Epidemiology Analysis

The chosen population for this assignment reside in a very impoverished area of northeastern Brazil (Bevins, 2016). Some of the places under consideration include but not limited to Recife, Rio Grande do Sul, and Bahia. The inhabitants of Salvador for instance experience severe poverty, have little to no access to health literacy especially in terms of preventing mosquito borne illnesses. It took the recent outbreak of Zika virus for the government to begin sending in materials to educate the inhabitants about the prevention of mosquito borne illnesses (Bevins, 2016.) The immediate surroundings of most the inhabitants of most parts of northeastern Brazil is such that it is difficult for sewage and collected trash to be disposed of properly.

Most people live in such close proximity to stagnant water and sewage which provide the perfect breeding ground for the aedes mosquito (Life at zika epicenter a struggle for afflicted family, 2016.) Additionally, the area under consideration – northeastern Brazil – tends to have a lot of rainfall. There have been recent reports of serious flooding which has left some residents dead (Brazil: Deadly floods hit northeastern brazil, 2010.) There are areas that receive approximately three hundred and sixty (360) millimeters of rainfall due to weather patterns (Brazil: Deadly floods hit northeastern brazil, 2010.)

Due to frequent flooding (Flooding in brazil leaves 20 dead, 2009) and the challenges faced by the community due to excessive sewage and trash not allowing the free flow of water, the entire area has become an ideal breeding ground for the zika virus vector. The level of flooding is so severe sometimes that residents have to be evacuated (Flooding in brazil leaves 20 dead, 2009.) The need for evacuation in times of flooding is testament to the level of poverty faced by the vulnerable population under study. The level of poverty faced by the inhabitants is so severe that children of age 8 are forced to work in order to survive and help the family out (Buckley, 2000.) Reports say that adults sometimes make as little as $7.50 for one week’s worth of work while children earn a meager $1.50 for the same amount of work (Buckley, 2000.) It is therefore not very surprising that the inhabitants cannot afford medical care or even send their children to school for a better education.

According to reports, the presence of mosquitoes is almost a normal aspect of life (Martines 2016) and until recently the inhabitants did not have to worry about Zika virus nor related infections and consequent adverse health outcomes. Unfortunately, the arrival of the virus through suspected infected sports enthusiasts during the 2014 World Cup has now given the region and the nation at large cause for alarm (Barchfield, 2016.)

Concerning the current outbreak in the northeastern region of Brazil, microcephaly is a major concern as there are rapidly increasing reports of babies with the condition (Brazil witnesses 10-fold zika-linked microcephaly cases than average: WHO expert, 2016). For this reason, pregnant women of childbearing age are the most at risk population and some reputable studies peg the age range between 15 to 49 years of age (Ellsberg et al., 1999.)

In essence, the affected subpopulation has the odds stacked against it in terms of likelihood of infection. The rainfall pattern, socioeconomic status, inadequate health literacy as well as being a pregnant woman all provide the right conditions for infection by the aedes aegypti mosquito. Excessive rainfall causes flooding and even when it abates, there are still puddles of water lingering around providing a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The prevailing economic conditions makes it nearly impossible to provide proper sanitation and garbage disposal to discourage the development of larvae. The lack of health literacy programs to teach inhabitants more cost-effective methods of preventing infection is also a problem that faces the community.