Survey by the State Department of Health shows a 38.5% increase in the number of cases compared to 2023, with an average of 78 people infected per day
Published on April 1, 2024 at 6:28 pm
3min reading
The disease, which is also transmitted by mosquitoes Aedes aegyptithere has already been a total of 6,467 cases reported this year and, according to the State Department of Health (Sesa), one person died in Cariacica.
The secretariat’s survey takes into account the period from December 31, 2023 to March 23 of this year, that is, 83 days. If you compare the same period, between the end of 2022 and March 2023, when 4,703 cases were recorded, the increase recorded is 38.5%.
Infectious disease specialist Rubia Miossi explains that the increase in the number of cases may be linked to the growth in the proliferation of the mosquito that transmits the diseases. “When one arbovirus appears, the others also appear. It is good to remember that the Aedes aegypti can transmit three arboviruses at once: dengue, zika and chikungunya. It is possible to notice that, with the increase in dengue cases, more people are looking for tests, and then end up discovering other diseases”, points out Rubia.
Sesa’s weekly bulletins show that Espírito Santo has more and more outbreaks of the transmitting mosquito and, consequently, more cases of the disease, which raises awareness among the population. In the State, the average is 78 people infected with chikungunya per day. Zika, with no recorded deaths, has 2,613 cases reported since the beginning of 2024.
“Due to the established dengue epidemic, diseases that have shared signs and symptoms, such as chikungunya, also tend to increase in notifications. Sesa clarifies, however, that monitoring in the coming weeks is still necessary to validate the chikungunya scenario”, explained the secretariat, in a note.
According to the ministry, the municipalities of Espírito Santo have received guidance and training to identify cases of chikungunya, “since it is a disease that raises concerns regarding the organization of services, considering the treatment period that some cases require”, highlights the note.
“The warning for the population, specifically about chikungunya, is that it causes a lot of joint pain and can be disabling. For some patients it will become chronic, and this creates a problem that makes people take medication for a long time, and have difficulty regaining the functionality of their joints”, warns Rubia.
Pay attention to symptoms
According to the Ministry of Health, the symptoms of dengue, chikungunya and zika are similar. They include fever with an abrupt onset, accompanied by headache, body and joint pain, prostration, weakness, pain behind the eyes, rash and itching on the skin, red spots on the body, as well as nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
The ministry’s guidance is for the population to seek the health service closest to their home as soon as the first symptoms appear.
“Prevention is the best way to combat the disease. Avoiding the accumulation of unusable items, not storing tires in uncovered areas, not accumulating water on slabs or gutters, putting sand in plant pots and covering barrels and water tanks well, in addition to receiving a visit from a health agent, are some basic initiatives . Any place with stagnant water must be eliminated, as this is where the transmitting mosquito, the Aedes aegyptilays its eggs”, emphasizes the Ministry.
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