This study analyzed the spatial distribution of dengue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2006, and associations between the incidence per 100,000 inhabitants and socio-environmental variables. The study analyzed reported dengue cases among the city's inhabitants, rainfall, Breteau index (for Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus), Gini index, and social development index. We conducted mapping and used the global Moran index to measure the indicators' spatial autocorrelation, which was positive for all variables. The generalized linear model showed a direct association between dengue incidence and rainfall, one-month rainfall time lag, Gini index, and Breteau index for A. albopictus. The conditional autoregressive model (CAR) showed a direct association with rainfall for four months of the year, rain time lag in July, and Gini index in February. The results demonstrate the importance of socio-environmental variables in the dynamics of dengue transmission and the relevance for the development of dengue control strategies.

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The trend towards decline and stabilization of the AIDS epidemic in Brazil should be analyzed carefully, since aggregate data can mask regional or local inequalities in such a large and diverse country. The current study reevaluates the epidemic’s spatial dissemination and the AIDS-related mortality pattern in Brazil. The study considered all AIDS cases diagnosed in individuals over 18 years of age and living in Brazil, as well as AIDS deaths recorded in 1998-2008. Three-year moving average rates were estimated, and a spatial analysis was conducted using a local empirical Bayesian method. The epidemic was only found to be expanding in the North and Northeast regions, while declining in the rest of the country, especially in the Southeast. According to the findings, the apparent stabilization of AIDS mortality tends to mask regional disparities. Social determinants of health and regional disparities should be taken into account in program development and policymaking.