As of 28 March, 2008, the Brazilian health authorities have reported a national total of 120 570 cases of dengue including 647 dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) cases, with 48 deaths.
On 2 April 2008, the State of Rio de Janeiro reported 57 010 cases of dengue fever (DF) including 67 confirmed deaths and 58 deaths currently under investigation. Rio de Janeiro, where DEN-3 has been the predominant circulating serotype for the past 5 years since the major DEN-3 epidemic in 2002, is now experiencing the renewed circulation of DEN-2. This has led to an increase in severe dengue cases in children and about 50% of the deaths, so far, have been children of 0-13 years of age.
The Ministry of Health (MoH) is working closely with the Rio de Janeiro branch of the Centro de Informações Estratégicas em Vigilância em Saúde (CIEVS) to implement the required control measures and identify priority areas for intervention. The MoH has already mobilized health professionals to the federal hospitals of Rio de Janeiro to support patient management activities, including clinical case management and laboratory diagnosis.
Additionally public health and emergency services professionals have been recruited to assist community-based interventions. Vector control activities were implemented throughout the State and especially in the Municipality of Rio. The Fire Department, military, and health inspectors of Funasa (Fundacao Nacional de Saude, MoH) are assisting in these activities.
Dengue haemorrhagic fever in Brazil
