Lidsy Ximenes Fonseca

Vulnerability of Brazilian municipalities to hantavirus infections based on multi-criteria decision analysis

BackgroundHantavirus infection is an emerging zoonosis transmitted by wild rodents. In Brazil, high case-fatality rates among humans infected with hantavirus are of serious concern to public health authorities. Appropriate preventive measures partly depend on reliable knowledge about the geographical distribution of this disease.MethodsIncidence of hantavirus infections in Brazil (1993–2013) was analyzed. Epidemiological, socioeconomic, and demographic indicators were also used to classify cities’ vulnerability to disease by means of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA).ResultsFrom 1993 to 2013, 1752 cases of hantavirus were registered in 16 Brazilian states. The highest incidence of hantavirus was observed in the states of Mato Grosso (0.57/100,000) and Santa Catarina (0.13/100,000). Based on MCDA analysis, municipalities in the southern, southeastern, and midwestern regions of Brazil can be classified as highly vulnerable. Most municipalities in northern and northeastern Brazil were classified as having low vulnerability to hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome.ConclusionsAlthough most human infections by hantavirus registered in Brazil occurred in the southern region of the country, a greater vulnerability to hantavirus was found in the Brazilian Midwest. This result reflects the need to strengthen surveillance where the disease has thus far gone unreported.

Vigilância de ambientes da febre maculosa: explorando as áreas silenciosas do Brasil

This study described the interventions in quiet areas of Brazil, from the aspect of health promotion. The areas were evaluated from 2014 to 2015, including the following Federal Units: Mato Grosso do Sul, Alagoas, Pernambuco, Rondonia, Roraima, Rio Grande do Norte and Maranhao. Data on surveillance spotted fever were evaluated by notification forms available in the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN), as well as vectors and the spotted fever group rickettsial infections (SFGR). A total of 1,528 vectors were collected from ten different species, whose the highest diversity was observed in Rondonia. In this study, 85% of States which were investigated showed SFGR in vectors or human, and Mato Grosso do Sul, Rondonia and Pernambuco were the most prevalent ones. The results showed the necessity of ongoing training of health and environment professionals in order to improve data about the presence of Rocky Mountain spotted fever among us.