Kala-azar in the city of S. Paulo (Brazil) and in an infectious disease ward

Abstract

In order to figure out basically a situation strictly connected with medical assistance work and also to cooperate with public health authorities, analysis of patients with kala-azar was made in a specialized ward of a university hospital of the city of S. Paulo (Brazil). The patients, the locale where their protozoosis was acquired, and related data were analyzed. This study was made of patients hospital registered in 12 years and 3 months. Sixty-two were bearers of kala-azar, at a rate of 0.91% out of a total of 6,798 hospitalized patients. Sixty-two were bearers of kala-azar, 0.91% of the total. Mortality was 19.3%. Both figures, 0.91% and 19.3%, define the importance of the disease, which is severe and rather frequent. The date obtained from the survey, especially that related to the geographic distribution of the infection, will undoubtedly help to better evaluate the protozoosis in question.