Disease

Brazil - Chikungunya, Dengue and Zika Virus

The Brazil Ministry of Health reports (computer translated) 855 cities, or approximately 37 percent, are in a situation of alert and risk of outbreak of the mosquito borne viral diseases, dengue, chikungunya and Zika, according to the Fast Index Survey for Aedes aegypti (LIRAa) of 2016 released by the Health Minister, Ricardo Barros yesterday.

Brazil health officials have reported 251,051 suspected cases of chikungunya fever, of which 134,910 were confirmed. In the same period last year, there were 26,763 suspected cases and 8,528 confirmed cases. Chikungunya related deaths stand at 138, according to health officials.

There were 208,867 probable cases of Zika fever nationwide by October 22, representing an incidence rate of 102.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The autochthonous, or local transmission of the virus in the country was confirmed as of April 2015, with laboratory confirmation in Bahia. The Ministry of Health has made notification of Zika cases in February this year compulsory. The Southeast Region had 83,884 probable cases of the disease, followed by the Northeast (75,762); Midwest (30,969); North (12,200) and South (1,052).

Health officials report 1,458,355 dengue cases through Oct. 22. This is a decrease of 5.5% from the 2015 total during the same period in 2015 (1,543,000). Considering the regions of the country, the Southeast and Northeast present the highest number of cases, with 848,587 cases and 322,067 cases, respectively. Next are the Midwest (177,644), South (72,114) and North (37,943).