Amid the increase in cases of dengue, Zika and chikungunya in Brazil, the Ministry of Health launched this Thursday (4) the national campaign to combat the three arboviruses. With the message Brazil united against dengue, Zika and chikungunya, the folder warns of signs, symptoms, prevention and control of diseases transmitted by the same vector, the mosquito, in particular the aedes aegyptipopularly known as stilt shank due to the white stripes on the legs.
The reintroduction of the dengue virus in Brazil took place in 1986. Chikungunya was registered for the first time in 2014, while Zika was identified in the country in 2015.
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According to the director of the Department of Communicable Diseases of the Ministry’s Health and Environmental Surveillance Secretariat, Alda Cruz, Brazil registers successive dengue epidemics with increasingly shorter intervals between outbreaks, while Zika and chikungunya also maintain their rates endemic over the years.
smoke
This year, more than R$ 84 million were invested in the purchase of inputs for vector control of Aedes aegypti. Popularly known as fume, one of the insecticides used to control the mosquito in the adult form, will be distributed over the next few weeks after a delay in supply caused by problems in acquisition by past management, according to the ministry. The expectation is that the folder will receive about 275 thousand liters of the product this month, normalizing shipments to the states and the Federal District.
epidemiological situation
Data from the Ministry of Health indicate that, from January to April this year, there was a 30% increase in the number of probable cases of dengue compared to the same period in 2022. The occurrences increased from 690,800 last year to 899, 5,000 this year, in addition to 333 confirmed deaths. The states with the highest incidence are Espírito Santo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Acre and Rondônia.
“Factors such as climate variation and increased rainfall in the period across the country, the large number of people susceptible to diseases and the change in the circulation of virus serotypes are factors that may have contributed to this growth”, highlighted the ministry.
With regard to chikungunya, from January to April, 86.9 thousand cases of the disease were reported, with an incidence rate of 40.7 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants. When compared to the same period in 2022, there was an increase of 40%. So far this year, 19 deaths have been confirmed. The highest incidences of the disease are in Tocantins, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo and Mato Grosso do Sul.
Zika data indicate that, by the end of April, 6,200 cases of the disease were reported, with an incidence rate of three cases per 100,000 inhabitants. According to the ministry, there was a 289% increase in cases compared to the same period in 2022, when the country recorded 1,600 cases of Zika. So far, there have been no deaths from the disease. The states with the highest incidence are Acre, Roraima and Tocantins.
symptoms and prevention
The symptoms of dengue, chikungunya and Zika are similar and include a sudden onset of fever accompanied by headache, body and joint aches, prostration, weakness, pain behind the eyes, rash and itching of the skin, red spots on the body, in addition to nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
The ministry’s guidance is for the population to seek the health service closest to their home as soon as the first signs of any of the three arboviruses appear.
“Prevention is the best way to fight the disease. Avoiding the accumulation of waste, not storing tires in uncovered areas, not accumulating water on slabs or gutters, putting sand in plant pots and covering barrels and water tanks well, receiving a visit from a health agent are some of the basic initiatives. Every place with standing water must be eliminated, as that is where the transmitting mosquito, the Aedes aegyptilays its eggs”, recommends the ministry.
Panel
As of this Thursday, the folder makes available a updated dashboard regularly with the main data on dengue, Zika and chikungunya and the epidemiological situation of the three diseases in the country. On the platform, it is possible to filter information by state and by type of arbovirus, in addition to viewing guidance and recommendations on symptoms and prevention.
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