Identifying hidden Zika hotspots in Pernambuco, Brazil: a spatial analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Northeast Brazil has the world's highest rate of Zika-related microcephaly. However, Zika case counts cannot accurately describe burden because mandatory reporting was only established when the epidemic was declining in the region.

Methods

To advance the study of the Zika epidemic, we identified hotspots of Zika in Pernambuco state, Northeast Brazil, using Aedes-borne diseases (dengue, chikungunya and Zika) and microcephaly data. We used Kulldorff's Poisson purely spatial scan statistic to detect low- and high-risk clusters for Aedes-borne diseases (2014-2017) and for microcephaly (2015-2017), separately. Municipalities were classified according to a proposed gradient of Zika burden during the epidemic, based on the combination of cluster status in each analysis a

SUBMITTER: Freitas LP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9977212 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature