Multimorbidity worsened anxiety and depression symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil.

Multimorbidity is a global health issue impacting the quality of life of all ages. Multimorbidity with a mental disorder is little studied and is likely to have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We used a survey of 14,007 respondents living in Brazil to investigate whether people who already had at least one chronic medical condition had more depression and anxiety symptoms during social distancing in 2020. Generalized linear models and structural equation modelling were used to estimate the effects. A 19 % and 15 % increase in depressive symptoms were found in females and males, respectively, for each unit of increase in the observed value of reported chronic disease. Older subjects presented fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety. There was a 16 % increase in anxiety symptoms in females for each unit increase in the reported chronic disease variable and a 14 % increase in males. Younger subjects were more affected by anxiety symptoms in a dose-response fashion. High income was significantly related to fewer depressive and anxiety symptoms in both males and females. Physical activity was significantly associated with fewer anxiety and depression symptoms. Structural equation modelling confirmed these results and provided further insight into the hypothesised paths.

Serological and molecular characterization of hepatitis B virus infection in chronic kidney disease patients from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) are more vulnerable to blood-borne viral infections due to frequent invasive procedures. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in this cohort of patients has been a matter of concern worldwide. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the frequency of serological markers for hepatitis B, and the occurrence of overt and occult HBV infection (OBI) and its molecular characterization in serum samples from 644 CKD patients in HD units located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 2013 to 2017. HBV DNA was investigated in HBsAg reactive and "anti-HBc alone" samples to determine infecting genotypes and genetic relatedness between sequences. The prevalence of serological markers HBsAg+, anti-HBc alone, anti-HBc+/anti-HBs+, anti-HBs+, anti-HBc/anti-HBs/HBsAg were 5.9%, 2.8%, 30.7%, 26.6%, 34.0%, respectively. HBV DNA was detected in 39.5% (15/38) of the HBsAg+ and in 5/18 (27.8%) of the "anti-HBc alone" individuals, indicating a high prevalence of OBI within this group. We found a higher prevalence of HBV/A1 (65%), followed by HBV/D3 (20%), and HBV/A2 (15%). Bayesian MCC tree with a highly supported clade, genetic distance comparison, and identical nucleotide sequences suggested a nosocomial spread of HBV in some units. The high prevalence of HBV infection and low number of individuals immune to infection reinforces the need for vaccination in this group. The presence of closely related strains in the same HD unit reinforces the importance of continuous improvement of safety control measures and laboratory surveillance of serological markers to prevent the risk of infection and transmission of HBV.

Dried blood spot sampling for hepatitis B virus quantification, sequencing and mutation detection.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) diagnosis is performed on serum samples, but the access to this diagnosis is difficult in low-income regions. The use of dried blood spot (DBS) samples does not require special structure for collection, storage or transport. This study evaluates the use of DBS for detection, quantification and sequencing of HBV DNA using in-house techniques. Two study groups were included: 92 HBsAg + individuals and 49 negative controls. Serum and DBS samples were submitted to quantitative and qualitative in-house PCR for S/pol genes, sequencing and phylogenetic analyses. Total of 84 serum samples were successfully amplified. Of them, 63 paired DBS were also positive in qualitative PCR. Qualitative PCR in DBS presented a sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 100% (Kappa = 0.689). Quantitative PCR in DBS presented a detection limit of 852.5 copies/mL (250 IU/mL), sensitivity of 77.63% and specificity of 100% (Kappa = 0.731). A total of 63 serum samples and 36 DBS samples were submitted to sequencing, revealing the circulation of genotypes A (65.08%), D (4.8%), E (3.2%) and F (27%) with 100% of correspondence between serum and DBS. All sequenced samples displayed polymorphisms in HBsAg gene. An HIV-coinfected patient presented the rtM204V/I-rtL180M double resistance mutation in serum and DBS. In conclusion, DBS is an alternative to detect, quantify and characterize HBV DNA, being a possibility of increasing diagnosis in low-income settings, closing gaps in HBV control.

