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Título

EPIDEMIOLOGIC ASSESMENT OF HOSPITALIZATION RATES FOR MENINGOCOCCAL DISEASE IN BRAZIL

Resumo

Introduction: Neisseria meningitidis is an important cause of bacterial meningitis and sepsis worldwide, with twelve recognised serogroups that can lead to meningococcal infection. This disease represents a signicant burden to society due to its high morbidity and mortality rates, thus it remains relevant to discuss its epidemiology. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the annual variation of hospitalization rates (HR) for meningoccocal disease by age, in Brazil, from 2011 to 2020. Methods: Data were obtained from the Hospital Information System (SIH/SUS) and from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), both of which are governmental datasets fed with health reports and demographic information, respectively. Using the number of hospitalizations and deaths due to menincoccocal infection as well as population projections, it was possible to estimate the yearly hospitalization rates for each age group. A temporal analysis was then performed using a joinpoint regression model, by means of which it was obtained the Annual Percent Changes (APC) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: In the referred period, a total of 16,984 hospitalizations for meningococcal disease were registered in the country. In 2011, Brazil presented a hospitalization rate of 18,8 per one million inhabitants. Regarding the general population, the HR presented a decreasing trend the following years, with an APC of -16,8 (CI95%= -19,6;-13,8). Interestingly, if na inflection point is established in 2015, it is observed a more accentuated decline from 2011 to 2015 than from 2015 to 2020. Hospitalization rates have also been observed to follow a lowering tendency for each age group analysed. The greatest Annual Percent Change was found for the age range from 5 to 19 years old, with an APC of -21,29 (CI95%= -25,6;-16,5). In contrast, the age group of 60 or older displayed the smallest APC (APC= -9,63; CI95%= -12,2; -7,0). The age group from 0 to 4 years old held the highest hospitalization rates troughout the period, with a HR of 12,86 per million at the end of the observed period. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the hospitalization rate for menincococcal disease has been decreasing steadily in the past decade. Nevertheless, this disease remains very relevant, particularly among younger age groups, pointing to the necessity of constant improvement in regards to its control and prevention.

Palavras Chave

Meningococcal Disease, Hospitalization Rate, Epidemiology