Dengue and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever, Brazil, 1981–2002
João Bosco Siqueiraa✉, Celina Maria Turchi Martellib, Giovanini Evelim Coelhoc, Ana Cristina Rocha Simplicioc, Douglas Lloyd Hatchd
- aMinistry of Health, Brasília, BrazilFederal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
- bFederal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
- cMinistry of Health, Brasília, Brazil
- dMinistry of Health, Brasília, BrazilCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- ✉Corresponding author
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Abstract
In the last 5 years, Brazil has accounted for approximately 70% of reported dengue fever cases in the Americas. We analyzed trends of dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) from the early 1980s to 2002 by using surveillance data from the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Two distinct epidemiologic patterns for dengue were observed: localized epidemics (1986-1993), and endemic and epidemic virus circulation countrywide (1994-2002). Currently, serotypes 1, 2, and 3 cocirculate in 22 of 27 states. Dengue and DHF affected mainly adults; however, an increase in occurrence of DHF among children has been recently detected in northern Brazil, which suggests a shift in the occurrence of severe disease to younger age groups. In 2002, hospitalizations increased, which points out the change in disease severity compared to that seen in the 1990s. We describe the epidemiology of dengue in Brazil, characterizing the changing patterns of it and DHF during the last 20 years.
TL;DRBrazil has experienced an increase in dengue disease severity in the past 5 years, according to a report by the World Health Organization. (Semantic Scholar)