Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Visceral leishmaniasis has a broad worldwide distribution and constitutes a public health problem in the Northeast of Brazil. Located in this region is the state of Alagoas, where the disease is endemic in humans and where there has been a significant increase in the number of positive dogs. The objective of this study was to describe the temporal and spatial distribution of the cases of human VL in the state of Alagoas with the aim of identifying transmission risk areas in the period from 2007 to 2018.METHODS: The data available in the National Disease Notification System (SINAN-NET) were used. The Bayesian incidence rate and the Moran’s global index were calculated using the Terra View 4.2.2 program, and the maps were created using QGIS2.18.0. RESULTS: From the 102 municipalities, 68.6% (n= 70) had at least one notified case of VL in the years of study. A total of 489 cases were registered, with an average of 40.7 cases per year and an incidence rate of 1.25/100,000 inhabitants. The highest number of confirmed cases (105) occurred in 2018. Male individuals and children between 1-4 years old were the most affected, and 64% of the cases were in rural areas. Spatial dependence was detected in all the intervals except for the first triennium, and clusters were formed in the west of the state. CONCLUSIONS: Alagoas presented an accentuated geographical expansion of VL, and it is necessary to prioritize areas and increase surveillance actions and epidemiological control.
Highlights
Visceral leishmaniasis has a broad worldwide distribution and constitutes a public health problem in the Northeast of Brazil
Between 2007 and 2018 489 cases of Human visceral leishmaniasis (HVL) were registered in the state of Alagoas, with an average of 40.7 cases per year and an incidence of 1.25/100 per thousand inhabitants
The incidence data revealed a progressive geographical expansion of HVL in the period under study, showing a tendency to persist in municipalities which already had notified cases, strengthening the endemic status of the Alagoas
Summary
Visceral leishmaniasis has a broad worldwide distribution and constitutes a public health problem in the Northeast of Brazil. Located in this region is the state of Alagoas, where the disease is endemic in humans and where there has been a significant increase in the number of positive dogs. Human visceral leishmaniasis (HVL) has a broad worldwide distribution with occurrence in Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and in at least 12 countries of the Americas[4], where from the reported cases came from deforested, peripheral areas or those in the process of territorial expansion[6]. The disease is endemic in Brazil, representing more than half of the cases of the Americas, and is distributed in the North, Central-West, Northeast, and Southeast regions, representing a public health problem[7,8]
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