Propensity for COVID-19 severe epidemic among the populations of the neighborhoods of Fortaleza, Brazil, in 2020.

BACKGROUND: The state of Ceará (Northeast Brazil) has shown a high incidence of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and most of the cases that were diagnosed during the epidemic originated from the capital Fortaleza. Monitoring the dynamics of the COVID-19 epidemic is of strategic importance and requires the use of sensitive tools for epidemiological surveillance, including consistent analyses that allow the recognition of areas with a greater propensity for increased severity throughout the cycle of the epidemic. This study aims to classify neighborhoods in the city of Fortaleza according to their propensity for a severe epidemic of COVID-19 in 2020. METHODS: We conducted an ecological study within the geographical area of the 119 neighborhoods located in the city of Fortaleza. To define the main transmission networks (infection chains), we assumed that the spatial diffusion of the COVID-19 epidemic was influenced by population mobility. To measure the propensity for a severe epidemic, we calculated the infectivity burden (ItyB), infection burden (IonB), and population epidemic vulnerability index (PEVI). The propensity score for a severe epidemic in the neighborhoods of the city of Fortaleza was estimated by combining the IonB and PEVI. RESULTS: The neighborhoods with the highest propensity for a severe COVID-19 epidemic were Aldeota, Cais do Porto, Centro, Edson Queiroz, Vicente Pinzon, Jose de Alencar, Presidente Kennedy, Papicu, Vila Velha, Antonio Bezerra, and Cambeba. Importantly, we found that the propensity for a COVID-19 epidemic was high in areas with differing socioeconomic profiles. These areas include a very poor neighborhood situated on the western border of the city (Vila Velha), neighborhoods characterized by a large number of subnormal agglomerates in the Cais do Porto region (Vicente Pinzon), and those located in the oldest central area of the city, where despite the wealth, low-income groups have remained (Aldeota and the adjacent Edson Queiroz). CONCLUSION: Although measures against COVID-19 should be applied to the entire municipality of Fortaleza, the classification of neighborhoods generated through this study can help improve the specificity and efficiency of these measures.

Active and latent tuberculosis in refugees and asylum seekers: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: In 2018, there were 70.8 million refugees, asylum seekers and persons displaced by wars and conflicts worldwide. Many of these individuals face a high risk for tuberculosis in their country of origin, which may be accentuated by adverse conditions endured during their journey. We summarised the prevalence of active and latent tuberculosis infection in refugees and asylum seekers through a systematic literature review and meta-analyses by country of origin and host continent. METHODS: Articles published in Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science and LILACS from January 2000 to August 2017 were searched for, without language restriction. Two independent authors performed the study selection, data extraction and quality assessment. Random effect models were used to estimate average measures of active and latent tuberculosis prevalence. Sub-group meta-analyses were performed according to country of origin and host continent. RESULTS: Sixty-seven out of 767 identified articles were included, of which 16 entered the meta-analyses. Average prevalence of active and latent tuberculosis was 1331 per 100 thousand inhabitants [95% confidence interval (CI) = 542-2384] and 37% (95% CI = 23-52%), respectively, both with high level of heterogeneity (variation in estimative attributable to heterogeneity [I2] = 98.2 and 99.8%). Prevalence varied more according to countries of origin than host continent. Ninety-one per cent of studies reported routine screening of recently arrived immigrants in the host country; two-thirds confirmed tuberculosis bacteriologically. Many studies failed to provide relevant information. CONCLUSION: Tuberculosis is a major health problem among refugees and asylum seekers and should be given special attention in any host continent. To protect this vulnerable population, ensuring access to healthcare for early detection for prevention and treatment of the disease is essential.