Serological and molecular characterization of hepatitis B virus infection in chronic kidney disease patients from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

ABSTRACT Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) are more vulnerable to blood-borne viral infections due to frequent invasive procedures. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in this cohort of patients has been a matter of concern worldwide. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the frequency of serological markers for hepatitis B, and the occurrence of overt and occult HBV infection (OBI) and its molecular characterization in serum samples from 644 CKD patients in HD units located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 2013 to 2017. HBV DNA was investigated in HBsAg reactive and "anti-HBc alone" samples to determine infecting genotypes and genetic relatedness between sequences. The prevalence of serological markers HBsAg+, anti-HBc alone, anti-HBc+/anti-HBs+, anti-HBs+, anti-HBc/anti-HBs/HBsAg were 5.9%, 2.8%, 30.7%, 26.6%, 34.0%, respectively. HBV DNA was detected in 39.5% (15/38) of the HBsAg+ and in 5/18 (27.8%) of the "anti-HBc alone" individuals, indicating a high prevalence of OBI within this group. We found a higher prevalence of HBV/A1 (65%), followed by HBV/D3 (20%), and HBV/A2 (15%). Bayesian MCC tree with a highly supported clade, genetic distance comparison, and identical nucleotide sequences suggested a nosocomial spread of HBV in some units. The high prevalence of HBV infection and low number of individuals immune to infection reinforces the need for vaccination in this group. The presence of closely related strains in the same HD unit reinforces the importance of continuous improvement of safety control measures and laboratory surveillance of serological markers to prevent the risk of infection and transmission of HBV.

Dried blood spot sampling as an alternative for the improvement of hepatitis B and C diagnosis in key populations.

BACKGROUND: To achieve the elimination of hepatitis B and C, there is an urgent need to develop alternative strategies to increase the access of diagnosis, particularly among key populations such as people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), individuals with coagulopathies and chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. AIM: To evaluate the use of dried blood spot (DBS) in the detection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) markers. METHODS: A total of 430 individuals comprised of people living with HIV, coagulopathies and CKD provided paired serum and DBS samples. HBsAg, anti-HBc and anti-HCV were tested in those samples using a commercial electrochemiluminescence. Demographic and selected behavioral variables were evaluated to assess possible association with HBV and HCV positivity. RESULTS: Using DBS, HBsAg prevalence varied from 3.9% to 22.1%, anti-HBc rates varied from 25.5% to 45.6% and anti-HCV positivity ranged from 15.9% to 41.2% in key populations. Specificities of HBV and HCV tests using DBS varied from 88.9% to 100%. The HBsAg assay demonstrated the best performance in CKD and coagulopathy individuals and the anti-HCV test had a sensitivity and specificity of 100% in people living with HIV. Accuracy of HBV and HCV detection in DBS varied from 90.2% to 100%. In the CKD group, HBsAg positivity was associated with infrequent use of condoms, and anti-HBc positivity was associated with sharing nail cutters/razors/toothbrushes. Anti-HCV reactivity was positively associated with a history of transplantation and length of time using hemodialysis in both specimens. In people living with HIV, only the male gender was associated with anti-HBc positivity in serum and DBS. CONCLUSION: DBS with electrochemiluminescence are useful tools for the diagnosis and prevalence studies of hepatitis B and C among key populations and may increase the opportunity to foster prevention and treatment.

High prevalence of parvovirus B19 infection in patients with chronic kidney disease under hemodialysis: A multicenter study.

OBJECTIVES: Parvovirus B19 (B19V) infection is commonly acute and self-limited, but in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients under dialysis treatment, this infection could increase susceptibility to acute and chronic anemia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and risk of B19V infection among Brazilian CKD patients under dialysis. METHODS: A study was conducted among 221 CKD patients and a control group of 142 blood donors. B19V infection was evaluated in serum samples by real-time PCR, and ELISA (anti-B19V IgM and IgG). RESULTS: B19V DNA was detected in 65% (145/221) of CKD patients, which was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than in the blood donors (6.3%). Simultaneous detection of B19V IgG and viremia was shown in 40.3% of CKD patients, which was indicative of persistent B19V infection. CKD patients showed an increased risk of developing B19V infection (OR = 28.1, CI = 13.5-58.5, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Despite an absence of clinical signs of B19V infection, these data highlight the importance of B19V infection in this high-risk population, since a persistent B19V infection could become clinically significant after renal transplant. Moreover, the persistent viremia should be considered as a potential risk, mainly because of the contamination of dialysis equipment.

