Autor(es): Arraes, Maria Luisa Bezerra de Macedo ; Holanda, Ma?sa Viana de ; Lima, Luana Nepomuceno Gondim Costa ; Sabadia, Jos? Ant?nio Beltr?o ; Duarte, Cynthia Romariz ; Almeida, Rosa Livia Freitas ; Kendall, Carl ; Kerr, Ligia Regina Sansigolo ; Frota, Cristiane Cunha
Data: 2018
Origem: Oasisbr
Assunto(s): Hansen?ase / transmiss?o; Mycobacterium leprae / patogenicidade; Recursos H?dricos; ?gua Pot?vel / microbiologia; Rea??o em Cadeia da Polimerase / m?todos; RNA Mensageiro
Universidade Federal do Cear?. Faculdade de Medicina. Departamento de Patologia e Medicina Legal. Fortaleza, CE, Brasil.
Universidade Federal do Cear?. Faculdade de Medicina. Departamento de Patologia e Medicina Legal. Fortaleza, CE, Brasil.
Minist?rio da Sa?de. Secretaria de Vigil?ncia em Sa?de. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil.
Universidade Federal do Cear?. Departamento de Geologia. Fortaleza, CE, Brasil.
Universidade Federal do Cear?. Departamento de Geologia. Fortaleza, CE, Brasil.
Universidade de Fortaleza. Programa de P?s-Gradua??o em Sa?de Coletiva. Fortaleza, CE, Brasil.
Tulane University. School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Department of Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences. New Orleans, LA, USA
Universidade Federal do Cear?. Faculdade de Medicina. Departamento de Sa?de Comunit?ria. Fortaleza, CE, Brasil.
Universidade Federal do Cear?. Faculdade de Medicina. Departamento de Patologia e Medicina Legal. Fortaleza, CE, Brasil.
BACKGROUND: The detection of live Mycobacterium leprae in soil and animals other than humans suggests that the environment plays a role in the transmission of leprosy. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the presence of viable M. leprae in natural water sources used by the local population in five municipalities in the state of Cear?, northeastern Brazil. METHODS: Samples were collected from 30 different sources. Viable bacilli were identified by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the M. leprae gyrA gene and sequencing of the PCR products. Physicochemical properties of each water source were also assessed. FINDINGS: M. leprae gyrA mRNA was found in 23 (76.7%) of the water sources. No association was found between depth of the water and sample positivity, nor was there any association between the type of water used by the population and sample positivity. An association between viable M. leprae and temperature and pH was found. Georeferencing showed a relation between the residences of leprosy cases and water source containing the bacterium. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: The finding of viable M. leprae in natural water sources associated with human contact suggests that the environment plays an important role in maintaining endemic leprosy in the study region.