Breastfeeding patterns in cohort infants at a high-risk fetal, neonatal and child referral center in Brazil: a correspondence analysis.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the prevalence and patterns of breastfeeding at discharge and in the first six months of life in a high-risk fetal, neonatal and child referral center. METHODS: Prospective, longitudinal study that included the following three steps: hospital admission, first visit after hospital discharge and monthly telephone interview until the sixth month of life. The total number of losses was 75 mothers (7.5%). Exposure variables were sorted into four groups: factors related to the newborn, the mother, the health service and breastfeeding. The dependent variable is breastfeeding as per categories established by the WHO. All 1200 children born or transferred to the high-risk fetal, neonatal and child referral center, within a seven-day postpartum period, from March 2017 to April 2018, were considered eligible for the study, and only 1003 were included. The follow-up period ended in October 2018. For this paper, we performed an exploratory analysis at hospital discharge in three stages, as follows: (i) frequencies of baseline characteristics, stratified by risk for newborn; (ii) a multiple correspondence analysis (MCA); and (iii) clusters for variables related to hospital practice and exclusive breastfeeding (EBF). RESULTS: The prevalence of EBF at hospital discharge was 65.2% (62.1-68.2) and 20.6% (16.5-25.0) in the six months of life. Out of all at-risk newborns, 45.7% were in EBF at discharge. The total inertia corresponding to the two dimensions in the MCA explained for 75.4% of the total data variability, with the identification of four groups, confirmed by the cluster analysis. DISCUSSION: Our results suggest that robust breastfeeding hospital policies and practices influence the establishment and maintenance of breastfeeding in both healthy and at-risk infants. It is advisable to plan and implement additional strategies to ensure that vulnerable and healthy newborns receive optimal feeding. It is necessary to devote extra effort particularly to at-risk infants who are more vulnerable to negative outcomes. CONCLUSION: At-risk newborns did not exclusively breastfeed to the same extent as healthy newborns at hospital discharge. A different approach is required for at-risk neonates, who are more physically challenged and more vulnerable to problems associated with initiation and maintenance of breastfeeding.

Trends in the use of health services and their relationship with multimorbidity in Brazil, 1998-2013.

BACKGROUND: Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of multimorbidity. Access to effective and equitable health services that meet NCDs' needs is still limited in many countries. This constitutes the main barrier to coping with NCDs, especially in minimising the suffering of those who are already sick. The present study aimed to identify the relationship between multimorbidity and the use of different health services in Brazil from 1998 to 2013. METHODS: This is a panel study using data from the health supplement of the National Household Sample Survey of 1998, 2003 and 2008 and data from the National Health Survey carried out in 2013. Three health service utilization outcomes were considered: 1. search for health services in the last 15 days (excluding dental services), 2. medical consultation in the previous 12 months and 3. hospitalisations over the last 12 months. Multimorbidity was assessed by counting the number of morbidities from a list of 10 morbidities. Poisson regression models stratified by sex were used to estimate the crude and adjusted prevalence ratios and their respective 95% confidence intervals for each outcome of health service use and multimorbidity, per year. RESULTS: There was an increase in the prevalence of demand for health services and medical consultations in the last 12 months between 1998 and 2013, regardless of the multimorbidity classification. The prevalence of hospitalisations has decreased over the study period and increased twofold in individuals with multimorbidity. Having multimorbidity increased the use of health services for the three outcomes under the study, being more expressive among men. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that individuals with multimorbidity have higher levels of use of health services. Better understand the multimorbidity epidemiology and the associated impacts on the use and costs of health services can increase the quality of care provided to these patients and reduce rising health care costs.

Relationship between local presence and density of Aedes aegypti eggs with dengue cases: a spatial analysis approach.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the relationship between the occurrence of dengue and ovitrap positivity and dengue egg density in two Amazonas municipalities (Brazil) in 2016. METHODS: We performed a case-control study using secondary data from the dengue fever surveillance system. Ovitraps distributed regularly in the urban area of two cities were used to monitor the presence of the vector. The relationship between egg positivity, egg density and the location of dengue cases was evaluated using two approaches as follows: (i) based on the result of the nearest neighbour ovitrap and (ii) based on the results of the set of ovitraps within the influence area of 300 m from the location of each case and control. RESULTS: During the study period, 229 confirmed cases of dengue fever were reported in Tabatinga and 89 cases in Itacoatiara. In this study, we found that the positivity of ovitraps was related to the occurrence of dengue in Tabatinga and Itacoatiara. An association between egg density of Ae. aegypti and dengue occurrence was also observed in Itacoatiara. The temporal lags for ovitrap positivity measurements were predominantly 15 or 30 days. A dengue association for egg density for a 15-day time lag was detected for one of the case-control approaches. CONCLUSIONS: The location of dengue cases is related to ovitrap egg positivity, while a less evident possible association may exist for egg density. This indicates that these traps could be used to improve vector control actions.

