Este é um estudo ecológico misto onde o perfil de distribuição de chuvas e das variações térmicas foi relacionado à variação sazonal das taxas de incidência de leishmaniose visceral em vinte municípios brasileiros de transmissão intensa da doença, no período de 2001 a 2008. O objetivo foi identificar similaridades e diferenças entre os municípios estudados quanto à tendência temporal e sazonalidade da doença e à possível relação entre variações climáticas e a distribuição sazonal da doença. Os dados de incidência de leishmaniose visceral foram obtidos do Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (Sinan), os dados demográficos foram obtidos do Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde (DATASUS), os dados pluviométricos e de temperatura foram obtidos do Sistema de Monitoramento Agrometeorológico do Ministério da Agricultura (AGRITEMPO). Os resultados são apresentados graficamente e mostram que a distribuição sazonal da incidência e períodos prováveis de transmissão são diferentes em vários municípios e acompanham as diferenças climáticas, sugerindo que as intervenções que visem diminuir a incidência devem ser pontuais, obedecendo às características de cada município. / This is a mixed ecological study where the distribution profile of rainfall and temperature variations were related to seasonal variation in the rate of incidence of visceral leishmaniasis in twenty highly endemic municipalities in the period from 2001 to 2008. The purpose was to identify similarities and differences between the municipalities studied concerning disease trends and seasonal patterns and regarding the potential relationships between climatic variations and the seasonal distribution of the disease. Incidence data on visceral leishmaniasis were obtained from the Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificaçao (Sinan), demographic data were obtained from the Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde (DATASUS), the temperature and rainfall data were obtained from agrometeorological monitoring system of the Ministry of Agriculture (AGRITEMPO). The results are presented graphically and show that the seasonal distribution of the incidence and probable transmission periods are different in several municipalities and accompanying climatic differences, suggesting that interventions aimed at reducing the incidence must be punctual, according to the characteristics of each municipality.

Este é um estudo ecológico misto onde o perfil de distribuição de chuvas e das variações térmicas foi relacionado à variação sazonal das taxas de incidência de leishmaniose visceral em vinte municípios brasileiros de transmissão intensa da doença, no período de 2001 a 2008. O objetivo foi identificar similaridades e diferenças entre os municípios estudados quanto à tendência temporal e sazonalidade da doença e à possível relação entre variações climáticas e a distribuição sazonal da doença. Os dados de incidência de leishmaniose visceral foram obtidos do Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (Sinan), os dados demográficos foram obtidos do Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde (DATASUS), os dados pluviométricos e de temperatura foram obtidos do Sistema de Monitoramento Agrometeorológico do Ministério da Agricultura (AGRITEMPO). Os resultados são apresentados graficamente e mostram que a distribuição sazonal da incidência e períodos prováveis de transmissão são diferentes em vários municípios e acompanham as diferenças climáticas, sugerindo que as intervenções que visem diminuir a incidência devem ser pontuais, obedecendo às características de cada município. / This is a mixed ecological study where the distribution profile of rainfall and temperature variations were related to seasonal variation in the rate of incidence of visceral leishmaniasis in twenty highly endemic municipalities in the period from 2001 to 2008. The purpose was to identify similarities and differences between the municipalities studied concerning disease trends and seasonal patterns and regarding the potential relationships between climatic variations and the seasonal distribution of the disease. Incidence data on visceral leishmaniasis were obtained from the Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificaçao (Sinan), demographic data were obtained from the Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde (DATASUS), the temperature and rainfall data were obtained from agrometeorological monitoring system of the Ministry of Agriculture (AGRITEMPO). The results are presented graphically and show that the seasonal distribution of the incidence and probable transmission periods are different in several municipalities and accompanying climatic differences, suggesting that interventions aimed at reducing the incidence must be punctual, according to the characteristics of each municipality.

MENVSC / Department of Geography and Geo-Information Sciences / Climate change has a crucial impact on livelihoods, economy, and water resources due to the occurrence of weather and climate extreme events such as floods, droughts and heat waves. Extreme weather has been increasing worldwide, hence the need to understand their nature and trends. The aim of this study was to analyse the spatial variability and long-term trends of climate extremes over the Limpopo in South Africa from 1960 to 2014. Rainfall, temperature, and circulation fields were analysed to understand the extent, nature of climate extremes over the Limpopo. Extreme value theory (EVT) is a powerful method that was also employed in this study to provide statistical models for events rarely observed. R statistical software was used for clustering analysis which has a variety of functions for cluster analysis. Any station whose value is larger than 95th for any day of the season was considered as a widespread extreme event. The results show that the study area is highly vulnerable to extreme events due to its latitudinal location and low altitude. Anomalous cut-off lows, tropical cyclones and tropical storms are the major extreme producing systems affecting the Limpopo province whilst the Botswana High becomes dominant during heat waves and drought. Extreme weather events are common in Limpopo during summertime and often coincide with mature phases of the El Nino Southern Oscillation. In this study, after the suitable model for data was chosen, the interest was in deriving return levels of extreme maximum rainfall. The computed data for return levels predicted that the 5-year return period’s return level is approximately 223.89 mm, which suggests that rainfall of 223.89 mm or more per month should occur at that station or location on the average of once every five years. / NRF / http://hdl.handle.net/11602/1485