Distribuição espacial e comportamento temporal do vírus Zika no município de Araguaína/Tocantins, 2016 a 2023

Background and Objectives: To analyze the spatial epidemiological distribution of Zika virus infections and its temporal behavior in the municipality of Araguaína, state of Tocantins, Brazil, emphasizing the relevance of continuous surveillance and control and prevention methods. Methods: Ecological study of time series and trends of confirmed Zika virus cases in the municipality of Araguaína-TO. The seasonal pattern of the disease was assessed using a control chart containing indices per year and levels by epidemiological week. Spatial analysis data were distributed with the help of QGIS software by neighborhoods, delineating high and low-risk clusters. Results: The municipality reported 2,031 cases during the assessed period with 519 confirmed, showing a stationary trend with low indices and a seasonal pattern. The most affected individuals were female, of mixed ethnic background, aged between 20 and 39 years, with less than 12 years of schooling. The disease exhibited heterogeneous characteristics within the municipality, affecting both large demographic centers and peripheral neighborhoods. Conclusion: Understanding the epidemiological characteristics is important for promoting public policies and health education aimed at developing mechanisms for predicting outbreaks, as well as strategies for controlling infections to reduce and/or prevent new epidemics of this arbovirus through interdisciplinary action.