Two decades of tuberculosis in a city in Northeastern Brazil: advances and challenges in time and space

Abstract: INTRODUCTION This study presents two decades of epidemiological data on tuberculosis (TB), in order to understanding the disease profile and its spatiotemporal dynamics. METHODS This descriptive study was performed in the City of Olinda/Pernambuco, Brazil, from 1991-2010, and it analyzed new patients with TB living in the city. We used the χ²-test with a p-value <0.05 to identify differences in trends. Incidence and cluster distribution were identified using spatial scan statistics. RESULTS In total, 6202 new cases were recorded during the two decades. The highest incidence occurred in 1995 (110 cases/100,000 inhabitants), and the lowest occurred in 2009 (65 cases/100,000 inhabitants) (β=-1.44; R²=0.43; p=0.0018). The highest mortality occurred in 1998 (16 deaths/100,000 inhabitants), and the lowest occurred in 2008 (5 deaths/100,000 inhabitants) (β=-0.19; R²=0.17; p=0.07). There was a male predominance (65%), and ages ranged from 20-49 years (65%). There was a substantial increase in the number of patients that were cured after treatment (60% to 67%; p<0.001) as well as those tested for HIV (1.9% to 58.5%; p<0.001). During the first decade, clusters with p-values <0.05 included 29% of the total notified cases, and in the second decade, that percentage was 12%. CONCLUSIONS We observed a decreasing trend in incidence, which was significant, and mortality rates, which was not significant. The increased number of laboratory tests performed reflects advances in surveillance, and a reduction in the proportion of cases in primary clusters suggests, among other things, that the disease is spreading across the region

High frequency of resistance to the drugs isoniazid and rifampicin among tuberculosis cases in the city of Cabo de Santo Agostinho, an urban area in Northeastern Brazil.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the frequency and risk factors for developing multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Cabo de Santo Agostinho, PE. This was a prospective study conducted from 2000 to 2003, in which suspected cases were investigated using bacilloscopy and culturing. Out of 232 confirmed cases of tuberculosis, culturing and antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed on 174. Thirty-five of the 174 cultures showed resistance to all drugs. The frequencies of primary and acquired resistance to any drug were 14% and 50% respectively, while the frequencies of primary and acquired multidrug resistance were 8.3% and 40%. Previous tuberculosis treatment and abandonment of treatment were risk factors for drug resistance. The high levels of primary and acquired resistance to the combination of isoniazid and rifampicin contributed towards the difficulties in controlling tuberculosis transmission in the city

Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of severe community-acquired pneumonia in children after introduction of the 10-valent pneumococcal vaccine

Eduardo JF Lima,1,2 Maria JG Mello,1,2 Maria FPM Albuquerque,3 Maria IL Lopes,4 George HC Serra,2 Maria AZ Abreu-Lima,2 Jailson B Correia1 1Instituto de Medicina Integral Prof. Fernando Figueira - IMIP Recife; 2Faculdade, Pernambucana de Sa&uacute;de - FPS Recife; 3Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalh&atilde;es, FIOCRUZ; 4Hospital das Cl&iacute;nicas, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco - UFPE, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil Background: Pneumonia is an important cause of morbimortality in Brazil, despite the extensive vaccination coverage and the socioeconomic improvement in the past years. Objective: To describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of severe community-acquired pneumonia in children after the introduction of the 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV10). Methods: A prospective study included children &lt;5 years old hospitalized for pneumonia between October 2010 and September 2013 in a tertiary hospital. Newborns and children with comorbidities were excluded. Pneumonia classification followed the clinical and radiological criteria established by World Health Organization (WHO). Clinical history, nutritional status, immunizations, diagnosis, disease course, and prognosis were analyzed. Results: Among 452 children, almost 70% were &lt;2 years, with no sex differences, and 10% had weight-for-age z score below than -2.0. Family income was up to one minimum wage in half the households, and 40% of mothers had completed high school. The suitability of both influenza and PCV10 vaccine schedules was ~50%. The first medical care happened later than 72 hours after the onset of symptoms in 42% of cases. Pneumonia was classified as severe or very severe in 83.9% of patients and for 23% as complicated. Global mortality was 1.5%. Hypoxia, diagnosed in 51.5% of children, looked like a better prognosis predictor than the WHO classification. Conclusion: New strategies for health care are necessary, such as the incorporation of peripheral saturometry as the &ldquo;fifth signal&rdquo;, investment in vaccine coverage, and the adequacy of hospital infrastructure for assistance of severely affected patients. Keywords: respiratory tract infections, pneumonia, child, pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, descriptive epidemiolog

