Temporal distribution of visceral leishmaniasis in Paraíba state, northeastern brazil, by geographic region, 2012-2017

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the temporal distribution of human (HVL) and canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) in the state of Paraíba between 2012 and 2017, by Intermediate and Immediate Geographic Region (GR). As an ecological study with a quantitative approach, data were collected in the LACEN PB database; Dra. Telma Lobo Central Public Health Laboratory, Paraíba; and refer to positive cases of HVL and CVL presented in the state in the period under study. Poisson Regression Modeling was used to quantify the average number of cases from one year to another. The results revealed that the immediate GRs of Mamanguape - Rio Tinto, Campina Grande, and Cajazeiras present a statistically significant increasing trend in the average number of HVL cases. The immediate GRs of Campina Grande, Patos, Cuité - Nova Floresta, Itaporanga, and João Pessoa revealed a significant increase in the average number of CVL cases during the period analyzed. The need for reorganization of disease control operations and preventive actions was confirmed, especially in those regions identified with growth.

Hierarchical spatiotemporal modeling of human visceral leishmaniasis in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

“…Specifically, we see that the southwest municipalities are highly likely to have risk of VL more than double the expectation. West Potiguar borders the states of Ceará and Paraíba, who have also experienced increasing incidence rates of VL over time, respectively [ 6 , 8 ]. The exceedance probabilities of relative risk greater than two for the Central and Agreste Potiguar regions range between 0% and 80% across time, with a few northern municipalities showing high exceedance probabilities during the earlier years of this study.…”

“…Human visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is endemic in Brazil [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] and is recognized as a neglected tropical disease by the World Health Organization [13]. In Brazil, VL etiology stems from the protozoan Leishmania infantum, where the domestic dog serves as a sentinel host with the phlebotomine sand fly as the typical vector [14].…”

“…Costa et al [ 17 ] and Jeronimo et al [ 18 ] highlight VL spread to urban areas within the northeastern region of Brazil in the last two decades of the 20 th century. Silva et al [ 6 ] reported increasing VL cases from 2012 to 2017 in major cities of the Paraíba state in Brazil, Almeida et al [ 19 ] observed spatial expansion of VL from 2007 to 2017 in Fortaleza, a coastal city within the Ceará state in Brazil, and da Silva Lima et al [ 20 ] noted increasing VL fatality in the last decade in Piauí, Brazil. The state of Alagoas, Brazil also experienced geographic spread of VL from 2007 to 2018, primarily in rural areas [ 7 ].…”