Brazil Has 91,000 Suspected Zika Cases; Records of Dengue and Chikungunya Have Increased

04/27/2016 - 10h58

In just over two months, Brazil recorded at least 91,387 probable cases of infection by the Zika virus and experiences a new rise of chikungunya and dengue, diseases transmitted by the same vector, the mosquito Aedes aegypti.

According to the Ministry of Health, the situation indicates that the country continues to live a "triple epidemic."

The new data on probable cases of Zika come from an epidemiological bulletin released on Tuesday (26) by the Ministry.

Of the total cases of Zika, 7,584 are of pregnant women showing symptoms of the disease, such as red spots on the body and itching, among others. Of these, 2,844 had the diagnosis confirmed after tests.

The data show that the Zika virus continues to circulate in Brazil, but now with greater intensity in other regions than the Northeast, where it was first confirmed.

Comparing the states, Rio de Janeiro leads in number of cases, with 25,930 patients with probable infection by Zika. The total is similar to that recorded in Bahia, with 25,061 cases.

The records of chikungunya also increase in the country. There were 39,017 probable cases of the disease only in the first three months of this year. The same period of 2015 had 7,412 records - an increase of 426%.

The report also shows an increase in the number of dengue cases. Across the country, the probable cases of the disease are 802,429, an increase of 13% compared to the same period last year.

Translated by MARINA DELLA VALLE

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	Nelson Almeida/AFP
	Soldiers and a Health Ministry agent look for larvae of Aedes aegypti mosquito, vector of the Zika, Dengue ans Chikungunya viruses, during an operation to fight them in Sao Paulo