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Our study aims to describe trends in new case detection rate (NCDR) of leprosy in Brazil from 2006 to 2017 overall and in subgroups, and to analyze the evolution of clinical and treatment characteristics of patients, with emphasis on cases diagnosed with grade 2 physical disabilities. We conducted a descriptive study to analyze new cases of leprosy registered in the Brazilian Information System for Notificable Diseases (SINAN), from 2006-2017. We calculated the leprosy NCDR per 100,000 inhabitants (overall and for individuals aged < 15 and ≥ 15 years) by sex, age, race/ethnicity, urban/rural areas, and Brazilian regions, and estimated the trends using the Mann-Kendall non-parametric test. We analyzed the distributions of cases according to relevant clinical characteristics over time. In Brazil, there was a sharp decrease in the overall NCDR from 23.4/100,000 in 2006 to 10.3/100,000 in 2017; among children < 15 years, from 6.94 to 3.20/100,000. The decline was consistent in all Brazilian regions and race/ethnicity categories. By 2017, 70.2% of the cases were multibacillary, 30.5% had grade 1 (G1D) or 2 (G2D) physical disabilities at diagnosis and 42.8% were not evaluated at treatment completion/discharge; cases with G2D at diagnosis were mostly detected in urban areas (80%) and 5% of cases died during the treatment (leprosy or other causes). Although the frequency of leprosy NCDR decreased in Brazil from 2006 to 2017 across all evaluated population groups, the large number of cases with multibacillary leprosy, physical disabilities or without adequate evaluation, and among children suggest the need to reinforce timely diagnosis and treatment to control leprosy in Brazil.

The relation of Zika virus (ZIKV) with microcephaly is well established. However, knowledge is lacking on later developmental outcomes in children with evidence of maternal ZIKV infection during pregnancy born without microcephaly. The objective of this analysis is to investigate the impact of prenatal exposure to ZIKV on neuropsychomotor development in children without microcephaly. We evaluated 274 children including 235 ZIKV exposed and 39 controls using the Bayley-III Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (BSIDIII) and neurological examination. We observed a difference in cognition with a borderline p-value (p = 0.052): 9.4% of exposed children and none of the unexposed control group had mild to moderate delays. The prevalence of delays in the language and motor domains did not differ significantly between ZIKV-exposed and unexposed children (language: 12.3% versus 12.8%; motor: 4.7% versus 2.6%). Notably, neurological examination results were predictive of neurodevelopmental delays in the BSIDIII assessments for exposed children: 46.7% of children with abnormalities on clinical neurological examination presented with delay in contrast to 17.8% among exposed children without apparent neurological abnormalities (p = 0.001). Overall, our findings suggest that relative to their unexposed peers, ZIKV-exposed children without microcephaly are not at considerably increased risk of neurodevelopmental impairment in the first 42 months of life, although a small group of children demonstrated higher frequencies of cognitive delay. It is important to highlight that in the group of exposed children, an abnormal neuroclinical examination may be a predictor of developmental delay. The article contributes to practical guidance and advances our knowledge about congenital Zika.

This cohort profile aims to describe the ongoing follow-up of children in the Microcephaly Epidemic Research Group Paediatric Cohort (MERG-PC). The profile details the context and aims of the study, study population, methodology including assessments, and key results and publications to date. The children that make up MERG-PC were born in Recife or within 120 km of the city, in Pernambuco/Brazil, the epicentre of the microcephaly epidemic. MERG-PC includes children from four groups recruited at different stages of the ZIKV microcephaly epidemic in Pernambuco, i.e., the Outpatient Group (OG/n = 195), the Microcephaly Case-Control Study (MCCS/n = 80), the MERG Pregnant Women Cohort (MERG-PWC/n = 336), and the Control Group (CG/n = 100). We developed a comprehensive array of clinical, laboratory, and imaging assessments that were undertaken by a 'task force' of clinical specialists in a single day at 3, 6, 12, 18 months of age, and annually from 24 months. Children from MCCS and CG had their baseline assessment at birth and children from the other groups, at the first evaluation by the task force. The baseline cohort includes 711 children born between February 2015 and February 2019. Children's characteristics at baseline, excluding CG, were as follows: 32.6% (184/565) had microcephaly, 47% (263/559) had at least one physical abnormality, 29.5% (160/543) had at least one neurological abnormality, and 46.2% (257/556) had at least one ophthalmological abnormality. This ongoing cohort has contributed to the understanding of the congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) spectrum. The cohort has provided descriptions of paediatric neurodevelopment and early epilepsy, including EEG patterns and treatment response, and information on the frequency and characteristics of oropharyngeal dysphagia; cryptorchidism and its surgical findings; endocrine dysfunction; and adenoid hypertrophy in children with Zika-related microcephaly. The study protocols and questionnaires were shared across Brazilian states to enable harmonization across the different studies investigating microcephaly and CZS, providing the opportunity for the Zika Brazilian Cohorts Consortium to be formed, uniting all the ZIKV clinical cohorts in Brazil.

