USING GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES FOR EVALUATING THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SOCIOENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AND THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF LEPTOSPIROSIS IN SAO PAULO, BRAZIL

Abstract

Leptospirosis is a disease that is caused by the Leptospira bacteria. Transmission occurs via contact with water and mud that has been contaminated by the rodent’s urine. High incidence rates occur during wet seasons. The aim of this research was to use geospatial techniques to evaluate the association between the socioenvironmental variables and the spatial distribution of leptospirosis in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Four physical geographic maps (slope, elevation, distance from rivers and river density) and two socioeconomic maps (average family salary and average number of residents in the household) were used. The statistical significance of the differences between the average values of the variables that are calculated for the areas with leptospirosis cases and the areas without leptospirosis cases was evaluated. The average family salary, the number of residents in the households and the river density from the census sector variables
were significantly associated with cases of leptospirosis.