Epidemiological aspects of human leptospirosis: analysis of the three years with the greatest diagnostic demand, the largest number of cases and the highest annual rainfall in the interior of Buenos Aires province

EXEQUIEL SCIALFA; GUEVARA OCHOA C; MORENO S; ORTIZ M; M. RIVERO; VIDELA Y

Simposio; XIX Simposio Internacional sobre Enfermedades Desatendidas; 2019

In the period 2000-2016 487 human cases of leptospirosiswere registered in the interior of Buenos Aires province. Inthis period, the years 2001, 2002 and 2004 were the ones thatdemanded more clinical samples for the diagnosis of the disease (average: 648), reported more human cases (average:72.3) and were even the wettest years (average: 898 mm).The objective of the study was to describe the epidemiological aspects of human leptospirosis in the three years with thegreatest diagnostic demand, the largest number of casesand the highest annual rainfall in the interior of Buenos Airesprovince. Using the epidemiological data obtained from theLaboratory of Leptospirosis, the following was analyzed:? Annual distribution of suspects, probable and confirmedcases.? Annual and monthly distribution of confirmed cases.? Geographical distribution of confirmed cases.? Occurrence of outbreaks of illness.? Annual and monthly distribution of registered rain (mm).The annual distribution of confirmed cases of leptospirosis inthe years 2001 and 2002 was similar, and affected mostly thenorthwest of the province (La Plata, Quilmes, Castelli, Gral.Las Heras, Carlos Casares, Magdalena); however, in 2004,the southeast of the province (Gral. Pueyrredon) was moreaffected. A total of 217 human cases of leptospirosis (2001:86, 2002: 95, and 2004: 36) were confirmed by MAT; according to the geographic distribution, the cases were distributedin 30, 47 and 13 cities respectively. The monthly distributionof human cases varied according to year, prevailing in summer-autumn (2001), summer-autumn-winter (2002) andspring (2004). Three outbreaks occurred in 2001 (exposure:recreational and flood), 6 in 2002 (exposure: recreational,flood, dairy cattle, slaughterhouse and garbage recycling)and 2 during 2004 (exposure: milk cattle and slaughterhouse). Confirmation of cases increased by 43% (2001), 18%(2002) and 36% in 2004. Human leptospirosis in the interior ofBuenos Aires province is associated with the rain record andthere is a greater risk of presenting outbreaks of the disease.