Dengue fever in Brazil - summary

The following states and municipalities continue to report significant transmission of the dengue fever virus:

• São Paulo - Bauru reports more than 1,400 cases with 1 death;
• Paraíba - more than 44,000 infected people; 28 municipalities at risk of epidemic spread.
• Pará - more than 6,000 cases; municipalities of Belém, Dom Eliseu, Marabá, Alenquer, Itaituba, and Oriximiná report more than 300 cases.
• Minas Gerais - worst epidemic in past 5 years with almost 527,000 infected people and 247 deaths; most affected regions include Governador Valadares, Bambuí, Bom Despacho, Aimorés, Mutum, Paracatu and Novo Cruzeiro; in Belo Horizonte, the number of infected people (154.785) is ten times the number recorded last year.
• Paraná - 75 municipalities at risk of epidemic spread; high risk municipalities include Londrina, São Miguel do Iguaçu, Pitangueiras, Maringá and Jacarezinho.
• Mato Grosso do Sul - almost 60,000 cases with Campo Grande reporting double number of cases (more than 28,000) compared to last year.
• Santa Catarina - increase in reported cases; most affected municipalities include Pinhalzinho, Serra Alta, Bom Jesus, Coronel Freitas, Descanso, Modelo, Chapecó and União do Oeste.
• Espíritu Santo - more than 50,000 infected people with 39 deaths.

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.

Travellers are also reminded that where there is dengue virus transmission, there is likely to be transmission of chikungunya and Zika viruses, since they are all transmitted by the same mosquito.