VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS, HISTORY AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE NURSE ON YOUR PREVENTION

Abstract

Visceral leishmaniasis is one of the most important diseases of today and is characterized as an emerging disease. The general objective of this article was to know the epidemiological aspects and the impact caused by visceral leishmaniasis on public health in Brazil, with emphasis on the city of Theophilus Otoni and focus on the contribution of the nurse in its prevention. It was noticed during the studies that in Latin America, 90% of the cases of visceral leishmaniasis occurred in Brazil, affecting domestic dogs and wild animals, the first being the main hosts, while man is pointed out as a secondary reservoir. Among the clinical characteristics of the disease described in this study, the most common are irregular fever, cough, weight loss, hepatosplenomegaly and anemia. The treatment is performed according to its evolution after the use of therapeutic resources. This article is a bibliographic review, exploratory approach and survey on the subject of visceral leishmaniasis, public health and epidemiological aspects in articles, books and legislation published during the period from 2009 to 2019. It is concluded that with the health interventions performed by the nurse, the prevention of visceral leishmaniasis becomes possible, thus promoting health and decreasing the morbidity and mortality rates of the population, which directly interferes in the quality and effectiveness of individual health care.