Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical 46(5):617-624, Sep-Oct, 2013 http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0130-2013 MCaseajor ReportArticle Snakebite cases in the municipalities of the State of Paraíba, Brazil Hellyson Fidel Araújo De Oliveira[1], Rafaella Moreno Barros[1], Jackeline Araujo Pasquino[1], Laisla Rangel Peixoto, Jorge Alves Sousa[1] and Renner de Souza Leite[1] [1]. Unidade Acadêmica de Saúde, Centro de Educação e Saúde, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Cuité, PB. ABSTRACT Introduction: This study investigated the epidemiological and clinical profi le of snakebite cases reported from 2007 to 2012 in the municipalities of the Curimataú region, State of Paraíba, in northeastern Brazil. Methods: Data were collected from the Health Department of the State of Paraíba using the Injury Notifi cation Information System data banks of the Health Ministry. Results: A total of 304 snakebite cases were studied. The cases occurred most frequently from April to June. The genera Bothrops, Crotalus, and Micrurus were responsible for 74.6%, 6.2%, and 1.3% of cases, respectively. Snakebite cases predominated in males living in rural areas and between 10 and 19 years old. The highest incidence of bites occurred on the feet. The majority of the victims received medical assistance within 1 to 3h after being bitten. With regard to severity, 48% of the cases were classifi ed as mild, 26% as moderate, and 2.6% as severe. Successful cures predominated, and no deaths were reported. The average antivenom ampoule dose used for the treatment in some snakebite cases was lower than that recommended by the Health Ministry. Conclusions: Although our results show that Paraíba has a good level of medical care, there are serious defi ciencies in recording snakebite information. These data indicate the need to improve the recording process for snakebite cases. Further training for health professionals seems to be necessary to optimize their skills in treating snakebite victims. Keywords: Bothrops. Crotalus. Epidemiology. Human envenomation. Snakebite. months, affecting mostly male rural workers aged between 10 INTRODUCTION and 40 years of age, mostly bitten on the hands and feet. Snakes of the genus Bothrops have been shown to be responsible for Snakebite envenomation represents a worldwide public the majority of snakebite cases. Envenomation by snakes of health problem, particularly in tropical and subtropical countries¹. the genus Crotalus are less frequent, and bites by Lachesis Although antivenoms are produced by laboratories on every and Micrurus are rare4. Rural areas are more severely affected continent, the burden of snakebite envenomation, causing both by snakebites, presenting high morbidity and mortality rates. morbidity and mortality, has a great impact on the population This increased severity results from these communities' higher and healthcare systems, especially in Africa, Asia, Oceania, and exposure to risk areas and from diffi culties in accessing health 2 Latin America . Questions related to epidemiological research, centers that can provide snake antivenom. Numerous victims access to treatment, and the training of health workers have suffer permanent consequences due to the necrotic action of been largely left out of national public policies¹. In Brazil, snake venoms as well as psychological consequences. The approximately 30,000 snakebite cases are reported every economic impact of these injuries is considerable, especially year, with an incidence of 16 cases/100,000 inhabitants and a because most victims are young5. The information regarding the lethality rate of 0.45%3,4. The highest incidences of snakebites incidence of snakebites per region, types of venom, deaths, and in the 2011 were recorded in the North (57.8 cases/100,000 the consequences of envenomation are essential for evaluating inhabitants), Midwest (23.1 cases/100,000 inhabitants), and the problem and developing public policies aimed at reducing Northeast regions (15.1 cases/100,000 inhabitants)3. There is the number of accidents and improving medical help for a predominance of snakebite cases during the hot and rainy victims6,7. In spite of a number of previous investigations8-10, the epidemiology of snakebites in the Northeastern region of Brazil is not yet well understood, most likely due to social and environmental changes that have occurred there in recent Address to: Dr. Renner de Souza Leite. Unidade Acadêmica de Saúde/CES/ decades, the underreporting of snakebite cases, and defi ciencies UFCG. Campus Cuité, Sítio Olho D`Água da Bica s/n, 58175-000 Cuité, PB, in collecting epidemiological data. To address this shortcoming, Brasil. the current study analyzed the clinical and epidemiological Phone: 55 83 3372-1900 e-mail: [email protected] profi le of the snakebite cases reported from 2007 to 2012 in the Received 26 June 2013 municipalities of the Curimataú region, located in the State of Accepted 30 September 2013 Paraíba in northeastern Brazil. 