Evaluation of accuracy of hepatitis B virus antigen and antibody detection and relationship between epidemiological factors using dried blood spot.

Dried blood spots (DBS) testing might increase the access for Hepatitis B virus (HBV) diagnosis, but little is known about the performance of these assays in real life conditions. This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of HBsAg, anti-HBc and anti-HBs detection in DBS in clinical settings and field studies and to evaluate demographic and risk behaviour according the presence of HBsAg and anti-HBc. Paired sera and DBS samples were obtained from 2309 individuals from 3 groups, defined as follows: G1: clinical setting (n = 5-19), G2: general population (n = 1305) and G3: vulnerable individuals that could be more exposed to blood contact (n = 485). Sera and DBS were tested using commercial enzyme immunoassay (EIA), with some modifications added. Using DBS samples, the specificity values were above 90 % for HBsAg and anti-HBc in all groups and for anti-HBs range from 58.6%-85%. HBsAg testing had the best performance in GI (sensitivity = 84.4 %) and among those samples that the paired serum also presented anti-HBc marker (sensitivity = 91.6 %). High sensitivity of anti-HBc testing in DBS samples was observed in GI (80.8 %) and among HBV active cases (HBsAg+/anti-HBc+) (98.4 %). Testing of anti-HBs in DBS showed the highest sensitivity in GIII (65.5 %), in previous HBV exposed and cured individuals and when serum titers were above 100 IU/mL (86.7 %). DBS samples could be used for screening and prevalence studies for HBsAg and anti-HBc, particularly in clinical settings and among HBV active cases in field studies.

Cross-sectional study to determine viral hepatitis knowledge in different urban populations in Brazil.

AIM: To evaluate viral hepatitis knowledge among individuals from different resource areas and health conditions to identify possible gaps. METHODS: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was carried out among 447 individuals from five distinct populations in Brazil: Southeast Viral Hepatitis Ambulatory (n = 100), South (n = 89) and Northeast (n = 114) Health Center, Southeast (n = 77) and Northeast (n = 67) low resource areas. All individuals answered a questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics and viral hepatitis awareness. The perception was scored based on the average number of correct answers of all participants and categorized as "low" (0-28 correct answers) or "desirable" (29-46 correct answers). Associations between sociodemographic characteristics and perception were also evaluated. RESULTS: A low level of knowledge was observed in individuals from Northeast Health Center, Northeast and Southeast low resource areas while desirable knowledge was observed in individuals from Viral Hepatitis Ambulatory and South Health Center. According to sociodemographic characteristics, desirable scores were more common among those with secondary education (47.1%), those who declared themselves as white (46.3%), and those who lived in houses with three individuals (25.5%). Multivariate analysis showed an association between viral hepatitis perception and type of population. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated high level of knowledge among study participants from health clinics from the Southeast region of Brazil and the importance of education programs in increasing the level of knowledge in low resource areas.

Performance of point of care assays for hepatitis B and C viruses in chronic kidney disease patients.

AIMS: Point of care testing (POCT) has been used for hepatitis B and C diagnosis in general population, but little is known about the influence of clinical conditions in the accuracy of these assays. This study aims to evaluate the performance of POCTs for detection of hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibodies to Hepatitis C Virus (anti-HCV) in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients. METHODS: A total of 286 subjects were included in this study. HBsAg and anti-HCV were detected using commercial EIAs and four POCTs: HBsAg (WAMA Imuno-Rápido HBsAg and VIKIA HBsAg) and anti-HCV (DOLES HCV teste rápido and WAMA Imuno-Rápido anti-HCV) in serum and whole blood. RESULTS: Using EIA, HBsAg and anti-HCV prevalence was 4.5% and 16.1% in CKD patients. HBsAg and anti-HCV POCTs had sensitivities from 92.3% to 100% and 84.8% to 89.1% while specificities were 99.3% to 100% and 99.2% to 99.6%, respectively. POCT using serum samples performed well compared with whole blood samples and true positive samples of POCTs had high optical density to cut-off (OD/CO) values compared with EIA. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates good performance of HBsAg and anti-HCV POCTs in CKD patients, especially in serum samples indicating low interference of this disease in the performance of these assays. POCTs could be an important tool for HBV and HCV screening in high-risk populations.

