Use of remote sensing to study the influence of environmental changes on malaria distribution in the Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

Construction of the Tucuruí hydroelectric dam in Southeast Pará State, Brazil, in 1981, caused enormous environmental changes, deforestation, and human migration to the region. This study focuses on the influence of these changes and the appearance of malaria in the municipality of Jacundá, Pará, using remote sensing and geographic information systems. The variables used to construct maps were distances from roads, farming areas, rivers, the dam, streams, and the urban area. This study confirmed the elevation of malaria to the epidemic level since the construction of the Tucuruí dam. The study suggests that a seasonal pattern of malaria incidence is associated with the flooding season and exposure of workers during harvest. Malaria cases were related to the form of land occupation, especially in more densely populated areas.