617 Oliveira HFA et al - Snakebites in Paraíba carried out. A retrospective epidemiological investigation was METHODS based on snakebite cases reported from 2007 to 2012 for the municipalities of this region (Table 1). Data were collected Study area from the Health Department of the State of Paraíba using the SINAN (Injury Notifi cation Information System) data banks The State of Paraíba covers an area of 56,372km², and 98% of the Health Ministry. Epidemiological data were analyzed in of its territory is located within the Drought Polygon which is relation to the sex and age of the victims, year and month of 11 an area subjected to a prolonged period of drought annually . the snakebite, zone of occurrence (urban or rural), genus of the The Curimataú region is located in the State of Paraíba and snake, part of the body bitten, and time elapsed between the covers 5,241km2 (Figure 1). This region is composed of 18 snakebite and medical assistance. The variables investigated in municipalities, with a population of approximately 213,159 clinical evaluations were as follows: local and systemic clinical inhabitants. These municipalities are small and have low manifestations, severity and evolution of the case, blood clotting population densities12. Almost the entire region has a low rainfall time, and serotherapy. Regarding the genus of the offending rate, high average temperatures, acute water defi cits, generally snakes, the data obtained were based on the information given thin and often salty soils, and caatinga vegetation13. by the patients themselves and/or their companions as well as on the clinical observations of health professionals of the patients’ Data collection signs and symptoms. Therefore, in the medical records analyzed A descriptive study of the clinical-epidemiological in this study, the identifi cation of the offending snake was not characteristics of snakebites in the Curimataú region was performed by experts. Only accidents involving aggressive RR AP AM PA CE MA RN PB PI PE AL AC TO RO SE MT BA Paraíba GO João Pessoa DF MG Brazil MS ES SP RJ PR SC RS Nova FlorestaCuité Araruna RiachãoCampo de Santana Dona Inês DamiãoCacimba de Dentro Sossêgo Barra de Casserengue Solânea Studied area Santa Rosa Arara Algodão de Jandaíra Remígio Olivedos Soledade Pocinhos Curimataú Paraibano 0 5,269.4 km² FIGURE 1 - Studied area of snakebite cases. 618 Rev Soc Bras Med Trop 46(5):617-624, Sep-Oct, 2013 TABLE 1 - Distribution of snakebite cases registered in the Curimataú region, State of Paraiba, Brazil, from 2007 to 2012 according to quantitative demographic variables. Year Total 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 n % Seasonality 1st trimester 14 9 15 16 15 15 84 27.6 2nd trimester 18 7 19 17 4 12 77 25.3 3rd trimester 13 13 20 19 13 13 91 30.0 4th trimester 9 3 12 15 8 5 52 17.1 Municipality Cuité 7 5 9 18 11 4 54 17.8 Barra Santa Rosa 12 3 14 8 3 8 48 15.8 Pocinhos 4 2 7 9 5 11 38 12.5 Soledade 6 6 9 4 3 2 30 10.0 Damião 4 3 2 9 2 2 22 7.2 Araruna 8 6 3 2 2 0 21 7.0 Olivedos 2 1 7 3 2 4 19 6.2 Sossego 5 0 2 3 3 2 15 5.0 Remígio 3 3 3 1 1 0 11 3.6 Algodão de Jandaíra 2 1 1 1 3 2 10 3.2 Casserengue 0 0 1 3 3 3 10 3.2 Nova Floresta 0 1 2 2 1 3 9 3.0 Cacimba de Dentro 1 0 2 1 1 0 5 1.6 Dona Inês 0 0 1 1 0 2 4 1.3 Riachão 0 0 1 0 0 2 3 1.0 Solânea 0 1 2 0 0 0 3 1.0 Arara 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 0.6 Campo de Santana 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 Localities of occurrence urban 7 5 5 1 2 4 24 7.9 rural 46 27 59 66 38 40 276 90.8 peri-urban 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0.3 unknown 1 0 2 0 0 0 3 1.0 Total 54 32 66 67 40 45 304 100.0 venomous snakes were recognized and taken into account. All statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS® (Statistical Cases in which the snake was identifi ed as non-venomous were Package for Social Sciences) software version 13.0 for Windows. ignored. The incidence of snakebites for the Curimataú region was Ethical considerations calculated for the period from 2007 to 2012. Demographic and This research was approved by the Ethics Research population data furnished by the Brazilian Institute of Geography Committee of the Federal University of Paraíba (protocol number and Statistics (IBGE) were used to calculate incidence rates.