Dengue cases in Juiz de Fora in 2024 are 4 times higher than in all of 2023; check out neighborhoods with the highest incidence | Wood zone

In just over five months, Juiz de Fora has already registered more notifications of confirmed cases of dengue in 2024 than in the entirety of last year, according to data from the monitoring panel of the State Department of Health (SES-MG).

Until Saturday (4), the city confirmed 6,113 cases of dengue in this year. Throughout all months of 2023, there were 1,519 registrations.

Furthermore, the municipality has three confirmed deaths and another eight deaths under investigation. Regarding probable cases of the disease, there are 8,846 to date.

According to City Hall, the neighborhoods with the highest incidence of outbreaks of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which transmits the disease, are:

• Center;
• Monte Castelo (North Zone);
• São Mateus (South Zone);
• Santo Antônio (Southeast Zone);
• São Pedro (West Zone).

“When a neighborhood or region with a higher incidence of cases is identified, the City Hall directs the workforce, intensifying the action of agents to combat endemic diseases, proceeding with chemical blockades and vector control and also with cleaning efforts, through the program Beauty“, explained the Executive.

According to the Ministry of Health, the projected increase in cases of the disease is due to factors such as combination of excessive heat and intense rains (possible effects of El Niño) and the recent resurgence of serotypes 3 and 4 of the dengue virus in Brazil.

In an interview with g1infectologist Marcos Moura explained that it is normal to have dengue epidemics from time to time.

“After a period of time, a new population is susceptible, that is, children are born, young people and will have new illnesses. Or also in a situation where another viral type circulates, for example, the person may have type 1 and then Over time, type 2 and type 3 appear. In Brazil, we already have four viral types of dengue, so it is possible that today the time between one epidemic and another is shorter”, said the doctor.

The infectious disease specialist also highlighted that the current climate situation, with recurrent heat waves, for example, are favorable environments not only for the dengue mosquito, but also for other insects.

Regarding the severity of the disease, Marcos Moura explains that it is associated with having dengue for the second time since the immunological response to a new infection with the dengue virus tends to be more severe:

“People who have already had it tend to have a more serious, more intense condition, and possibly with more sequelae as well.”

According to the doctor, the consequences could be several. Between them:

• Cognitive sequelae, with lethargy and difficulty reasoning for a long time;
• Fatigue and intense prostration that persists for up to one or two months;
• Arthralgia and muscle pain;
• Systemic problems, such as viral hepatitis that emerges after the end of the dengue fever cycle.

• The dengue virus is transmitted by bite of the female Aedes aegypti mosquito infected and has four different serotypes – all of which can cause different forms of the disease;
• All age groups are equally susceptible to the diseasehowever, older people and those with chronic diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, are at greater risk of developing serious cases and other complications that can lead to death;
• The main symptoms are: high fever (above 38°C), pain in the body and joints, pain behind the eyes, malaise, lack of appetite, headache and red spots on the body. The severe form of the disease includes intense and continuous abdominal pain, nausea, persistent vomiting and mucous membrane bleeding;
• A hemorrhagic denguethe most severe form of the disease, It is more common when a person contracts the virus for the second time;
• When experiencing symptoms, it is important to seek a health service for diagnosis and treatment;
• How to avoid dengue? The most important thing is not to leave water standing around and accumulating around: mosquitoes can use large spaces, such as water tanks and open swimming pools, as well as small objects, such as bottle caps and plant pots, as breeding grounds;