EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF MENINGITIS IN MARINGÁ BETWEEN 2014 AND 2024

Abstract

Meningitis consists of an inflammatory process of the meninges, triggered by various infectious agents, and represents an important public health issue in Brazil. This study aimed to evaluate the epidemiological profile of meningitis notifications in the municipality of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil, from 2014 to 2024. This is a cross-sectional, descriptive, and retrospective study, based on secondary data from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN), accessed through DATASUS. A total of 3,050 records were examined, considering sex, age group, distribution over time, seasonality, and spatial location by neighborhood. The data were organized in Microsoft Excel and analyzed using the Wilcoxon test, ANOVA, and Spearman correlation. A predominance of male patients was observed (58%; n=1,769). The 0–10-year age group accounted for 49.44% of cases (n=1,508), with children under one year of age representing the most vulnerable group (n=256; 8.39% of the total). The year with the highest incidence was 2024 (n=777; 25.48%), while the lowest numbers were recorded in 2020 and 2021, a period concurrent with the COVID-19 pandemic. No statistically significant seasonal variation was found (ANOVA, p=0.8825), nor was there an association between mean monthly temperature and the number of cases (Spearman, ρ=0.05). Regarding spatial distribution, the Centro neighborhood presented the highest concentration of notifications, accounting for 13.25% of cases, followed by Jardim Alvorada (3.97%) and Zona 07 (2.95%). The findings indicate that male children under one year of age residing in central areas of Maringá represent the main risk group for meningitis in the municipality, highlighting the importance of continuous epidemiological surveillance and strengthened immunization efforts.