Epidemiological aspects of visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar) in Ceará in the period 2007 to 2011.

Introduction: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL; kala-azar) is a serious zoonosis that can be lethal, especially in untreated patients. Due to the fact that the State of Ceará is still an important area of transmission of VL, and based on the constant reports of the urbanization process of the disease in the country, it was necessary to monitor the occurrence of cases of leishmaniasis through epidemiological surveillance.

Objectives: To describe the epidemiology of leishmaniasis cases in Ceará, Brazil.