Spatial analysis of congenital syphilis in a federative unit in northeastern Brazil

Abstract Background Congenital syphilis is an infectious disease that affects 1 million children a year worldwide. Methods The objective of this study was to describe a spatial analysis of the epidemiological characteristics of congenital syphilis in the state of Maranhão, Brazil from 2007 to 2018....

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Published in:Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Vol. 115; no. 10; pp. 1207 - 1217
Main Authors: Graepp Fontoura, Iolanda, Lima, Valckinara Carreiro, Fontoura, Volmar Morais, Santos, Floriacy Stabnow, de Jesus Costa, Ana Cristina Pereira, de Oliveira, Francisca Jacinta Feitoza, de Oliveira Feitosa, Marcela, de Almeida Tavares, Hanari Santos, Lima, Lilian Natália Ferreira, Falcão, Arissane de Sousa, Silva, Roberta de Araújo e, Dias, Ismália Cassandra Costa Maia, dos Santos, Leonardo Hunaldo, Bezerra, Janaina Miranda, Fonseca, Sheila Cristina Teixeira, Santos Neto, Marcelino
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England Oxford University Press 01-10-2021
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Summary:Abstract Background Congenital syphilis is an infectious disease that affects 1 million children a year worldwide. Methods The objective of this study was to describe a spatial analysis of the epidemiological characteristics of congenital syphilis in the state of Maranhão, Brazil from 2007 to 2018. This was an ecological study using data obtained in May 2020 from three Brazilian information systems. The spatial correlation was analyzed according to local and global Moran indexes. Results During the 12-y period, 1 426 177 children were born. Of these children, 3684 acquired congenital syphilis (0.26%; mean annual rate of 2.62/1000 live births) and 70 died (1.90%; mean annual rate 0.05). The clusters were statistically significant according to the global Moran index of 0.40 (p=0.01). Spearman's correlation coefficient between the rate of detection of syphilis in pregnant women and family health strategy teams was strong, positive and significant (ρ=0.73; p<0.00). Most of the variables studied showed a trend of annual increase (p<0.05). Conclusions The use of spatial analysis tools have made it possible to detect areas with both a greater and a lesser need for intervention, and to more effectively improve and monitor those areas to change the epidemiological profile of the disease.
ISSN:0035-9203
1878-3503
DOI:10.1093/trstmh/traa191