[Analysis of the information on visceral leishmaniasis available through Brazilian portals of the worldwide web--internet].

With the aim of analyzing the adequacy of the information on visceral leishmaniasis that is available through Brazilian portals, a survey was conducted through a search portal, with selection and analysis of electronic page content. Twenty-four pages with informative purposes were identified, of which eight belonged to government bodies, 10 were commercial and six were classified as others. Using a systematized analysis form, the content of topics considered essential, relating to transmission, reservoirs, control and disease, was evaluated. The regulatory manuals of the Ministry of Health and the scientific literature were defined as the standards for information. High percentages of absences of information relating to the topics discriminated in each of the four content categories were observed in all of the pages. Analysis of the adequacy of the information, when it was present, showed 100% adequacy on the pages of the government bodies and the others. However, the commercial pages displayed high percentages of incorrect or incomplete information, particularly in the disease category. Overall, the content on leishmaniasis on the electronic pages analyzed was considered to be of low informative value.