Spatial analysis on childhood tuberculosis in the State of Espirito Santo, Brazil, 2000 to 2007

Abstract

Introduction: Childhood tuberculosis is responsible for 15% of case notifications. The focus of Tuberculosis Control National Program is on identifying tuberculosis in adults, while leaving children under 15 years of age on the margins of studies, diagnoses and treatment. Spatial analysis quantifies the exposition to the illness and displays the main causes relating to geographical space. The objective of this study was to analyze the spatial distribution of childhood tuberculosis in Espírito Santo, between 2000 and 2007, according to the municipality of notification. Methods: An ecological study was conducted on 515 cases of childhood tuberculosis that occurred between 2000 and 2007. The Local Empirical Bayesian Method was used to measure the risk. The Moran Local Index was calculated in order to evaluate autocorrelations between threshold districts. Results: High incidence rates were found in the Metropolitan Region of Vitória and the northeastern region, and lower rates were found in the southeastern region. Similar data were observed in a study on endemic tuberculosis among adults in Espírito Santo. This is possibly related to contacts within the home. Conclusions: This study identified possible areas of recent transmission of the disease. It is important to emphasize that knowledge of the high priority areas for tuberculosis control may help public administrators to diminish healthcare iniquities and enable improvement of resources and teams for controlling childhood tuberculosis.