Dengue fever in Brazil - weekly summary

In the first 2 months of this year, Brazil has reported 224,000 dengue fever cases, almost 2 out of every 3 cases reported in the Western Hemisphere. States and Localities that are currently reporting transmission of the virus include:

• Santa Catarina - Chapecó (1 death)
• São Paulo - São Carlos, Limeira, Bauru
• Paraíba - Recreio, Além Paraíba, Bicas and Espera Feliz, São José dos Campos, Taubaté
• Distrito Federal - Brasilia (more than 7,000 cases with 13 deaths)
• Rio Grande do Sul - Porto Alegre
• Minas Gerais - Divinópolis
• Rio de Janeiro - Friburgo
• Mato Grosso - 79 of 141 municipalities have epidemics of dengue
• Paraná - Londrina
• Mato Grosso do Sul - Ponta Porã, Campo Grande

Advice

There is a nationwide risk of exposure to dengue fever, although the risk will vary from city to city and state to state. The absence of reports in other states and places does not mean that there is no dengue fever transmission there. The risk 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.