Importance: Despite progress toward reducing global incidence, leprosy control remains a challenge in low- and middle-income countries. Objective: To estimate new case detection rates of leprosy among household contacts of patients with previously diagnosed leprosy and to investigate its associated risk factors. Design, Setting, and Participants: This population-based cohort study included families registered in the 100 Million Brazilian Cohort linked with nationwide registries of leprosy; data were collected from January 1, 2007, through December 31, 2014. Household contacts of patients with a previous diagnosis of leprosy from each household unit were followed up from the time of detection of the primary case to the time of detection of a subsequent case or until December 31, 2014. Data analysis was performed from May to December 2018. Exposures: Clinical characteristics of the primary case and sociodemographic factors of the household contact. Main Outcomes and Measures: Incidence of leprosy, estimated as the new case detection rate of leprosy per 100 000 household contacts at risk (person-years at risk). The association between occurrence of a subsequent leprosy case and the exposure risk factors was assessed using multilevel mixed-effects logistic regressions allowing for state- and household-specific random effects. Results: Among 42 725 household contacts (22 449 [52.5%] female; mean [SD] age, 22.4 [18.5] years) of 17 876 patients detected with leprosy, the new case detection rate of leprosy was 636.3 (95% CI, 594.4-681.1) per 100 000 person-years at risk overall and 521.9 (95% CI, 466.3-584.1) per 100 000 person-years at risk among children younger than 15 years. Household contacts of patients with multibacillary leprosy had higher odds of developing leprosy (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.48; 95% CI, 1.17-1.88), and the odds increased among contacts aged 50 years or older (adjusted OR, 3.11; 95% CI, 2.03-4.76). Leprosy detection was negatively associated with illiterate or preschool educational level (adjusted OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.38-0.92). For children, the odds were increased among boys (adjusted OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.20-2.42). Conclusions and Relevance: The findings in this Brazilian population-based cohort study suggest that the household contacts of patients with leprosy may have increased risk of leprosy, especially in households with existing multibacillary cases and older contacts. Public health interventions, such as contact screening, that specifically target this population appear to be needed.