Tuberculosis incidence inequalities and its social determinants in Manaus from 2007 to 2016.

BACKGROUND: Brazil is among the 30 countries with high-burden of tuberculosis worldwide, and Manaus is the capital with the highest tuberculosis incidence. The accelerated economic and population growth in Manaus in the last 30 years has strengthened the process of social stratification that may result in population groups that are less favored in terms of healthcare and are vulnerable to infection and illness due to tuberculosis. This study aimed to characterize inequalities associated with tuberculosis incidence in relation to the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the resident population of Manaus and to identify their determinants from 2007 to 2016. METHODS: An ecological study was conducted using the data from the Diseases Notification Information System. Tuberculosis incidence rates by population characteristics (gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic level) were calculated for each year, studied, and represented in equiplot charts. To measure the disparity of tuberculosis incidence in the resident population in Manaus, the Gini index of tuberculosis in each neighborhood was calculated based on the incidence rates of the census sectors. A thematic map was constructed to represent the spatial distribution of tuberculosis incidence inequality. Linear regression models were used to identify the relationship between the tuberculosis incidence inequality and its social determinants. RESULTS: From 2007 to 2016, there was an increase in the tuberculosis incidence in Manaus, together with an increase in incident inequality among genders, ethnic groups, and socioeconomic level. The incidence of tuberculosis inequality was associated with the inequalities of its possible determinants (Gini of the proportion of male population, Gini of the proportion of indigenous population, Gini of the proportion of illiteracy, Gini of income, Gini of the proportion of households connected to the water network, and Gini of the mean number of bathrooms per inhabitant), the per capita income, and the proportion of cases with laboratory confirmation. CONCLUSIONS: Disparities in tuberculosis incidence in the resident population in neighborhoods can be explained by the sociodemographic and economic heterogeneity. Our findings recommend that public policies and tuberculosis control strategies consider differences in the determinants of tuberculosis inequality for the development of specific actions for each population group.

Predicting cardiometabolic disturbances from waist-to-height ratio: findings from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) baseline.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) in predicting cardiometabolic outcomes and compare cut-off points for Brazilian adults. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. WHtR areas under the curve (AUC) were compared with those for BMI, waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). The outcomes of interest were hypertension, diabetes, hypertriacylglycerolaemia and presence of at least two components of metabolic syndrome (≥2 MetS). Cut-offs for WHtR were compared and validity measures were estimated for each point. SETTING: Teaching and research institutions in six Brazilian state capitals, 2008-2010. SUBJECTS: Women (n 5026) and men (n 4238) aged 35-54 years who participated in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) at baseline. RESULTS: WHtR age-adjusted AUC ranged from 0·68 to 0·72 in men and 0·69 to 0·75 in women, with smaller AUC for hypertriacylglycerolaemia and the largest for ≥2 MetS. WHtR performed better than BMI for practically all outcomes; better than WHR for hypertension in both sexes; and displayed larger AUC than WC in predicting diabetes mellitus. It also offered better discriminatory power for ≥2 MetS in men; and was better than WC, but not WHR, in women. Optimal cut-off points of WHtR were 0·55 (women) and 0·54 (men), but they presented high false-negative rate compared with 0·50. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend using WHtR (which performed similarly to, or better than, other available indices of adiposity) as an anthropometric index with good discriminatory power for cardiometabolic outcomes in Brazilian adults, indicating the already referenced limit of WHtR≥0·50.

Dengue epidemic typology and risk factors for extensive epidemic in Amazonas state, Brazil, 2010-2011.

