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Construction of the Tucuruí hydroelectric dam in Southeast Pará State, Brazil, in 1981, caused enormous environmental changes, deforestation, and human migration to the region. This study focuses on the influence of these changes and the appearance of malaria in the municipality of Jacundá, Pará, using remote sensing and geographic information systems. The variables used to construct maps were distances from roads, farming areas, rivers, the dam, streams, and the urban area. This study confirmed the elevation of malaria to the epidemic level since the construction of the Tucuruí dam. The study suggests that a seasonal pattern of malaria incidence is associated with the flooding season and exposure of workers during harvest. Malaria cases were related to the form of land occupation, especially in more densely populated areas.

The objective of this study, based on a systematic literature review, is to present the characteristics and potentialities of remote sensing as a useful environmental surveillance tool for applied research in the control of endemics in Brazil. Onboard satellite sensors allow for monitoring the territory, furnishing spatial and temporal information on various scales and regions in the electromagnetic spectrum. Based on the literature review on the application of this technology to the study of endemics and the identification of the potential of new sensors with better spectral, spatial, and temporal resolutions, this study highlights perspectives for the use of remote sensing in the study of important endemics for Brazil.