Epidemiological study of bee stings in the state of Paraiba, Northeastern Brazil, from 2015 to 2019

Introduction: In Brazil, envenomation by bee sting is a public health problem due to its incidence in all regions of the country, as well as the severity of cases. Despite the medical and sanitary importance, the literature on this topic in Brazil is scarce, in the Northeast region. Objective: To describe the epidemiological characteristics of bee stings in Paraíba, in the Northeast region of Brazil, from 2015 to 2019. Methods: The current study is a descriptive and retrospective epidemiological investigation conducted through the recovery of secondary data made available by the database from the Ministry of Health Notification Information System. Results: A total of 1,151 cases were analyzed, and they were reported during all the months of the period of the study and were more frequent in the regions Agreste and Sertão of the Paraíba. The victims were men aged 20 to 59 years. Most individuals received medical assistance within 3 hours of the incident. The cases were classified as mild and progressed to cure. Conclusion: In Paraíba, bee stings have increased in recent years, especially in regions with a semi-arid climate. In addition, this study provides data that may be used in the development of educational health actions to promote the prevention and control of bee stings in this region.