DYSFUNCTIONAL URBANIZATION AND THE SEMIARID ARBOVIRUS PARADOX: AN ECO-URBAN MODEL FROM MEDIUM-SIZED CITIES IN BRAZIL
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52832/jesh.v6i2.676Keywords:
Climate Variability, Sanitation, Urban Health, Vector Ecology, Water StorageAbstract
Arbovirus transmission has traditionally been associated with humid tropical environments, yet recent evidence from the Brazilian semiarid challenges this paradigm. Medium-sized cities in this region exhibit increasing arboviral circulation despite chronic water scarcity and extreme heat, revealing a paradox in which adaptive human practices and urban conditions sustain vector proliferation. This study aimed to analyze how dysfunctional urbanization and urban heat dynamics influence arbovirus transmission in semiarid urban systems and to propose an integrative conceptual model. An integrative literature review was conducted using major international and regional databases, covering studies published between 2010 and 2026. After systematic screening, a set of studies was selected and analyzed through thematic synthesis. The results demonstrate that horizontal urban expansion, inadequate sanitation, and domestic water storage create persistent breeding sites, while urban heat islands and climatic variability accelerate vector development and viral replication. The discussion highlights that these factors operate as an interconnected system, rather than isolated drivers, reinforcing transmission through feedback mechanisms involving environment, infrastructure, and human behavior. The study proposes the Semiarid Urban Arbovirus Amplification System as a theoretical framework to explain these dynamics. It concludes that arbovirus risk in semiarid cities must be reframed through integrated approaches that consider urban planning, climate, and socio-environmental conditions, particularly in the context of global warming.
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