[Maternal mortality and impact of dengue in Southeast Brazil: an ecological study, 2001-2005]

Anne Karin Madureira da Mota1, Adalberto Luiz Miranda Filho, Valéria Saraceni

  • 1Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. annekarinmm@gmail.com

The aim of this study was to explore the distribution of reproductive outcomes following dengue virus infection during pregnancy (2001-2005). An ecological epidemiological study was conducted in all counties with more than 80,000 inhabitants in Southeast Brazil. The study explored the correlation between dengue incidence rates in women 15-39 years of age and selected mortality indicators (maternal, fetal, perinatal, neonatal, early neonatal, and infant) in these counties, and Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated. A positive correlation was observed between median dengue incidence in women 15-39 years of age and median maternal mortality (r = 0.88; 95%CI: 0.51; 1.00), with a determination coefficient R² = 0.78. The correlation between dengue incidence in childbearing-age women and reproductive outcomes in Southeast Brazil suggests that dengue infection during pregnancy can negatively impact its outcome and increase maternal mortality.