* Alexandre Temponi
Dengue is an acute, systematic and dynamic febrile disease, which can range from asymptomatic cases to those that can lead to death. According to Daniela Caldas, professor at the Department of Pediatrics at the Faculty of Medicine at UFMG and guest at Saúde com Ciência, the initial symptoms of dengue are non-specific, which can lead to a delay in starting care. Dengue treatment is simple, in most cases, and fluid intake is essential for the patient’s improvement.
Our country is a tropical area, the most prone to tropical life. Aedes aegypti, the main vector of the dengue virus. According to the professor, we are losing the fight against dengue due to the method adopted to combat the spread of the disease. “Because for years we have been trying to control the vector, which is the Aedes aegypti, and we have a show, a shower, every year. So a lot depends on a constant campaign to control the outbreaks. When we talk about immunization, we also have a long-term gain, not just immediate, not just at the moment I take the action”, explains the teacher.
The dengue vaccine is recent and is now available in health centers for children and adolescents. “This vaccine has been very well studied, it is a safe and essential tool for us to win this battle against Aedes aegypti and against dengue”, says professor Daniela Caldas, emphasizing the importance of vaccination.
Situation in Brazil in 2024
We are only at the beginning of 2024 and we have already reached 1,657 deaths from dengue in Brazil, according to data from the Arbovirus Monitoring Panel of the Ministry of Health. The professor warns that the excessive increase in the number of dengue cases could generate a public health crisis, as happened with Covid-19.
“When we have a lot of people getting sick at once, we have an overload on the health service and the overload is in every way, in hospitals to get a place, in the ICU to get a bed, to carry out exams for those who need it. Another point is when we have a large number of cases like today, we have a greater number of people who develop unfavorably, sometimes leading to death.”
Professor Daniela Caldas Teixeira
The professor states that one of the reasons for the increase in the number of cases is the circulation of new types of the virus, which did not circulate with such intensity previously. In this case, a large part of the population is not immune to all types of dengue in circulation. Furthermore, it is worth noting that low adherence to this year’s vaccination campaign also contributes to the large increase in the number of dengue cases.
Health with Science
On this week’s Saúde com Ciência radio program, we’re going to talk about dengue. We will explain contagion, treatment and the importance of fighting the disease and the virus. We will also address the importance of vaccination in the fight against dengue.
Saúde com Ciência is produced by the Social Communication Center of the UFMG Faculty of Medicine and aims to inform and answer the population’s questions about health topics. Listen on Rádio UFMG Educativa (104.5 FM) from Monday to Friday, at 5am, 8am and 6pm. It is also possible to listen to the program on the main podcast platforms.
* Alexandre Temponi – Journalism intern
Editing: Alexandre Bueno
