Incidence of acute diarrheal disease in Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in a 10-year historical series

Aims: To evaluate the incidence of acute diarrheal disease (ADD) recorded over a 10-year period in Caxias do Sul, southern Brazil, and its correlations with the vaccination against rotavirus, with rainfall, and with the number of hospitalizations. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted, analyzing the ADD records obtained from the Epidemiological Surveillance sector of the Local Health Department of Caxias do Sul. Results: A total of 61,246 cases of ADD were recorded between 2004 and 2013, most of which occurred in low-income neighborhoods. There were five outbreaks of ADD in the summer and winter months during the study period. No correlations were found between ADD and rainfall. The number of children aged between zero and four years hospitalized for ADD decreased from 2006 onwards, when vaccination against rotavirus was implemented in the public health network whereas the number of deaths across all age groups fluctuated during the study period. Conclusions: The assessment of the long-term incidence of ADD showed a fluctuation in the number of cases and deaths in Caxias do Sul. In addition, hospitalizations for ADD decreased after the implementation of rotavirus vaccination in the public health network.