Alarming Explosion: Dengue cases in 2024 triple compared to the same period in 2023
The importance of a unified collaboration between the Ministry of Health, state and municipal departments in combating arboviruses, including dengue, zika, chikungunya and yellow fever viruses, was emphasized by the Minister of Health, Nísia Trindade.
The dengue virus has four serotypes, generally called Denv-1, Denv-2, Denv-3 and Denv-4 - Photo Reproduction/Fiocruz
At the beginning of 2024, Brazil is faced with a worrying scenario in the area of public health, as dengue cases tripled compared to the same period of the previous year. As released by the Ministry of Health this Tuesday (30), the country registered a total of more than 217 thousand cases of dengue fever in the first four weeks of the current year. This number represents more than triple the notifications made in the same period in 2023, which totaled 65,366 cases.
The government's arbovirus monitoring panel has reported 15 deaths related to the disease so far in 2024, while 149 deaths are currently under investigation. In the previous year, in 2023, 41 deaths linked to dengue were recorded. Considered by the Ministry of Health as the urban arbovirus Most prevalent in the Americas, especially in Brazil, dengue is transmitted by the bite of the female Aedes aegypti mosquito.
Contributing Factors
According to information from the Ministry of Health, the 16.8% growth in dengue cases compared to the previous year, indicates the imminent possibility of a new peak in infections. According to Lívia Carla Vinhal, general coordinator of Arbovirus Surveillance at the Ministry of Health, the increase in dengue and chikungunya cases in Brazil is influenced by several factors. Among them, high temperatures stand out, which increase the virus replication rate in the vector, the recent resurgence of serotypes 3 and 4 of the dengue virus in the country, and the mosquito's incubation period.
Adolescents aged 10 to 14 are the group with the highest incidence of hospitalizations due to the disease, and will be the main target of vaccination with Qdenga (TAK-003). This dengue vaccine was developed by the Japanese laboratory Takeda Pharma. According to the Minister of Health, Nísia Trindade, the application of the vaccine is scheduled to begin in February this year. The initiative will cover not only large municipalities, with more than 100 thousand inhabitants, but also those classified as having high transmission of type 2 dengue, as well as the so-called "health regions".
Dengue vaccine
Qdenga (TAK-003) is a dengue vaccine developed by Takeda Pharma, a Japanese laboratory. The registration of the immunizer was approved by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) in March 2023, and Brazil became the first country in the world to include an immunizer against dengue fever in a public health system, on a national program. In Brazil, the vaccine was incorporated into the Unified Health System (SUS). Composed of live attenuated dengue viruses, the vaccine stimulates immune responses against the four serotypes of the virus. Qdenga is administered in two doses, with an interval of three months between each application.
Health Impacts
Dengue is caused by the transmission of the virus through the bite of an infected female Aedes aegypti mosquito, and there are four different serotypes of the virus, all capable of causing different manifestations of the disease. Although people of all age groups can be affected, older individuals and those with chronic conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, face a greater risk of developing serious cases and complications that can lead to death.
Main symptoms include high fever (above 38°C), body and joint pain, discomfort, lack of appetite, eye pain, headache and red spots on the skin. The most severe form of the disease is characterized by intense and persistent abdominal pain, nausea, persistent vomiting and bleeding in the mucous membranes. Dengue hemorrhagic fever, the most serious variant, is more common in cases of a second infection with the virus. When symptoms appear, it is crucial to seek medical attention for diagnosis and treatment.
Dengue prevention is fundamental and is directly related to the elimination of places suitable for the reproduction of the transmitting mosquito. Avoiding the accumulation of stagnant water is crucial, as mosquitoes can use large reservoirs, such as water tanks and swimming pools, to small containers, such as bottle caps and plant pots, as breeding sites.
