Escorpionismo na área urbana de Uberlândia - MG: estudo das características epidemiológicas e das ações de vigilância

Abstract

Accidents involving venomous animals, especially scorpionism, represent one of the main public health problems in Brazil due to the high number of occurrences and their clinical severity. Factors such as rapid urbanization, environmental changes, and weaknesses in surveillance systems contribute to the increased incidence and hinder the implementation of effective preventive strategies. In this context, it is essential to understand the phenomenon from conceptual, epidemiological, territorial, and technological dimensions in order to support public policies and strengthen surveillance actions. The general objective of this work was to analyze scorpionism in the municipality of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, considering its conceptual, epidemiological, and territorial aspects, as well as to report the design of software aimed at improving the surveillance of venomous animals, with a focus on accident prevention, qualification of epidemiological analysis, and strengthening of public health actions. The methodology was organized into four integrated axes. The first article consisted of a narrative review conducted in databases using Health Sciences Descriptors. The second article, of descriptive and retrospective epidemiological character, analyzed public domain data from scorpion accident cases recorded in the Notifiable Diseases Information System between 2018 and 2023, identifying temporal trends and the demographic profile of cases in Uberlândia. The third article also characterized itself as a descriptive and retrospective epidemiological study, but focused on requests for visits related to scorpionism recorded by the Zoonosis Surveillance Unit between January 2020 and August 2024, allowing for the identification of neighborhoods and sectors with the highest concentration of demands. Finally, the case report described the process of diagnosis, proposal, and formalization for the conception of surveillance software in partnership with the Data Processing Company of Uberlândia, based on technologies such as Node.js, React, Oracle, and GitLab, and designed to overcome the weaknesses of the previous system, developed in VBA/Excel, which lacked security, scalability, or adequate analytical capacity. The results identified that, at the conceptual level, preventive strategies are essential to reduce risks but remain challenged by urban and social vulnerability. The temporal analysis revealed growth and persistence of high accident rates, especially among certain demographic and age groups. The territorial investigation indicated spatial inequality in visit requests, concentrated in peripheral neighborhoods with greater socio-environmental vulnerabilities. The case report highlighted that the absence of records prior to 2017, combined with the limitations of the local system, compromised surveillance and required the creation of a technological solution capable of integrating data, enhancing information security, and supporting strategic decisions. The time required for the software’s conception and implementation also points to the need for greater administrative agility in the face of urgent health concerns. It is concluded that the articulation between scientific production, epidemiological analysis, and the development of technological solutions offers a comprehensive and applied response to confronting scorpionism. The experience reported in Uberlândia reinforces the importance of integration between academia, public agencies, and the technology sector, serving as a reference for other Brazilian municipalities facing similar challenges in venomous animal surveillance.