Rio de Janeiro leads in dengue fever victims.
The state recorded 85 deaths in the first half of the year, a 157% increase compared to the same period in 2010; the number of fatalities increased in nine Brazilian states.
Agência Brasil – The state of Rio de Janeiro leads the statistics for deaths, severe cases, and reported cases of dengue fever in the first six months of this year. From January to June, 85 deaths, 3.232 severe cases, and more than 137 reported cases of dengue were registered, according to a report released this Wednesday by the Ministry of Health. The number of deaths from the disease increased by 157% compared to the first half of 2010. The number of severe cases increased by 58%, while the number of reported cases increased by 513% in the same comparison.
The numbers from Rio de Janeiro are in line with the national average, which fell during the same period. According to the Ministry of Health, reported cases of the disease this year fell by 18%, and deaths and severe cases registered a drop of more than 40%. Nationwide, 310 deaths from dengue fever were recorded, compared to 554 in 2010. Severe cases fell from 14.685 to 8.102. Reported cases decreased from 874 to 715.
However, in 14 states, the incidence of dengue fever increased. In nine states, the number of deaths also rose. In Ceará, deaths increased from five to 60 this year, a rise of 1.100%. Amazonas had the largest increase in reported cases of the disease compared to 2010, rising from 2.785 to more than 57, almost 2.000% more than in 2010.
Of the nine states in the Northeast Region, six showed an increase in the number of reported dengue cases compared to 2010.
According to Jarbas Barbosa, Secretary of Health Surveillance at the Ministry of Health, the increase in the number of dengue cases and deaths in Rio de Janeiro and Amazonas is a result of the recirculation of dengue virus type 1. “Last year, Rio de Janeiro was relatively spared from transmission [of type 1]. Amazonas, perhaps due to greater difficulty of access and being more isolated from the rest of the country, was hit by the virus at the end of last year,” explained the secretary.
Regarding the numbers from Ceará, Barbosa said that the state's death identification service has improved. "In the case of Ceará, with a relatively large territory, deaths were reported in inland cities. It's the broader search that found a higher number [of cases] than in other areas."