Confirmed cases of dengue are growing by 14% in Paraná and community efforts can prevent progression

Summer, admittedly, is storm season. In addition to worrying about floods, landslides, hail and other damage, the rains contribute to the spread of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is responsible for transmitting dengue. This is because the insect breeds in places with stagnant water.

In Paraná, the state health ministry (Sesa) has already confirmed cases of the disease in 198 municipalities at the beginning of the year. In 168 of them, there is original transmission – when the disease is transmitted in the city itself, and not on excursions.

The epidemiological bulletin released by Sesa shows that from August 2022 to January 3, the number of confirmed cases exceeded 2,200, with three deaths. Compared to the data released on December 20 last year, Parana recorded an increase of 18% in notifications and 14% in the number of confirmed cases in January.

Fighting dengue requires a collective effort, says biologist Carlos de Almeida Barbosa, a professor at UniCuritiba – a higher education institution that is part of Ânima Educação -. “Prevention, implemented primarily by eliminating vector mosquito breeding sites, is the best strategy and relies on community cooperation to be effective,” he says.

symptoms

Dengue virus infection can present a diverse clinical spectrum, from asymptomatic cases to serious events such as bleeding, shock and risk of death, explains Carlos, MSc and PhD student in Health Technology. So it should not be neglected.

The first symptoms of dengue are the sudden onset of fever between 39°C and 40°C, lasting from two to seven days, accompanied by headache, body and joint pain, prostration, weakness, pain behind the eyes and rash, which may lead to nausea and occur vomiting.

Treatment

There is no specific treatment for dengue, and curative care consists of managing symptoms, controlling fever and, if necessary, providing intravenous hydration. The rapid identification service and medical intervention help reduce the number of deaths, ”warns the professor from UniCuritiba.

The “association test” is an initial test for the diagnosis of dengue fever, which serves as an indicator, but depending on the case, the UniCuritiba professor and specialist in cell biology continues, other tests such as antibody detection, IgG, IgM, hemogram, coagulogram and tests using molecular techniques are performed such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Repetition

Carlos Barbosa warns that a person who has already had dengue is not exempt from contracting a new infection. This is because there are four serotypes of the virus circulating in Brazil, and to be fully immune it would be necessary to have contact with all of them. “The problem is that with each infection with a new serotype, the symptoms can be more severe and the risk of contracting a more severe form of dengue fever is high.”

protection

To contain the spread of dengue fever, it is necessary to eliminate the breeding areas of the vector mosquitoes, which breed in places with standing water. The main guideline is to inspect potted plants, keep the backyard clean and free of debris or containers that can accumulate water, and clean out the gutters, tanks, and water tanks.