Is the recent increment in attributable deaths to type-2 diabetes (T2D) associated with the latest chikungunya outbreak in a major epidemic area in Brazil?

• Main Authors: Luciano Pamplona de Góes Cavalcanti, Sara Mendes D’angelo, Daniele Rocha Queiroz Lemos, Francisca Kalline de Almeida Barreto, André Machado Siqueira, Fabio Miyajima
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT)
• Series: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Subjects: Chikungunya; Diabetes; Arbovirus; Deaths
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0037-86822018000100063&lng=en&tlng=en

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) can negatively influence outcomes in patients with pre-existing conditions. We investigated the association between the recent CHIKV outbreak and increased type 2 diabetes (T2D)-attributable deaths. METHODS: Monthly averages of T2D-attributable deaths between 2001 and 2016 were determined and compared to the equivalent data for 2017 and the recent CHIKV outbreak. RESULTS: CHKV outbreak peaked in April 2017 with 4,394.4 cases/100,000 inhabitants, while T2D-attributable deaths in the same period increased by 35.2%. CONCLUSIONS: T2D-attributable deaths significantly increased compared to the previous data, which overlapped with CHIKV incidence. The pathophysiology of this association warrants further investigations.