Performance of rapid diagnostic tests for detection of Hepatitis B and C markers in HIV infected patients.

There is little information describing the influence of HIV infection upon the performance of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for hepatitis B and C virus diagnosis. This study aims to evaluate the performance of RDTs for HBsAg and anti-HCV detection among HIV-infected individuals. A total of 362 HIV infected individuals were recruited from clinics between January 2013 to November 2014 in the southeast and northeast of Brazil. HBsAg and anti-HCV were detected using commercial EIAs and four RDTs: HBV (Vikia HBsAg® and Wama Imuno-Rapido HBV®) and HCV (Bioeasy Teste Rápido HCV® and Wama Imuno-Rapido HCV®). Reactive HBsAg and anti-HCV serum samples were tested for HBV DNA and HCV RNA. Sensitivity, specificity and kappa statistic were determined. Using EIA, HBsAg and anti-HCV were detected in 14 (3.9%) and 37 (10.2%) serum samples respectively. Using serum only, HBsAg RDTs demonstrated sensitivities and specificities above 92.0% and Kappa values above 89.0%. Anti-HCV RDTs demonstrated sensitivity and specificities above 82.0% and Kappa higher than 89.0%. Using whole blood samples, Vikia HBsAg® and Wama Imuno-Rapido HCV® showed sensitivity and specificity above 99.0% with Kappa of 66.4% and 100%, respectively. HIV viral load was higher among discordant results for anti-HCV RDT. RDTs demonstrated good performance in HIV infected individuals showing the usefulness of assays in this population.

Evidências científicas no campo da saúde coletiva: da pergunta à formulação de estratégia de busca / Scientific evidence in the field of collective health: from the question to the formultion of search strategy

INTRODUÇÃO: A crescente produção técnica e científica na saúde coletiva ao longo dos anos requer dos profissionais e gestores habilidade para encontrar evidencias úteis para os sistemas de serviços de saúde e suas práticas. OBJETIVO: Auxiliar os leitores a identificar a produção cientifica de forma atualizada e proveniente de diversas fontes de informação. MÉTODOS: Diante da diversidade de fontes de evidências científicas e suas especificidades técnicas, foram descritas as considerações básicas para planejamento e condução de buscas estruturadas. RESULTOS: Foi apresentada uma relação de bases estratégicas na área de Saúde Coletiva e um detalhamento para orientar ao leitor como realizar buscas estruturadas no Pubmed e na Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS). CONCLUSÃO: A obtenção sistematizada e explícita das evidências para responder a perguntas em saúde coletiva é uma prática que necessita ser estimulada para melhor embasar decisões de políticas, sistemas e serviços de saúde.

INTRODUCTION: The increasing technical and scientific production in public health over the years requires from professionals and managersthe hability to find evidence that is useful for health care services systems and its practices. OBJECTIVE: To assist readers to identify updated scientific production and are from different sources of information. METHODS: Considering the diversity of scientific evidence sources and their technical specificities, basic considerations for planning and conducting structured searches were described. RESULTS: A list of strategic data bases was presented for the Public Health field and a detailed guide was described to the reader of how to carry out structured searches in Pubmed and the Virtual Health Library (BVS). CONCLUSION: A systematized and explicit was obtained from the evidence in order to answer questions concerning public health is a practice that needs to be stimulated to better inform health care decision makers, systems and services.

2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil: active surveillance and profile of health care in the host city of Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. / Copa do Mundo FIFA Brasil 2014: vigilância ativa e perfil dos atendimentos de saúde na cidade-sede de Fortaleza, Ceará.

OBJECTIVE: to describe the real-time active surveillance strategy and the profile of health care provided during the 20th FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 (FWCB), in the host city of Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. METHODS: this was a descriptive study with data collected from medical records during the FWCB, between June 8 and July 13, 2014, in pre-selected health care units. RESULTS: there were 2,570 medical assistances related to the FWCB; 56% of the patients were male, 35% were between 20 and 29 years old; 68% were clinical care, and 64% of the individuals were fans/spectators; 94% of the patients were discharged, 3% were referred, 3% were hospitalized and 0.2% died; the advanced medical units were responsible for 79% of the assistances, mainly on game days. CONCLUSION: no public health event of great importance was identified; the active surveillance strategy enabled the monitoring of health situation of those individuals involved in the event.

