Risk areas for hepatitis A, B and C in the municipality of Maringá, Paraná State, Brazil 2007-2010

Abstract

Viral hepatitis is a major public health problem in Brazil and worldwide. We retrospectively analyzed 338 cases of hepatitis A, B and C in Maringá, Paraná State from 2007 through 2010. The hepatitis A virus was present in 5.6% of the cases, hepatitis B in 44.7% and hepatitis C in 49.7%. Most of the patients affected were male (55.3%), white (79.6%) and had some primary education (42.9%). Of the 338 cases analyzed, 13.0% had comorbidities. The cases were concentrated in large-population census zones, but it was concluded that the spatial distribution of viral hepatitis in Maringá occurred randomly rather than show any regular pattern.