Investigation of schistosomiasis cases and deaths in the city of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, 2005-2013^*

Abstract

Objective:

to describe schistosomiasis cases and deaths among residents of the city of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, from 2005 to 2013.

Methods:

this was a descriptive epidemiological study using data from the Mortality Information System (SIM) (2005-2013) and the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) (2007-2013); active tracing of the relatives of the dead was undertaken and probabilistic linkage of the databases (2007-2013) was performed using the Reclink program.

Results:

297 schistosomiasis deaths were recorded on the SIM system; through active tracing, 130 relatives were contacted and 20.8% autochthony was identified; 388 cases resident in Recife were registered on the SINAN system; through probabilistic linkage, 23 matching records were identified on SIM and SINAN.

Conclusion:

investigation of deaths showed that some individuals had never traveled outside Recife and progressed to the chronic stage of the disease; 23.8% of the cases registered on SINAN had Recife as the municipality in which infection occurred.

Keywords:
Schistosomiasis; Health Information Systems; Death; Epidemiology, Descriptive