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| | CDC - Impact of El Niño/Southern Oscillation on Visceral Leishmaniasis, Brazil |
 | | Data from the State of Bahia, analyzed in our study, show that 247 municipalities were affected during the strong El Niño of 1997–98, mainly in the semi-arid inland region, where approximately 200,000 people were included in SUDENE’s emergency program, at a cost of an estimated US $62 million. |
 | | We observed that, despite the wide territorial area of Bahia and the complex epidemiologic nature of VL, the cycle of the annual incidence appears to be narrowly associated with both the frequency and duration of El Niño episodes. |
 | | In the semi-arid region of Bahia, El Niño episodes coincide with the rainy season and negate its effect, causing a prolonged drought by connecting the previous dry season, the period of El Niño, and the subsequent dry season. |
| www.cdc.gov /ncidod/eid/vol8no9/01-0523.htm (2456 words) |
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