Dengue cases grow 9% in São Paulo – 11/10/2023 – Health

The city of São Paulo registered, until November 1st of this year, 12,663 cases of dengue. In the same period of 2022, there were 11,607 – an increase of 9%.

The number of cases in 2023 is already greater than the sum from January to December last year, when there were 11,920 confirmations of the disease.

October 2023 saw the most new cases (256), if observed in the same month since 2015.

Of the 96 administrative districts in the city of São Paulo, 44 ​​have a medium incidence of dengue.

In Vila Guilherme (northern zone), where the CI (incidence coefficient) — the Ministry of Health’s criteria for classifying this type of disease in relation to the population — is 367.1, the situation is epidemic. Tremembé, Santana, Tucuruvi and Vila Maria, in the same region, have rates close to that of an epidemic — 244.5; 281.6; 237.8 and 294.3, respectively.

In all cases, except Tremembé, there was an increase in incidence, compared to the previous week.

According to the Municipal Health Department, the occurrence of dengue is linked to determinants that maintain vector infestation and viral circulation in a territory, such as climatic, demographic, sociocultural factors, urban infrastructure, population dynamics and susceptibility to circulating viruses.

In this way, the neighborhoods in the north zone have a significant population increase, areas with forest edges and rugged topography, in addition to being a border region in which cases from neighboring areas are being introduced.

The incidence of dengue is still low in 51 districts. In the capital of São Paulo, the incidence coefficient is 105.5 – higher than last week, which was 104.9.

There are three levels of incidence: low (less than 100 cases/100 thousand inhabitants), medium (from 100 to 300 cases/100 thousand inhabitants) and high (more than 300 cases/100 thousand inhabitants).

To arrive at the incidence coefficient, simply multiply the number of new cases by 100 thousand and divide by the total population of the area in question. The indicator shows the risk of residents getting sick and the probability of new cases.

In 2023, ten people lost their lives due to dengue. Last year there were two deaths; in 2020, one; in 2019, three; in 2016, the city of São Paulo had eight deaths. In the epidemic year 2015, also until the beginning of November, there were 25 deaths.

This year, around 4.7 million prevention actions were carried out Aedes aegypti in the municipality. In the northern region, from January to October 2023, there were more than 1 million actions to combat dengue; in 2022, in the same period, 778,038 actions were carried out.

For infectious disease specialist Carlos Magno Fortaleza, president of the São Paulo Society of Infectious Diseases, it is up to the public authorities and the population to control the disease. Municipalities must take action to combat mosquitoes — in places such as junkyards, tire repair shops, cemeteries, landfills and others —, in addition to house-to-house visits and guidance carried out by zoonosis agents.

“We need to recover something that was already bad during the pandemic and got a little worse, which is collective action. When we talk, for example, about controlling stagnant water, it’s important that you control it in your house and your neighbor in theirs. So, people need to return to the oldest social network that exists, which is the neighborhood. And, with that, adopt personal measures for control”, he states. The doctor also advises the use of repellents.

From January to November 4 this year, the state of São Paulo recorded 309,007 cases of dengue and 276 deaths. In the same period of 2022, there were 325,238 occurrences with 284 deaths.

Throughout 2022, there were 331,520 cases and 292 deaths. The information is from the State Department of Health.

The municipalities in São Paulo that registered the most cases of the disease were Presidente Prudente (36,143), Bauru (14,280), São Paulo (12,663), Ribeirão Preto (11,064) and Campinas (9,922).

What is dengue?

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

According to Fortaleza, the warning signs of severity are a significant drop in blood pressure, drowsiness, changes in the level of consciousness, hypothermia, severe abdominal pain, vomiting and bleeding.

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. “And when we have dengue more than once, the chance of it being serious is greater”, warns Fortaleza.