Dengue fever in Brazil - weekly summary

The following states and localities in Brazil are reporting on-going transmission of the dengue fever virus:

• Santa Catarina - cases in Joinville
• Sergipe - epidemic level in Inácio Barbosa
• Paraná - 57 deaths, extensive transmission (1,000 new cases per week) but number of new cases is decreasing due to cooler weather
• São Paulo - transmission in Fernandópolis
• Minas Gerais - widespread transmission, up to 200 deaths; affected cities include Juiz de Fora, Belo Horizonte, Itaúna, Uberaba, and Divinópolis.
• Espíritu Santo - almost 50,000 cases with 35 possible deaths, but transmission may be decreasing.
• Rio Grande do Sul - increases in number of new cases in Porto Alegre
• Ceará - 4 deaths among almost 53,000 cases; Fortaleza is most affected city.

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.