Copa do Mundo FIFA Brasil 2014: vigilância ativa e perfil dos atendimentos de saúde na cidade-sede de Fortaleza, Ceará / Copa del Mundo FIFA Brasil 2014: vigilancia activa y perfil de las atenciones de salud en la ciudad-sede de Fortaleza, Ceará / 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil: active surveillance and profile of health care in the host city of Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

OBJETIVO: descrever a estratégia de vigilância ativa em tempo real e o perfil dos atendimentos de saúde realizados no período da 20ª Copa do Mundo da FIFA Brasil 2014 (CMFB), na cidade-sede de Fortaleza, Ceará, Brasil. MÉTODO: estudo descritivo com dados das fichas de atendimento relacionados à Copa, entre 8/6 e 13/7/2014, nas unidades de saúde pré-selecionadas. RESULTADOS: foram 2.570 atendimentos relacionados à CMFB, 56% de indivíduos do sexo masculino, 35% de 20 a 29 anos de idade, 68% foram atendimentos clínicos, 64% de torcedores/espectadores; 94% dos atendidos foram liberados, 3% removidos, 3% internados e 0,2% idos a óbito; os postos médicos avançados responderam por 79% dos atendimentos, principalmente nos dias de jogos. CONCLUSÃO: não foram identificados eventos de Saúde Pública de grande relevância; a estratégia de vigilância ativa possibilitou monitorar a situação de saúde dos envolvidos no evento.

OBJETIVO: describir la estrategia de vigilancia activa en tiempo real y perfil de las atenciones en salud en la 20ª Copa Mundial FIFA Brasil 2014 (CMFB), en la ciudad sede Fortaleza, Ceará, Brasil. MÉTODOS: estudio descriptivo con datos de registros de atenciones relacionadas con la CMFB, entre 8/6 y 13/7/2014, en establecimientos de salud preseleccionados. RESULTADOS: fueron 2.570 consultas relacionadas con la CMFB, 56% hombres; 35% personas entre 20 y 29 años, 68% consultas por patologías clínicas, 64% realizadas en hinchas/espectadores; 94% de los pacientes fueron dados de alta, 3% remitidos, 3% internados y 0,2% fallecieron; los puestos médicos avanzados fueron responsables por 79% de las consultas, principalmente en días de juego en Fortaleza. CONCLUSIÓN: no fueron identificados eventos de salud pública de gran importancia; la estrategia fue eficaz, permitiendo monitorear la situación de salud de los participantes del evento.

OBJECTIVE: to describe the real-time active surveillance strategy and the profile of health care provided during the 20th FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 (FWCB), in the host city of Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. METHODS: this was a descriptive study with data collected from medical records during the FWCB, between June 8 and July 13, 2014, in pre-selected health care units. RESULTS: there were 2,570 medical assistances related to the FWCB; 56% of the patients were male, 35% were between 20 and 29 years old; 68% were clinical care, and 64% of the individuals were fans/spectators; 94% of the patients were discharged, 3% were referred, 3% were hospitalized and 0.2% died; the advanced medical units were responsible for 79% of the assistances, mainly on game days. CONCLUSION: no public health event of great importance was identified; the active surveillance strategy enabled the monitoring of health situation of those individuals involved in the event.

Update on hepatitis B and C virus diagnosis.

Viral hepatitis B and C virus (HBV and HCV) are responsible for the most of chronic liver disease worldwide and are transmitted by parenteral route, sexual and vertical transmission. One important measure to reduce the burden of these infections is the diagnosis of acute and chronic cases of HBV and HCV. In order to provide an effective diagnosis and monitoring of antiviral treatment, it is important to choose sensitive, rapid, inexpensive, and robust analytical methods. Primary diagnosis of HBV and HCV infection is made by using serological tests for detecting antigens and antibodies against these viruses. In order to confirm primary diagnosis, to quantify viral load, to determine genotypes and resistance mutants for antiviral treatment, qualitative and quantitative molecular tests are used. In this manuscript, we review the current serological and molecular methods for the diagnosis of hepatitis B and C.

