Environmental education booklet as a prevention strategy for leptospirosis in a relocated urban community

Abstract

Leptospirosis is a common disease in urbanized locations without basic sanitation. The bacteria is transmitted by rodents and can infect dogs that in turn can transmit the disease to people, with the disease being classified as zoonotic. This study aimed to discover what were the environmental health risks for residents of a new urban resettlement, identifying problems and building possible solutions that were implemented into an environmental education material meeting the specific demands encountered in this community. Home interviews were performed, with questions about habits and behavior of the community related to petcare, presence of synanthropic animals in the household and management of solid waste. The group collected 142 blood samples of dogs belonging to these households, for anti-Leptospiral serology. The results were 26 (18.3%) positive, and the most frequent serovars were Icterohaemoragiae (46%) and Canicola (26.9%). From the data obtained from household interviews and blood tests results from dogs, it was possible to observe the main environmental problems and health risks that this community was subject to. It was then developed an educational material to provide answers and guidance to specific environmental problems observed and raised by the community.

Keywords:
urban sanitation; leptospirosis; environmental education