Brazil reports 337 cases of chikungunya

Brazil has reported 337 cases of chikungunya fever as of October 11. The disease is similar to dengue fever, and transmitted by the same mosquito.

Out of the total cases reported, 299 resulted from transmissions within the country – 281 occurred in Bahia, 17 in Amapá, and one in Minas Gerais. Prior to the confirmation, in the first half of September, of the first transmissions taking place within Brazil, 38 people had already been reported to have been infected in other countries, including the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Venezuela, and French Guiana.

Like dengue, the chikungunya is transmitted by Aedes aegypti , as well as Aedes albopictos, but has only one serotype, and each person only catches the disease once. The symptoms can last from three to ten days and are also the same as those caused by dengue – headache, fever, muscle and t pain. But they are usually less severe, and patients can receive care at home, treating symptoms with paracetamol, hydration, and rest.

As of last week, the Ministry of Health adopted the clinical criteria to identify the disease in places where the first cases were diagnosed through tests. This means that healthcare providers will consider the symptoms – fever, body aches and headaches – as well any reports of other people with the disease in the area.

Translated by Mayra Borges