Espírito Santo has been recording a significant increase in cases of arboviruses over the last few weeks and has concentrated most of the occurrences in the country. The information was released this Monday (2) by the Ministry of Health. In a statement, Pastou assessed that the scenario generates “concerns” given the rapid spread of diseases.
Data from the Arbovirus Monitoring Panel show that, in 2024, Espírito Santo recorded 152,800 probable cases of dengue, in addition to 40 confirmed deaths and seven under investigation. The incidence rate in the state is almost 4 thousand cases of the disease for each group of 100 thousand inhabitants.
The numbers also indicate that, of the 9,600 cases of Oropouche fever registered in the country this year, Espírito Santo accounts for 1,763 cases. Among the 363.5 thousand probable cases of chikungunya, the state has 13,309. Finally, of the 6,400 probable cases of Zika, 516 infections were identified in the state.
Recently, the ministry met with state managers and surveillance and assistance experts from several states to discuss the epidemiological situation of arboviruses and prevention actions. According to the ministry, the meeting, organized by the Health and Environmental Surveillance Secretariat, aimed to align arbovirus control strategies in Brazil.
“Espírito Santo was one of the main focuses of the meeting, due to the significant increase in cases in recent weeks. The state has concentrated most of the occurrences of arboviruses in the country, which has raised concerns about the rapid spread of the disease. This scenario led to discussions about the effectiveness of surveillance actions and the need to reinforce vector control.”
Other states
According to the ministry, in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the challenge is related to the overload of the health system during epidemics. “The meeting highlighted the need to improve response planning, especially in healthcare facilities that handle a high volume of cases.”
“In São Paulo, high demand during the epidemic required the reorganization of teams and the development of strategies to avoid saturation of services.”
For Minas Gerais, the debate prioritized the expansion of diagnostic capacity and the creation of protocols for the management of arboviruses. “The state has invested in partnerships with local universities to strengthen surveillance, with positive results in the early detection of chikungunya and other diseases.”
“This collaboration model was highlighted as a good practice, with the potential to be adapted by other states”, highlighted the ministry.
“At the end of the meeting, the commitment to strengthening the surveillance network, improving communication between health spheres and implementing practices based on scientific evidence to control vector-borne diseases was reinforced”, concluded the ministry.
