Dengue cases increase 113.7% since beginning of 2022

Over 542,000 probable infections have been recorded in Brazil

Published on 04/05/2022 - 08:58 By Pedro Rafael Vilela - Brasília

In the midst of a dengue outbreak, Brazil recorded an increase of 113.7 percent in probable cases of the disease between January and April this year, compared to the same period last year.

According to a bulletin from the Ministry of Health released on Monday (May 2), 542,038 probable dengue cases were registered between the first and the sixteenth epidemiological week, that is from January 2 to April 23, 2022. This number is practically the same as recorded throughout 2021, namely 544,000 cases.

The disease caused by a virus is transmitted by the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito. The main symptoms are high fever, skin rashes, and muscle and joint pain. In the most severe forms, dengue can cause internal bleeding in organs and tissues, and lead to death.

The Brazilian Central-Western Region had the highest dengue incidence rate with 920.4 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by the South (427.2 cases/100,000 inhabitants), Southeast (188.3 cases/100,000 inhabitants), North (154 cases/100 thousand inhabitants) and Northeast Regions (105 cases/100 thousand inhabitants). Goiás has been one of the most affected states, leading the incidence of the disease in the country, with 1,366 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

Since the beginning of the year, 160 deaths from dengue have been confirmed in the country, 147 by laboratory criteria and 13 by clinical analysis. The states with the highest number of deaths from the disease are São Paulo (56), Goiás (19), Santa Catarina (19), and Bahia (16). 228 deaths are still under investigation.

Translation: Mário Nunes -  Edition: Claudia Felczak

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