The worst dengue epidemic in history » Latinapress News

Brazil is facing the worst dengue epidemic in its history. According to government figures, 3,039 deaths from the disease have been recorded so far this year, nearly three times the number recorded in all of 2023 (1,179). The number of deaths may be higher because it does not include 2,679 deaths that are still under investigation, according to the latest epidemiological bulletin issued by the Ministry of Health. The number of probable cases, exceeding the government’s worst forecasts, stands at 5.2 million (as of Friday), more than three times what it was in all of 2015 (1.6 million), the year with the highest number of infections to date.

According to the Ministry of Health, the number of infections has gradually declined since the end of March and reached 101,853 last week, after reaching a record level of 427,940 in the third week of March. The scale of the current epidemic is due to the impact of the El Niño weather phenomenon, which has led to high temperatures and heavy rainfall across the country. In the midst of the epidemic, Brazil in February became the first country in the world to offer a dengue vaccine through the public health system, although the small number of doses available limits its use in children and adolescents.

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