Behavior of indices related to hospital morbidity due to Visceral Leishmaniasis in Brazil: 6-year portrait (2018 - 2023)

Abstract

Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is a disease that affects humans and animals, being fatal in up to 90% of untreated cases. Transmitted by the bite of sandflies, mainly Lutzomyia longipalpis in Brazil, it records around 3,500 cases annually in the country, with an incidence of 2.0 cases per 100,000 people. Symptoms include prolonged fever, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, weight loss, weakness, anemia and can lead to serious complications and death if left untreated. This work aims to analyze hospital morbidity rates due to VL in Brazil. This study is epidemiological, quantitative and retrospective, using SIH/SUS data from DATASUS. Individuals hospitalized for Visceral Leishmaniasis in Brazil between 2018 and 2022 were included and the information was organized by region, service, age group, sex and color/race. Between 2018 and 2022, 8,954 patients were hospitalized for Visceral Leishmaniasis in Brazil. Of these, 93.72% were urgent. Most cases occurred in children aged 1 to 4 years (26.33%), followed by adults aged 40 to 49 years (10.62%). Men represented 63.82% of cases. Regarding color/race, 55.98% of patients identified themselves as mixed race, 7.86% as white, 2.89% as black, 2.23% as yellow and 1.10% as indigenous. Research has identified groups most susceptible to visceral leishmaniasis, highlighting the need for targeted approaches to reduce the disease. Recognizing risk factors is crucial for early diagnosis and effective intervention, improving patients' prognosis.