BACKGROUND: Dengue is the most prevalent arboviral disease affecting humans. The frequency and magnitude of dengue epidemic have significantly increased over recent decades. This study aimed to identify dengue epidemic types and risk factors for the extensive epidemics that occurred in 2010-2011, across the municipalities of Amazonas state, Brazil. METHODS: Using an ecological approach, secondary data were obtained from the dengue fever surveillance system. Epidemic waves were classified according to three indices: duration, intensity, and coverage. A hierarchical model of multiple logistic regression was used for the identification of risk factors, with the occurrence of extensive dengue epidemic. RESULTS: During the study period, dengue virus affected 49 of the 62 Amazonas municipalities. In 22 of these, the epidemics were of high intensity, wide range, and long time span, and therefore categorized as "extensive epidemics". The final multivariable model revealed a significant association between extensive dengue epidemics occurrence and the average number of days with precipitation (adjusted OR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.01-1.94) and the number of years with infestation (adjusted OR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.18-1.98). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that it is crucial to integrate vector control, case management, epidemiological investigation, and health education, in order to respond to the growing threat of multiple mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue, Zika and chikungunya, which are highly prevalent in the South America region.

Prevalence of tuberculosis respiratory symptoms and associated factors in the indigenous populations of Paraguay (2012).

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of respiratory symptoms and confirmed tuberculosis (TB) among indigenous groups in Paraguay is unknown. METHODS: This study assessed the prevalence of respiratory symptoms, confirmed pulmonary TB, and associated socio-economic factors among indigenous Paraguayan populations. Indigenous persons residing in selected communities were included in the study. A total of 24,352 participants were interviewed at home between October and December 2012. Respiratory symptomatic individuals were defined as those with respiratory symptoms of TB. A hierarchical Poisson regression analysis was performed with four levels: individual characteristics, living conditions and environmental characteristics, source of food, and type of nutrition. FINDINGS: In this study, 1,383 participants had respiratory symptoms (5.7%), but only 10 had culture-confirmed TB (41/100,000 inhabitants). The small number of cases did not allow evaluation of the risk factors for TB. Age older than 37 years was associated with a two-fold increased risk of symptoms. Female sex; family history of TB; type of housing; home heating; a lack of hunting, fishing, or purchasing food; and a lack of vegetable consumption were also associated with the presence of symptoms. A lack of cereal consumption had a protective effect. Members of the Ayoreo or Manjui ethnic groups had a three-fold increased risk of symptoms. MAIN CONCLUSION: Individual characteristics, dietary habits, and belonging to specific ethnic groups were associated with respiratory symptoms.

Deforestation, drainage network, indigenous status, and geographical differences of malaria in the State of Amazonas.

BACKGROUND: Malaria is a major public health problem worldwide. In Brazil, an average of 420,000 cases of malaria have been reported annually in the last 12 years, of which 99.7 % occurred in the Amazon region. This study aimed to analyse the distribution of malaria in the State of Amazonas and the influence of indigenous malaria in this scenario, to evaluate the correlation between incidence rates and socio-economic and environmental factors, and to evaluate the performance of health surveillance services. METHODS: This ecological study used secondary data obtained from the SIVEP-MALARIA malaria surveillance programme. The relationship between demographic, socio-economic and environmental factors, the performance of health surveillance services and the incidence of malaria in Amazonas, a multiple linear regression model was used. RESULTS: The crude rate of malaria in Amazonas was 4142.72 cases per 100,000 inhabitants between 2003 and 2012. The incidence rates for the indigenous and non-indigenous populations were 12,976.02 and 3749.82, respectively, with an indigenous population attributable fraction of only 8 %. The results of the linear regression analysis indicated a negative correlation between the two socio-economic indicators (municipal human development index (MHDI) and poverty rate) and the incidence of malaria in the period. With regard to the environmental indicators (average annual deforestation rate and percentage of areas under the influence of watercourses), the correlation with the incidence rate was positive. CONCLUSIONS: The findings underscore the importance of implementing economic and social development policies articulated with strategic actions of environmental protection and health care for the population.

