RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Brazil notified 757,068 cases of dengue fever in the first 18 weeks of this year, representing a 151.4% increase compared to the same period in 2021. On average, the country registers 354.9 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. That is what the latest epidemiological bulletin from the Ministry of Health shows, released last Friday and updated on Monday.
With 37,856 records, the federal capital stands out as the first in the list of cities. The amount leads Brasília to accumulate 1,223.4 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants. Next comes Goiânia, which totals 36,003 notifications and 2,314.4 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The Center-West region is the focus of the disease, with the largest jump in diagnoses, 283%, and in incidence, with 1,171 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
Dengue has already claimed the lives of 265 people in Brazil in 2022. With 99 deaths, São Paulo leads the list, followed by Santa Catarina and Goiás, with 28 each. Bahia, in turn, accumulates 22. The ministry is investigating another 300 deaths.
The ministry’s survey, coordinated by the Secretariat of Health Surveillance (SVS), includes probable dengue cases from January 2 to May 7, recorded in the online Information System of Notifiable Diseases (Sinan Online), from which it excludes diagnoses already discarded.
According to doctors and scientists, dengue is characterized as a cyclical disease that does not act simultaneously or homogeneously throughout the country. Therefore, epidemics usually occur every three to five years. The greater movement of people after the relaxation of restrictions against Covid-19 is one of the factors that led to the increase in cases.
There is no vaccine available on a large scale in Brazil. The immunizer can only be applied to those who already had the disease and have antibodies to minimize the risk of adverse events. In addition, the doses are restricted to private laboratories. In this sense, the best strategy is to eliminate places that can accumulate stagnant water. Add this to the high temperatures and rainfall, and the country finds the ideal scenario for breeding sites of Aedes aegypti, the mosquito that carries dengue and other arboviruses, such as chikungunya and zika.
The ministry recommends checking possible breeding sites, such as roofs, gutters, pools, bottles, and tires, and keeping garbage closed to fight the disease. Water storage containers should be covered, and plant pots should contain sand to prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs. The folder states that it is crucial to seek medical care in case of suspicion of the disease and that there is treatment available at the Unified Health System (SUS).
With information from O Globo