Brazil: Dengue fever outbreak ongoing in Minas Gerais state

Event

An outbreak of dengue fever is ongoing in state of Minas Gerais, notably in the city of Uberlandia. Officials have recorded 5,642 cases in Uberlandia and over 44,000 cases statewide as of early March, which authorities note is a 519 percent increase compared to the number of cases reported in the state during the same period a year prior.

Context

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease found mostly in urban and semi-urban areas. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, nausea, and rash. In a small number of cases, the potentially deadly dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) may develop, resulting in internal bleeding, enlargement of the liver, and high fever.

Advice

Individuals present in Minas Gerais state are advised to take measures to protect themselves from mosquito bites (e.g. by wearing covering clothing, using insect repellent, and sleeping in a screened-in or air-conditioned room) and to eliminate possible mosquito breeding grounds on their properties (e.g. small pockets of fresh water, such as rainwater that has collected in cans, bottles, tires, flower pots, clogged gutters, etc.).