Revisão sistemática sobre estudos de espacialização da dengue no Brasil Systematic review of spatial analysis studies on dengue in Brazil

O presente estudo objetivou realizar uma revisão sistemática sobre estudos de geoprocessamento do vetor da dengue e da doença no Brasil. A busca dos trabalhos foi realizada nas bases de dados Pubmed, Bireme e Scielo. A seleção foi realizada por critérios de inclusão, sendo estes: artigos originais sobre dengue e emprego de técnicas de geoprocessamento, publicados em inglês ou português de 1998 a 2007; trabalhos de finalização de curso; e trabalhos apresentados em congresso. Trabalhos que avaliaram essa doença em outros países foram excluídos. As palavras-chaves utilizadas na identificação dos artigos foram: "distribuição espacial e dengue", "dengue e geoprocessamento", "análise espacial e dengue", "Sistema de Informações Geográficas e dengue" e suas traduções para língua inglesa. Na base de busca do Scielo foram encontrados 15 artigos, dos quais selecionou-se 8; na Pubmed 11 trabalhos foram identificados, dos quais utilizou-se 3; e na Bireme, 20 trabalhos, dos quais selecionou-se 2. A revisão realizada permitiu analisar 7 estudos de espacialização dos casos de dengue, 5 trabalhos com vetores da dengue e um estudo que avaliou os casos e os vetores, simultaneamente. Foi freqüente a não-utilização de técnicas de geoprocessamento. Aspectos sociais foram freqüentemente associados à distribuição espacial da dengue. Desta forma, concluiu-se que os estudos de espacialização da dengue no Brasil, especialmente aqueles que avaliam os seus vetores, subutilizam as ferramentas do geoprocessamento. Os aspectos socioeconômicos são importantes para o entendimento da distribuição espacial da dengue.<br>The present study aimed to carry out a systematic review of geoprocessing studies on the dengue vector and the disease in Brazil. The search was conducted in the Pubmed and Bireme databases and in Scielo virtual library. The selection was carried out using inclusion criteria, such as: original articles on dengue and the use of geoprocessing techniques, published in English or in Portuguese, from 1998 to 2007; final course works; and studies presented at congresses. Studies which evaluated the disease in other countries were excluded. The key words used were "spatial distribution and dengue", "dengue and geoprocessing", "spatial analysis and dengue", "geographic information system and dengue" and their translations into Portuguese. In the Scielo database search, 15 articles were found, from which 8 were selected; in Pubmed, 11 articles were identified and 3 were selected; and in Bireme 20 articles were found, from which 2 were selected. The present review allowed the analysis of 7 studies on the spatial pattern of dengue cases, 5 studies on dengue vectors and one study that evaluated dengue cases and vectors, simultaneously. The non-utilization of geoprocessing techniques was frequent. Social aspects were frequently associated with the spatial distribution of dengue. The study concludes that spatial analyses of dengue in Brazil, especially those that evaluated vectors, used geoprocessing tools poorly. Socioeconomic aspects are important to understand the spatial distribution of dengue

Study of the relationship between Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti egg and adult densities, dengue fever and climate in Mirassol, state of São Paulo, Brazil

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Aedes aegypti egg and adult density indices, dengue fever and climate in Mirassol, state of São Paulo, Brazil, between November 2004-November 2005. Weekly collections of adults and eggs were made using, respectively, manual aspirators and oviposition traps that produced four entomological indices (positivity and average of females and eggs). Weekly incidence coefficients were calculated based on dengue cases. Each week, the data obtained from entomological indices were related to each other, dengue, and climate variables. The first index to show an association with dengue transmission was the female average, followed by female positivity and egg average. Egg positivity did not show a relationship with risk for dengue, but was sensitive to identifying the presence of the vector, principally in dry seasons. The relationship between climatic factors, the vector and the disease found in this study can be widely employed in planning and undertaking dengue surveillance and control activities, but it is a tool that has not been considered by the authorities responsible for controlling the disease. In fact, this relationship permits the use of information about climate for early detection of epidemics and for establishing more effective prevention strategies than currently exist