Avaliação da qualidade dos dados, valor preditivo positivo, oportunidade e representatividade do sistema de vigilância epidemiológica da dengue no Brasil, 2005 a 2009* / Evaluation of the Dengue Epidemiological Surveillance System data quality, positive predictive value, timeliness and representativeness, Brazil, 2005-2009

Avaliar a qualidade dos dados, o valor preditivo positivo (VPP), a oportunidade e a representatividade do sistema de vigilância epidemiológica da dengue no Brasil entre 2005 e 2009. Métodos: estudo de avaliação, com análise dos dados de dengue do Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (Sinan) conforme atributos selecionados da metodologia do Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta/GA, Estados Unidos da América). Resultados: houve melhora na qualidade dos dados quanto a sua consistência; o VPP dos casos de dengue variou de 34 a 65 por cento; o sistema apresentou uma mediana de oportunidade para notificação dos casos de 3 dias e revelou-se representativo, permitindo conhecer a situação da doença no país. Conclusão: o sistema de vigilância da dengue no Brasil mostrou-se consistente, com valor preditivo positivo expressivo, oportuno para notificação de casos e representativo, capaz de detectar tendência de mudança no perfil epidemiológico da doença...

To evaluate the dengue surveillance system data quality, positive predictive value (PPV), timeliness and representativeness in Brazil from 2005 to 2009. Methods: this was an observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study with analysis of data on dengue held on the Notifiable Diseases Information System (Sinan), based on the methodology proposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Results: improvement in the quality of the data with regard to consistency; dengue case PPV ranged from 34 per cent to 65 per cent; the system showed a median time of three days for case notification and was found to be representative, providing knowledge of the disease’s status in the country. Conclusion: the dengue surveillance system in Brazil proved to be consistent, with significant positive predictive value, timely case reporting, as well as being representative and able to detect trends of change in the disease’s epidemiological profile...

Avaliação dos atributos de aceitabilidade e estabilidade do sistema de vigilância da dengue no estado de Goiás, 2011 / An evaluation of the acceptability and stability of the Dengue Surveillance System in Goiás state, Brazil, 2011

Objetivo: avaliar os atributos de aceitabilidade e estabilidade do sistema de vigilância da dengue no estado de Goiás, Brasil, em 2011. Métodos: estudo descritivo utilizando o método do Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC/USA), com aplicação de questionário a profissionais envolvidos na vigilância da dengue. Resultados: 134 profissionais participaram do estudo, representando 41,5 por cento (102/246) dos municípios goianos; dificuldades para o encerramento dos casos graves foram referidas por 34,5 por cento dos coordenadores de vigilância; aproximadamente 70 por cento dos participantes informaram desconhecer a existência de um plano de contingência para o enfrentamento de epidemias de dengue e 59 por cento responderam que todos os casos suspeitos de dengue deveriam ser confirmados laboratorialmente, independentemente da ocorrência de epidemias; para 75 por cento dos entrevistados, a digitação das fichas de notificação/investigação foi realizada sem intercorrências. Conclusão: o sistema de vigilância da dengue apresentou funcionamento estável; porém, as limitações observadas remetem à necessidade de seu aprimoramento.

Objective: to evaluate the acceptability and stability of the dengue surveillance system in Goiás State, Brazil. Methods:descriptive study based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) method using a questionnaire applied to professionals involved in dengue surveillance in 2011. Results: 134 professionals participated in the study, representing 41.5 per cent (102/246) of the municipalities in Goiás. Difficulties in closing severe cases were reported by 34.5 per cent of epidemiological surveillance coordinators, some 70 por cent of participants were unaware of the existence of a contingency plan for dengue outbreaks and 59 per cent responded that all suspected cases should be laboratory confirmed, regardless of the occurrence of epidemics. 75 per cent of respondents reported having no difficulty in inputting data on the Surveillance Information System. Conclusion: despite the stability of the dengue surveillance routines, the limitations observed indicate the need for system enhancement.