A filariose bancroftiana no município de Moreno - Pernambuco, Brasil Lymphatic filariasis in Moreno, Northeast Brazil

No Brasil, estima-se que 49 mil pessoas estejam infectadas pela Wuchereria bancrofti, residindo em três áreas consideradas endêmicas: Maceió-AL, Belém-PA e Região Metropolitana do Recife-PE; esta última apresenta a maior casuística no país. Este estudo tem como objetivo identificar o limite entre municípios com e sem transmissão ativa, em Pernambuco. Para tal foi realizado um estudo seccional no município de Moreno, localizado na Região Metropolitana do Recife. O inquérito epidemiológico foi constituído de entrevistas utilizando questionários fechados contendo informações relacionadas à filariose e à pesquisa parasitológica. Dentre os 2.513 exames realizados, dois casos foram detectados, ambos provenientes do Recife-PE. Quanto à manifestação clínica, 65 (2,6%) indivíduos relataram queixas correlatas com filariose. Em relação ao tratamento prévio para filariose, 24 pessoas (0,9%) afirmaram já terem tomado a dietilcarbamazina. A importância deste trabalho decorre do desconhecimento da extensão da endemia na Região Metropolitana do Recife e da constatação de que Moreno apresenta os componentes para manter o ciclo parasitário. Desta forma, a vigilância epidemiológica municipal deverá identificar as áreas com maior risco de transmissão e assim criar estratégias para evitar sua fixação.<br>It is estimated that 49 thousand people in Brazil, living in three endemic areas, may be infected with Wuchereria bancrofti: Maceió-AL, Belém-PA, and the metropolitan area of Recife-PE. This last area presents the highest incidence in the country. This study aims to identify the boundaries between municipalities with and without active transmission in the state of Pernambuco. To that end, a cross-sectional study was performed in the town of Moreno, in the metropolitan area of Recife. The epidemiological survey consisted of interviews using questionnaires with information related to filariasis, and blood sampling for parasitological examination. From the 2,513 thick blood films performed, two microfilaraemic individuals were found, both of them from Recife. Regarding clinical manifestations, 65 individuals (2.6%) reported complaints related to filariasis. As to previous treatment for filariasis, 24 individuals (0.9%) affirmed having already taken diethylcarbamazine. This study shows the extension of filariasis in the metropolitan area of Recife, and has established that Moreno presents the conditions to keep the parasitic cycle. Therefore, municipal disease surveillance should identify the most risky areas for transmission in order to develop measures to avoid the ongoing conditions

Survival of HIV-infected patients after starting tuberculosis treatment: a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the probability of survival and to evaluate risk factors for death in a cohort of persons living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) who had started tuberculosis (TB) treatment. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted between June 2007 and December 2009 with HIV-infected patients who had started anti-tuberculosis treatment in the State of Pernambuco, Brazil. Survival data were analysed using the Kaplan-Meier estimator, the log-rank test and the Cox model. Hazard ratios and their respective 95%CIs were estimated. RESULTS: Of a cohort of 2310 HIV-positive individuals, 333 patients who had commenced treatment for TB were analysed. The mortality rate was 5.25 per 10,000 person-years (95%CI 4.15-6.63). The probability of survival at 30 months was 74%. Risk factors for death in the study population were being female, age ≥30 years, having anaemia, not using highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) during treatment for TB and disseminated TB. Protective factors for death were a CD4 lymphocyte count >200 cells/mm(3) and treatment for TB having started in an out-patient clinic. CONCLUSIONS: The use of HAART can prevent deaths among HIV-TB patients, corroborating the efficacy of starting HAART early in individuals with TB