Vulnerability to loss of follow-up and death due to tuberculosis among homeless individuals in Brazil: a retrospective cohort study.

This retrospective cohort study identified factors associated with loss of follow-up and death due to tuberculosis (TB) in the homeless population (HP) in Brazil, estimating odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) by multinomial logistic regression. A total of 3,831 TB cases in this population were analyzed, of which 57.0% had unfavorable outcomes.

Association between racial iniquities and oral health status: a systematic review.

The present study aimed to investigate the association between racial iniquities and oral health status. This is a systematic review with a protocol registered on the Prospero Platform (CRD42021228417), with searches carried out in electronic databases and in gray literature. Our study identified 3,028 publications.

Therapeutic itineraries of quilombola adults for oral health care in a rural district of Bahia, Brazil.

This study examined the oral health-related therapeutic itineraries of quilombola adults in a rural district of Vitória da Conquista, Bahia. This qualitative study involved ten semi-structured interviews of adult members of the quilombola community, in May 2021, which were then transcribed and analysed using content analysis. The results showed little or poor oral hygiene at some stage of life, especially in childhood and adolescence, the use of popular oral health care practices, and experiences of professional care featuring tooth extraction.

Factors associated with unsuccessful tuberculosis treatment among homeless persons in Brazil: A retrospective cohort study from 2015 to 2020.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a preventable and a curable disease. In Brazil, TB treatment outcomes are particularly worse among homeless populations who are either of black race, malnourished or living with HIV/AIDS and other comorbidities. This study therefore evaluated factors associated with unsuccessful TB treatment among homeless population (HP) compared to those with shelter.

Validation of the use of dried blood spots in a chikungunya virus IgG serological assay.

Dried blood spot (DBS) sampling is a simple, fast, and minimally invasive blood collection method that is particularly useful for diagnostic or epidemiological studies in hard-to-reach populations. Nevertheless, the use of DBS in assays that have been optimized with gold-standard samples (serum or plasma) must be optimized to yield reliable results. Here, we describe the validation of DBS in a commercial assay to measure IgG against chikungunya virus (CHIKV IgG ELISA; Euroimmun, Lübeck, Germany).

Incidence and risk factors of tuberculosis among 420 854 household contacts of patients with tuberculosis in the 100 Million Brazilian Cohort (2004-18): a cohort study.

Background: Although household contacts of patients with tuberculosis are known to be particularly vulnerable to tuberculosis, the published evidence focused on this group at high risk within the low-income and middle-income country context remains sparse. Using nationwide data from Brazil, we aimed to estimate the incidence and investigate the socioeconomic and clinical determinants of tuberculosis in a cohort of contacts of tuberculosis patients.

Methods: In this cohort study, we linked individual socioeconomic and demographic data from the 100 Million Brazilian Cohort to mortality data and tuberculosis registries, identified contacts of tuberculosis index patients diagnosed from Jan 1, 2004 to Dec 31, 2018, and followed up the contacts until the contact's subsequent tuberculosis diagnosis, the contact's death, or Dec 31, 2018.

Performance evaluation of tuberculosis control in Brazilian municipalities.

Objective: To evaluate the performance of tuberculosis control in Brazilian municipalities.

Methods: This is an ecological study on Brazilian municipalities that notified at least four new cases of tuberculosis, with a minimum of one new case of pulmonary tuberculosis between 2015 and 2018. The municipalities were stratified according to the population in < 50 thousand, 50-100 thousand, 100-300 thousand, and > 300 thousand inhabitants, and the k-means method was used to group them within each population range according to the performance of six indicators of the disease.

Hypertension in Quilombola children and adolescents.

To determine the prevalence of prehypertension (PH) and hypertension (AH) in quilombola children and adolescents, as well as to analyze sociodemographic, behavioral, and health characteristics.Prevalence study conducted in random samples of quilombola children and adolescents from 06 to 19 years of age, in remaining quilombo communities in Cachoeira-Bahia. Identification, sociodemographic, behavioral, anthropometric, and blood pressure (BP) data were used.

Estimating underreporting of leprosy in Brazil using a Bayesian approach.

Background: Leprosy remains concentrated among the poorest communities in low-and middle-income countries and it is one of the primary infectious causes of disability. Although there have been increasing advances in leprosy surveillance worldwide, leprosy underreporting is still common and can hinder decision-making regarding the distribution of financial and health resources and thereby limit the effectiveness of interventions. In this study, we estimated the proportion of unreported cases of leprosy in Brazilian microregions.

Epidemiological characteristics and temporal trends of new leprosy cases in Brazil: 2006 to 2017.

Our study aims to describe trends in new case detection rate (NCDR) of leprosy in Brazil from 2006 to 2017 overall and in subgroups, and to analyze the evolution of clinical and treatment characteristics of patients, with emphasis on cases diagnosed with grade 2 physical disabilities. We conducted a descriptive study to analyze new cases of leprosy registered in the Brazilian Information System for Notificable Diseases (SINAN), from 2006-2017. We calculated the leprosy NCDR per 100,000 inhabitants (overall and for individuals aged < 15 and ≥ 15 years) by sex, age, race/ethnicity, urban/rural areas, and Brazilian regions, and estimated the trends using the Mann-Kendall non-parametric test.

The association between a conditional cash transfer programme and malaria incidence: a longitudinal ecological study in the Brazilian Amazon between 2004 and 2015.

Background: Malaria causes 400 thousand deaths worldwide annually. In 2018, 25% (187,693) of the total malaria cases in the Americas were in Brazil, with nearly all (99%) Brazilian cases in the Amazon region. The Bolsa Família Programme (BFP) is a conditional cash transfer (CCT) programme launched in 2003 to reduce poverty and has led to improvements in health outcomes.