Effectiveness of RHZE-FDC (fixed-dose combination) compared to RH-FDC + Z for tuberculosis treatment in Brazil: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: In 2009, Brazil was the sole high-burden country to use three drugs [rifampin (R), isoniazid (H) and pyrazinamide (Z)] as the standard treatment for sensitive tuberculosis, with RH in fixed-dose combination (FDC). In December 2009, the country has adopted the FDC four-drug regimen including ethambutol (E). The rationale was the expectation to reduce default and resistance rates, by increasing adherence to treatment and avoiding monotherapy. However, there is no consensus on the superior effectiveness of the RHZE-FDC regimen over RH-FDC + Z. In particular, few studies evaluated its influence on default and smear negativation rates. METHODS: We conducted a historic cohort study to assess the effectiveness of RHZE-FDC for the treatment of tuberculosis in Brazil, measured by the rates of treatment default and smear negativation in the second month of treatment, using secondary data from the national information system known as SINAN-TB. RESULTS: The RHZE-FDC had a protective effect against treatment default compared to RH-FDC + Z, reducing it by 14%. However, it was not possible to show an effect of the RHZE-FDC on the rate of second month smear negativation. In addition to the regimen, other well-studied individual characteristics, such as older age (over 38 years) and higher education occupation were also protective against default. Conversely, alcoholism increased the probability of defaulting. These programmatic findings suggests the benefits of RHZE-FDC over RH-FDC + Z. CONCLUSION: Our analysis of a cohort database in a high burden country shows that compared to RH-FDC + Z, RHZE-FDC reduces the default rates, independently of other influencing individual or health service factors.

Tuberculosis and living conditions in Salvador, Brazil: a spatial analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate spatial tuberculosis (TB) distribution patterns and the association between living conditions and incidence of the disease in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. METHODS: An ecological study with neighborhood as the unit of analysis. Data was collected from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação, SINAN) and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística, IBGE). Rates of TB incidence were transformed and smoothed. Spatial analysis was applied to identify spatial auto-correlation and "hotspot" areas of high and low risk. The relationship between TB and living conditions was confirmed by spatial linear regression. RESULTS: The incidence of TB in Salvador displayed heterogeneous patterns, with higher rates occurring in neighborhoods with poor living conditions in 1995 - 1996. Over the study period, disease occurrence declined, particularly in less-privileged strata. In 2004 - 2005, the association between living conditions and TB was no longer observed. CONCLUSIONS: The heterogeneous spatial distribution of TB in Salvador previously reflected inequalities related to living conditions. Improvements in such conditions and health care for the less privileged may have contributed to observed changes.

Clinical predictors of severe forms of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 in adults and children during the 2009 epidemic in Brazil.

The World Health Organization (WHO) raised the global alert level for the A(H1N1) influenza pandemic in June 2009. However, since the beginning of the epidemic, the fight against the epidemic lacked foundations for managing cases to reduce the disease lethality. It was urgent to carry out studies that would indicate a model for predicting severe forms of influenza. This study aimed to identify risk factors for severe forms during the 2009 influenza epidemic and develop a prediction model based on clinical epidemiological data. A case-control of cases notified to the health secretariats of the states of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Paraná, and Rio Grande do Sul was conducted. Cases had fever, respiratory symptoms, positive confirmatory test for the presence of the virus associated with one of the three conditions: (i) presenting respiratory complications such as pneumonia, ventilatory failure, severe acute respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis, acute cardiovascular complications or death; or respiratory failure requiring invasive or non-invasive ventilatory support, (ii) having been hospitalized or (iii) having been admitted to an Intensive Care Unit. Controls were individuals diagnosed with the disease on the same date (or same week) as the cases. A total of 1653 individuals were included in the study, (858 cases/795 controls). These participants had a mean age of 26 years, a low level of education, and were mostly female. The most important predictors identified were systolic blood pressure in mmHg, respiratory rate in bpm, dehydration, obesity, pregnancy (in women), and vomiting (in children). Three clinical prediction models of severity were developed, for adults, adult women, and for children. The performance evaluation of these models indicated good predictive capacity. The area values under the ROC curve of these models were 0.89; 0.98 and 0.91 respectively for the model of adults, adult women, and children respectively.

