Revista Ciencias Biomédicas (Jan 2014)
ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CLIMATOLOGICAL FACTORS AND INCIDENCE RATE OF DENGUE IN SANTA MARTA, COLOMBIA, 2007-2013 (IN SPANISH)
Abstract
Introduction: in Colombia, several authors have studied the relationship between the climatological variables and dengue, but studies carried out in Santa Marta, in the Colombian Caribbean, have been not found. Objective: to estimate the association between the incidence rate of dengue and the climatological factors: environmental temperature, relative humidity of the atmosphere and precipitation. Methods: study carried out in Santa Marta, Colombia, with data since 2007 until 2013, concerning the incidence rate of cases of dengue reported to the Instituto Nacional de Salud of Colombia and climatological reports of the monthly average of the environmental temperature, the precipitation and the relative humidity of the atmosphere in the indicated years. Bivariate analysis was carried out to estimate the association between the incidence rate of dengue and the indicated climatological variables, with 0,1,2 and 3 months of difference between the climatological data and the reports of dengue. Results: positive association statistically significant between the precipitation (rs=0,269, p<0,05), relative humidity of the atmosphere (rs=0,35, p<0,05) and the incidence rate of dengue, with difference of two previous months in the climatological variables was observed. In the epidemic years, the incidence of dengue increased progressively since June to December. September was the month with maximum incidence of dengue. Negative association statistically significant between the environmental temperature without discrepancy and the monthly incidence rate of dengue was found (rs= -0.225, p<0.05). Conclusions: significant association between the precipitation and the presence of dengue, with two months of discrepancy, was observed. Equal it was estimated with the relative humidity of the atmosphere. Rev.cienc.biomed. 2014;5(1):41-47 KEYWORDS Dengue, Atmospheric precipitation, Rain, Climate effects
