The municipality of São José do Rio Preto, in the interior of São Paulo, has been facing a chikungunya epidemic for a month. In January alone, 115 cases of the disease were confirmed – the same number recorded throughout last year.
Resident Silvana remembers the moments of distress after her 16-year-old daughter showed symptoms of the disease, after returning from a vacation trip. She still complains about the delay in diagnosis.
“Treatment for the virus began, the next day the condition worsened. They said she had a food infection. There came a point where she felt so much pain in her fingers, her feet, her body, right? And vomiting… she couldn’t even take a shower without me accompanying her”, reports her mother.
Chikungunya is transmitted by the same mosquito that causes dengue fever, Aedes aegypti. The symptoms are also similar: fever, headache, pain in the eyes and joints, which are usually intense and can persist for a few months.
“Whether it is dengue or chikungunya, there must be notification for us to trigger actions, but, above all, it needs to start hydration prescribed by the doctor”, explains the Epidemiological Surveillance manager of São José do Rio Preto, Andreia Negri.
The Ministry of Health received 14,958 notifications of chikungunya in 2024 alone. At least 3 people died and another 12 deaths are being investigated. Last year, there were 154,800 cases and 106 confirmed deaths.