EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROFILE AND TEMPORAL TREND OF PERTUSSIS IN CASCAVEL, PARANÁ, BRAZIL, 2014–2024: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY

Abstract

This article aimed to describe the epidemiological profile and analyze the temporal trend of confirmed pertussis cases in Cascavel, Paraná, from 2014 to 2024. It is a descriptive, cross-sectional, time-series observational study using data from the Notifiable Diseases Information System. The selection included all confirmed cases among residents during the period. Absolute and relative frequencies, incidence rates per 100,000 inhabitants, and temporal trends via simple linear regression were calculated. Associations between categorical variables were analyzed using Pearson's chi-square test, with a significance level of 5.0% (p<0.050). A total of 163 cases were identified. The average annual incidence was 4.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. A peak occurred in 2024, accounting for 56.4% (n=92) of the records and an incidence of 25.27 per 100,000 inhabitants. No significant temporal trend was observed over the series (p=0.440). Although females (55.2%) and children under 1 year of age (27.0%) predominated in the cumulative data, a significant reduction was observed in the proportion of cases among children under five years of age in 2024 (from 70.4% to 22.8%; p<0.001). All cases resulted in recovery. The study concludes that there was evidence of a pertussis resurgence in 2024, with a shift in the age profile of affected individuals toward older age groups, highlighting the need to strengthen surveillance and immunization strategies.