Street people in Brazil: a descriptive study of their sociodemographic profile and tuberculosis morbidity, 2014-2019.

Objective: To characterize the sociodemographic profile of street people (SP) registered on the Single Register for Social Programs (CadÚnico) as at 2019 and tuberculosis morbidity in this population notified on the Notifiable Health Conditions Information System (Sinan) from 2014 to 2018.

Methods: This was a descriptive study carried out with data from Sinan and CadÚnico.

Results: 127,536 people registered on CadÚnico and 14,059 with tuberculosis notified on Sinan were included in the study.

Physical disabilities caused by leprosy in 100 million cohort in Brazil.

Background: Leprosy continues to be an important cause of physical disability in endemic countries such as Brazil. Knowledge of determinants of these events may lead to better control measures and targeted interventions to mitigate its impact on affected individuals. This study investigated such factors among the most vulnerable portion of the Brazilian population.

Investigating extradomiciliary transmission of tuberculosis: An exploratory approach using social network patterns of TB cases and controls and the genotyping of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Extradomiciliary contacts have been overlooked in the study of TB transmission due to difficulties in identifying actual contacts in large populations. Complex network analysis provides a framework to model the structure of contacts, specially extradomiciliary ones. We conducted a study of incident sputum-positive TB cases and healthy controls occurring in a moderate TB burden city.

Correction: Geographic and socioeconomic factors associated with leprosy treatment default: An analysis from the 100 Million Brazilian Cohort.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.

Conditional Cash Transfer Program and Leprosy Incidence: Analysis of 12.9 Million Families From the 100 Million Brazilian Cohort.

Leprosy is a neglected tropical disease predominately affecting poor and marginalized populations. To test the hypothesis that poverty-alleviating policies might be associated with reduced leprosy incidence, we evaluated the association between the Brazilian Bolsa Familia (BFP) conditional cash transfer program and new leprosy case detection using linked records from 12,949,730 families in the 100 Million Brazilian Cohort (2007-2014). After propensity score matching BFP beneficiary to nonbeneficiary families, we used Mantel-Haenszel tests and Poisson regressions to estimate incidence rate ratios for new leprosy case detection and secondary endpoints related to operational classification and leprosy-associated disabilities at diagnosis.

Incidence of and Factors Associated With Leprosy Among Household Contacts of Patients With Leprosy in Brazil.

Importance: Despite progress toward reducing global incidence, leprosy control remains a challenge in low- and middle-income countries.

Objective: To estimate new case detection rates of leprosy among household contacts of patients with previously diagnosed leprosy and to investigate its associated risk factors.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This population-based cohort study included families registered in the 100 Million Brazilian Cohort linked with nationwide registries of leprosy; data were collected from January 1, 2007, through December 31, 2014.

Effect of a conditional cash transfer programme on leprosy treatment adherence and cure in patients from the nationwide 100 Million Brazilian Cohort: a quasi-experimental study.

Background: Indirect financial costs and barriers to health-care access might contribute to leprosy treatment non-adherence. We estimated the association of the Brazilian conditional cash transfer programme, the Programa Bolsa Família (PBF), on leprosy treatment adherence and cure in patients in Brazil.

Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, we linked baseline demographic and socioeconomic information for individuals who entered the 100 Million Brazilian Cohort between Jan 1, 2007, and Dec 31, 2014, with the PBF payroll database and the Information System for Notifiable Diseases, which includes nationwide leprosy registries.

Socioeconomic determinants of leprosy new case detection in the 100 Million Brazilian Cohort: a population-based linkage study.

Background: Although leprosy is recognised as a disease of poverty, there is little evidence on the specific socioeconomic factors associated with disease risk. To inform targeted strategies for disease elimination, we investigated socioeconomic markers of leprosy risk in Brazil.

Methods: Socioeconomic data from the 100 Million Brazilian Cohort were linked to the Brazilian national disease registry (Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação) for leprosy from Jan 1, 2007, to Dec 31, 2014.

Association between treatment outcome, sociodemographic characteristics and social benefits received by individuals with tuberculosis in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, 2014-2016.

Objective: to analyze association between tuberculosis treatment outcome, sociodemographic characteristics and receipt of social benefits.

Methods: this was a cohort study conducted in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, in the period 2014-2016; we analyzed bivariate associations between treatment outcome, sociodemographic characteristics and social benefits.

Results: 216 individuals were followed, of whom 79.

Leprosy in children under 15 years of age in Brazil: A systematic review of the literature.

Background: Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease neglected, caused by Mycobacterium leprae, considered a public health problem because may cause permanent physical disabilities and deformities, leading to severe limitations. This review presents an overview of the results of epidemiological studies on leprosy occurrence in childhood in Brazil, aiming to alert health planners and managers to the actual need to institute special control strategies.

Methodology/principal Findings: Data collection consisted of an electronic search for publications in eight databases: Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (LILACS), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), PuBMed, Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS), SciVerse Scopus (Scopus), CAPES theses database, CAPES journals database and Web of Science of papers published up to 2016.

Socioeconomic risk markers of leprosy in high-burden countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Over 200,000 new cases of leprosy are detected each year, of which approximately 7% are associated with grade-2 disabilities (G2Ds). For achieving leprosy elimination, one of the main challenges will be targeting higher risk groups within endemic communities. Nevertheless, the socioeconomic risk markers of leprosy remain poorly understood.

Effects of social protection on tuberculosis treatment outcomes in low or middle-income and in high-burden countries: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a poverty infectious disease that affects millions of people worldwide. Evidences suggest that social protection strategies (SPS) can improve TB treatment outcomes. This study aimed to synthesize such evidences through systematic literature review and meta-analysis.