Objective: Early tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment are determinants of better outcomes and effective disease control. Although tuberculosis should ideally be managed in a primary care setting, a proportion of patients are diagnosed in emergency facilities (EFs). We sought to describe patient characteristics by place of tuberculosis diagnosis and determine whether the place of diagnosis is associated with treatment outcomes. A secondary objective was to determine whether municipal indicators are associated with the probability of tuberculosis diagnosis in EFs. Methods: We analyzed data from the São Paulo State Tuberculosis Control Program database for the period between January of 2010 and December of 2013. Newly diagnosed patients over 15 years of age with pulmonary, extrapulmonary, or disseminated tuberculosis were included in the study. Multiple logistic regression models adjusted for potential confounders were used in order to evaluate the association between place of diagnosis and treatment outcomes. Results: Of a total of 50,295 patients, 12,696 (25%) were found to have been diagnosed in EFs. In comparison with the patients who had been diagnosed in an outpatient setting, those who had been diagnosed in EFs were younger and more socially vulnerable. Patients diagnosed in EFs were more likely to have unsuccessful treatment outcomes (adjusted OR: 1.54; 95% CI: 1.42-1.66), including loss to follow-up and death. At the municipal level, the probability of tuberculosis diagnosis in EFs was associated with low primary care coverage, inequality, and social vulnerability. In some municipalities, more than 50% of the tuberculosis cases were diagnosed in EFs. Conclusions: In the state of São Paulo, one in every four tuberculosis patients is diagnosed in EFs, a diagnosis of tuberculosis in EFs being associated with poor treatment outcomes. At the municipal level, an EF diagnosis of tuberculosis is associated with structural and socioeconomic indicators, indicating areas for improvement. RESUMO Objetivo: O diagnóstico e tratamento precoce da tuberculose são determinantes de melhores desfechos e controle eficaz da doença. Embora a tuberculose deva ser diagnosticada e tratada idealmente na atenção primária à saúde, uma porcentagem dos pacientes recebe o diagnóstico no pronto-socorro. Nosso objetivo foi descrever as características dos pacientes de acordo com o local onde o diagnóstico de tuberculose foi feito e determinar se há relação entre o local do diagnóstico e os desfechos do tratamento. Um objetivo secundário foi determinar se há relação entre indicadores municipais e a probabilidade de diagnóstico de tuberculose no PS. Métodos: Analisamos dados provenientes do banco de dados do Programa de Controle da Tuberculose do Estado de São Paulo, referentes ao período de janeiro de 2010 a dezembro de 2013. Foram incluídos no estudo pacientes recém-diagnosticados com mais de 15 anos de idade e tuberculose pulmonar, extrapulmonar ou disseminada. Modelos de regressão logística múltipla ajustados para levar em conta possíveis fatores de confusão foram usados para avaliar a relação entre o local do diagnóstico e os desfechos do tratamento. Resultados: De um total de 50.295 pacientes, 12.696 (25%) foram diagnosticados no PS. Em comparação com os pacientes que foram diagnosticados no ambulatório, os pacientes diagnosticados no PS eram mais jovens e mais vulneráveis socialmente. A probabilidade de tratamento com desfechos ruins, incluindo perda de seguimento e óbito, foi maior nos pacientes diagnosticados no PS (OR ajustada: 1,54; IC95%: 1,42-1,66). Nos municípios, a probabilidade de diagnóstico de tuberculose no PS relacionou-se com baixa cobertura da atenção primária, desigualdade e vulnerabilidade social. Em alguns municípios, mais de 50% dos casos de tuberculose foram diagnosticados no PS. Conclusões: No Estado de São Paulo, um em cada quatro pacientes com tuberculose é diagnosticado no PS; o diagnóstico de tuberculose no PS está relacionado com tratamento com desfechos ruins. Nos municípios, o diagnóstico de tuberculose no PS está relacionado com indicadores estruturais e socioeconômicos e indica pontos que precisam melhorar.

OBJECTIVE To describe adverse events following vaccination (AEFV) of children under two years old and analyze trend of this events from 2000 to 2013, in the city of Araraquara (SP), Brazil. METHODS This is a descriptive study conducted with data of the passive surveillance system of AEFV that is available in the electronic immunization registry (EIR) of the computerized medical record of the municipal health service (Juarez System). The study variables were: age, gender, vaccine, dose, clinical manifestations and hospitalization. We estimated rates using AEFV as numerator and administered doses of vaccines as denominator. The surveillance sensitivity was estimated by applying the method proposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We used Prais-Winsten regression with a significance level of 5.0%. RESULTS The average annual rate of AEFV was 11.3/10,000 administered doses, however without a trend in the study period (p=0.491). Most cases occurred after the first dose (41.7%) and among children under one year of age (72.6%). Vaccines with pertussis component, yellow fever and measles-mumps-rubella were the most reactogenic. We highlighted the rates of hypotonic-hyporesponsive episodes and convulsion that were 4.1/10,000 and 1.5/10,000 doses of vaccines with pertussis component, respectively, most frequently in the first dose; 60,0% of cases presented symptoms in