MPOX: aspectos epidemiológicos no estado do Rio Grande do Norte

Abstract

Monkeypox is a zoonosis of viral etiology, caused by Monkeypox virus (MPXV), classified in the Poxviridae family, Orthopoxvirus genus, whose natural reservoir has not yet been identified. In 2022, MPXV spread to several countries around the world, affecting thousands of people. The World Health Organization declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and recommended the name mpox to replace monkeypox. In Brazil, the first case of the disease was confirmed in June 2022. The following month, mpox was confirmed in Rio Grande do Norte (RN). This study aims to analyze epidemiological aspects of mpox. This is a retrospective, descriptive study based on secondary data obtained from the REDCap platform and the e-SUS Sinan of the State Secretariat of Public Health of RN, referring to the period from 2022 to 2024. A total of 140 cases confirmed in the laboratory by the MPX PCR method were included. The analysis of the notification forms revealed the following epidemiological profile: highest incidence in August 2022 (35.0%; n=49); affecting Brazilians in the age group of 30 to 39 years (33.6%; n=47); male (86.4%; n=121); cisgender man (72.1%; n=101); homosexual (45.0%; n=63); brown skin color (44.3%; n=62); with completed higher education (36.4%; n=51); resident in the capital (68.6%; n=96); without immunosuppression (75.7%; n=106); without HIV (65.7%; n=92); who had sexual relations with men (54.3%; n=76). The form of transmission was not identified (42.1%; n=59). The most frequent signs and symptoms were: rash (86.4%; n=121), asthenia (83.6%; n=117), fever (61.4%; n=86), headache (49.3%; n=69), myalgia (35.7%; n=50), genital lesion (31.4%; n=44) and sore throat (30.7%; n=43). The majority did not require hospitalization (95.7%; n=134) or antiviral treatment (70.0%; n=98), and there were no deaths (0.0%; n=0). Possible risk factors were identified as: male gender, young adult, with high levels of education, and possible risk groups as young male individuals who have sex with men. The results of this study are similar to those of other studies and may help implement more effective policies for prevention and early diagnosis of the disease, reducing its impact on the population.