Trypanosomatid research in Brazil: a systematic analysis of regional and temporal trends

BACKGROUND

Trypanosomatid infections such as Chagas disease (CD) and leishmaniasis remain major public-health concerns. Brazil has a long tradition in this field, yet a consolidated, country-level view of outputs, impact and collaboration patterns is useful to guide scientific policy.

OBJECTIVES 

To characterise Brazilian scientific production on Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania and Trypanosoma brucei (2010-2021), describing temporal trends, regional contributions, collaboration networks and journal impact.

METHODS 

We performed a bibliometric analysis of PubMed records retrieved with Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) for each pathogen/disease pair, covering publications from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2021 (search date: 21 July 2022). Data items included article type, year, journal, author affiliations (countries/institutions) and, for Brazil, the geographical region of the corresponding author. Descriptive statistics and visualisations were generated in R.
 

FINDINGS 

From 21,713 records, 6,478 were affiliated to Brazil. Brazil contributed a substantial share of the global literature, particularly for T. cruzi (≈40%) and Leishmania (≈30%). Within Brazil, output increased over time with growing participation from the north and northeast, alongside expanding inter-institutional and international collaborations. Most publications appeared in higher-impact journals (Q1/Q2), with recent gains in Q1 outputs in historically under-represented regions. Original research predominated over reviews across the period.

MAIN CONCLUSIONS 

Brazilian trypanosomatid research shows sustained growth, increasing regional dispersion and rising international engagement, with a strong presence in high-impact journals. Continued support for collaborative networks and equitable funding across regions could further enhance national and global impact.