Dengue fever in Brazil - weekly summary

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

• Minas Gerais - 133 deaths (28 in 1 week) among more than 500,000 infected people; affected cities include Uberlândia, Uberaba, Araguari, Patrocínio, São Gonçalo do Abaeté
• Paraná - 89 cities have dengue epidemics; 310 out of 399 municipalities have reported cases
• Paraíba - up to 30 deaths so far
• Tocantins - municipalities with more than 500 infected people include Palmas, Araguaína, Miracema do Tocantins, Porto Nacional, Tocantinópolis and Dianópolis.
• Piauí - dengue fever cases decrease, but virus is still present in 147 municípalities, including Teresina, Parnaíba, Barras, Altos and José de Freitas
• São Paulo - affected municipalities include Pereira Barreto, São José do Rio Preto, Ribeirão Preto
• Santa Catarina - 8 municipalities have epidemic levels including Pinhalzinho, Serra Alta, Bom Jesus, Coronel Freitas, Descanso, Modelo, Chapecó and União do Oeste
• Rondônia - Guajará along the border with Bolivia

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.