Dengue cases grow 21% in Brazil – 11/29/2023 – Health

The number of dengue cases in Brazil increased by 21% compared to last year. From January 1st to November 18th, there were 1,663,113 confirmations of the disease compared to 1,374,776 in the same period in 2022, according to the epidemiological bulletin from the Ministry of Health

In the same period, 1,034 people died — 3.5% more compared to 2022, when there were 999 deaths from dengue.

In the state of São Paulo, according to the Department of Health, until November 24 of this year, 311,863 thousand cases of dengue fever were confirmed distributed in 625 municipalities, with 276 deaths.

In the same period of 2022, there were 327,341 confirmations of the disease, in 617 municipalities, with 284 deaths.

Dengue is a febrile disease transmitted by the bite of a female mosquito. Aedes aegypti.

“The breeding grounds of Aedes aegypti These are the places where mosquitoes lay their eggs and the larvae develop into adult mosquitoes. Eliminating these breeding sites is a fundamental strategy for controlling mosquito proliferation and preventing the diseases it transmits. Some examples of breeding sites are containers of stagnant water, plant dishes, clogged gutters, trash cans and poorly sealed water tanks, as well as swimming pools or fountains without due care”, explains the health coordinator of the State Disease Control Coordination. from São Paulo, Regiane de Paula.

The symptoms of dengue are high fever (above 38°C); pain in the body, joints, behind the eyes and head; malaise, lack of appetite and red spots on the body. It cannot be confused with flu and Covid, because it does not cause respiratory symptoms or sore throat.

Warning signs of severity are a significant drop in blood pressure, drowsiness, change in level of consciousness, hypothermia, severe abdominal pain, vomiting and bleeding.

Experts warn of the risk of an epidemic in 2024 caused by serotype 3, which returned to circulate in the country in 2023. On November 22, the Health Department of Votuporanga (521 km from São Paulo) confirmed four cases of dengue fever of this serotype. .

In May this year, a study by Fiocruz had identified three cases of serotype 3 in Roraima and one in Paraná. The analyzes indicated that the detected lineage was introduced to the Americas from Asia, in the period between 2018 and 2020, probably through the Caribbean.

According to the Ministry of Health, this year there is a predominance of types 1 and 2.

Dengue has four serotypes. When an individual is infected by one of them they acquire immunity against that virus, but are still susceptible to the others.