Dengue fever in Brazil - bi-weekly summary

Dengue fever continues to be reported in many jurisdictions nationwide. These include:

• Minas Gerais - deaths in Juiz de Fora (48) and Belo Horizonte (50); 227 deaths in statewide.
• Mato Grosso - 22 municipalities report high epidemic levels of dengue transmission; 26,000 cases statewide, an increase compared to last year; 44 deaths; municipality of Lucas do Rio Verde affected.
• Piauí - decrease in dengue cases but municipalities of Teresina, Cocal, Simões, Picos and Caldeirão Grande affected.
• Pernambuco - 2,300 cases registered in 8 days; 18 deaths this year.
• Ceará - 19 deaths among the 85,000 reported cases; almost 50% of all cases reported in Fortaleza.
• Santa Catarina - more than 4,300 cases statewide.
• Paraíba - São José dos Campos is affected.
• São Paulo - 35,000 cases in Ribeirão Preto.
• Paraná - Londrina record 18% of cases.
• Acre - reported cases decrease by 30% (total approximately 8,300 cases).
• Tocantins - more than 18,000 cases, an increase compared to last year.

Advice

The absence of reports from other areas does not mean that there is no dengue fever transmission there. The risk of exposure will vary from place to place and may be high in many localities.

All travellers to areas where the dengue fever virus is active can reduce their risk of exposure by taking all necessary precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Many persons with dengue fever do not seek medical care and are not reported to health authorities. There may be many more cases in the community than the reports indicate.