Analysis of Cases of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in the North Region: Epidemiological Profile and Laboratory Confirmation in the Period From 2015 to 2024

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a notifiable infectious disease with endemic distribution in Brazil, with a strong presence in the North Region, where the highest detection coefficients are concentrated. With chronic and disfiguring evolution, its cutaneous manifestations directly affect the physical, emotional, and social well-being of affected individuals. The persistence of the disease is associated with environmental and occupational factors and with the precariousness of surveillance services in more vulnerable areas. In this context, this study aims to describe the epidemiological profile of reported cases in the North Region between 2015 and 2024, with emphasis on demographic and laboratory characteristics. A descriptive ecological study with data extracted from SINAN/DATASUS on the clinical-epidemiological profile of patients affected by cutaneous leishmaniasis in the period between 2015 and 2024. The following variables were described: sex, age group, education level, and cure rate. Ethics Committee review was waived because this study uses secondary data, without direct involvement of human subjects in research. A total of 179,145 cases of leishmaniasis were recorded in the period from 2015 to 2022, of which 94.1% were in the cutaneous form. In addition, men (73%) are predominantly more affected, as are people of brown and Black race/color (76%). The most affected age group is working-age adults between 20 and 39 years (72%). Cure rates are above 90%; however, treatment abandonment rates (3.8%) prevail among patients with incomplete elementary education or no formal schooling. It is worth noting that this disease is notifiable in Brazil, and Pará ranks at the top, with around 46.5%. Therefore, the collected data show that the population residing in the Amazon region is the most vulnerable regarding disease aggravating factors, since the socioeconomic and geographic relationship contributes to the concentration of about 50% of cases in Brazil. That said, working-age patients are the most affected, which leads to greater resistance to treatment, given that management is prolonged and consequently results in poor adherence. Thus, it is necessary to strengthen primary care in order to reduce the incidence and aggravations of this pathology, through the strengthening of effective public policies and early diagnosis.