Cutaneous, muco-cutaneous, and visceral Leishmaniasis burden of disease in Brazil: 2008 - 2012

Angela Rodriguez, The University of Texas School of Public Health

Abstract

Leishmaniasis is a tropical disease that afflicts vulnerable populations in low- and middle-income countries. Brazil is unique as it hosts all three types of leishmaniasis disease manifestations: cutaneous, mucocutaneous, and visceral. The specific aim of this study was to conduct a burden of disease analysis to provide additional data on the current status of leishmaniasis and to estimate the disease burden in Brazil. Publicly available data in Brazil were used to calculate the disease burden of leishmaniasis. Incident reported cases of leishmaniasis in Brazil were obtained from the Ministry of Health using the Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação database from 2008 through 2012. Mortality data were obtained from the Sistema de Informação Sobre Mortalidade. The database is the Brazilian information system on mortality also developed by the Ministry of Health. Population data for Brazil were obtained from the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística. The 2010 decennial census data was used to provide the population estimates for males and females.In order to accomplish these aims, estimates of disability adjusted life years associated with the three types of leishmaniasis were prepared for the five year period 2008-2012. The disability adjusted life years estimate is a method for summarizing disease burden that takes account of morbidity and mortality associated with a disease. Disability adjusted life years are calculated by adding years of life lost due to premature death and years of life with disability. From 2008 through 2012, a total of 122,379 disability adjusted life years, or 1.2 disability adjusted life years per 100,000 persons were lost due to leishmaniasis in Brazil. The majority disability adjusted life years were from cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis. The results show that males had a burden three times greater than females. The greatest burden from all three types of leishmaniasis was among middle aged adults. Visceral leishmaniasis was the greatest burden among children 1-4 years of age. In Brazil, and other countries where leishmaniasis is endemic, disability adjusted life years can help to monitor the health outcomes and aid in future policy implications towards control of leishmaniasis.

Subject Area

Latin American Studies|Public health|Epidemiology

Recommended Citation

Rodriguez, Angela, "Cutaneous, muco-cutaneous, and visceral Leishmaniasis burden of disease in Brazil: 2008 - 2012" (2014). Texas Medical Center Dissertations (via ProQuest). AAI1586833.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/dissertations/AAI1586833

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