Brazil: 2016 Chikungunya- cases soaring

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.health24.com/Medical/inf.../cases-of-chikungunya-soar-in-brazil-20161125


Updated 25 November 2016
Soaring number of chikungunya cases in Brazil

Brazil's Health Ministry says that cases of chikungunya are soaring this year in Latin America's biggest country.

The ministry said that there have been 134,910 confirmed cases of the mosquito-borne disease so far in 2016. Last year the total was 8,528...

 

[Shiloh]

Source: http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-ne...cials-worry-about-chikungunya-virus-epidemic/

Officials Worry About Chikungunya Virus Epidemic in Rio de Janeiro
The official warns that unlike dengue, persons infected with the chikungunya virus may develop chronic joint problems for months or even years.
December 21, 2016
By Lise Alves, Senior Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL ? With the start of summer and the warmer, more humid weather descending on Rio de Janeiro, state authorities are starting to worry about diseases caused by the Aedes Aegypti mosquitos...

?We?ve had dengue virus around since 2011 and a large part of the state?s population is already immune against this virus. Zika (virus) also circulated in an intense manner during 2015 and 2016. Now it?s time for chikungunya; it?s the one we are worried about in 2017,? said the head of Rio de Janeiro?s Epidemiological and Environmental Surveillance Center, Alexandre Chieppe.

?This is the virus which is most worrisome because it is a relatively new virus in Brazil. The population of Rio de Janeiro has not had much contact with this virus, so people do not have immunity against it,? the official added during a TV interview.

Data from the state government shows that from the beginning of January 2016 to December 6th, there were 15,265 suspected chikungunya cases in Rio state, with 10 deaths attributed to the virus.

These numbers are significantly higher than those registered during the previous year, when 105 cases of the disease were recorded due to chikungunya were recorded without any deaths...

 

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/intern...hikungunya-and-zika-increases-in-brazil.shtml

Number of Deaths from Chikungunya and Zika Increases in Brazil
12/22/2016 - 19h06
NAT?LIA CANCIAN
FROM BRAS?LIA

A new report from the Ministry of Health reveals that 159 deaths and more than 263 thousand cases of infection likely from the Chikungunya virus have been registered this year and specialists consider it to be a primary health concern this summer.

These data represent an increase of 15% in the total number of deaths confirmed from Chikungunya compared to the 138 that were reported last year by the ministry, using data compiled by the end of November.

Compared to 2015, the increase is 2,550% - in 2015, there were only six confirmed deaths.

Although the confirmed cases have been on the increase recently, the report cautions that the majority of cases occur in February and March, months that are considered to be the peak for the epidemic.

The total, therefore, could still increase, since other deaths are still under investigation by the States.

Chikungunya in general has been a matter of concern to specialists and authorities due to the increase in the number of cases of the virus this year, which suggests that it could spread over more regions in the country...