Ceará state recorded an increase in dengue, chikungunya and Zika cases between 2020 and 2021. Last year, 36,062 cases of dengue were reported; An increase of 50% compared to 2020 when 24,039 cases were registered. Chikungunya infections rose from 1,083 in 2020 to 1,382 in 2021; Zika virus cases rose from 212 in 2020 to 387 last year. The increases were 27% and 82%, respectively. Data from the Health Monitoring Secretariat of the Ministry of Health.
The advisor of the Health Epidemiological Surveillance Cell in Ceará, Raquel Costa Lima de Magalhães, details the regions with the highest dengue infection rate in the state.
“It is observed that in 2021 there was a predominance of municipalities with very high prevalence in the eastern and northern regions of the state. While, in 2020, municipalities emerged in the south-central region of the state. However, the infection rate in the last five weeks in the state is 9.2 cases per 100 thousand residents, and the incidence rate is considered low according to the standards of the Ministry of Health.”
Raquel Costa also highlights the measures taken by the ministry in the fight against the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which transmits arboviruses.
“The State of Ceará, along with the municipalities, plays its role in this control, by distributing strategic inputs, such as appropriate clothing for epidemic control agents and field materials. In addition, it has strategies that are developed and monitored in each municipality, such as regular visits to the property by Community agents for endemic diseases, who work and communicate actions to eliminate mosquito infestations,” he explains.
Country Status
Brazil recorded a 42.6% decrease in the number of probable cases of dengue fever between 2020 and 2021. Last year, 543,647 infections were reported, compared to 947,192 in 2020. Data from the Health Monitoring Secretariat of the Ministry of Health.
Among Zika cases, there was a slight decrease of 15%, from 7,235 notifications in 2020 to 6,143 in 2021. On the other hand, chikungunya recorded an increase of 32.66% of cases, with 72,584 notifications in 2020 and 96,288 last year.
Public health specialist at Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz) in Brasilia, Claudio Mairowicz, highlights that 2020 has been a year for many cases, and therefore, one should not relax with lower infection rates in 2021.” Although there was no increase in One year to another, this is not a good comparison, because the previous year had large numbers,” he warns.
Brazil saw a 42.6% drop in dengue cases between 2020 and 2021, but the numbers remain high
How to fight mosquitoes
Due to the high temperatures and heaviest rainfall, summer is the time of year when the eggs hatch and leads to increased infections of dengue, chikungunya and Zika. So stay tuned for tips on preventing mosquito breeding:
- Turn bottles, buckets, and bowls over so water doesn’t accumulate.
- Put sand in dishes and plant pots.
- Close bags and litter well.
- Store tires indoors.
- Cover the water tank well.
- Clean gutters.
Control of Aedes aegypti, which transmits the three diseases, is the main form of prevention. The Ministry of Health campaign instructs that these measures to avoid water stagnation are built into the population’s routine, explained the general coordinator of the Arbovirus Surveillance file for the volume, Cássio Peterka.
“The great importance of fighting mosquitoes is that we don’t have patients if we don’t have a lot of mosquitoes. So this year’s campaign is making the case for everyone who is looking for responsibility within their own backyard and workplace and using ten minutes of their week to do a review in key places where they might have sites.” Mosquito breeding and eradication of these breeding sites, do not let mosquitoes breed.”
To avoid mosquito spread, residents should check gutters, bottles, tires, litter, plant pots and water tanks. Do not leave the water standing. Fight mosquitoes every day. Put it into your routine.
See on the map the rate of dengue fever in your state
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