The contingency plan for dengue, zika and chikungunya has been updated by the Santa Catarina Department of Health. The review, which is carried out annually, took into account the high transmission rate of dengue this year. The plan defines three levels of alert, each of which provides specific actions to resolve the situation.

Santa Catarina has recorded a significant rise in dengue cases and deaths this year – Photo: Anchieta City Hall/Disclosure/ND

João Augusto Brancher Fac, in charge of Dive (Santa Catarina Epidemiological Surveillance Authority), emphasized that the plan aims to organize actions at the state level to ensure a coordinated response to the increase in cases. Actions should focus on case surveillance, patient care, vector control and risk communication.

Phook also noted that the plan is aimed at instrumental response to the possibility of an even greater increase in cases in the state, which could occur due to the proximity to summer.

Cases tend to escalate during the hottest months, he said. However, in 2022, cases of dengue occurred throughout the year in Santa Catarina.

Contingency plan

The plan will have three alert levels that will take into account the incidence. They will increase, and as the next level of attention is reached, the state will have to take new actions in person.

According to the folder, the goal is to contain the spread of the disease and even avoid serious cases and deaths.

Three precautionary steps:

1st level:

• When the incidence of dengue fever continues to rise for two consecutive weeks and exceeds 50 cases per 100,000 inhabitants for every epidemiological week of symptom onset, two health regions are affected.
• Increasing incidence of local cases of Chikungunya and Zika compared to the previous year.

Level 2:

• The incidence of dengue fever continues to rise for four consecutive weeks, exceeding 50 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in an epidemiological week, and affects four health regions.
• As for chikungunya and zika, it exceeds the incidence rate for the same period of the previous year.

Level 3:

• The incidence rate of dengue fever exceeds the upper limit of the endemic channel and/or there are still confirmed dengue deaths.
• The incidence of chikungunya and Zika has been increasing for four consecutive weeks and is confirmed by a fatal outcome. For Zika, the increase in positive results in pregnant women is also taken into account.

Despite the importance of public action to combat disease-causing mosquitoes, the community also plays an important role, Dave said.

Next Saturday (19) will be National Mobilization Day against Aedes aegypti. The goal is to alert the public to the importance of eliminating potential mosquito breeding sites.

The situation in the UK

In Santa Catarina, 233 municipalities have registered mosquitoes this year. In total, 134 people are considered infected, which increases the risk of transmission of these diseases.

The state has recorded a significant number of cases of dengue this year. At least 90 deaths from the disease have been confirmed. There were seven deaths in 2021.