Factors associated with the rapid implementation process of the fixed-dose combination RHZE tuberculosis regimen in Brazil: an ecological study.

BACKGROUND: The Brazilian National Tuberculosis Control Program (NTCP) recommended the fixed-dose four-drug combination (FDC-RHZE) regimen to treat new tuberculosis cases in December 2009, expecting to increase adherence and avoid resistance. We evaluated factors associated with the speed of the new regimen implementation process in this continent-sized country. METHODS: We conducted an ecological study based on the Brazilian Case Notification Database (SINAN) having the Brazilian municipalities as the analytical unit. Municipalities with at least one case reported from December 2009 to March 2011 were considered eligible. The association of rapid (≤ 3 months) implementation of the new regimen with demographic, epidemiological and operational health service characteristics, such as compliance with NTCP recommendations (supervised treatment, bacteriological confirmation of the diagnosis and monthly bacteriological monitoring), was analyzed. We used the adjusted odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence interval (CI) to assess the association of independent variables with the outcome in a multiple logistic regression model. RESULTS: Rapid implementation of the new regimen in municipalities was associated with small populations (OR=25.5, 95% CI= 19.1-34.1), low population density (OR=2.3, 95% CI= 1.9-2.9), low tuberculosis incidence rates (OR=8.8, 95% CI= 6.7-11.4) and good compliance with other NTCP recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: We showed that SINAN secondary data analysis is feasible and useful to learn lessons from. Municipalities with high tuberculosis burden and large populations need special attention for implementing new recommendations. This is particularly important considering the Global Alliance pipeline for new tuberculosis treatment regimens.

Yellow fever vaccine safety in immunocompromised individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Yellow fever (YF) is an arbovirus with variable severity, including severe forms with high mortality. The vaccination is the most effective measure to protect against the disease. Non-serious and serious adverse events have been described in immunocompromised individuals, but previous studies have failed to demonstrate this association. This systematic review assessed the risk of adverse events after YF vaccination in immunocompromised individuals compared with its use in non-immunocompromised individuals. METHODS: A search was conducted in the MEDLINE, LILACS, EMBASE, SCOPUS, DARE, Toxiline, Web of Science and grey literature databases for publications until February 2021. Randomized and quasi-randomized clinical trials and observational studies that included immunocompromised participants (individuals with HIV infection, organ transplants, with cancer, who used immunosuppressive drugs for rheumatologic diseases and those on immunosuppressive therapy for other diseases) were selected. The methodological quality of observational or non-randomized studies was assessed by the ROBINS-I tool. Two meta-analyses were performed, proportion and risk factor analyses, to identify the summary measure of relative risk (RR) in the studies that had variables suitable for combination. RESULTS: Twenty-five studies were included, most with risk of bias classified as critical. Thirteen studies had enough data to carry out the proposed meta-analyses. Seven studies without a comparator group had their results aggregated in the proportion meta-analysis, identifying an 8.5% [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.07-21.8] risk of immunocompromised individuals presenting adverse events after vaccination. Six cohort studies were combined, with an RR of 1.00 (95% CI 0.78-1.29). Subgroup analysis was performed according to the aetiology of immunosuppression and was also unable to identify an increased risk of adverse events following vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: It is not possible to affirm that immunocompromised individuals, regardless of aetiology, have a higher risk of adverse events after receiving the YF vaccine.

Sociodemographic and environmental factors associated with dengue, Zika, and chikungunya among adolescents from two Brazilian capitals.

