Brazil: Dengue fever claims 113 lives; 438 deaths under investigation
Since January 1, Brazil has seen 113 deaths due to dengue infection. The Ministry of Health's arbovirus monitoring panel indicates that an additional 438 deaths are still under investigation for the disease.
The latest figures reveal that Brazil has recorded 653,656 probable cases of dengue in less than two months, resulting in an incidence rate of 321.9 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
Women represent the majority of dengue infections (55%), with men accounting for 45% of cases. The 30 to 39 age group remains the most affected, followed by the 40 to 49 and 50 to 59 age groups.
In absolute numbers, Minas Gerais state leads with 218,066 cases, followed by São Paulo (111,470), the Federal District (79,287), Paraná (69,991), and Rio de Janeiro (49,263).
Vaccination
Vaccination against dengue has begun in at least six of the ten states selected by the Ministry of Health to receive the initial batch of 712,000 doses. Distribution of the dengue vaccines to 315 municipalities started on February 8.
