SAO PAULO, SP (FOLHAPRESS) – According to the Arbovirus Surveillance Committee of the Ministry of Health, 3,597 people have lost their lives as of Friday (7), due to dengue fever. A further 2,812 deaths are being investigated.
During the same period, 5,700,356 possible cases of dengue fever were recorded, with an infection rate of 2,807.2 cases per 100,000 people.
The Federal District (9340.8), as well as Minas Gerais (7575.5), Paraná (5193.1), Santa Catarina (4288.4), and Goiás (3999.4) have the highest infection rates in the country, according to commission data.
Despite the high number, it can be noted that the number of new cases decreases each epidemiological week.
In week 14, when the decline began to be noticed, 404,355 cases of dengue were recorded; On 15,401,909 -2,446 less.
So far, the most noticeable difference is between weeks 21 and 22, when 136,648 and 42,476 new infections were recorded respectively – meaning week 22 recorded 94,172 fewer cases than the previous week. It is important to emphasize that the data is temporary because it is constantly updated.
In 2024, 54.9% of cases were in women and 45.1% in men. Whites (49.2%) and mixed races (42.9%) became sicker.
In both sexes, the age group 20 to 29 had the highest prevalence of dengue fever.
Drier and cooler weather could facilitate lower disease incidence, especially in the South and Southeast, but climate dependence is insufficient. Actions to control the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which transmits dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever, must continue in urban areas. It is the responsibility of the three departments of government and the population.
According to a report by the World Health Organization, released at the end of May, Brazil is the country with the highest number of dengue cases in the world in 2024.
The World Health Organization has established a global dengue surveillance system and is monitoring the incidence of the disease through monthly reports. So far, there is data from 103 countries, of which 28 have not reported cases.
Since many countries do not diagnose and record the disease, the impact of dengue remains underappreciated in the world, according to the World Health Organization, which has classified the disease as a “global public health threat.”
However, the greatest outbreak of arboviruses occurs in the Americas, with epidemics occurring every three to five years. This year, six countries recorded four dengue serotypes circulating simultaneously: Brazil, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Panama.