Among the emerging and reemerging arboviral diseases, Zika, dengue and chikungunya deserve special attention due to their wide geographical distribution and clinical severity. The three arboviruses are transmitted by the same vector and can present similar clinical syndromes, bringing challenges to their identification and register. Demographic characteristics and individual and contextual social factors have been associated with the three arboviral diseases. However, little is known about such associations among adolescents, whose relationships with the social environment are different from those of adult populations, implying potentially different places, types, and degrees of exposure to the vector, particularly in the school context. This study aims to identify sociodemographic and environmental risk factors for the occurrence of Zika, dengue, and chikungunya in a cohort of adolescents from the Study of Cardiovascular Risks in Adolescents-ERICA-in the cities of Rio de Janeiro/RJ and Fortaleza/CE, from January 2015 to March 2019. Cases were defined as adolescents with laboratory or clinical-epidemiological diagnosis of Zika, dengue, or chikungunya, notified and registered in the Information System for Notifiable Diseases (SINAN). The cases were identified by linkage between the databases of the ERICA cohort and of SINAN. Multilevel Cox regression was employed to estimate hazard ratios (HR) as measures of association and respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). In comparison with adolescents living in lower socioeconomic conditions, the risk of becoming ill due to any of the three studied arboviral diseases was lower among those living in better socioeconomic conditions (HR = 0.43; 95%CI: 0.19-0.99; p = 0.047) and in the adolescents who attended school in the afternoon period (HR = 0.17; 95%CI: 0.06-0.47; p<0.001). When compared to areas whose Building Infestation Index (BII) for Aedes aegypti was considered satisfactory, a BII in the school region classified as "alert" and "risk" was associated with a higher risk of arboviral diseases (HR = 1.62, 95%CI: 0.98-2.70; p = 0.062; HR = 3.72, 95%CI: 1.27-10.9; p = 0.017, respectively). These findings indicate that living in less favored socioeconomic conditions, attending school in the morning, and having a high BII for Ae. aegypti in school's region can contribute to an increased risk of infection by Zika, dengue, or chikungunya in adolescents. The identification of residential or school areas based on those variables can contribute to the implementation of control measures in population groups and priority locations.

Preventive behavior for toxoplasmosis in pregnant adolescents in the state of Ceara, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: When toxoplasmosis is acquired during pregnancy, it can be transmitted to the fetus causing severe lesions in the first two gestational trimesters. This study analyzed the main factors associated with the preventive behavior for toxoplasmosis among pregnant adolescents in the city of Fortaleza in northeast Brazil. METHODS: It is a cross-sectional study conducted from March 2009 to November 2010, with a sample of 320 pregnant adolescents, ages ranging from 12 to 19 years old, receiving prenatal care in the Public Health Care System. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression model analyses were used to identify the association between preventive behavior for toxoplasmosis, and the independent variables and 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: We observed that 16.3% of the pregnant adolescents showed preventive behavior for toxoplasmosis. The factors positively associated to the preventive behavior for toxoplasmosis were: age group between 12 and 14 years old (OR = 2.75; 95%CI 1.23-6.12) and more than two prenatal consultations (OR = 2.19; 95%CI 1.17-4.09). CONCLUSIONS: Noteworthy is the importance of a serologic follow-up for pregnant adolescents with clearer and more precise information about risk factors and the importance of adopting preventive behaviors. Thus, it is necessary to establish educational measures for handling food and raising kittens during prenatal care.

A Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis of the Yellow Fever Vaccine in the Elderly Population.

We conducted a systematic review and a meta-analysis to assess the risk of serious adverse events in the elderly after yellow fever vaccination compared to the non-elderly population. We searched multiple databases and grey literature, and we selected research without language and publication date restrictions. Studies were analyzed in a descriptive way and meta-analyzed and expressed in terms of prevalence ratio and risk ratio with a 95% confidence interval, depending on the degree of heterogeneity found. A total of 18 studies were included and 11 were meta-analyzed. The results obtained through the meta-analysis showed a risk of serious adverse events after yellow fever vaccination three times higher for the elderly when compared to the non-elderly population and five times higher for persons > 70 years. In relation to adverse event types, viscerotropic disease associated with the yellow fever vaccine had a risk that was six times higher when compared to the population < 60 years. The evidence found supports that the vaccine indication in individuals > 60 years of age should be based on a careful analysis of individual benefit-risk assessments. The results found suggest a higher risk of events for individuals > 70 years, especially for viscerotropic and neurotropic disease associated with YFV contraindicating the use of the YFV in this age group.

