Post-exposure human anti-rabies care: temporal trend of its prevalence in Ceará, from 2007 to 2015

Abstract Background The main recommendation for the control of rabies in humans is the prophylactic vaccination. Objective Considering the endemicity of rabies in Brazil and the direction of control actions, it was aimed to characterize the temporal trend of post-exposure human anti-rabies in Ceará from 2007 to 2015. Method The study is ecological with a temporal trend and analytical. The data of the anti-rabies data sheets were organized into spreadsheets and the annual prevalence coefficients were calculated. Results There were 231,694 rabies treatments, with prevalence coefficients increasing from 2007 to 2011 (35.09 per 10,000 inhabitants, APC = 13.5, p <0.001) and apex in 2015 (40.35 per 10,000 inhabitants, APC = 5, 5, p = 0.005). There was an increase in the age group of 20 to 59 years old (APC = 14.0, p <0.001), and urban residents (APC = 7.0, p <0.001). The canine species showed an increasing trend from 2007 to 2011 (APC = 14.3, p <0.001). Of the notifications, 95.8% presented inadequate behaviors, with an increase in the prevalence coefficients from 2007 to 2011 (APC = 13.6, p <0.001). Conclusion Inadequate prophylactic behaviors occurred more than 2007 to 2011. The temporal analysis, with an increasing trend in the analyzed period, should be used as a continuous component of the rabies surveillance actions in Ceará, for adequate and safe assistance to the patients who are victims of animal aggression.