Epidemiological profile of accidents caused by venomous animals in Amazonas state

Abstract

Introduction: The Amazonas is the largest state of Brazil, being located in the northwestern of the country. Nevertheless, the Amazonas is not so populous; its population corresponds only to 1.9% (4,063,614 habitants) from the population of Brazil. On the other hand, the state is famous for its rich flora and fauna including venomous animals such as snakes, spiders and scorpions. Therefore, epidemiological studies of venomous animal accidents in the region becomes essential for the development of better therapeutical strategies and preventing actions to reduce the occurrence of these accidents. Objective: The present study aimed to perform an epidemiological analysis of accidents caused by venomous animals in the Amazonas state from 2012 to 2015. Methods: The data were obtained by consulting the Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (SINAN, Information System for Notifiable Diseases) and Sistema Nacional de Informações Tóxico-Farmacológicas (SINITOX, National System of Toxic-Pharmacological Information) databases. Data of accidents caused by venomous animals between 2012 and 2015 were collected from the Amazonas 60 municipalities. The variables analyzed were: year of highest incidence, municipality with the highest incidence, age of the victims, sex of the victim, animal responsible for the accident, time interval between the accident and therapeutics and deaths. Results: During the years 2012 to 2015, a total of 9,349 cases of accidents involving venomous animals were reported in Amazonas state, with most victims registered in Manaus (1,331 cases). Most of the victims present 20 to 39 years-old and were male. The snakes were responsible for the most accidents, followed by scorpions. Most of the victims reach the hospital and start the therapy between 1 to 3 hours after the accident. The deaths in the state present less than 20 cases per year. Conclusion: This study expands the knowledge about the epidemiological profile of venomous animal accidents in Amazonas state, which is crucial for quantifying the disease burden, contributing to evidence-based healthcare planning, and evaluating effectiveness and relative contribution of primary, secondary and tertiary preventative measures for reducing these accidents and their complications in the region.