the first 24 hours after vaccination, however, 18.6% showed after 96 hours. The sensitivity of surveillance was 71.9% and 78.9% for hypotonic-hyporesponsive episodes and convulsion, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The EIR-based AEFV surveillance system proved to be useful and highly sensitive to describe the safety profile of vaccines in a medium-sized city. It was also shown that the significant increase of the vaccines included in the basic vaccination schedule in childhood in the last decade did not alter the high safety standard of the National Immunization Program. RESUMO OBJETIVO Descrever os eventos adversos pós-vacina ocorridos em crianças com até dois anos de idade e analisar a tendência desses eventos, entre 2000 e 2013, em Araraquara, SP, Brasil. MÉTODOS Estudo descritivo com dados da vigilância passiva de eventos adversos pós-vacina, disponíveis no registro informatizado de imunização do prontuário eletrônico do serviço municipal de saúde (Sistema Juarez). As variáveis de estudo foram: idade, sexo, vacina, dose, manifestações clínicas e hospitalização. As taxas foram estimadas tomando-se os casos de eventos adversos pós-vacina como numerador e as doses aplicadas, como denominador. Estimou-se a sensibilidade da vigilância de eventos adversos pós-vacina aplicando-se o método proposto pelo Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Para análise de tendência utilizou-se a regressão de Prais-Winsten, considerando o nível de significância de 5,0%. RESULTADOS A taxa anual média de eventos adversos pós-vacina foi de 11,3/10.000 doses aplicadas, porém, sem tendência no período estudado (p = 0,491). Houve predomínio de casos após a primeira dose (41,7%) e entre menores de um ano de idade (72,6%). As vacinas com componente pertussis, de febre amarela e de sarampo-caxumba-rubéola foram as mais reatogênicas. Destacou-se a frequência de episódio hipotônico hiporresponsivo e convulsão, com taxas de 4,1/10.000 e 1,5/10.000 doses de vacinas com componente pertussis, respectivamente, mais elevadas na primeira dose; 60,0% dos casos apresentaram sintomas nas primeiras 24 horas após a vacinação e 18,6% apresentaram-se após 96 horas. A sensibilidade da vigilância foi estimada em 71,9% e 78,9% para episódio hipotônico hiporresponsivo e convulsão, respectivamente. CONCLUSÕES O sistema de vigilância de eventos adversos pós-vacina com base no registro informatizado de imunização mostrou-se útil e dotado de elevada sensibilidade para descrever o perfil de segurança das vacinas em um município de médio porte. Adicionalmente, a expressiva ampliação, na última década, das vacinas incluídas no esquema básico de vacinação na infância não alterou o elevado padrão de segurança do Programa Nacional de Imunizações.

BACKGROUND: A Zika virus epidemic emerged in northeast Brazil in 2015 and was followed by a striking increase in congenital microcephaly cases, triggering a declaration of an international public health emergency. This is the final report of the first case-control study evaluating the potential causes of microcephaly: congenital Zika virus infection, vaccines, and larvicides. The published preliminary report suggested a strong association between microcephaly and congenital Zika virus infection. METHODS: We did a case-control study in eight public maternity hospitals in Recife, Brazil. Cases were neonates born with microcephaly, defined as a head circumference of 2 SD below the mean. Two controls without microcephaly were matched to each case by expected date of delivery and area of residence. We tested the serum of cases and controls and the CSF of cases for detection of Zika virus genomes with quantitative RT-PCR and for detection of IgM antibodies with capture-IgM ELISA. We also tested maternal serum with plaque reduction neutralisation assays for Zika and dengue viruses. We estimated matched crude and adjusted odds ratios with exact conditional logistic regression to determine the association between microcephaly and Zika virus infection. FINDINGS: We screened neonates born between Jan 15 and Nov 30, 2016, and prospectively recruited 91 cases and 173 controls. In 32 (35%) cases, congenital Zika virus infection was confirmed by laboratory tests and no controls had confirmed Zika virus infections. 69 (83%) of 83 cases with known birthweight were small for gestational age, compared with eight (5%) of 173 controls. The overall matched odds ratio was 73·1 (95% CI 13·0-∞) for microcephaly and Zika virus infection after adjustments. Neither vaccination during pregnancy or use of the larvicide pyriproxyfen was associated with microcephaly. Results of laboratory tests for Zika virus and brain imaging results were available for 79 (87%) cases; within these cases, ten were positive for Zika virus and had cerebral abnormalities, 13 were positive for Zika infection but had no cerebral abnormalities, and 11 were negative for Zika virus but had cerebral abnormalities. INTERPRETATION: The association between microcephaly and congenital Zika virus infection was confirmed. We provide evidence of the absence of an effect of other potential factors, such as exposure to pyriproxyfen or vaccines (tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis, measles and rubella, or measles, mumps, and rubella) during pregnancy, confirming the findings of an ecological study of pyriproxyfen in Pernambuco and previous studies on the safety of Tdap vaccine administration during pregnancy. FUNDING: Brazilian Ministry of Health, Pan American Health Organization, and Enhancing Research Activity in Epidemic Situations.

