Abstract INTRODUCTION:

Brazil experiences a large number of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) cases. Our objective was to examine both spatial patterns of dispersion and space-time trends for this disease.

METHODS:

We used all autochthonous confirmed cases of VL in Brazil from 2001 to 2017.

RESULTS:

Throughout Brazil, 53,715 human cases of VL were recorded. The Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest regions of Brazil were the most affected areas and presented a higher risk of transmission. Regarding spatiotemporal variation, significant differences were observed each year, with a peak in 2005.

CONCLUSIONS:

The dynamics of VL showed a clear non-random pattern of spread in Brazil.