Dengue fever risk in Brazil

During the past week, the following cities and states in Brazil have reported high levels of dengue virus transmission since the beginning of this year:

• Santa Catarina - city of Itajaí
• Espiritu Santo - almost 9,000 cases statewide; dengue fever deaths reported in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim
• Rio Grande do Norte - more than 1,800 cases with 5 deaths
• Pará - 191 cases in municipalities of Oriximiná, Belém, Santana do Araguaia, Benevides and Canaã dos Carajás.
• Mato Grosso do Sul - approximately 1 newly infected person every 3 minutes (12,219 suspected cases); affected cities include Dois Irmãos do Buriti, Campo Grande, Dourados,, Ponta Porã, Coxim, Três Lagoas, and Paranaíba.
• Paraná - the city of Paranaguá is reporting more than 2,750 cases with 4 deaths.
• Minas Gerais - the municipality of Belo Horizonte is reporting almost 8,400 suspected and confirmed cases
• Ceará - 216 cases; most affected municipality is Fortaleza.
• São Paulo - the city of Presidente Prudente is reporting approximately 3,600 suspected and confirmed cases and 2 deaths.

Advice

The risk of exposure to dengue fever virus is widespread in Brazil, but the risk may vary form place to place and from low risk to high risk.

The absence of reports does not mean that there is no dengue fever transmission in other 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.