Socioeconomic Factors and Vulnerability to Outbreaks of Leptospirosis in Nicaragua

Jorge Bacallao, Maria Cristina Schneider, Patricia Najera, Sylvain Aldighieri, Aida Soto, Wilmer Marquiño, Carlos Sáenz, Eduardo Jiménez, Gilberto Moreno, Octavio Chávez, Deise I. Galan and Marcos A. Espinal
Additional contact information
Jorge Bacallao: University of Medical Sciences of Habana, Havana Atherosclerosis Research and Reference Center, Policlínico 19 de Abril, Tulipán y Panorama, Nuevo Velado, Plaza de la Revolución, La Habana 10600, Cuba
Maria Cristina Schneider: Pan American Health Organization, Department of Communicable Diseases and Health Analysis, 525 23rd. St. NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA
Patricia Najera: Pan American Health Organization, Department of Communicable Diseases and Health Analysis, 525 23rd. St. NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA
Sylvain Aldighieri: Pan American Health Organization, Department of Communicable Diseases and Health Analysis, 525 23rd. St. NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA
Aida Soto: Pan American Health Organization Nicaragua, P.O. Box 1309, Managua, Nicaragua
Wilmer Marquiño: Pan American Health Organization Nicaragua, P.O. Box 1309, Managua, Nicaragua
Carlos Sáenz: Ministry of Health of Nicaragua, Costado Oeste Colonia Primero de Mayo, P.O. Box 107, Managua, Postal Sector 15AB, Nicaragua
Eduardo Jiménez: Ministry of Health of Nicaragua, Costado Oeste Colonia Primero de Mayo, P.O. Box 107, Managua, Postal Sector 15AB, Nicaragua
Gilberto Moreno: Ministry of Health of Nicaragua, Costado Oeste Colonia Primero de Mayo, P.O. Box 107, Managua, Postal Sector 15AB, Nicaragua
Octavio Chávez: Ministry of Health of Nicaragua, Costado Oeste Colonia Primero de Mayo, P.O. Box 107, Managua, Postal Sector 15AB, Nicaragua
Deise I. Galan: Pan American Health Organization, Department of Communicable Diseases and Health Analysis, 525 23rd. St. NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA
Marcos A. Espinal: Pan American Health Organization, Department of Communicable Diseases and Health Analysis, 525 23rd. St. NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA

IJERPH, 2014, vol. 11, issue 8, 1-18

Abstract: Leptospirosis is an epidemic-prone zoonotic disease that occurs worldwide, with more than 500,000 human cases reported annually. It is influenced by environmental and socioeconomic factors that affect the occurrence of outbreaks and the incidence of the disease. Critical areas and potential drivers for leptospirosis outbreaks have been identified in Nicaragua, where several conditions converge and create an appropriate scenario for the development of leptospirosis. The objectives of this study were to explore possible socioeconomic variables related to leptospirosis critical areas and to construct and validate a vulnerability index based on municipal socioeconomic indicators. Municipalities with lower socioeconomic status (greater unsatisfied basic needs for quality of the household and for sanitary services, and higher extreme poverty and illiteracy rates) were identified with the highest leptospirosis rates. The municipalities with highest local vulnerability index should be the priority for intervention. A distinction between risk given by environmental factors and vulnerability to risk given by socioeconomic conditions was shown as important, which also applies to the “causes of outbreaks” and “causes of cases”.

Keywords: leptospirosis; vulnerability index; socioeconomic factors; risk; outbreaks; Nicaragua (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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