Dados do Trabalho

Título

Epidemiology of acute Chagas disease in Northeast Brazil: a time series approach

Introdução

Introduction: Chagas disease (CD) is a group of infectious diseases that affect tropical and subtropical regions of countries with developing economies. Caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi), this disease has been considered a public health problem in terms of its incidence of cases and therapeutic limitations. Therefore, understanding the epidemiology of CD in Northeast Brazil is crucial for implementing effective and targeted public health measures.  

Objetivo (s)

Objective:To assess the trend in the rate of CD cases in the Northeast of Brazil between 2013 and 2022.

Material e Métodos

Material and Methods: This is an ecological time-series observational study with a quantitative approach, using secondary data from the Hospital Information System platform of the Department of Informatics of the Unified Health System, as well as population estimates from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. Confirmed cases of CD in Northeast Brazil between 2013-2022 were analyzed. The variables of state, race and age were observed in the study. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data, as well as inferential statistics using segmented linear regression (Joinpoint regression 5.0).

Resultados e Conclusão

Results: A total of 108 cases of the disease occurred, 2 in 2013 and 11 in 2022, with an upward trend between 2013 and 2019 with an annual percentage change (APC) of 15.88% (CI: 95%: 10.33; 383.28) followed by a downward trend until the last year analyzed (APC= -34.65; CI 95%: -75.37; -22.82) in terms of the absolute number of cases. However, with regard to the incidence rate, there was an increase from 0.35 (2013) to 2.01 cases per 10,000,000 inhabitants in 2022. These cases are mainly concentrated in Maranhão, responsible for 40.74% (44) of the cases, and more than half (50.92% - 55 cases) occurred in brown-skinned people. The most affected age groups are 20 to 39 and 40 to 59, together accounting for 62.03% (67) of notifications. Conclusion: Although the absolute numbers show a decrease, which may have been influenced by the underreporting of the recent pandemic context, this does not imply a decrease in incidence rates, mainly affecting people of working age in the labor sector and concentrated in the state of Maranhão, where there should be an intensification of health strategies aimed at preventing infection by the pathogen.  

Palavras Chave

Chagas disease; Epidemiology; Trypanosoma cruzi.