Visceral leishmaniasis: historical series of hospitalized patients and correlation with climate in an endemic area in Minas Gerais, Brazil

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is an infectious disease caused by the protozoa of the genus Leishmania; it is predominant in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions.

Objective

To characterize a series of cases of VL in patients treated at a referral hospital in the north of Minas Gerais over 18 years, as well as to describe the occurrence of cases, according to the climatic characterization, and correlate the distribution of the cases with rainfall and environmental temperature.

Methods

The study design was a series of cases compiled between 1999 and 2016. The data were extracted from medical records selected chronologically. Climate information was collected at the Center for semi-arid study at the Federal University of Montes Claros (Unimontes).

Results

There was a slight predominance of males (54.4%) and aged between one and four years (42.9%). The evolution time for clinical manifestations up to the time of admission ranged from five to 120 days, with the most frequent length of stay between 16 and 30 days (34.4%). Hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, skin pallor, and fever were manifestations present in more than 90% of patients at admission. The diagnosis was performed by serological methods in most cases (85.9%). The largest portion of admissions lasted between 16 and 30 days (44%), and hospital discharge with guidance for outpatient control was the most frequent outcome of admissions. The percentage of deaths was 2%.

Conclusion

The predominant characteristics of VL are male children aged 1 to 4 years who sought the health service with the classic triad of the disease: hepatosplenomegaly, skin pallor, and prolonged fever. In this study, there was no statistically significant association between temperature, rainfall, and the number of cases, however, there are nuances in the environmental factors that influence the dynamics of VL transmission, which vary from region to region.