Epidemiological profile of rabies notifications in humans in the state of Pará, Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

Objective: To define the epidemiological profile of reported rabies cases in the Brazilian state of Pará, from 2001 to 2021. Methods: This is a descriptive, retrospective, and ecological study that evaluated cases of human rabies in the state of Pará, based on public data. To determine the epidemiological profile, sociodemographic data (sex, age group, education level, race, and area of residence) and temporal data (year of notification) were used. For the categorical variables, relative and absolute frequencies were calculated, for non-categorical variables (age), means, mode, and standard deviation were described. The statistical test applied was the chi-square goodness-of-fit test, one variable at a time, considering equal the p-value and assessing whether the distribution differs from an expected pattern. Results: 47 cases were reported during the period, with a higher prevalence among men, mixed-race individuals, aged 1-9 years, with low levels of education and residing in rural areas. Conclusion: The epidemiological scenario of the state is similar to the national one, with prevalence in municipalities located in northeastern Pará and in archipelago regions, suggesting an association with occupational factors and greater exposure to disease-carrying animals. The limitations were related to the completeness of the data used.