Introduction: This study reports the prevalence of intestinal parasite infections in Xakriabá indigenous children living in the southeastern region of Brazil. Methodology: Stool samples of 2973 children 13-and-under were analyzed. Associations between environment factors and parasites were evaluated by multivariate Poisson regression model. Results: The prevalence of protozoa was high (Entamoeba histolytica/dispar 16.9%; Giardia duodenalis 18.4%), whereas that of helminthes was low (Schistosoma mansoni 1.2%; Hymenolepis nana 2.2%; hookworm 3.7%; Strongiloydes stercoralis 0.4%; Ascaris lumbricoides 0.4%; Enterobius vermicularis 1%). The risk of protozoan infection increased if the house was located in clay and rocky terrain; it decreased with increasing education of the mother and the presence of toilet in the house. Sex, clay-and-rocky terrain, dry-sump and toilet in the house were associated with prevalence of helminthes. Conclusion: The high prevalence of protozoa infection suggests contamination of water sources with feces, probably due to deficient sanitation and poor hygiene.

Resumo: O aumento das notificações de casos de microcefalia em Pernambuco, Brasil, e no Nordeste caracterizou uma epidemia que levou o Ministério da Saúde a decretar emergência nacional de saúde pública. Inicialmente, o Ministério da Saúde definiu como suspeitos recém-nascidos de 37 semanas ou mais de idade gestacional (IG) e com perímetro cefálico (PC) ≤ 33cm, tendo, em dezembro de 2015, reduzido essa medida para 32cm. Este estudo objetivou estimar a acurácia, a sensibilidade e a especificidade de diferentes pontos de corte para o PC, utilizando curvas ROC e, como padrões-ouro, as curvas de Fenton e de Intergrowth 2014. Foram descritos os casos notificados em Pernambuco entre 2 de agosto de 2015 e 28 de novembro de 2015, segundo sexo e categorias de IG. Os métodos de Fenton e Intergrowth fornecem curvas de crescimento para o PC de acordo com IG e sexo, considerando positivos para microcefalia os recém-nascidos com PC abaixo do percentil 3 dessas distribuições. Dos 684 casos notificados, 599 foram recém-nascidos a termo/pós-termo. Para esses, as análises com curvas ROC mostram, segundo Fenton, que o ponto de corte que apresentou maior área sob a curva ROC, com sensibilidade maior que especificidade, foi 32cm, para ambos os sexos. Pelo método Intergrowth, os pontos de corte, respeitando os mesmos critérios, são 32cm e 31,5cm, para os sexos masculino e feminino respectivamente. O ponto de corte identificado, segundo Fenton (32cm), coincidiu com a recomendação do Ministério da Saúde. Adotando-se Intergrowth como padrão, a escolha seria de 32cm, para o sexo masculino, e de 31,5cm, para o sexo feminino. Concluindo, aponta-se a necessidade de realizar análises críticas e continuadas para avaliar pontos de corte, incluindo outras características para a definição de caso. Abstract: The increase in the number of reported cases of microcephaly in Pernambuco State, and Northeast Brazil, characterized an epidemic that led the Brazilian Ministry of Health to declare a national public health emergency. The Brazilian Ministry of Health initially defined suspected cases as newborns with gestational age (GA) ≥ 37 weeks and head circumference (HC) ≤ 33cm, but in December 2015 this cutoff was lowered to 32cm. The current study aimed to estimate the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of different cutoff points for HC, using ROC curves, with the Fenton and Intergrowth (2014) curves as the gold standard. The study described cases reported in Pernambuco from August 8 to November 28, 2015, according to sex and GA categories. The Fenton and Intergrowth methods provide HC growth curves according to GA and sex, and microcephaly is defined as a newborn with HC below the 3rd percentile in these distributions. Of the 684 reported cases, 599 were term or post-term neonates. For these, the