Until November 19, when the latest bulletin of the Ministry of Health was released, 975 deaths were recorded, very close to the 986 deaths that occurred in 2015
OR Brazil must break the record for deaths of dengue this year and could exceed, for the first time, the number of thousands of annual deaths. Until November 19, when the last bulletin of the Ministry of Health975 deaths had been recorded, very close to the 986 deaths that occurred in 2015, the highest rate since the disease re-emerged in the country in the 1980s, at 246.
The increased incidence of dengue occurs at a time when Brazil is also facing a dengue resurgence COVID-19🇧🇷 In some cities, town halls are forced to readjust the health system to cope with the two diseases. “We are having the confluence of the two, which is a consequence of public health mismanagement. In the case of dengue, it is a tragic situation, as it has never killed as many as now,” said infectious disease specialist Alexandre Naime Barbosa, vice president of the Brazilian Society of Infection (SBI).
According to data from the ministry, the number of probable cases of dengue increased this year by 175.1%, compared to the same period in 2021, with 1.39 million cases, an incidence of 651.9 per 100,000 inhabitants. The Midwest Region is the most critical, with an incidence of 1,977 cases per 100,000 residents, followed by the Southern Region (1,041.2 per 100,000 residents). The city of Sao Paulo Araraquara has the highest incidence per municipality – 8,754.4 per 100,000 inhabitants -, followed by San Paolo StSao Jose do Rio Preto – 4,199.1 per 100 thousand.
With 323.9 thousand positive cases of the disease, the State of Sao Paulo has the most deaths from dengue, with 276 on record, according to the ministry, followed by Goias (151), Parana (108), Saint Catherine (88) and Rio Grande do Sul (66). Another 99 deaths are under investigation in the country. There have also been 85 deaths since chikungunya🇧🇷 Both diseases are transmitted by mosquitoes. aedes aegyptiwhich proliferates more easily in warm and humid conditions, as it currently does.
national alert
The increase in dengue cases has led the Brazilian Society of Infectious Diseases to issue a national alert, noting that the situation is worrying and reinforcing the need to take preventive measures against the disease. “It is urgent to have an effective recovery policy to combat the vector of dengue (the Aedes aegypti mosquito). The situation is critical, which is why we have raised this national alarm,” said Barbosa. He recalled that, in June of this year, when the lethality has already exceeded 500 deaths, the SBI warned of the need to strengthen prevention.
Another observed aspect, according to him, is that dengue is not limited to the warm regions of Brazil, a sign that climate change has affected the risk of mosquito proliferation. Southern states, for example, have significant rates, both inland and on the coast, which expresses another concern among specialists.
Furthermore, according to the infectologist, attention must be permanent. “We need resources to control dengue, which is a disease that can be serious and lead to death. All people are susceptible and awareness is imperative,” she said.
For the infectologist, although they are distinct and unrelated diseases, both covid-19 and dengue can be controlled with preventive measures. “In the event of covid, it means vaccinating the population with a booster dose, vaccinating children from zero to 3 years of age, expanding access to the bivalent vaccine and to drugs already available and strengthening preventive measures, such as masks, for the population vulnerable. vulnerable. In the case of dengue, that means ending mosquito breeding sites and expediting vaccine approvals.”
After dengue, covid
In Araraquara, a national leader in the incidence of dengue, Cases of covid-19 have exploded, going from 97 in the week of November 4 to 10, to 916 in the week of November 25 to December 1. The positivity index jumped from 8.4% to 26.7%. On Friday, 14 patients were hospitalized with the disease, 11 in the ward and 3 in intensive care. There were two new deaths. Since November 28, the use of masks has returned to being mandatory on public transport, in municipal public buildings and in all schools. Since yesterday, the vaccination for children (from 3 years) and adults has been brought to Praça Santa Cruz, from 17:30 to 20:30, taking advantage of the special opening hours for the end-of-year trade.
Regarding dengue, the town hall informed that the current numbers were influenced by the epidemic recorded in the first half of this year. In July, the numbers started to decline. “Despite having overcome the epidemic movement, the vector control teams have not stopped the actions of counteracting the mosquito and evaluating the larval indexes. Inspections of each house are maintained every day of the year,” he said. With the drop in cases, the “dengar” has been deactivated and treatment is provided in all health facilities, where cases of covid are also treated. The city has recorded 21,058 cases and 19 deaths from dengue this year.
Support to Municipalities
The Secretary of Health of the State of São Paulo reported that it recently released R$93 million to the municipalities of São Paulo in support of actions to fight the dengue mosquito and to expand vaccination against covid-19. The week of state mobilization to combat the mosquito was held from November 21 to 26, involving city halls and public organizations. The folder reminded us that fighting the dengue mosquito is a continuous and collective task.
As for covid-19, the secretariat reported monitoring the epidemiological scenario throughout the state, reinforcing the importance of the population looking for places to take booster doses of the vaccine, which avoid the most serious cases of the disease. According to the file, the number of people without reinforcements is large. “The number of people able to take the first and second booster immunizations, but who have not yet done so, total 10 million and 6.7 million, respectively, in the state,” she said.
The Ministry of Health said it is constantly monitoring the epidemiological situation of dengue throughout the country. The file shows that it invests in campaigns that provide indications on prevention and distributes insecticides and larvicides in the States, as well as periodically carrying out an assessment of the national scenario.
Also according to the folder, combat strategies in relation to covid-19 are also being developed, which include the distribution of vaccines, medicines, exams, qualification of beds and transfer of resources to the municipalities. To ensure the continuity of vaccinations and maximum protection against covid, the vaccination strategy for next year has already been discussed by the National Immunization Program (PNI)🇧🇷 They have also been incorporated into Unified Health System (SUS) drugs for the treatment of covid-19.
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Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
