Spotted fever: An epidemiological analysis of surveillance records from Brazil

Abstract

Spotted fever (SF) is an acute infectious disease, transmitted by ticks. This study describes the epidemiology of SF in the period 2007-2012, from the National Disease Surveillance System records. During the study period 9644 cases of FM were reported in 10 Federal States, São Paulo (44.14%, 324/734), Santa Catarina (24.52%, 180/734), Minas Gerais (8.7%, 64/734), Rio de Janeiro (6.5%, 48/734), Espírito Santo (2.6%, 19/734), Paraná (1.63%, 12/734), Rio Grande do Sul (0, 7%, 5/734), Bahia (0.54%, 4/734), Goiás (0.4%, 3/734) and Ceará (0.27%, 2/734), with confirmation of 7, 6% (734/9644), preferably by laboratory testing 90.8% (667/734). The average coefficient of mortality for the period was 28.9%, the highest incidences of the disease were in the states of Santa Catarina 0.49, 0.13 São Paulo and Espírito Santo 0.09 and the highest mortality rates in Sao Paulo (44, 14%), Minas Gerais (39.1%) and Rio de Janeiro (31.3%). Regarding seasonality cases were observed in all months of the year, most frequently in October. The cases were more frequent in men 68.4% (502/734). Infections occurred mainly in rural areas 42.5% (312/734) in environments goers’ forests, forests, rivers and waterfalls, which were exposed to ticks 79.4% (583/734). The vast majority of patients required hospitalization 59.4% (436/734). The data presented in this study may support the technical training programs seeking to strengthen the epidemiological surveillance of SF.