03238nas a2200313   4500000000100000008004100001260001200042653002100054653003500075653001100110100001500121700000900136700001200145700001200157700001700169700001400186700001000200700001400210700001500224700001300239700001400252700001400266245011500280856009900395300000900494490000700503520240000510022001402910       2023                            d  c06/202310aAntivenom access10aGeographic Information Systems10aBrazil1 aIsaacson J1 aYe J1 aSilva L1 aRocha T1 ade Andrade L1 aScheidt J1 aWen F1 aSachett J1 aMonteiro W1 aStaton C1 aVissoci J1 aGerardo C00aAntivenom access impacts severity of Brazilian snakebite envenoming: A geographic information system analysis.  uhttps://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0011305&type=printable  a1-190 v173 a<p><strong>Background: </strong>Snakebite envenoming (SBE) is a neglected tropical disease capable of causing both significant disability and death. The burden of SBE is especially high in low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this study was to perform a geospatial analysis evaluating the association of sociodemographics and access to care indicators on moderate and severe cases of SBE in Brazil.</p>

<p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted an ecological, cross-sectional study of SBE in Brazil from 2014 to 2019 using the open access National System Identification of Notifiable Diseases (SINAN) database. We then collected a set of indicators from the Brazil Census of 2010 and performed a Principal Component Analysis to create variables related to health, economics, occupation, education, infrastructure, and access to care. Next, a descriptive and exploratory spatial analysis was conducted to evaluate the geospatial association of moderate and severe events. These variables related to events were evaluated using Geographically Weighted Poisson Regression. T-values were plotted in choropleth maps and considered statistically significant when values were &lt;-1.96 or &gt;+1.96.</p>

<p><strong>Results: </strong>We found that the North region had the highest number of SBE cases by population (47.83/100,000), death rates (0.18/100,000), moderate and severe rates (22.96/100,000), and proportion of cases that took more than three hours to reach healthcare assistance (44.11%). The Northeast and Midwest had the next poorest indicators. Life expectancy, young population structure, inequality, electricity, occupation, and more than three hours to reach healthcare were positively associated with greater cases of moderate and severe events, while income, illiteracy, sanitation, and access to care were negatively associated. The remaining indicators showed a positive association in some areas of the country and a negative association in other areas.</p>

<p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Regional disparities in SBE incidence and rates of poor outcomes exist in Brazil, with the North region disproportionately affected. Multiple indicators were associated with rates of moderate and severe events, such as sociodemographic and health care indicators. Any approach to improving snakebite care must work to ensure the timeliness of antivenom administration.</p>
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