PRO/EDR> Dengue/DHF update 2008 (02) – Brazil

Date: Wed 8 Jan 2008
Source: Folha Online [in Portuguese, trans. & summ. Mod.TY, edited]
< http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/cotidiano/ult95u361474.shtml>


In Para, 3 people died with symptoms of dengue hemorrhagic fever
(DHF) within the past 8 days. One of these ill individuals was from
Belem and the other 2 from Redencao (southern part of the state). In
the region, another 5 persons died with similar symptoms since November [2007].

The situation indicates that there is an outbreak of dengue in the
region, according to Rodolfo Skrivan, Director of the regional public
hospital of Araguaia, located in Redencao. The hospital receives
patients from the other 14 nearby municipalities.

"Dengue is seasonal. In some seasons of the year, there is greater
[dengue] incidence. The peak of illnesses was anticipated in February
or March, the rainy season. This worried us because, since we had
anticipated it, it might have been worse," the director stated.

The agency affirmed that it would send a team to Redencao to analyze
the situation. But, according to the adjunct secretary [of health]
with portfolio, Walter Amoras, the quantity of cases can not be
classified as an outbreak since the cases are scattered over 15
cities in the southern part of the state. "This indicates that the
municipalities are not taking a lesson from the situation. They are
not educating the public correctly."

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-PORT <promed@promedmail.org>

[Dealing with the occurrence of dengue requires more than simply
educating the public. - Mod.LJS]

[A map of Brazil showing the location of Para, as well as the other
states, can be located at
<http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/americas/brazil.jpg>.
- Mod.TY]

************************************************************
Date: Wed 9 Jan 2007
Source: Extra Online [in Portuguese, trans. & summ. Mod.TY, edited]
< http://extra.globo.com/rio/plantao/2008/01/09/rjtv_82_casos_de_dengue_em_9_dias_no_rio327947436.asp>


In the past 9 days, from Tuesday of last week [1 Jan 2008] through
this Wednesday [9 Jan 2007], 82 cases of dengue have been registered
in Rio de Janeiro. The number of dengue cases is being brought up to
date. This Wednesday [9 Jan 2007] the Municipal Secretary of Health
indicated that in 2007, 23 585 dengue cases were confirmed.

In the 1st 9 days of 2008, 82 people had dengue disease. As of
Tuesday [1 Jan 2008], only 14 of them had been [laboratory?] confirmed.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-PORT <promed@promedmail.org>

******************************************************************
Date: Mon 5 Jan 2007
Source: Diario do Nordeste in Portuguese, trans. & summ. Mod.TY, edited]
<http://diariodonordeste.globo.com/materia.asp?codigo=501274 >


Ceara had 9.8 percent of the nation's dengue cases, with notification
of 24 793 cases of classical dengue.

72 new cases of dengue were registered in the state of Ceara, with 3
DHF cases and 69 classical dengue fever cases during the 1st week of
2008, according to the Weekly Epidemiology Dengue Bulletin released
yesterday [4 Jan 2007] by the Secretariat of Health of the state (SESA).

The number of deaths did not change, remaining at 10 confirmed cases.

In Ceara state, DHF has now reached 295 confirmed cases versus 292
the week before. In total, 651 cases were notified, of which 318 were
discarded [negative for dengue], and 38 were still being
investigated, according to SESA.

In Fortaleza, 118 DHF cases were confirmed, with one death. "We are
investigating 16 suspected deaths, which have still not been
confirmed," stated Dr. Manoel Fonseca, Coordinator of Health
Promotion and Protection of SESA.

Sobral municipality is in 2nd place, with 47 confirmed cases of DHF
and 3 deaths, and Caucaia is in 3rd place, with 20 [DHF] cases and one death.

The 1st bulletin of 2008 confirmed a total of 24 793 cases in 167
municipalities in Ceara. In the last week of last year [2007], there
were 24 724 confirmed cases of classical dengue. Fortaleza led [in
numbers of cases] in the dengue epidemic, with 11 687 cases of
confirmed classical dengue, "50 percent of all the cases," stated
Fonseca. In 2nd place was Sobral, with 1753 cases.

Despite Ceara being the state with the highest incidence of DHF in
the northeast, Manoel Fonseca clarified that there was a reduction in
the [case] fatality rate, which was over 8.7 percent in 2006, going
[down] to 3.3 percent last year [2007].

The doctor admitted, however, that in the last 3 years, the number of
dengue cases has remained high. "This year [2008], the cases will
still be high, now that we have 3 types of the virus: dengue 1, 2 and
3. In the interior, the outbreak of [dengue virus] 3 still may occur," he said.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-PORT < promed@promedmail.org>

***********************************************************************
Date: Tues 7 Jan 2008
Source: Aquidauana News [in Portuguese, trans. & summ. Mod.TY, edited]
< http://www.aquidauananews.com/index.php?action=news_view&news_id=119586>


The arrival of summer promises to bring big problems to the Brazilian
population in the next months. According to the data from the
Ministry of Health, there is a trend that will reach a record
[number] of dengue [cases].

Between January and September of the past year [2007], the number of
recorded [dengue] cases in the country was 50 percent above that of
2006. Just during this period, there were more than 480 000 [dengue
cases] registered, with 121 deaths. Given the control measures
carried out by the government, it is very likely that this year's
[2008] summer will surpass the outbreak of 2002, when 800 000
[dengue] cases were registered. This [projection is made] because
during this past winter, a period of little rain and [usually] fewer
cases, the [case] numbers did not fall.

Sao Paulo state is another area that worries the specialists.
Research carried out during the same period points out that the
region registered more than 64 000 [dengue] cases. Of the 645 Sao
Paulo [state] cities, 127 had indices of at least 300 cases
registered per 100 000 inhabitants. Small and medium-sized cities,
such as Sao Jose do Rio Preto and Bauru e Ribeirao Preto, have
suffered epidemics of this disease.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-PORT <promed@promedmail.org>

[It is difficult to make predictions with even a modicum of
precision. Estimating that dengue virus transmission will continue in
2008 is to state the obvious. Apparently, Brazil has gotten to the
same dengue outbreak situation as Central America and Southeast Asia,
with intense dengue virus transmission year after year. - Mod.LJS]