Análise epidemiológica das notificações de doença de Chagas aguda na Região Nordeste do Brasil no período de 2001 A 2021

Abstract

Chagas disease (CD), caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi), is a neglected disease and endemic in some Latin American countries, including Brazil. Shortly after infection, individuals develop an acute phase, which in most cases is asymptomatic. When CD is detected early, notification to the Information System for Notifiable Diseases (SINAN) is mandatory. Thus, this study aims to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of acute CD during the period from 2001 to 2021 in the Northeast region of Brazil. For this purpose, secondary data available on the SINAN website were accessed. This is an ecological epidemiological study, descriptive in nature, with a quantitative approach. The results showed that 1,444 cases of acute CD were reported in the Northeast region of Brazil during the study period. From 2001 to 2006, 90.24% of notifications were recorded, while the number of reported cases decreased significantly in the following years, from 2007 to 2021 (9.76%). Following the observation of this sharp decline in acute CD cases after 2007, the period analyzed was stratified into two intervals: period 1 from 2001 to 2006, and period 2 from 2007 to 2021. Regarding population characteristics, in period 1, most individuals diagnosed with acute CD were women (55.64%), self-identified as Afro-descendant (58.79%), and aged between 40 and 59 years (47.51%). They had low levels of education, with the majority having studied between 1 and 3 years (28.01%). Most cases occurred in rural areas (52.57%), with vector transmission being predominant (73.29%). In period 2, there was no statistically significant difference between men and women. Most individuals also self-identified as Afro-descendant (73.05%), aged between 20 and 39 years (36.88%), and had no formal education. Among the few records with educational data (4.97%), all indicated no schooling, while the remaining 95.03% lacked this information. Most cases occurred in rural areas (25.53%), and oral transmission was the predominant route (58.87%). In both periods, diagnosis was confirmed through laboratory methods. The highest incidence was observed in the state of Rio Grande do Norte during period 1, and in Maranhão during period 2. The results of this study demonstrate that CD remains a significant public health challenge, particularly because it affects vulnerable populations, often residing in rural areas with limited access to healthcare services, early diagnosis, and adequate treatment.