Title : Epidemiological trends of Meningococcal meningitis in Brazil (2008–2023)
Abstract:
Introduction: Meningococcal meningitis is a major public health concern in Brazil, where the disease is subject to compulsory notification via the Brazilian Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN).
Objective: The main purpose of this study was to evaluate temporal trends in the incidence and mortality rates of meningococcal meningitis in Brazil from 2008 to 2023.
Methods: A retrospective, descriptive study using secondary data from DATASUS - SINAN. The analysis included variables such as age group (< 1year (y), 1 - 4y, 5 - 9y, 10 - 19y, 20 - 39y, 40 - 59y, 60 - 64y, 65 - 69y, 70 - 79y, and > 80 y), epidemiological year, incidence, number of deaths due to meningococcal meningitis, and mortality rate per 100,000 inhabitants.
Results: Between 2008 and 2023, a total of 272,591 cases of meningitis and meningococcemia were reported. Highest incidence was evidenced in 2009 with important decreases in cases afterwards. From 2021 to 2022, confirmed cases increased by 100%, with a pronounced rise in children between 1 to 4y (from 5 to 20 cases per 100,000 inhabitants) and 5 to 9y (from 2 to 10 cases per 100,000 inhabitants). During the study period, 25,649 total deaths were recorded. The peak mortality rate occurred in 2009, reaching 11.2 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. The most significant year-over-year increase was observed between 2021 and 2022, with a 70.27% rise. Children under one year of age presented the highest mortality rate, increasing from 2.77 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in 2021 to 11.15 in 2022. Our results show increased mortality at the extremes of age, with the highest rates in children under 5 and in adults over 60.
Conclusion: The data indicate a substantial decline in both the incidence and mortality rates of meningococcal meningitis after 2009 likely due to introduction of vaccines and changes in rates from 2021 to 2022 possibly influenced by the social and health context brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
