Brazil dengue news update
Total cases 2024, São Paulo closing in on epidemic
Probable dengue cases to 2023
From January 1 to March 15 this year, less than three months, Brazil health officials have reported 1,684,781 probable dengue cases, more than the total for 2023 (1.66 million).
The number of deaths observed this year (513) still does not exceed that recorded in the 12 months of the previous year (1,094). However, there are still 903 deaths under investigation, which could increase dengue lethality statistics in this period of two and a half months of 2024.
To date, 11 states have issued emergency decrees due to the dengue epidemic—Acre, Amapa, Federal District, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná, São Paulo and Santa Catarina.
In addition, 299 municipalities have issued emergency declarations.
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São Paulo city close to reaching dengue epidemic rate
The city of São Paulo is very close to reaching the dengue epidemic rate. According to official data from the Health Surveillance Coordination of the Municipal Health Department, Friday there are 295 cases for every 100,000 population. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers that rates above 300 cases per 100,000 inhabitants indicate an epidemic of the disease.
Municipal epidemiological surveillance indicates a 1,668% increase in dengue cases in the capital. It went from 2003 cases in ten weeks at the beginning of 2023 to 35,417 cases in the first ten weeks of 2024. Confirmed cases of dengue in the city of São Paulo show that women aged between 20 and 49 are among the most vulnerable groups for the disease.
Clinical Cases in Tropical Medicine 2nd Edition
There are 558,475 reported cases of dengue throughout the state, with 224,945 confirmed cases and 106,190 under investigation. There are records of 72 deaths and another 186 under investigation.
The government of the state of São Paulo already declared a state of emergency on March 5th. In total, 44 municipalities in São Paulo are in a state of emergency.
“The main reason [for the expansion of dengue fever] is climate change. Along with the arrival of the El Nino phenomenon, there was a very strong wave of heat and also a lot of humidity. These two conditions are already sufficient for the progression of the eggs into larvae and finally the mosquito. Another factor is the lack of immunity of a generation of people. The population is changing and many children and young people have not had contact with the virus while older people have already had dengue fever, from previous outbreaks, and thus have a natural immunity vaccine against the disease. And, finally, the dengue cycle itself, which from time to time undergoes natural growth” explains infectious disease doctor Evaldo Stanislau.