As leishmanioses são doenças consideradas antropozoonoses, ou seja, doenças primárias de animais que podem ser transmitidas ao homem. São causadas por microorganismos do gênero Leishmania e transmitidas através da picada de flebotomíneos, que são insetos alados da ordem Diptera (mesmo grupo das moscas, mosquitos e borrachudos). Apresentam-se sob duas formas clínicas: Leishmaniose Visceral ou Calazar (LV) e Leishmaniose Tegumentar Americana (LTA). As leishmanioses apresentam distribuição geográfica vasta pelo Velho e Novo Mundo, sendo estimado dessa maneira que aproximadamente 350 milhões de pessoas estejam sob iminente risco de contrair algum tipo de leishmaniose. No Brasil, as leishmanioses são encontradas em todas as unidades federadas, e o estado do Rio de Janeiro vem apresentando franca expansão dessas doenças em áreas urbanas, devido principalmente ao desmatamento ocasionado pela expansão não planejada da malha urbana. Nesse contexto, faz-se necessário desenvolver estudos sobre o espaço e o processo saúde-doença, relação estabelecida pela Geografia da Saúde, a fim de que se compreenda a correlação entre o homem e o ambiente vivido. / The leishmaniasis are diseases considered as zoonosis, primary diseases of animals which can be transmitted to humans. They are caused by microorganisms of the Leishmania genus and transmitted by the phlebotominaes pitch: these are winged insects from the Diptera group (Psycodidae;Plebotominae;Lutzomyia). They are presented in two clinical forms: Visceral Leishmaniasis or Kala-azar - VL and Cutaneous Leishmaniasis - CL. The leishmaniasis have wide geographic distribution throughout the Old and New World and it has been estimated that about 350 million people are under imminent risk of contagious of some type of leishmaniasis. In Brazil, the leishmaniasis are found in all the federated units, and the state of Rio de Janeiro has been presenting an increasing number of these diseases in urban areas, mainly due to deforestation caused by unplanned expansion of urban zones. In this context, it is necessary to carry out studies on space and the health-disease relationship established by the Health Geography, in order to explain the relationship between man and the environment, to determinate the spatial elements and social determinants that compose this relationship. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to discuss the health-disease process in the ambit of Geographic science in the actuality, looking up to demonstrate the distribution of the leishmaniasis in Rio de Janeiros state on the 2000-2010 period. It was verified at the end of the study that the VL-kind presents a regular standard of distribution in the state and the CL-kind are more likely an irregular default of distribution. Although, for the analyzed period, it has been pointed the presence of the CL-kind in areas like Rio de Janeiros Metropolitan and Costa Verde (Green Coast) Regions, a fact that deserves attention because of the high/expressive tourist vocation and activity of those.

As leishmanioses são doenças consideradas antropozoonoses, ou seja, doenças primárias de animais que podem ser transmitidas ao homem. São causadas por microorganismos do gênero Leishmania e transmitidas através da picada de flebotomíneos, que são insetos alados da ordem Diptera (mesmo grupo das moscas, mosquitos e borrachudos). Apresentam-se sob duas formas clínicas: Leishmaniose Visceral ou Calazar (LV) e Leishmaniose Tegumentar Americana (LTA). As leishmanioses apresentam distribuição geográfica vasta pelo Velho e Novo Mundo, sendo estimado dessa maneira que aproximadamente 350 milhões de pessoas estejam sob iminente risco de contrair algum tipo de leishmaniose. No Brasil, as leishmanioses são encontradas em todas as unidades federadas, e o estado do Rio de Janeiro vem apresentando franca expansão dessas doenças em áreas urbanas, devido principalmente ao desmatamento ocasionado pela expansão não planejada da malha urbana. Nesse contexto, faz-se necessário desenvolver estudos sobre o espaço e o processo saúde-doença, relação estabelecida pela Geografia da Saúde, a fim de que se compreenda a correlação entre o homem e o ambiente vivido. / The leishmaniasis are diseases considered as zoonosis, primary diseases of animals which can be transmitted to humans. They are caused by microorganisms of the Leishmania genus and transmitted by the phlebotominaes pitch: these are winged insects from the Diptera group (Psycodidae;Plebotominae;Lutzomyia). They are presented in two clinical forms: Visceral Leishmaniasis or Kala-azar - VL and Cutaneous Leishmaniasis - CL. The leishmaniasis have wide geographic distribution throughout the Old and New World and it has been estimated that about 350 million people are under imminent risk of contagious of some type of leishmaniasis. In Brazil, the leishmaniasis are found in all the federated units, and the state of Rio de Janeiro has been presenting an increasing number of these diseases in urban areas, mainly due to deforestation caused by unplanned expansion of urban zones. In this context, it is necessary to carry out studies on space and the health-disease relationship established by the Health Geography, in order to explain the relationship between man and the environment, to determinate the spatial elements and social determinants that compose this relationship. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to discuss the health-disease process in the ambit of Geographic science in the actuality, looking up to demonstrate the distribution of the leishmaniasis in Rio de Janeiros state on the 2000-2010 period. It was verified at the end of the study that the VL-kind presents a regular standard of distribution in the state and the CL-kind are more likely an irregular default of distribution. Although, for the analyzed period, it has been pointed the presence of the CL-kind in areas like Rio de Janeiros Metropolitan and Costa Verde (Green Coast) Regions, a fact that deserves attention because of the high/expressive tourist vocation and activity of those.