. This reaffirms the importance of encouraging the formulation and implementation of policies to prevent outbreaks of waterborne diseases post hydrometeorological disaster.

A worldwide meta-analysis review of restriction criteria for landfill siting using geographic information systems.

One of the most crucial parts of solid waste management is determining landfill site location, since multiple factors must be considered and there is no universal formula. The main purpose of this study is to make a worldwide systematic review of restriction criteria used for landfill siting using geographic information systems (GIS). Literature from the last years was thoroughly assessed, and 45 restrictions found were classified as environmental, economic, or social criteria. Our findings show that although the number of articles published has increased recently, they use on average seven restrictions, focusing mainly on environmental over economic and social criteria. In our boxplot statistical analysis, the most frequently used environmental restrictions are the distance from surface water resources (used in 77% of articles), slope (52%), and distance from groundwater founts (40%), with a median of 300 m, 20%, and 250 m, respectively. The most frequently used economic restrictions are distances from roads (60%), airports (40%), and power lines (18%), with medians of 275 m, 3000 m, and 75 m, respectively. The most frequently used social restrictions are distances from urban areas (45%), settlements and residential areas (40%), and cultural heritage or archaeological areas (23%), with medians of 1000 m. This information might help, on the one hand, governments to develop new legislation about landfill siting and on the other hand, decision-makers and scientists to produce new studies with different restrictive scenarios.

Análise espacial da leptospirose no Brasil / Spatial analysis of leptospirosis in Brazil

RESUMO A leptospirose é um problema de saúde pública mundial. No Brasil, ela é uma doença de notificação compulsória e está relacionada a áreas com precárias condições sanitárias. Foi realizado um estudo ecológico retrospectivo para observar a distribuição espacial e temporal de casos confirmados da leptospirose em escala nacional no período entre 2007 e 2017. A espacialização da leptospirose utilizou técnicas de geoprocessamento por análise de padrões pontuais e por mapas de densidade Kernel. Os resultados revelaram que, no período, foram registrados 42.310 casos confirmados de leptospirose no País, com média anual de 3.846 casos e prevalência de 1,9 a cada 100 mil habitantes. As localidades com mais casos prevalentes foram as regiões Sul e Norte. O Sudeste apresentou taxa de prevalência inferior à taxa nacional em virtude da alta densidade demográfica. O método Kernel se mostrou útil na análise global da situação epidemiológica da leptospirose nas regiões do Brasil.

ABSTRACT Leptospirosis is a worldwide public health problem. In Brazil, leptospirosis is a disease of compulsory notification and is related to areas with precarious sanitary conditions. A retrospective ecological study was conducted to observe the spatial and temporal distribution of confirmed cases of leptospirosis on national scale in the period between 2007 and 2017. The spatialization of leptospirosis used geoprocessing techniques by analysis of point patterns and by Kernel density maps. The results showed that within the analyzed period, 42,310 confirmed cases of Leptospirosis were recorded in the country, with an annual average of 3,846 cases and prevalence of 1.9 per 100,000 inhabitants. The regions with the most prevalent cases are the South and the North. The southeast presented a prevalence rate lower than the national rate due to the high demographic density. The Kernel method proved to be useful in the global analysis of the epidemiological situation of leptospirosis in the regions of Brazil.