Brazil: Chikungunya cases increased 35-fold from January to April 2022 in Ceará State

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – According to data from the Ministry of Health, six of the eight deaths caused by chikungunya in Brazil in 2022 were registered in Ceará State. Another state that had a death from the disease was Maranhão. The disease is caused by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the same that transmits zika virus and dengue.

In the whole country, according to the Ministry of Health, more than 47,000 probable cases of the disease have already been registered this year, 40% more than in the same period last year.

In Ceará, all the deaths from chikungunya this year occurred between February and March, four in the city of Barbalha and two in Juazeiro do Norte, both in the Cariri region. The victims were between 21 and 85 years old, and four of them were male.

In Fortaleza, the number of chikungunya cases increased 35 times from January to April 2022. There are more than 1,500 cases this year.

MAIN SYMPTOMS OF CHIKUNGUNYA:

• fever above 39 degrees
• joint pain
• headache
• red spots on the skin
• muscle aches

PREVENTION

The prevention of arboviruses consists of making it difficult for Aedes aegypti to reproduce and adopt actions to avoid being bitten by the mosquito.

• install protective screens with spaces of, at most, 1.5 millimeters in the home windows;
• use repellent on your body
• use long clothes;
• keep doors and windows closed, especially during sunrise and sunset;
• brush water and food containers of the animals, keep them dry and clean;
• keep garbage cans closed;
• cover containers that can store water, including barrels and water tanks;
• fill flower pots and plant dishes with sand;
• keep the home grounds always clean and free of materials or debris that can store water;
• keep gutters always clean;
• keep drains clean and screened;
• in case of symptoms similar to dengue, chikungunya, or zika, seek the nearest health unit and consult a doctor.