analyses with ROC curves show that according to the Fenton criterion the cutoff point with the largest area under the ROC curve, with sensitivity greater than specificity, is 32cm for both sexes. Using the Intergrowth method and following the same criteria, the cutoff points are 32cm and 31.5cm for males and females, respectively. The cutoff point identified by the Fenton method (32cm) coincided with the Brazilian Ministry of Health recommendation. Adopting Intergrowth as the standard, the choice would be 32cm for males and 31.5cm for females. The study identified the need to conduct critical and on-going analyses to evaluate cutoff points, including other characteristics for microcephaly case definition. Resumen: El aumento de las notificaciones de casos de microcefalia en Pernambuco, Brasil, y en el Nordeste caracterizó una epidemia que condujo al Ministerio de Salud a decretar una emergencia nacional de salud pública. En un primer momento, el Ministerio de Salud definió como casos sospechosos a recién nacidos de 37 semanas o más de edad gestacional (EG) y con perímetro cefálico (PC) ≤ 33cm, siendo, en diciembre de 2015, reducida esa medida a 32cm. Este estudio tuvo por objetivo estimar la precisión, sensibilidad y especificidad de diferentes puntos de corte para el PC, utilizando curvas ROC y, como patrones oro, las curvas de Fenton y de Intergrowth (2014). Se describieron los casos notificados en Pernambuco entre 2 de agosto de 2015 y 28 de noviembre de 2015, según sexo y categorías de EG. Los métodos de Fenton y de Intergrowth proporcionan curvas de crecimiento para el PC ,de acuerdo con EG y sexo, considerando positivos para microcefalia los recién nacidos con un PC debajo del percentil 3 de estas distribuciones. De los 684 casos notificados, 599 fueron recién nacidos a término/pos-término. Para estos, los análisis con curvas ROC muestran, según Fenton, que el punto de corte que presentó una mayor área bajo la curva ROC, con sensibilidad mayor que especificidad, fue 32cm, para ambos sexos. Por el método de Intergrowth los puntos de corte, respetando los mismos criterios, son 32cm y 31,5cm para los sexos masculino y femenino, respectivamente. El punto de corte identificado, según Fenton (32cm), coincidió con la recomendación del Ministerio de Salud. Adoptándose Intergrowth como patrón, la elección sería 32 cm para el sexo masculino y 31,5cm para el sexo femenino. Como conclusión, se apunta la necesidad de realizar análisis críticos y continuados para evaluar puntos de corte, incluyendo otras características para definición de caso

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed to evaluate the prevalence of pertussis in adolescents and adults with cough lasting more than 14 days and less than 30 days. METHODS: This is a prospective observational study in interepidemic period of pertusis. Ten public health outpatient clinics in the city of Recife, Brazil, were randomly selected for the study. The study population consisted of individuals aged 10 years and over with cough that had lasted between 14 and 30 days. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected for culture and PCR in order to identify Bordetella pertussis. We adopted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US (CDC) definition of cases of pertussis. RESULTS: A total of 192 individuals were identified as suspected cases. Their mean age was 40.7 years. Pertussis was confirmed in 10 of the 192 suspected cases, with an estimated prevalence of 5.21% (95% confidence interval 2.03-8.38). All cases met the clinical case definition for pertussis; one suspect had both culture and PCR positive. PCR confirmed 100% of the cases, 7/10 by PCR and 3/10 by epidemiological linkage with a case confirmed by PCR. CONCLUSION: During an interepidemic period, 1 in 20 cases of prolonged cough had pertussis, suggesting this is an important cause of prolonged cough in adolescents and adults.