[Analysis of the seasonality of tuberculosis in Brazilian capitals and the Federal District from 2001 to 2019]. / Análise da sazonalidade da tuberculose nas capitais brasileiras e Distrito Federal, Brasil, no período de 2001 a 2019.

The literature has few studies on the seasonality of tuberculosis (TB) in the southern hemisphere, entailing the fill of this knowledge gap. This study aims to analyze whether TB incidence in Brazilian capitals and the Federal District is seasonal. This is an ecological study of a time series (2001-2019) of TB cases, conducted with 26 capitals and the Federal District. The Ministry of Health database, with 516,524 TB cases, was used. Capitals and the Federal District were divided into five groups based on social indicators, disease burden, and the Koppen climate classification. The seasonal variation of TB notifications and group amplitude were evaluated. We found TB seasonality in Brazil with a 1% significance in all capital groups (Stability assumption and Krusall-Wallis tests, p < 0.01). In the combined seasonality test, capital groups A, D, and E showed seasonality, whereas groups B and C, its probability. Our findings showed that health service supply and/or demand - rather than climate - may be the most relevant underlying factor in TB seasonality. It is challenging to raise the other seasonal factors underlying TB seasonality in tropical regions in the Southern Hemisphere.

Existe uma limitação de trabalhos na literatura acerca da sazonalidade da tuberculose (TB) no hemisfério sul, o que torna necessário o preenchimento dessa lacuna de conhecimento para a região. O estudo objetiva analisar se existe sazonalidade da incidência de TB nas capitais brasileiras do Brasil e no Distrito Federal, por meio de um estudo ecológico de série temporal (2001-2019) dos casos da doença. Utilizou-se a base de 516.524 casos de TB do Ministério da Saúde. As capitais e o Distrito Federal foram distribuídos em cinco grupos, com base em indicadores sociais, carga da doença e classificação climática de Koppen. Avaliou-se a variação sazonal das notificações de TB e a amplitude sazonal por grupo. Identificou-se a presença da sazonalidade da TB no Brasil ao nível de significância de 1% em todos os grupos de capitais (teste de estabilidade assumida e Krusall-Wallis, p < 0,01) e, no teste combinado de sazonalidade, os grupos A, D e E de capitais mostraram presença de sazonalidade; e, provavelmente presentes, os grupos B e C. Os achados mostraram que é um desafio levantar os fatores sazonais subjacentes à sazonalidade da TB nas regiões tropicais do Hemisfério Sul: o clima pode não ser o fator subjacente mais relevante encontrado na sazonalidade da TB, mas sim a oferta e/ou procura por serviços de saúde.

Son limitados los estudios que tratan de la estacionalidad de la tuberculosis (TB) en el hemisferio Sur, por lo que se hace necesario llenar esta laguna. Este estudio tiene como objetivo analizar si existe una estacionalidad en la incidencia de TB en las capitales brasileñas y en el Distrito Federal, Brasil. Estudio ecológico de series de tiempo (2001-2019) de casos de TB, realizado en 26 capitales brasileñas y el Distrito Federal. Se utilizó una base de datos con 516.524 casos de TB del Ministerio de Salud. Las capitales y el Distrito Federal se dividieron en cinco grupos, con base en indicadores sociales, carga de enfermedad y clasificación climática de Koppen. Se evaluaron la variación estacional de las notificaciones de TB y la amplitud estacional por grupo. La presencia de estacionalidad de la TB en Brasil fue identificada con un nivel de significación del 1% en todos los grupos de capitales (prueba de estabilidad supuesta y Kruskal-Wallis, p < 0,01), en la prueba de estacionalidad combinada, los grupos A, D y E de las capitales tuvieron la presencia de estacionalidad; y también es probable que haya estado presente en los grupos B y C. Los hallazgos demostraron que el clima puede no ser el factor subyacente más relevante encontrado en la estacionalidad de la TB, pero sí la oferta y/o demanda de servicios de salud, lo que muestra que es un desafío plantear los demás factores estacionales subyacentes a la estacionalidad de la TB en las regiones tropicales del Hemisferio Sur.