Contribution of social anthropology to ecoepidemiological comprehension of an American Tegumentary Leishmaniosis outbreak at “2.000 ha”, Iguazú, Argentina

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The human-environment understanding in a American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis (ATL) outbreak was approached both from the field methods and the theory of social anthropology. OBJECTIVE: this micro-social research on local inhabitants practices and representations about illness was analyzed to inquire about the social anthropology contribution to ecoepidemiological studies. METHOD: the field design was based on a critical analysis of recently published papers about ATL in Latin America. It was developed in two stages. 1) In deep interviews with cue informants (public health and ATL and patients) and participant observation (local market).2) semi-structured interview to all domestic units settled less than 300 m “2.000 ha” from the natural reserve border. RESULTS: “2.000 ha” is a chaotic and controversial settlement. Disease transmission prevails by contact with primary forest. In spite of this, among farmers gathered by rural projects, the urban origin of the disease was the prevalent idea. Among the people settled in the forest edge, 18% involved the forest and an insect with ATL origin, but they represented themselves living in a risk free area (77% living less than 100 m from the forest). CONCLUSIONS: The information obtained is critical to design participative strategies of surveillance and control.