ANALYSIS OF THE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF PATIENTS HOSPITALIZED FOR LEPTOSPIROSIS IN BRAZIL BETWEEN 2017 TO 2022

Abstract

Human leptospirosis is a disease caused by a bacteria of the genus Leptospira, infection of people occurs mainly through the urine of infected animals or contaminated water, with wounds on the skin, ocular mucous membranes, oral and nasal cavities being the main entry points for the human body. In the past, it was said that this disease predominated in rural areas, but today it is known that the majority of those infected are in urban areas. OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiological aspects of leptospirosis in Brazil METHODS: Cross-sectional research, with a quantitative and qualitative approach, with data from January 2018 to December 2022. The selected participants were Brazilians infected by the leptospira bacteria. Data collection was done through the SUS Hospital Information System (SIH/SUS), hosted at DATASUS. RESULTS: According to the data obtained, it was found that the total number of people infected by leptospirosis in these 5 years was 9,742. Of those infected in Brazil, 3,298 (34.81%) live in the southern region, 2,685 (28 .34%) live in the southeast region, 1,086 (11.46%) in the north region, 2,257 (23.82%) in the northeast region and 146 (1.54%) in the central-west region. It is also important to highlight the total number of deaths due to reported conditions, which was 580, corresponding to a fatality rate of 5,95% of infected citizens. CONCLUSION: Leptospira infection is more common in places where floods frequently occur, especially in urban locations, and transmission is increased by the lack of prevention and awareness actions among the population.